A$AP Rocky
In 2011, Harlem’s A$AP Rocky emerged at the forefront of a resurgent New York rap underground. Connecting the dots between a wide spectrum of ’90s rap and the fashion-savvy hip-hop vanguard, Rocky and his A$AP Mob team quickly ascended to global stardom. Since the release of his major label debut, Long.Live.A$AP, Rocky has kept a close lid on his artistic development.
In this public lecture as part of the 2015 Red Bull Music Academy UK Tour, Rocky sat down with journalist Hattie Collins on the Red Bull Studios London couch where he wrote much of At.Long.Last.A$AP. During their discussion, he opened up about his relationship with London, his reverence for artists ranging from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to the Castaways, and meeting his friend and Mob-partner A$AP Yams.
Hosted by [applause] A$AP Rocky This thing on? What’s up y’all? How you guys doing? Hattie Collins Welcome to the RVMA UK tour from London, we’ve already been in Glasgow, we’ve been in Brighton, next week we’re going to Manchester, but we’re going to kick off in the capital city with this man to my right who is, I’m going to try and get this right, he is a director, a producer, a model, an icon of fashion. He also raps a bit too apparently I don’t know if you know about that. Please welcome A$AP Rocky. [applause] A$AP Rocky Thank you. Thanks to everybody for coming out today, thanks so much man we appreciate it, I really do. Hattie Collins Sorry little technical there with the laptop. Welcome to London. A$AP Rocky Thanks for having me. Hattie Collins You go by a few names. A$AP Rocky Yes I do. Hattie Collins I wonder if you would care to roll them out for us today so we all know just exactly who we’re dealing with right now. A$AP Rocky Birth name Rakim Mayers, but I think the Lord really named me Lord Pretty Flacko Jody II. So that’s my name. Address me as such, please. Hattie Collins One of our first questions of Twitter is from a young man called Alex Drills, he wants to know where the name Pretty Flacko came from. A$AP Rocky It’s ironic, it’s funny you ask. There are multiple reasons why name Pretty Flacko but I’ll start with the petty reasons first, number one, Flacko is flaquito that’s Latin and Spanish for skinny, so Pretty Flacko you know I’m skinny and pretty, what can I say? [laughs] But the real reason is because one of my idols and mentors Mos Def, known as Yaiin Bey, is Pretty Flacko, and I was privileged enough to have the name and run with it. Hattie Collins Funny you mention that name I just out of the corner of my eye noticed ... A$AP Rocky Mos Def is here, is it okay if we bring him up please? Mos come up man. [appaluse] Hattie Collins This is nice isn’t it? No big deal it’s just Mos Def, absolutely no problem at all, I’m interested how you two know each other? Yasiin Bey One of my oldest friends, Chace Infinite has been working with Rock from the beginning and when they first started putting them all together in New York I was just on that, there as a witness to watch how they put it together and how excited Chace was about everything that [A$AP] Mob were doing. I just started developing I was like these are some of my homies doing it and striving and putting it together, and I think that was 2010, 2011 and to see from that point to here, to where it’s going is really encouraging. It’s one thing to see people in the public light, but it’s another thing to actually know those people and to see their struggles and to see the whole behind the scenes. I’ve been fortunate enough to see that with folks like Kanye West and it gives me not only more appreciation for where their art has developed and their modes of expression have developed, but the type of people that it takes to actually pull something like that off. A$AP is not something that happened by chance it was very deliberate it was very focused and it was a lot of energy and hard work from a group of people in New York that a lot of people may have underestimated and didn’t really expect that much of. It’s nice to be here and see my man doing his numbers, enjoying life, and to be a part of that in some small ways. I’m just here rocking with my man I’m sure I don’t look interview ready at all. [laughs] Hattie Collins Sorry to put you on the spot. Yasiin Bey It’s all good. Hattie Collins Rocky tell me about when you first met Mos Def because I guess you met Mos, when you met Yasiin, it was just I’m presuming someone you’d looked up to for years. A$AP Rocky Of course, for me I just wanted to impress him, I just was like, “Hey, man so you like my music? You like me better than Tyler, the Creator?” Hattie Collins What was the answer? A$AP Rocky He just laughed he looks after all the youngsters, he’s got love for all the youngsters. We all one generation, and Tyler and Odd Future [are people] who I feel like I respect and they’re really creative so that was the only people to really compare myself to at the time. At one point in time I seen him do Jimmy Fallon, was it? And I remember Tyler did it and Mos was there it just looked like they had an amazing time and I said to myself, ‘Man if Mos likes Tyler then I probably got a chance because that means he likes weirdo music, too.’ Yasiin Bey I’ve been listening to the new material because we connected while I was in Paris, and he was like, “I’m going to London, you’ve got to come so I was like all right I’m going to come.” The whole time that we was riding down, the whole time we was in Paris, he was just playing me the new joints and I was like, “Oh my god.” When people hear these new joints... It’s his material so I don’t want to make him flash nothing he ain’t uncomfortable with, but I have favorites already myself. Any of the songs that Flacko are in I’m probably going to be partial to. But all of the material, there’s no A$AP Rocky is incredible. A lot of people might see it on one level but I think more than just the swag or the attitude or the energy that A$AP has, people are really going to start to appreciate the deeper level of artistry and creativity that Rocky has and a lot of the Mob striving for so it’s exciting. I was telling him it felt like the first Beastie Boys album moving into Paul’s Boutique where you start to see that it’s not just three rowdy young folks up there, there’s some depth there, so I’m excited for the world to hear that. It’s a lot of fresh people working on that, Kanye, Danger Mouse, and me. Just got off the phone with Based God the other day, so it’s a big deal. Young Based God... A$AP Rocky Shout outs to Lil B, shout outs to the Based God all day make some noise for the Based God because he paved the way for the internet man. All day. Yasiin Bey Eat that wanton soup. Hattie Collins What can you tell us about the track you’ve done together? Seeing as you’re both here right now it would feel rude ... A$AP Rocky We can’t say much about that because you guys got to hear it first. Play it for you? That’s just as bad as telling you that’s even worse. [laughs] Well when it’s time you’ll get it I promise. For sure. Hattie Collins I’m going to get into this with Rocky in a bit, but how do you think he’s developed over the last two years? How do you see the development of A$AP from mixtape to album to now album two on its way? Yasiin Bey The first mixtape and album was getting regular airtime all the time, so songs like “Leaf” – and the energy is still there it’s just the diversity in terms of the sound and the influences and the way that he’s distilling it is just showing growth. It’s just really dope. I don’t like to get into too much analytics of it, it just make me feel good. Also, me being from New York, it definitely gave me that New York feeling. I love Future and I love Earl [Sweatshirt], Vince Staples, and Shabazz Palaces. But for me, when it’s coming out of New York and it’s got that raw, what else sounds like that? Shout out to GS9 and Bobby Shmurda because those are my dudes as well. Hattie Collins Before I let you go, which I am in a minute, but because we’re in London, I have to ask you anybody in London or England right now that you guys ...? Yasiin Bey I’m all over Lord Tusk, FunkinEven, Dean Blunt. A$AP Rocky We’re fucking with Skepta man. Yasiin Bey Shout out to Little Simz in a major way. Kano, Photo Machine, Tribe of Colin. A$AP Rocky Is King Krule from here? Yasiin Bey King Krule is that deal. A lot of London artists. A$AP Rocky I hope we’re not forgetting anybody because there’s a lot of good artists out here. Yasiin Bey A lot of amazing artists out here in London. Shout out to Channel One soundsystems as well. Hattie Collins Listen Mos I should let you go you’ve been so generous with your time thank you so much, Mos Def! [applause] A$AP Rocky You want to know something ironic? Hattie Collins Yeah. A$AP Rocky I recorded my whole album on this couch. Hattie Collins On this actual couch? A$AP Rocky Is this the same one from Red Bull Studio? Hattie Collins I guess so right? Yes we can confirm that. A$AP Rocky I recorded my whole album on this couch. Hattie Collins Sat on this couch where I’m sat now where you’re sat now we’re laying flat, give me the visual. A$AP Rocky I’m going to come clean, probably right here, the whole damn couch. Hattie Collins So you recorded, I believe you can tell me the percentages exactly, but a high percentage of your album at the Red Bull Studios in London is that right? A$AP Rocky So basically what I did was I recorded the skeletons of the album, and most of the songs were already done. But for the other songs that I recorded back in the States, those were like skeletons that I had did prior in Red Bull Studio in UK. Hattie Collins So tell me about your relationship with London? I want to get into the studio stuff in a minute, but I know that you’ve been coming here for a long time, you know that we’re quite a cool city. A$AP Rocky I love it here. Hattie Collins It’s a pretty cool place right? A$AP Rocky Hell yeah. Hattie Collins What were your impressions before you came to London and I should say the UK in general, but what were your impressions before you came and then when you actually got here how did you find the city? A$AP Rocky Well when I was younger I always wanted to come to London and shit because I heard rumors that the potato chips is pink and shit like that? [laughs] And then I remember watching something and for some reason I thought that the cops wore roller skates and had whistles and shit. [laughs] I was like oh they got punk ass cops over there I can go over there do whatever the fuck I want man. When I got older probably around 11 years old, my impression of London was Harry Potter, all the way. I thought Harry Potter defined London and I was wrong. And when I got to London and I saw the architecture, I’m like this is what New York was built for, this is what the settlers came and this is what they were trying to duplicate. I feel like as far as the architecture and landscape and everything is like a double of what you guys got over here and when I come over here I feel at home, I feel right at home, people with so much love look at the beautiful people out there who came to see us today. There’s love out here in the UK. I love these motherfuckers. Hattie Collins So how does it shape you creatively when you’re here? A$AP Rocky I don’t know. It’s the energy right now I feel like people, I’m just going to go on the grime for instance, the States have no idea what grime music is. Anybody ever been to America by any chance? Now at the same time do they know what the fuck grime is over there? Exactly my point. A$AP was the first... A$AP Bari, Younglord, Ian Connor was the first to go to Skepta and say, “We need to take this shit and put it on the broader scale, and we need to merge this shit BBK A$AP shit and have everybody show love. They made “It Ain’t Safe.” Shit is booming. You can go to SXSW. You go to Art Basel. You gone see everybody turn. “It ain’t safe on the block, not even for the cops.” Y’all know that shit? Ah... jiggy nigga shit... Hattie Collins What is it that you liked about the energy? When Ian and Bari came to you and talked to you about BBK, what was it that you think impressed them so much? A$AP Rocky Impressed whom? Hattie Collins Impressed members of the Mob, impressed yourself? A$AP Rocky I think that those guys were genuine and authentic, and I think that’s where it started. I think it just started with a friendship thing. I can’t take credit for it. That was what they decided to do. That’s what A$AP does. It’s not just me who’s creative. A lot of people on my crew have a good vision. It’s all about visions, because we’re a collective of visionaries. I think when they met Skepta and all those guys... They knew Skepta and these guys for years before people... I guess it had to be like establish a relationship, friendship, and now you have it. Hattie Collins There’s a lot of attention being paid to grime at the moment. There’s a lot of American artists that are sort of shining the spotlight on grime. What are your thoughts on that? Do you think it’s helpful? How do you think it’s helpful? Where do you see grime going into the future in terms of their American audience? A$AP Rocky Well, I’m not psychic. I don’t know where the fuck grime is going to go in the next few years, but I think that it’s amazing that there’s other artists who saw what we did and felt they should do the same. Hattie Collins I hear that. Alright. We can move on a little bit from that, I guess. I’ve loved grime. I’ve followed grime for years. I’ve watched its progress, and I’m always curious to see how an American audience will take it. Do you think as an American, that the ear in the states, the hip-hop listener in the states is ready to get into grime? Do you think they can understand what’s going on with it? A$AP Rocky I can’t speak for everybody, man. I really can’t. I can only speak for myself. A lot of people aren’t open-minded. You got to realize, grime is technically a genre of hip-hop. It’s like a sub-genre of hip-hop, if you want to be technical. With that you got other sub-genres like trap music. There’s some people who don’t like trap music. Of course there’s going to be some people that don’t like grime. I don’t mind it. I like Wiley and Skepta. What’s the
Tempa T kid? Hattie Collins Swing... A$AP Rocky I like these guys. They go hard. You know what I mean? They go hard. Hattie Collins It feels nice to see... You said earlier, to see a very authentic ... A$AP Rocky Shout out Piff Gang. I don’t care. Those my homies. Shout out to my boy Milkavelli. 616 shit. A$AP all day. Cozy Boys, holla at yo boy. Hattie Collins One thing that you did with BBK was Red Bull Culture Clash, which was amazing. An amazing night, everyone had a great time. It feels like you’re being quiet... Technically being quiet for the last two years, like you haven’t put out a record, but actually you’ve been busy. You’ve done Culture Clash. You’ve been producing an instrumental album. You’ve been doing all sorts of stuff. A$AP Rocky A movie. Hattie Collins The movie. Acting, modeling ... A$AP Rocky In theaters next month. Wait, what are we in, April? Oh, in two more months. Hattie Collins You won the fashion award in Seoul as well. A$AP Rocky I won fashion awards, because I’m handsome. [laughter] Hattie Collins You’ve been doing a bit. You’ve been being handsome for the last two years, and also a bit talented, too. You’ve been busy. A$AP Rocky Yeah. Hattie Collins Why did you kind of take yourself away a little bit in terms of putting your face out there in terms of performing and releasing stuff? A$AP Rocky I can’t quite hear. You said why... Hattie Collins Why did you go a little bit quiet in terms of performing and releasing records? A$AP Rocky OK, I thought that’s what you said. For me, I’m one of those elite artists. Not to put myself on a pedestal, but I was blessed enough to have enough people who care about my craft and like it. I’m one of those artists that when you go see me, you expect the best from me. Right or wrong, people? Right? OK, so how would you guys feel if I was to do a tour right now using all my old shit from two years ago? That’s disrespectful, because I’m giving you the same show I gave you two, three years ago. I’m not a celebrity. I’m an artist, so I’m going to do true artist shit. You know? I’m authentic. Fuck that. I’d rather wait and give it to you the right way, because you’re not going to ever leave an A$AP Rocky show saying that ... They gone to rate me out, this motherfucker. I need to be rated. They gone rate me. I need my props. That’s all I’m saying. You feel me? That’s a little bit of UK lingo. Hattie Collins That’s good. I liked it. A$AP Rocky You get me, bruv. You get me. Hattie Collins You get me, fam. A$AP Rocky You get me. Hattie Collins Yes, fam. I think it’s better when you do it then when I do it. I’m going to let you ... A$AP Rocky I sound corny when I do it. I sound like a Yankee. You get me, bruv? Hattie Collins You get me, fam? You’re good at it. A$AP Rocky I’m working on it a little bit. Hattie Collins How’s your English accent? Can you do an English accent? A$AP Rocky I suck with it. I can’t emulate anyone. I can only be Flacko, man. It’s fucked up, man. Hattie Collins What did you learn about yourself over the last two years? A$AP Rocky That guy is handsome right there in the window. Very handsome. Hattie Collins He’s pretty, right? A$AP Rocky Very handsome. Hattie Collins He should win a fashion award. I would give that guy a fashion award. A$AP Rocky I wonder what kind of skin cream he uses. I don’t know. Hattie Collins What type of skin cream does he use? We should know. A$AP Rocky You got to ask him. Hattie Collins Anyway, skin cream aside. What skin cream do you use? You have great skin. This is an important question. People need to know this. A$AP Rocky I’ll never tell. Hattie Collins Right. Keep your beatuty secret a secret. A$AP Rocky You know that. Hattie Collins You’re a wise man, very wise man. OK, over the last two years while you’ve been away doing lots of work, but keeping a lower profile, what have you learned about yourself? I don’t just mean like the things that people can toss out. Really give us some insight as to what’s been happening to you. A$AP Rocky It took a while for me to accept the fact that I was becoming so popular, so culturally relevant. I wanted to be a guy that could walk out his house and walk down the street, even if it’s to a Prada store, Dior, or something like that and just have people say, “Thank you or hello.” That’s all I really wanted. I just want my props, my credit. I want to be inspired, and I want to put inspiration out there. For me, I knew the reason why I didn’t really want to make music or rap at the time that I was making it is because I wasn’t feeling inspired, number one. Number two, I felt like I really needed to perfect my craft. It’s not like you could just go in a studio... Well, for me I don’t just go in a studio, make a song in five minutes, and put it out. I take time. You write it, you produce it. You go over it. You edit it. A wise man once told me that creativity, anything perfect, any creation is 90%. That’s the truth. Hattie Collins Less is more? A$AP Rocky 10% substance, 90% editing. Anything with art is 90% editing. For my ninety percent it took about like two years. Hattie Collins How did the editing process work, do you think how did you figure out what that 10% needed to be and what ninety percent did you need to get rid of? A$AP Rocky Me? I’m intelligent. I had Yams, and I had some psychedelics and some weed and that helped. Yep. Hattie Collins Do drugs always work, sometimes work? A$AP Rocky I’m not going to give credit to drugs, because I’m not an advocate to that. I’m just telling you what worked for me. Hattie Collins Yeah. Alright. A$AP Rocky She asked me, shit. Hattie Collins I mean, I asked. You told. Is that a part of your creative process? A$AP Rocky Not necessarily, but for that creative process it was. Hattie Collins Do you feel like you’ve grown as a person in the last two years? Do you feel like you’ve matured? A$AP Rocky Of course, because I was 24 then. I’m 26 now. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve been in relationships. I’ve been through some shit man, so yes. I do think... Hattie Collins All that stuff feeds into new material, right? A$AP Rocky I’m sorry? Hattie Collins All that stuff feeds into new material. A$AP Rocky Yes. Hattie Collins You get inspired. How did you know you were ready to come back? How did you know that the time was right? A$AP Rocky I made a killer ass album. I said, “Oh, shit. They got to hear this shit. Oh, shit.” I was thinking about these visuals with my boy Dexter Navy. We just was all like planning and plotting on how to raise the bar. I want to thank people who go out of their way to raise the bar like Joey Bada$$, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar... People who go out of their way to try to do something different for themselves, not just to be different, but to be themselves in the best way. I appreciate that. That’s real artistry. Not to sound cliché, because I know Kendrick is the guy of the moment and J. Cole just had a good album, but throughout their careers I noticed that those guys would actually put forward their best efforts and give it their all and do it their way apposed to doing it anybody else’s way, so I respect that shit. I got love for all the other motherfuckers and shit, too. You know what I’m saying? I fuck with rap motherfuckers. I’m here to spread the love, because I realize that as rap was obviously... The majority is black people. I feel like as black people we’re too scared to see each other excel or prosper. You know? It’s the truth. I feel like we got to start showing love. Anytime I’m with the young rap niggas, man, I’m telling them when I see these other rap niggas spread the word. It’s all love in this shit. You got to show love. You got to show love to these motherfuckers, man, because who else is going to show the love if we don’t show each other love? There’s all this fake love around here. We need to start embracing each other. I feel like certain motherfuckers is wack, but as people I fuck with them. I’m keeping it a hundred with y’all. Hattie Collins If someone approaches you that wants to work with you, because you’ve got lots of different people... If someone approaches you that you respect personally, you like as a person but creatively you’re not that keen how do you sort of swerve those sort of situations? A$AP Rocky Now, if I do that... If I tell you that the next time they’re going to know. Hattie Collins You’re right. They’ll be like, “Hang on. He said that he has to go and do the shopping and comb his hair...” Alright, fair enough. How to you feel about hip-hop right now. You’re just saying that it needs to come together more. People need to encourage each other more. Who are the people that brought you up? Who are the people that encouraged you and nurtured you and made you the artist that you are? A$AP Rocky Man, the list is long. You mean the artists? Hattie Fellow artists... A$AP Rocky Yeah. Swizz Beats, David Banner, Mos Def... I know I’m missing people. A lot of people going to be hurt. You shouldn’t ask me that question, because I’m... Hattie Collins That question is dangerous. A$AP Rocky Yeah, shout outs to everybody who gave me advice and shit like that, because I can’t really remember. I’m on the spot. She put me on the spot. Hattie Collins Sorry to put you on the spot. A$AP Rocky It’s okay. Hattie Collins Going back to London, the first album was... Both Live.Love.A$AP and Long.Live.A$AP were very much influenced by the South, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, UGK, Three 6 Mafia. Do you think or see much influence of London in this second record? A$AP Rocky Yes you will. for sure. Right now, I’m working with my boy Acyde. I’m working with my boy Joe Fox. It’s very British, very jiggy. I think people are going to love it, man. The legend of Joe Fox, man. He’s a British artist, and he’s on about like seven different tracks on the album. We just met out in Soho at Dean Street Studios about 4 AM one time. He was passing and every since we just clicked. He was a dope artist. Hattie Collins That was it? From there on in you guys just started rolling and made music together? A$AP Rocky None stop. Every day. Hattie Collins How do you know when you meet someone at 4 AM in a studio that possibly is a quick connection? A$AP Rocky We weren’t in the studio. I was leaving the studio, going to get some Starbucks and I met him. We didn’t meet in the studio. How did I know? Hattie Collins Yeah, how did you get that feeling from people? A$AP Rocky I’m a visionary. This is a talent. I’m not trying to be funny. It’s the truth. Sometimes you don’t know. I could have been wrong, but God brung him, and I was right. Hattie Collins Joe Fox on the album, what does he add to the record? How does he... A$AP Rocky He’s a singer. He brings that British energy. He gives you that Bob Dylan, that Bob Marley, that... Fucking John Lennon and Kurt Cobain feel. He’s just so influenced heavily by rock that it’s just crazy. Hattie Collins I guess we don’t want to give away too much about the album, because it’s coming soon and people want to listen to it with their own ears and make up their own minds, but having said that, tell us about the album. Just tell us a bit about how you think you developed since musically, sonically, lyrically. What do we see on this album from A$AP Rocky? A$AP Rocky I feel like when I came out I feel like a lot of people only saw swagger and a lot of people don’t listen. They didn’t realize that in all reality I changed sonics of hip-hop. People started making more airy ambient cloud rap music after that, to a point where that flow “I’m coming down that center...” that was Flacko, Flacko did it first. You know I’m just going to keep it hundred, and then the whole gang started doing it. In all reality that flow was inspired by Pimp [C] I’m just keeping it real but I took it and added my own cautus to it before you knew it the whole game did it and then it don’t even sound like me no more, I don’t even get credit so I said, “You all can have that” because real innovators... And I don’t mean to be an asshole and talk about everything I’ve done and everything I’ve accomplished, but I just wanted to make a point just now. Hattie Collins How did you end up in the Red Bull studios in the first place in London, what bought you to the studios, why did you choose there to work? A$AP Rocky I first visited the Red Bull studios in 2011 or 12. I’m not too sure but my boy Luke. I don’t know how to fucking say his last name... Hattie Collins Monaghan. A$AP Rocky Oh yeah you know Luke. He has a “G” in it, that motherfucker silent and shit. Hattie Collins Monagahan, monagahan, silent “G”. A$AP Rocky I used to call him monograms and shit. My boy Luke, he did a piece on me over there at Red Bull, and before I know it a female that is very, very, very special and close to me she looked out for me and hooked it up with Nina, her name is Ella, she hooked up with Nina, and ever since Red Bull has been supporting me a 100% anything I need. They’re there so I love you motherfuckers too man. It’s all love baby, it’s one big family at this shit. I told you I recorded my... this is a special couch. Hattie Collins Take us inside the studio. I want to know I’m sure people here do too I want to know... A$AP Rocky If we were in a studio right now all these lights will be off. Hattie Collins Right, so it’s dark? A$AP Rocky It will be dark. You probably might smell weed or not. Some veggie snacks. Hattie Collins Describe the veggie snacks please. A$AP Rocky Apples and different fruits and vegetables and munchies like pretzels and potato chips. You making me hungry right now. Hattie Collins I know. I was like, ‘Do I hear my stomach rumbling?’ Drinks, like alcohol? A$AP Rocky Water, I drink water. I like water. Shoutouts to Yung Gleesh: water, water. Hattie Collins Insence, candles, all that sort of stuff or no? A$AP Rocky Candles for sure. Hattie Collins People, what people will be in the studio with you? A$AP Rocky Lou Banga, Ella, Tremaine, Dexter, myself of course, A$AP Yams (R.I.P.), Milkavelli, and Beatriz, and Hector Delgado my engineer. I can’t forget about Hector, shoutouts to Hector. Hattie Collins I know that engineering... A$AP Rocky I mean part of me... He engineers, but this is my partner. We’re producing and he’s my DJ and he does everything. Hattie Collins Describe the importance of the engineer because I guess sometimes they’re a little bit unsummarized. A$AP Rocky That is so important. I’m sorry I keep cutting you off I’m excited. Hattie Collins Me too. A$AP Rocky You guys got to know that an engineer is as significant as – pause – as a wife. You know how hard it is to find a better half, that’s how hard it is to find an engineer because what they got to do is edit and translate your music the way that you put it. The worst thing is a bad engineer because they could throw off the vibe, and that happens nine times out of ten. And when the vibe is thrown off curse words get thrown usually engineers are nerdy scared dudes. So you feel bad afterwards like “Damn, you know, I shouldn’t have punked him like that,” but he’s a stupid motherfucker so you know it just happens. You shouldn’t have been working there. Hattie Collins Okay so you’re in the studio you got all these people around you. Is there a particular time of day or night that you work there? A$AP Rocky Chace Infinite is always in the studio making everybody laugh. He’s annoying as hell. Hattie Collins Chase is your manager or...? A$AP Rocky Yes. I know he watching that’s why I had to say that. Hattie Collins Do you find a better time of day or night is particularly good for you to record? A$AP Rocky My recording process usually starts at 10 PM or 12 AM. So 10 PM or 12 midnight and we usually leave about 10 AM. That’s the only time I record. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but it works and I’ve recorded all of my albums that way. Hattie Collins You don’t know what it is, it’s just that time of the day works for you for what reason. A$AP Rocky I’m a vampire, I’m nocturnal, man. Hattie Collins It’s a common thing with creative people right? It’s nighttime, left hand, right-hand side of the brain thing. A$AP Rocky I’m dyslexic so you know everything is just backwards for me. I do everything as backwards. It’s all good. I’m on my Kriss Kross shit. Feel me? Hattie Collins Nice. A$AP Rocky I don’t know if they got that. They too young for the Kriss Kross. They used to wear shit backwards. Hattie Collins I used to wear shit backwards in honor of Kriss Kross. Embarassing. How do you feel, you’re in the studio it’s early in the morning you got all your food all your drink in terms of your lyric approach you would do write stuff down, do you write stuff on your iPhone, do you get ideas in the shower? Where do ideas for the lyrics come from? A$AP Rocky Sometimes on the toilet taking a shit, sometimes in the shower, sometimes in a car, sometimes in the studio. If you’re an artist it just comes to you randomly, it’s like a psychic ability you can’t help it. It just comes and you’re just like, “Oh shit.” I can be talking to you know you might say something really interesting that might stick with me and I’ll use it later. Hattie Collins I feel pressured to do that now. A$AP Rocky Naw, just don’t ask for no publishing. [laughs] Hattie Collins I would be like three points on the thing, give me the 10%. Do you note stuff as you go along? Sometimes it feels like as a fan of hip-hop all these amazing couplets would come out of a rapper or you would hear stuff like, “Wow, did they just have in their mind and save it for later so it fits into a song a certain day or ...?” A$AP Rocky The process varies. One day it might be ... That’s on “Long.Live.A$AP” on my last album, the first track, took me eight months to write. A song like “Pesos” took me a day to write. It varies. At that time I didn’t even write “Pesos,” I memorized it. Hattie Collins So you don’t always go in the booth with the lyric you’ll just go in and top of your head sort of ... A$AP Rocky I used to be able to do it like that. I don’t know I think I lost that Jay-Z Lil Wayne ability a long time ago. I got to write shit. I’m too forgetful. I smoke too much weed. Hattie Collins That’s what it is. That short-term memory loss. A$AP Rocky Naw it helps. Don’t bash weed. We’re all 4/20 friendly here. Let’s not bash the marijuana. Hattie Collins I’m all for it. Long live marijuana. In percentages if you were going to build a rapper what ... I’m going to try to explain this better than I’m about to be ... You got a rapper and there’s certain facets that make up a great rapper. For some people the facets are different, but for you for argument’s sake let’s say cadence flow you know the things that people normally talk about. A$AP Rocky Yeah, cadence flow lyrical content. Hattie Collins But also pretiness, swaginess. A$AP Rocky You got to be marketable, I guess, for people to like you. Hattie Collins Style. Personality. Skill. What are the attributes that you think make for an interesting rapper that innovates and is exciting? A$AP Rocky I find it unique when artist has individuality. It’s easy to turn on the radio or the internet or your TV or go to YouTube and see someone doing something the right way and emulate that. That’s what’s been going on for years now. I respect people who find their own way and just show that they are an individual. Show their individuality, their personality. Hattie Collins OK, so hopefully we kind of built some sort of picture of you in the studio and the sense of individuality, it’s nighttime, there’s some sweets, there’s some crisps, there’s some pretzels. You got this album done. A$AP Rocky Women help. When you have beautiful women in the studio it helps even if they’re not like fucking or something like that it helps. It’s the truth. Hattie Collins How does it help? A$AP Rocky Because women are inspirational. Think about it. Don’t get me started with that. You want me to ... Hattie Collins No, please. A$AP Rocky I just did an interview the other day and I was trying to explain why I bothered to live and I do live for women. I’m not going to lie. If there was just men on this earth I would not give a fuck about... I barely give a fuck about shit now, so I would hate all you motherfuckers I’m telling you. Too much testosterone. I can’t deal. You know what I’m saying. For me it’s just like, “Man, I don’t know we need a little bit of you know estrogen, I think we need some sexiness, we need some ...” women flatten the mood out, they smell good, they look good, their voices are soft, they got breasts. Hattie Collins They do, two of them. A$AP Rocky Two of them. Hattie Collins Buns. A$AP Rocky Buns, breasts... Hattie Collins Women are great, let’s hear it for women. [applause] A$AP Rocky I think women are so beautiful that a straight women could walk down the street with her husband and see another beautiful women and compliment her. Men... I’d be damned if I’d be like, “Damn, that nigga handsome” What the fuck? Naw, we don’t do that. Hattie Collins You should, you should be confident in your ...not you, but one it’s nice. A$AP Rocky I’m very confident in my sexuality. Hattie Collins Of course, I’m just saying in general it’s nice. Women can do that A$AP Rocky Don’t get me wrong I have a lot of gay friends and stuff like that. A lot of people I look up to. A lot of fashion designers that I look up to are homosexuals. I don’t care about that, that’s their sexual preference. We’re friends. you get me, bruv? Hattie Collins I get you, fam. It is nice that women do celebrate [one another and] are sort of able to be like, “I like that.” Women are great. A$AP Rocky Women are beautiful. Hattie Collins Do you think we are going to get equal rights for women in the future? A$AP Rocky Hell yeah because women are getting smart. I’m sorry I apologize I’m not implying that you all are stupid, I’m not, let me rephrase that. I’m sorry. Hey, rewind that, don’t put that on. [laughs] What I’m trying to say is women are catching on to all the bullshit games that we’re pulling. I think I had my best way with women when I was most honest. So if I told women I’d love to fuck different women, I might fuck another woman tomorrow. It works, it helps. Naw, it does you know. Wouldn’t you prefer honesty, like for real? I guess y’all not catching on, ain’t learned yet. Honesty man, I mean some women can’t take it, but when it’s time... I’m 26, so when it’s time for me to settle down then you know maybe I might just have two girlfriends. Hattie Collins Just roll like that, why not? A$AP Rocky Only two. Hattie Collins No more than two? A$AP Rocky Maybe. Hattie Collins Maybe three? A$AP Rocky Maybe. Hattie Collins Women do help your creative process though. That’s a big part of... How do we see that in the new record do you think? A$AP Rocky You got to think about it. Name one song I’ve ever made for women except, “I love bad bitches that’s my fucking problem.” Exactly. I look like I was just like a regular rapper bashing bitches and shit all day. “Suck my dick, bitch,” you know all that kind of shit you know. For me I was like, I’m quite the gentleman type. I’m really respectful. I can be. I feel like I wanted to manifest into my music this time because I’m 26 and one of my biggest obsessions have always been women, so I wanted to express that. Hattie Collins OK, so there songs that are dedicated or not dedicated... A$AP Rocky For sure, for sure. Hattie Collins Have you got like a “Dear Mama” moment in terms of a 2Pac kind of vibe or? A$AP Rocky Naw, I wanted to do something like that but then everybody was like, “That reminds me of 2Pac too much,” and I like 2Pac too much so I don’t want to copy 2Pac too much. Hattie Collins How would your friends describe you, do you think? A$AP Rocky A fucking weirdo that’s what they ... They joke on me all day. Hattie Collins How about your mom? How would your mom describe you? A$AP Rocky I’m her baby. Hattie Collins Her little baby. A little baby boy. Talking about your mom of being a baby boy. I know we’d been talking about the album. I want to rewind right, right, right, back because we’re getting a great sense of who you are right now but it’s interesting to know where someone is coming from. Take me back to little Rocky, to Rakim Meyers. A$AP Rocky Rah-Kim. Hattie Collins Rakim. Your very first memory, what is that? A$AP Rocky My very first memory. You all are going to think this is weird, people don’t usually don’t talk about shit like this but I tell yeah. I probably was like two or three years old and I remember my first time looking in the mirror. You guys remember that? No? I do. That’s how I knew I was going to be conceited, man. I remember my first time in the mirror, and I realized that I never really stared at my reflection, and it was just a way of coping with – I guess it’s like the first time your pet sees its reflection in the mirror, or ... Hattie Collins You get like a sense of self, that you are ... A$AP Rocky That I exist. Hattie Collins Exist. A$AP Rocky This is what I look like to people. I was only like two, or three, or something like that. I remember fights my aunt had on 116th street when I was only, like two years old. It’s weird, but yet if a pretty girl comes and tell me her name I might forget in the next five minutes. I don’t know what that’s about. You remember what you want, I guess. I was born in Harlem. What people don’t know about me is, I’m a Harlem and Bronx guy. I’ve been from Harlem to the Bronx, back and forth my whole life. Just as much as Harlem influenced me, the Bronx did. That’s just real. Hattie Collins Tell us about the Bronx then, so that was like, the mid ’90s ish. The mid-’90s, not only that. 1997. No, 1990... I don’t remember. I was four years old when I moved from Harlem to the Bronx. When I was eight, we moved from the Bronx to Pennsylvania. We was living near Harrisburg in Rutherford, Hershey, Pennsylvania. From then, I moved back... My mom and my family moved to North Carolina for about a year. Charlotte, North Carolina. After that we moved to Harlem, and that’s when we were all living in the shelters. Yeah. Hattie Collins How did moving around, you think, change you as a kid? I guess for some people it makes them more introverted, for other kids it makes them able to get on with people more easy. How did affect you as a kid, moving in different areas? A$AP Rocky All joking aside, I do think that moving around is really important for kids, man. Believe it or not, it’s really important. I think if you travel and you live in certain places you adapt to certain cultures. This way you could be yourself your whole life, and you’ll be able to adapt to any environment. I’m the only guy that I feel like is comfortable enough to go to a Rick Owens or Dior Homme’s show and right after that and go to the slums with some gangster motherfuckers and smoke some weed in the same outfit. What they going to say to me? Hattie Collins Because you’re used to it, that’s what you’ve grown up around those sorts of people. A$AP Rocky I don’t give a fuck. I’m jiggy, I’m handsome. You know what I’m saying? Hattie Collins You look like that guy on that picture over there, I don’t know. I keep looking at him. He’s familiar. How was the Bronx, because we do know a lot about Harlem. It’s all through your lyrics, but the Bronx we don’t hear too much from you. How did that shape you, do you think, as an artist? A$AP Rocky Man, the Bronx. I moved to the Bronx when I was like 14 years old, and my grandmom lived on 140th and Lenox, so I would go from living on 182nd and Bathgate, 3rd avenue, to 140th and Lenox, back and forth. It was weird. Three months I would stay in the Bronx, three months I would stay in Harlem, I don’t know. My school was in Manhattan, so I would have to go all the way from the Bronx to Harlem, so it was more convenient for me to stay with my grandmother. 13 years old, 14 years old, I was in the Bronx, and I started selling weed. I was so little as a 13 year old, the guys ain’t take me serious, and they never – I never made no money, man. I had the littlest weed bags, too. Like five dollars. You know what I’m saying, I need five dollars, and if they said they had three, I’d take it, you know? I was only like 14. I needed to get my potato chips and shit, so I just wanted to make money, some way, somehow. Then by the time I was 14, 15, I met my boys in the Bronx. I have a guy that’s like one of my childhood best friends, his name is Ricky. I met him when I was 13 years old. Ironically, that’s the same name as my brother who passed away. My best friend to this day, one of my best friends, his name is Ricky. Ricky Tang ugly mother fucker. We was in the Bronx holding it down. By the time, I was 15 I was selling crack. You know, I’m not proud of that. That’s something nasty to sell, but by the time I was 15 I was on 182nd and Webster Avenue, 187th and Web, and you know that’s what I was doing. I was with them boys over there. Shout out ot the homie [inaudible] shady, you already know how it go. RIP bling-blaow FBI. You already know how that go, you know what I’m saying. Hattie Collins At what point do think Rakim Mayers started to evolve into A$AP Rocky? Can you pin-point the time when you were like... In retrospect now- A$AP Rocky Rakim Mayers turned into A$AP Rocky in 2007. Hattie Collins Can you remember the moment, the time, the place? A$AP Rocky I seen a bunch of jiggy mother fuckers, in ‘06, and I was like, “I’m dressing like this, they dressing like me, too. We need to be gang, gang in this bitch.” You feel me? Next thing I knew, I started fucking with my boy A$AP Bari, And A$AP Illz, and then they was like, “Yo, come fuck with us with A$AP, but you got to meet A$AP Yams.” At the time his name is Stevie-E, feel me, and they was like, “You got to meet Stevie-E,” and I’m like, “Who the fuck is Stevie-E?” They just was like, “Yo, nah, he the truth.” I’m telling you, there was so much rumors about the – Listen, I was hanging with them from ‘06, ‘07. I didn’t see Stevie-E, until late ‘07, early ‘08, because this motherfucker was not to be found. He was like a living legend. Motherfuckers would talk about him and everybody would stop talking and pay attention. Who was ever talking about him, they’d listen to what they saying. When I met Yams, we clicked right – It’s funny, the day I met Yams is the day I was down with a crew named MDB. That stood for Million Dollar Babies. It was this kid in my crew that was fighting A$AP Bari, but I was A$AP at the time, and MDB. It was like this big brawl. That was the day that I met Yams. When I seen hollered, “Who this short, pudgy-looking mother fucker?” This nigga had braids like he was from LA, and tattoos on his face and shit. In flannels and Vans and shit. I’m like, “Who the fuck is this?” They’re like, “Yo, that’s Stevie-E.” I’m like, “Oh shit, Stevie-E.” Ever since, he just... He saw that I didn’t want to just – Cause A$AP was all we used to do was buy clothes, and fuck bitches, and shit like that. We used to skip school. I used to only go to school to show off my outfits, you know what I’m saying? Honestly. I’m being honest. Public schools in America is fucked up. Especially New York, but whatever, I used just go to school to fuck with the bitches. My favorite fucking class, my favorite two classes was lunch and gym. Too bad they ain’t have recess in high school. That would have been my third favorite. After school I would always just try to ... Me and [A$AP] Ferg started trying to make music all the time, around 2008, and I remember our first track we recorded was off of... Pharrell, “Everyone Nose.” “All the girls standing, getting in line for the – ” and we took that, “Baby, we spent all night in sixth-gear, yeah,” and we took that part and looped it, and made song out of it. “Shorty, she’s so fine. I got to make her mine. I got to make it mine. Got to, got to make her mine. Shorty, she’s so fine.” We took the 50 Cent chorus and we looped it. Second song was to Gnarls Barkley “Would Be Killer,” and that’s how Danger Mouse found out about us. Hattie Collins Ah, wow. That’s how you got in touch? A$AP Rocky That’s not how we got in touch, that’s how he found out about us. Hattie Collins Now he’s working with you, coming full-circle. A$AP Rocky Yeah, Juicy J, Danger Mouse working with me. Now I got Most Def on it. I got a lot of legends right now, around me, and just looking over what I’m doing, and this is really going to be a classical piece right now. This art piece. Honestly, they need to put in galleries. I am tooting my own horn. Let me shut the fuck up. Hattie Collins Why do you think fashion is such a strong indicator of friendship sometimes? When you’re growing up as a kid, whether you’re a goth, you’re a rude boy, whatever it is. You do get drawn ... A$AP Rocky It’s like identification. It’s almost like classes, you know? If you wear Vans and supreme, more that likely, you like to skateboard, and you chill out, and you couch surf, smoke weed, do drugs, and party wild. If you wear Bottega Veneta or Dior, more than likely you’re rich, you’re just rich. If you wear Rick Owens, more than likely you’re dark, you’re eclectic. I think fashion is an expression. A way to help people identify what you are, and people judge you by your fashion. That’s why people look at you. If you’re at a corporate meeting and you don’t come dressed appropriately, they might look at you judge you wrong, because it’s the fashion thing. It’s all like a mental thing. Hattie Collins Standing out is never a bad thing right? A$AP Rocky Ever. Hattie Collins There’s nothing worse than people feeling like that have to conform to normality, I think. A$AP Rocky My point exactly. I didn’t say you have to, I just was explaining – Hattie Collins No, no. Not you have to – That’s not what you said, yeah. Alright Bone Thugs. It’s interesting to me because – did you ever hear... Skepta did a track with Thuggish Ruggish, which has got JME and D Double E? A$AP Rocky No. Hattie Collins It’s just a track that they did many, many year ago, but it’s interesting to me that someone in London, a boy in London, and a boy in New York, can roughly around the same sort of time, be influenced by a group that were ten years before that, so about 20 years ago, right? A$AP Rocky Yes sir, I mean, ma’am. I’m sorry. Hattie Collins Sir? Fam, I’ve got lipstick on, I’ve my lipstick done and everything. It’s all right, we’ll skip over it, it’s fine. It’s interesting to me how a group from long ago influence both you, and a person like Skepta, and many, many, many artists. Just tell me about the importance of Bone Thugs explain to people that don’t know about Bone, why they need to know. A$AP Rocky There would be no A$AP Rocky, no Migos, No Future, No nothing without people like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia. The Double Time they were the first people, like Twister, Three 6 Mafia, and Lord Infamous, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. That was back in like fucking ‘92, man. That ain’t nothing new, it’s just people brought it back. I’m going to come clean. Nah, I ain’t talk my shit. Nah, fuck that, I’m going to come clean. Nah, for real. When I did Live.Love.A$AP, we brung that shit back. [rapping in Bone Thugs cadence] “It be that pretty motherfucker...” Nobody was rapping like that back then. “Niggas ain’t ready for the flow, swish, only Harlem nigga on his bone, shit, getting those cents back in ‘06. Don’t you see a jiggy nigga getting throwed, bitch?” You know what I’m saying? Nobody was doing that, and, you know, I just... Hattie Collins You brought it back? You also paid homage to it, you were very clear about your influence. A$AP Rocky Of course. That’s my thing, that’s what I’m saying. I pay homage to people that inspire me, and all I ask is, you young kids, when people my age, or prior to me, before me, inspired you, you got to give props. If not it’ll be taken as disrespect, or just biting. Clap for that, what the fuck, man? Come on guys, clap for that shit. [applause] What’s up man? Oh so y’all motherfuckers are shy, huh? Okay. Hattie Collins They’re like a little shy. A$AP Rocky We’re going to get some energy out of them, I don’t like this. Hattie Collins We’ll get them. We’ll get them. A$AP Rocky This is supposed to be like a intervention. We’re supposed to talk about the issues in hip-hop, today. “Rocky, why haven’t you been around for two years?” Y’all mother fuckers ain’t seen me and y’all acting like you see me every fucking day. Clap out this motherfucker. You know what I’m saying? God damn, I flew all the way out here to you mother fuckers god dammit. [applause] Thank you. Thank you. That was way better. I love the love. (music: The Castaways – “Liar, Liar”) Hattie Collins That was “Liar, Liar,” by The Castaways. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard that song before. Tell us about that tune. A$AP Rocky It’s from the 60’s. It’s jiggy shit, psychedelic, and I love it. I’m all for it. Thank you. Joe Fox, people. Joe Fox. I just was talking about him, he’s right here, guys. Joe Fox, you want to say something to the people, say hello? Me and Joe listen to this music music all day, every day. Come on Joe, don’t be shy. He’s a British Guy. Come on Joe, sit with the people brother. [applause] Hattie Collins I’m going to ask you both actually Joe, while you’re here, I’m going to ask you a question from Twitter that I want you both to answer. If you give me ten seconds, I’ll find it. Its from Chuck Vista. Given that you are involved in the process of Rocky’s new album, can you describe the album in three words? That’s from Chuck on Twitter? Joe Fox Psychedelic, forward-thinking. Hattie Collins Technically two, but I’ll also a hyphen. Joe Fox And it’s a masterpiece. [applause] It really is, it really is. I’m not just saying that because I’m involved in it, it’s an amazing album. Hattie Collins Are there any three words that you would agree with, Rocky? A$AP Rocky Huh? Hattie Collins Are there any three words that you would agree with? Three and a half words. A$AP Rocky I fuck with the masterpiece part. Hattie Collins That’s your favorite bit right? A$AP Rocky Yeah. Hattie Collins What other three words you’d use? A$AP Rocky At Long Last. Hattie Collins Oh, At Long Last? For you Joe, you’re a relative unknown, mind your own business in the streets of SoHo when a young chap out, going out to buy Starbucks happens to corner you. What happens next? Like how did you feel? I mean, it must be a kind of surreal experience I’m guessing. Joe Fox Yeah, it was kind of strange. I’ve always believed in fate and kind of destiny and stuff, and I think when everyone hears the music we made together – it’s really good [laughs] and it just kind of really naturally. And the crazy thing is, I always thought it sounded a bit like Gorillaz and then obviously half way through working with Rocky, we started working with Danger Mouse, who obviously did the Gorillaz so everything kind of fell into place, yeah. Hattie Collins I really wish we could hear like one song. I mean maybe not – we could? We could hear a new song. A$AP Rocky I think we need the premier song for this one, you know what I’m saying? Yeah. Hattie Collins I’m just going to say, I’m not going to turn that down. A$AP Rocky I don’t know, I think we should premiere something that doesn’t give away the album but still something tasteful. [laughs] “I been thugging with my team...” Hattie Collins You know what, you can decide because I’m going to make everyone wait a little bit longer. I don’t feel like they’ve earned a new track yet. A$AP Rocky OK. Hattie Collins I’m going to make you wait a little bit longer but you’ll do that, yeah? A$AP Rocky Yeah. Hattie Collins You’ll put a new song live in the room? A$AP Rocky It depends if they want it. Yeah. Hattie Collins [to the audience] If you act well and good. Alright, Joe, before I let you go, just between the two of you, what have you learned from each other? In the process of making this record, what have you learned about Rocky and vice versa? A$AP Rocky Don’t do drugs with British people. [laughs] Hattie Collins Keith Moon, I mean there’s a long list of people. You should know the history speaks for itself Rocky. Joe Fox I just learned, you know never underestimate. Obviously, when I met Rocky, he’s this huge famous rapper obviously so I kind of, I did – A$AP Rocky Artist Joe Fox Artist, sorry artist. I didn’t quite believe that he’d want to work someone who just started out and then obviously the process kind of snowballed and I ended up living at his house, and we just made this music, and it was kind of like no ego at all. He just literally was like, treated me like complete equal and I’ll always be really grateful for that. It was literally just like, “You’re an artist. I like your stuff. Let’s make music together.” He never treated me like I was you know this unknown kid, which I was. I’ll always be grateful for that. Hattie Collins I feel like you should get a plug while you’re here, have you got anything else coming out that we can look out for you on the Internet or? Joe Fox Yeah, we going to. We’re working on my first EP and it’s going to drop. Watch out for that stuff. [laughs at something unintelligible from the audience] A$AP Rocky [laughs] Fuck you Lou, shut up man, what are you? Joe Fox Shout out Lou Banga. Hattie Collins Joe thank you very much for dropping by. [applause] A$AP Rocky Lou is proud of you right now, he’s very proud of you. [laughs] Yo, everybody going to be laughing they asses off when we get back, Lou you a asshole. Hattie Collins Anymore surprise guests or...? A$AP Rocky We got Lou Banga riding in the Porsche. Hattie Collins Alright, we’ll bring up Lou in a sec, I reckon. A$AP Rocky We got Acyde right there, that’s my brother, I’m working with him. Dexter Navy. Hattie Collins Shout out Dexter Navy. A$AP Rocky You know how we do it. (music: Chief Keef – “Faneto”) Hattie Collins Chief Keef – “Faneto.” A$AP Rocky “Faneto.” Hattie Collins It’s a very gassy song, isn’t it? A$AP Rocky “Gas what I smoke nigga, yeah man.” Hattie Collins So when we mentioned about having five tracks that kind of form you as an artist. Why was that one of the five? A$AP Rocky Because it shows my ignorant, my young side. Like you lucky Lou Banga ain’t come up here and start dancing and shit. Like we just turn this on or we just, we don’t give a fuck. We just lose sense of reality and it’s just. This is a song that touches me, it touches like my soul. It’s not too much music that can make you really want to – my own music makes me want to like, you know, go crazy. So it was good to have it from another artist. Hattie Collins How do you see the hip-hop landscape right now and where do you see A$AP Rocky within that landscape? If there’s the Chief Keef’s there and you got like I don’t know, Kendrick’s here and Drake blah blah blah. Where’s Rocky right now? A$AP Rocky I don’t think I’m nowhere in there. I’m like all the way over there, you know? Hattie Collins Because it’s art, I mean I think the tendency is to put rappers all in one bracket but actually you kind of... pop music, pop culture. A$AP Rocky With the second album, I just want to prove that I could be a successful mainstream artist. I have mainstream success, but that’s not my style, it’s really not. I said to myself I would, this album, I don’t want to make not one song that will make me cringe inside while I’m performing it. I want to be able to perform every song, anticipate every next song and just want to execute every song. I don’t want to be like, “Ahh I got to perform this shit, pretend I like it.” Nahh fuck that shit. Hattie Collins Well just talk about how you feel as an artist who has been at the forefront of many movements of fashion. You’ve bought through lots of brands, do you feel like you get the credit for that? A$AP Rocky If they don’t give me my credit, I’m going to take my shit. Y’all heard “Multiply” right? Exactly, as simple as that. Hattie Collins OK. So, fine, that’s all I got to say on that question. I mean how important is it to [inaudible] get like recognition on these things? Like you really don’t care, you just keep moving whether the people... A$AP Rocky I don’t care until somebody else gets recognition for some shit I did first. Hattie Collins Yeah that’s annoying, right? A$AP Rocky That’s all, that’s all. So I don’t care until somebody else gets recognition. Like all these brands, Pigalle, fucking Hood By Air, Black Scale – the list goes on, you know. Those are brands that I wore first and shout outs to Pigalle because that’s shit some fly shit, you know? Shout out to all my Paris boys. Pigalle. You already know how we do gang gang. Hattie Collins How do you reckon, how do you think your style has evolved over the years? Are you just said that you’re still, kind of still wearing Rick Owens, right? That’s a staple for you, presumably. A$AP Rocky Shout out Michèle Lamy AKA A$AP Lamy Lambs. Hattie Collins Mm-hmm. [laughter] A$AP Rocky What was the question? Hattie Collins I don’t think that there was one – no there was one. It was what are you wearing now. A$AP Rocky Rick Owens Hattie Collins How has your star evolved? You’re still wearing Rick Owens, but obviously there is a little spin on it that perhaps didn’t exist two or three years ago? A$AP Rocky If I tell y’all that now, then – I’m not telling my secrets. Nope, nope, nope. Hattie Collins People are very always very protective over fashion right? A$AP Rocky Because its your identity, you know? That’s like asking for my social security number man. You working with the Feds? [laughs] Hattie Collins I mean that was actually my next question: what is your social security number? But maybe we’ll skip that one. There’s a question from Twitter from Casper, who asked whether you would ever consider making your own independent clothing company. A$AP Rocky Right now, no. I mean, I’m working on V Loan, but that’s with A$AP Bari, young lord, but I don’t nahh. I’m not a fashion designer, so if I’m going to put out a brand, I’m going to have to start from the bottom. I need to get the proper knowledge because I don’t want to infiltrate anything. I don’t want to come in and pretend that you know? A lot of people who claim to know fashion, they just regurgitate shit that they hear jiggy niggas like me say and shit. So I don’t want to be in a product of that. Especially when I start making clothes and stuff, I want it to be original and I want people to respect it the same way that they would respect my fashion sense or my music for that matter or my videos or my personality. I want them to respect my clothes that way, I don’t want them to say “Oh he’s famous, so just because he can and because he’s celebrity,” or whatever the case is, whatever they want to call me. “Oh he’s going to make a fashion brand and its just, you know, its bullshit.” Nahh I want to make some jiggy shit, so I’m going to take time out if I do that and right now I don’t have time for that. I got time for music, I got time for the arts like theater, movies, producing. It ain’t like I’m not going to wear fly shit you know. So it’ll still be inspiration there. Man, I was walking, I was in Dover St. the other day, Dover St. market. I seen this kid, he was about 13, he was jiggy as fuck. I said “man keep it up man,” because you know, they own tomorrow and people laugh at me when I say this because there’s a truth. The youth they own tomorrow. When I was 13, man I used to look at all the drug dealers and shit, “Imma be flyer than all you muthafuckas,” like, “Imma take all your bitches, Imma do all that.” That was my mentality, and here I am. You know what I’m saying? Maybe I didn’t take they bitches, but, you know, because they look wack now. But you know I’m a jiggy nigga. Hattie Collins Do you ever miss being a teenager? A$AP Rocky Hell yeah. Imma teenager still. Fuck that. Mentally. Hattie Collins What do you miss about being a teenager? A$AP Rocky You because you can be reckless and just justify it with “Imma teenager.” Hattie Collins Get away with murder – not literal murder. A$AP Rocky Basically. You could get away with murder. Well, let me not influence them to do that. Nevermind. Pretend I didn’t say that. Don’t murder kids, don’t kill anyone. Hattie Collins What’s the one thing that sums up the most important thing in your life? In one word to choose, what it be? A$AP Rocky That sums up what? Hattie Collins That sums up the most important thing in your life. A$AP Rocky Yams. [applause] Thank you. Hattie Collins You must miss him? A$AP Rocky Everyday. We all do. Hattie Collins Of course. You just mentioned something about theater. You’re a cultured chap, you like the finer things in life. You like architecture. What was the last thing you went to see at the theater? A$AP Rocky You know what, I was telling my boy Anthony the other day. He was supposed to actually show me the Kinks and I held you to that. You didn’t take me see but we was supposed to go see the Kinks. Is it a show? Its like a play, and I’m excited to go see that. Oh I rode the tube the other day, I was on a train. Yeah. Hattie Collins Was it the one train? A$AP Rocky Nahh. It was at Piccadilly Square or Circus. Hattie Collins The Piccadilly line, yeah. A$AP Rocky Yeah we was on the Piccadilly line and we got off at Piccadilly Circus and there was like projectors on the walls, and that just looked amazing. It felt like futuristic Harry Potter shit. Man I just said “Ahh shit man, that like the fucking door to Hogwarts right there.” You know, you just go through the wall, get jiggy and shit. But nahh it was really dope because there was adverstiments, and as we were going and shit and people look like “Is that, nahh?” So you know I just made it seem like I was normal and if somebody said “A$AP” I just kept walking, I didn’t. You know, as long as I don’t open my mouth you won’t know its me. It’s a bunch of dudes walking around with nappy hair out here, you know? [laughs] So I just was like and they say “Are you A$AP?” And I just do sign language [shakes his finger] You know? Hattie Collins Did you top up your oyster card while your were there or no? A$AP Rocky Huh? Hattie Collins Did you top up your oyster card while your were there? A$AP Rocky What’s that the paper thing? Hattie Collins Yeah like the little card, that you- A$AP Rocky I almost lost it and almost got stranded inside because – Hattie Collins Yeah, you don’t want to do that. If it was a normal Thursday night, 6, 7 o’clock whatever. You’re at home in New York. You live in New York I guess still? A$AP Rocky I live in SoHo. Hattie Collins In SoHo, nice, nice part of New York. A$AP Rocky Yes, it is. Hattie Collins And you didn’t have to work, you didn’t have to you know do any interviews, you didn’t have to get bothered by anybody. What would you be doing just for fun? A$AP Rocky Walking to Dior, Prada, or Y3 or buying my Diptyque candles from around the corner or just walking outside smoking weed. I roll it up in like paper so it looks like cigarettes and you just act casual and they won’t fuck with you man. For real just try it. I’m serious. Hattie Collins Do you get bother much, I mean do you or do you – A$AP Rocky See when all right here’s the thing. When I have security people act really crazy. When I’m by myself they act normal and they say stuff like “I love you” and they go about their business but if you act like a celebrity, they treat you like a celebrity. You act like a normal respectable person, a artist then they treat you like one. Basquiat used to walk around his neighborhood in robes and slippers and people would just say “We love you,” and let’em walk, let’em go. I’m a contemporary artist. Hattie Collins We got a question from Twitter from Allister. The question is, “What do you think your great musical achievement has been?” A$AP Rocky The fact that I toured for two years off of a mixtape before I, well a year off of a mixtape. You know that’s amazing. I did world tours. I did a Drake tour. I did my own tour off a mixtape, you know, and I came here. Went to Australia, you know, it was amazing. [applause] Thank you. You Australian? [points to the audience] Represent. He couldn’t wait to clap, what part of Australia you from? Audience Member I’m from Ireland. A$AP Rocky Oh very rare. He just like clapping, he said “Fuck it, we all one people, just clap fuck it, you know?” Man I like Ireland, man you muthafuckas are wild out there man, yeah they know how to party. Listen let me tell you, we were in, wait don’t make me laugh. Is it Dublin? Yes, so we were in Dublin and this Heineken fucking event and we did a performance and these muthafuckas are wild. I’m talking about really wild right? I’ve never met Europeans so because you know, most people think that white people not that crazy and shit like that. Them muthafuckas beyond crazy. They define crazy. Like these muthafuckas get so drunk. I’m performing and then we just had like a 20 minute chant and these muthafuckas “Oley oley oley oley,” and I was like, “What that shit mean?” It sound good though, fuck it. Its footage online of us free styling to “Oley, oley, oley, oley” its funny as hell, its funny as hell, but another place in Europe that is fucking mad insane, Scotland. Glasgow. Is that the right place, Glasgow? Let me tell you what happened. This frightened me. God as my witness, these dudes – [to someone in the audience] I don’t know if y’all remembered this – it was these dudes inside. Were you there for this one? Yeah it was dudes right and the crowd going crazy. I played “Pretty Flacko Pt. 1,” they going crazy and there’s this one kid he took off his shirt and he had these muscles and veins out his neck and shit, right. He was like, “A$AP,” like he was bugging right. This nigga was crazy right and so look right. This muthafucka gets into a fight with these with this other muthafucka, and I’m talking about they beating each other with blood out and then they grabbing bottles and shit. They grab bottles, and I cut the music off and I broke up the fight and I made them hug. [laughter] It wasn’t weird it wasn’t gay. I made’em hug like you know, give each other love. It was the hug where you put the hand in the front and its just one arm, so technically it wasn’t a hug hug, you know but I made’em show each other love, and these muthafuckas start partying like this and the crowd right and one of them took a bottle and broke it over his own head. [laughter] Hattie Collins Welcome to Scotland. A$AP Rocky I just was thinking to myself like “Yo this shit though, it don’t make no sense” after that my manager Chace was like “We got to tell them to give out cups from here on out, what the fuck are they doing with glass? They could have through it at us.” Like it was crazy. Hattie Collins Welcome to Scotland, that’s just how they roll. A$AP Rocky Shout outs to Scotland because everybody be teasing them for wearing kilts and skirts and shit. Them muthafuckas are crazy, they’ll whip yo ass real quick. [applause] You know can I say something before we go? Ight that’s just one of the more funer songs off the album because I didn’t want Yams to pass and I didn’t want y’all muthafuckas to be like “Damn this nigga so emotional and shit, you know?” So I just wanted to give y’all fun because you know, we’re dwelling on Yams but at the same time we celebrate everything he did for us and for hip-hop. So thank you guys. [applause] Hattie Collins You can join Rocky again live in New York on May the 7th. He’s going to be doing RBMA talk from New York on May 7th, so check him there. Thank you guys so much for coming, thank you very much to A$AP Rocky. [applause]