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A$AP Rocky, the Grammy-nominated rapper, recently opened up in an interview with Variety, published on May 6, about a moment that could have sent his career in a completely different direction — auditioning for the role of Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The revelation has sparked a wave of reactions online, as fans process the idea of the Harlem-born artist as the iconic space smuggler. Rakim Mayers, better known as A$AP Rocky, described how his audition fell short of expectations. During the audition, he realized his performance fell entirely short of his satisfaction:
"My audition was trash. I was trash that day."
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Despite this self-assessment, he didn't shy away from acknowledging that the role was ultimately better suited for Donald Glover, who portrayed Lando in Solo, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
"My man Childish Gambino was a way better Lando than I would've provided at that time," A$AP stated.
Glover presented a Lando character that captured more of Billy Dee Williams' original persona than his own. Although he didn't land a spot in Star Wars, A$AP has not completely cut off the possibility of appearing in the Star Wars franchise later in his career. When asked if he'd try again, Rakim Mayers responded with a definitive "hell, yeah."
The news of A$AP's audition has ignited intense discussion online.
"That would have been wild, but yeah glad they went the way they did with the casting. Childish Gambino did a good job with it," one X user commented.
"Oh, he would've probably done a great job too," another user remarked.
"At least he's honest most people wouldn't admit they lost a role to someone named Childish," a user noted.
Fans mostly praised Donald Glover's casting as Lando, calling his performance strong, while some respected A$AP's honesty about auditioning. A few defended his choice to try, though one comment dismissed him as irrelevant.
"I really liked him as Lando, wish he had more of an opportunity to explore the role a bit more," a netizen tweeted.
"As much as well agree he wouldnt be a good fit, would you turn down the chance to audition for a cool role like this? Trash or not I can't blame him for trying lol," an X user said.
"Asap rocky has been irrelevant since 2019," another user wrote.
A$AP Rocky's evolving acting journey leads to major role in Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest
A$AP gained fame from his music, yet his acting career has grown consistently over the past 10 years. In 2015, he made his movie debut in the indie drama Dope as he supported Shameik Moore and Zoë Kravitz in their roles, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
The film, directed by Rick Famuyiwa, premiered at Sundance and marked Rocky's first foray into narrative storytelling on screen.
A$AP Rocky appeared in the courtroom drama Monster when it was released in 2018 alongside performances from John David Washington and Kelvin Harrison Jr under the direction of Anthony Mandler. Through Rocky's character, the film expressed themes about justice combined with questions of personal identity while he battled through a difficult legal situation.
A$AP Rocky will star alongside Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s upcoming crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest, playing Yung Felon, a rapper caught in a dangerous ransom plot. Rocky said his own legal issues in 2021 helped him relate to the role. The movie is set to release on August 22, 2025.
