Father’s Day provides the mildly depraved among us with a healthy dose of thirst traps, care of friends and acquaintances following the standard procedure for the occasion; namely, posting a—often black-and-white—throwback photo of their dads holding them as babies or toddlers. This Father’s Day (in the United States, don’t panic Australians!), Bottega Veneta has given the people more material with a campaign starring A$AP Rocky and his progeny with Rihanna.
Marking his status as ambassador of the Italian luxury fashion house, the campaign captures the rapper in the middle of playtime with his two sons, two-year-old RZA and ten-month-old Riot Rose. Titled ‘Portraits of Fatherhood’, the campaign was shot by photographer Carrie Mae Weems, who is known for her evocative ‘Kitchen Table Series’ portraits.
“IT WAS A PLEASURE TO WORK ALONGSIDE MY CHILDREN & FAMILY X MATTHIEU BLAZY X BOTTEGA VENETA X CARRIE MAE WEEMS TO BRING U THIS HEARTFELT FATHERS DAY PIECE,” A$AP Rocky wrote in a caption sharing the campaign on Instagram. “THIS SPECIAL MOMENT CAPTURES THE VULNERABILITY, LOVE AND INTERACTION BETWEEN MY SONS AND I, IM PROUD 2 BE THE MAN THEY CALL DADDA ❤️ HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL PROUD DADS OUT THERE.”
Sporting u Blazy’s latest collection for the Italian luxury fashion house, Rocky is pictured lifting the babies above his head—in a reference to classic ‘90s posters—and playing the keyboard as both RZA and Riot Rose play a toy version. In another shot, the rapper holds Riot Rose on his shoulders, with the baby wearing a ‘best dad’ onesie.
The campaign is not only adorable, but works to affirm Rocky’s status as a father and marks a step towards shifting the narrative surrounding both the rapper and the hip-hop community at large.
“I don’t think there are many people in my culture who advocate for fatherhood and parenthood,” A$AP Rocky said in a statement. “This player persona is very pushed. When you think about a rapper, you think about adolescence, about the single bachelor lifestyle. When you think about A$AP Rocky, you think about a playboy, pretty boy, bras being thrown on stage. This is about me as a one-woman man, as a family man. It is about what completes my life now: being present as a partner and a parent.”
Carrie Mae Weems agreed with the sentiment, noting that the rapper’s unwavering commitment to his family moved her. “Historically there has been a deep lack of honest representation of the Black family,” she said. “It has been distorted for centuries. This was a unique opportunity to say something not just positive, but truthful – not just about Rocky’s own experience, but about how that reflects out to the broader population.
“In the wake of all the atrocities committed against Black men — particularly because of their masculinity — Rocky can be seen with his children, in love. To be able to speak that authenticity through him was galvanising.”
Words by Theo Rosen
