Rihanna and ASAP Rocky might have chosen one of the most impressive baby names.
British tabloid the Daily Mail reports that it obtained their son’s birth certificate, which allegedly reveals his name to be RZA Athelston Mayers and his birth date as May 13, 2022. The two superstars’ rumored choice nods, of course, to the legendary Wu-Tang Clan producer and rapper, as well as Rocky’s own name: Rakim Athelaston Mayers. (The purported spelling difference raises questions.)
Neither Rihanna nor ASAP have offered confirmation.
It seems the Harlem MC wanted to carry on a tradition. As detailed in a 2011 conversation with Complex, Rocky was named in honor of hip-hop pioneer Rakim.
“My mom and dad, they came to an agreement, and they both named me after Rakim. Honestly, I can’t even meet that guy, man. That would be so crazy,” ASAP explained at the time. He added with a laugh, “I was thinking about naming my child Kanye.”
In 2016, ASAP Ferg likened Rocky to the RZA when asked about comparisons between their squad and the Staten Island set. “I think if Yams and Rocky would be RZA, then I’d be [Method Man],” Ferg told HipHopDX.
Rihanna and Rocky welcomed their son nearly one year ago, and they’ve got another one on the way. The Anti singer announced her second pregnancy in her Super Bowl performance—the most-viewed halftime show ever—in February. The star posted a British Vogue photoshoot of her family on Instagram days later, referencing her unborn child by writing, “My son so fine! Idc idc idc! How crazy both of my babies were in these photos and mommy had no clue.”