How does Rihanna inspire A$AP Rocky? Rapper praises singer's support during Gotham Awards nomination for 'Highest 2 Lowest'

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky turned heads at the 35th Annual Gotham Film Awards in New York on Monday - December 1, 2025. The Umbrella hitmaker was at the ceremony to support the rapper after he was nominated for Breakthrough Performer for his role in Spike Lee's 2025 crime thriller, Highest 2 Lowest. 

And Rihanna's support isn't lost on the rapper, who praised her during an interview. He was asked by Entertainment Tonight how he and the singer inspire each other, to which he said:

"Man, it's a lot of that to go around. It's so much to be inspired by. I think we kind of just feed each other when it comes to that, like inspirational, aspirational energy."

He's also thankful for the support his partner has been giving him. A$AP Rocky told People about it, saying: 

"Family support is just... spousal support, everything. It just means a lot. It goes a long way."

The couple also didn't spare the chance to make a statement on their joint red carpet appearance. Rihanna turned heads with her baby pink dropped-waist Balenciaga gown with a lengthy train by Perpaolo Piccioli paired with a pink feathered cap and black leather gloves.

Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky opted for a clean-cut Chanel suit and a pair of leather boots. 

A$AP Rocky stars with Denzel Washington in Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest

Spike Lee's remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 crime drama classic, High and Low, reunites him with Denzel Washington for the fifth time.

Washington plays a music mogul in the movie, who is touted as having the "best ears in the business." It also stars A$AP Rocky as Yung Felon, who goes toe-to-toe with Washington's character. 

The rapper's role is not far off from his real life. He plays a rapper, albeit an aspiring one, who will stop at nothing to get Washington's music mogul to notice him.

A$AP Rocky's character also faces his own courtroom drama in the movie, much like him in real life. And having the experience of his own courtroom reckoning helped him in the movie. He told Variety in May 2025: 

"That's why I was able to embody the character so well. I was able to act like a piece of sh*t who was going away for a long time but didn't realize the consequences, because in real life, I knew exactly what the consequences felt like."

He also told Perfect Magazine back in October that working with both Spike Lee and Denzel Washington in the film was a "dream come true."

Meanwhile, Lee has nothing but praise for the rapper and now actor. He told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in August, "Don't sleep on A$AP."

He added that the rapper and Washington "go toe-to-toe" in the film, whereas most actors he's seen work with Washington before easily get overwhelmed. 

A$AP Rocky's Highest 2 Lowest is available for streaming on Apple TV+.