A$AP Rocky has finally responded to Liam Gallagher calling him ‘WhatsApp Ricky’.
The Oasis icon first came out with the quip back in 2017, when he spoke to GQ about his then-upcoming solo album ‘As You Were’, and opened up about his kids’ music taste.
“My kids fucking love grime music,” he said at the time, going on to share that he liked Stormzy and Skepta in particular. “They also like that bloke, WhatsApp Ricky. You know, the American geezer, stylish, funny, gold teeth,” he then added.
When the journalist corrected him and asked if he meant A$AP Rocky, Liam responded: “Oh yeah, that’s the fella. WhatsApp Ricky. That’s a better fucking name anyway.”
Now, nearly 10 years on, A$AP Rocky revealed that he came across the comments, and made light of it on a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
As part of his appearance on the US talkshow, the rapper took part in a lighthearted segment where he and the host raced to identify songs from just a brief snippet. After correctly guessing ‘Hey Ya!’ by OutKast and ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ by The Verve, Fallon went on to look back at the latter’s time opening for Oasis on their mammoth ‘Live ‘25’ comeback shows.
“The verve, I thought it was Oasis,” Fallon said, referring to the game they played just moments before.
“By the way, I missed [Oasis’ comeback] tour, but The Verve opened for Oasis and sang that jam…” he said, before the rapper jumped in and said: “Liam calls me ‘WhatsApp Ricky.”
He then went on to clarify that the blunder to Fallon, who laughed and described it as “fantastic” and “the greatest thing”.
“We’ve got to talk to Liam [about that] when he comes back. Oh my god, he’s so funny,” he added.
A$AP Rocky’s appearance on The Tonight Show comes shortly after he dropped his new album ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ on January 16 – marking his first full-length album in eight years.
NME gave ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ a four-star review, describing it as a “suited, settled and self-assured return that doesn’t dim his light”.
“In the run-up to this release, many expected an overtly autobiographical record, or something that copied modern trends like an oldhead trying to cling onto his youth – but that’s never been Rocky’s instinct,” it read. “Where he once revelled in youthful excess, ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ reframes his Pretty Flacko swagger into something more gentlemanly.”
“Ultimately, this is a more mature Rocky: suited, settled and self-assured. The bachelor’s grown up – and somehow, that hasn’t dulled his shine at all,” it added.
Shortly after the record was released, the rapper announced a huge ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ world tour, including three UK dates. Check out a list of shows here and find tickets here.
As for Liam Gallagher and Oasis, the band kicked off their 41-date comeback tour in Cardiff on July 4, and it saw them take in five homecoming shows at Manchester’s Heaton Park, seven at Wembley Stadium in London, and gigs across the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.
They have now said that they are taking a “pause” to reflect on their huge ‘Live ‘25’ reunion tour, which ended in Brazil on November 24.
Despite that, there are still rumours of more tour dates on the way, as well as potential new music. Liam recently teased more shows on X, writing, “I know things you don’t know” to a fan who asked him if he was sad the tour would be ending soon.
As well as that, when on stage for the last Wembley show of their comeback run in September, he told fans “see you next year” before playfully slapping himself on the wrist.