A$AP Rocky Withdraws Job Offer After Graphic Designer Shares Private DM on Social Media

A friendly direct message intended to open a new client relationship ended it before it could begin. Rapper A$AP Rocky withdrew a potential design collaboration offer to logo designer Allan Peters just hours after Peters posted a screenshot of their private exchange online.

The fallout has since split social media into two camps: those defending Peters' excitement, and those calling his move a costly professional misstep.

Designer's Celebratory Post Ends Rocky Collaboration

Peters shared a screenshot of the direct message he had received from A$AP Rocky, captioning the post, 'i have no words.' In the message, Rocky had written: 'Good morning Allan, how much do u charge for brand logo revisions? Assuming you would be willing to do so I would be honored, love ur work, god bless.'

The rapper did not share Peters' enthusiasm for publicising their conversation. He commented on the post, writing in capital letters: 'THIS IS JUST DISTASTEFUL, WELL I GUESS WE WON'T BE WORKING, BEST OF LUCK BUDDY.'

Peters has since deleted the original post. He has not publicly addressed Rocky's comment, though he has continued posting Instagram Stories celebrating his growing follower count.

Social Media Divided Over Who Is To Blame

Reaction online has been anything but unanimous. Some commenters sided with Rocky, arguing that Peters breached a basic rule of professional etiquette by making the exchange public. Others felt the backlash was overblown, insisting there was nothing inherently wrong with a small business owner celebrating a high-profile enquiry.

One commenter wrote: 'Nothing bad here, maybe he is just not proud of associating with or doing business with them, cause I see nothing wrong.' Another was less forgiving, joking that 'posting the private DM really turned a potential collaboration into a speedrun to 'never mind'.'

A third summed up the wider mood, writing: 'Bro really posted the private DM like it was a flex and lost the job in the same hour. Professionalism is dead.'

Several users pointed out that Peters' large following likely generated more publicity than the collaboration itself would have. Others questioned why such an experienced designer would risk a potentially lucrative opportunity for a handful of likes.

Who Is Allan Peters and What Was Rocky Working On?

Peters is the founder and chief creative officer of Peters Design, a branding agency that counts Nike, Amazon and Patagonia among its past clients. He is also the author of the bestselling and award-winning book, Logos That Last.

His Instagram profile shows an audience of more than one million followers, many of whom tune in for behind-the-scenes videos of his design process.

Since releasing Testing, A$AP Rocky has balanced work on his music with a growing list of business and creative ventures. He launched the Mercer + Prince whisky brand, served as creative director for PUMA x Formula 1, and collaborated with brands including Mercedes-Benz, Marine Serre, PacSun and Vans while leading his creative agency, AWGE. Rocky said he has expanded beyond music because he believes embracing an ever-evolving industry creates opportunities for new ideas.

'The industry is always evolving, and changes give opportunities to different ideas. I think it is important to try to embrace the newness and the ever-changing world,' he said.

Exactly what business or logo A$AP Rocky wanted Peters to work on remains unclear. For now, Rocky's comment appears to have shelved the collaboration.