A$AP Ferg, A$AP Rocky’s Tribute To Dancehall Legend Shabba Ranks Goes Double Platinum

By Akeelia Richards Tue, October 26 2021, 06:23 PM EST

asapfergrocky shabba ranks — A$AP Ferg, A$AP ROCKY, Shabba Ranks

A$AP Ferg’s 2013 smash hit, Shabba, which featured A$AP Rocky, is now certified double platinum in the United States.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) issued the certification on Thursday, October 21 for the song after it crossed the milestone of 2 million units sold in the US. Shabba had previously reached platinum status on November 8, 2019.

Shabba, which peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, was a tribute to Dancehall legend Shabba Ranks, who had a cameo appearance in the official music video, which now stands at 100 million views on YouTube.

The video was shot in a Yonkers, New York mansion, on the premise that Ferg and his Harlem crew are having a house party in what is supposed to be Shabba’s home, without his knowledge, so when Ranks returns, he is plenty surprised. In the song’s chorus, Ferg and Rocky vibe to the lyrics honoring Shabba Ranks, “Eight gold rings like I’m Sha-Shabba Ranks/ Four gold chains like I’m Sha-Shabba Ranks/ One gold tooth like I’m Sha-Shabba Ranks”.

“That’s actually the real Shabba Ranks, live in effect right here,” Ferg told MTV News when he premiered the video. “We found him — it’s very rare, man. Our peoples reached out to his peoples and we finally got a hold of the legend.”

“I am very excited because Shabba is a legend and a lot of that dancehall stuff and Jamaican music came from him. I feel like he doesn’t get a lot of credit which is part of the reason why I decided to do this song,” Ferg said in a YouTube interview.

“It’s sorta like bringing a pop icon back and giving him the props that he deserves am gonna call him A$AP Shabba for now.”

Shabba Ranks was later featured on the remix alongside Busta Rhymes and the Migos trio.

Born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon, Ranks is best known for his signature sounds on Mr. Loverman and Ting-A-Ling. He won the Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album in 1992 and 1993 for his albums X-Tra Naked and As Raw As Ever, respectively.