Several months ago, Rihanna surprised the nation with her visible bump as she appeared on stage to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
That prompted speculation that the singer’s second child was on the way, as she previously gave birth to a son last year, whom she shares with hip-hop artist A$AP Rocky.
The singer made headlines due to becoming the first to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show while pregnant, and she gave a critically-acclaimed performance featuring several of her recognizable hits.
Now she’s surprised everyone again, as she and A$AP Rocky’s baby boy’s name is revealed, and he shares the moniker of another rapper.
The couple chose a unique name for their child, much like Kanye West and Kim Kardashian did with their four children: Chicago, Psalm, North, and Saint.
Singer Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z also selected a unique name for their daughter, naming her Blue Ivy, so it seems Rihanna and A$AP also went with something most people aren’t naming their kids these days.
Rihanna’s baby named after Wu-Tang Clan group leader
Last May, Rihanna gave birth to her first baby, a son. However, she kept his name secret for almost a year, with it now revealed as his first birthday approaches.
A Daily Mail report indicates they recently obtained a copy of the official birth certificate for Rihanna and A$ AP’s baby. Their son, born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles last year, is named RZA Athelston Mayers.
RZA is the stage name for Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, best known as the rapper and producer behind the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan.
The group, which originated in Staten Island, New York, named themselves after the 1983 kung fu film Shaolin and Wu-Tang. All of the hip-hop group’s members chose nicknames for themselves once they’d formed the group.
Diggs, who’d previously rapped in the late 1980s as a solo artist called Prince Rakeem, adopted the name RZA based on fans giving him the name RZA RZA Rakeem.
Other rappers in Wu-Tang Clan include Method Man, Ghostface Killah, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna, with Rinanna opting for a highly unique moniker for her baby boy.
Per Daily Mail’s report, Rihanna was photographed wearing a black and white Wu-Tang top last month while carrying her baby as she left Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica. In addition, she stepped out in a RZA shirt last year just three months after giving birth, possibly offering a hint to others about his name.
Rihanna and A$ AP’s baby boy also shares his father’s middle name
While Rihanna’s baby carries the first name RZA, his middle name is Athelston, which is considered A$AP Rocky’s middle name. A$AP’s real name is Rakim Athelston Mayers, with his middle name often reported as Athelaston.
Athelston is of English origin, with the masculine name meaning “noble stone.” It’s also linked to Anglo-Saxon nobility, as it was the name of the first king of England.
The Grammy-nominated rapper is likely happy with the first name RZA, as he’s collaborated with Wu-Tang’s Raekwon for the song I Got Money off his 2015 Fly International Luxurious Art album.
There was nearly a collaboration involving Rihanna and RZA too. The rapper previously told MTV News that he was interested in bringing a remake of the 1985 kung fu comedy film, The Last Dragon, to the screen with Rihanna and Samuel L. Jackson as part of the cast.
Rihanna’s baby boy being named RZA is now making headlines, with anticipation likely to build regarding her next baby’s name.