A$AP Rocky, graces the cover of Interview‘ magazine’s April 2013 issue.Photographed by Craig McDean (Kristen Stewart, Kate Moss) A$AP is interviewed by fashion designer Alexander Wang for the spread.
“Well, 2012 was probably the most historic year of my life. I got to work with [Alexander Wang] for the first time. I’m getting my respect as a video director. The fashion industry respects me and knows who I am. But then the album leaked. I also lost my dad over Christmas… But in 2013, I’ve already had a number-one album, and here I am on the cover of Interview talking to my good friend Alex Wang, so it looks like this year is going to be a good one.”
“Well, I’m from New York—Upper Manhattan, Harlem—so fashion was a natural thing to me. It was just one of those things that helped me be an individual, because with fashion, you can stand out and you can make it your own. It’s like an art that you can make into your own. So for me, fashion was about standing out as an individual—and it helped me get the attention that most people try to get with publicity stunts or by doing other crazy things. But I just let the attention come to me naturally, and I think some of that has to do with my fashion.”
“For me, growing up in Harlem and then migrating down to SoHo and the Lower East Side and chillin’ down there and making that my stomping ground . . . That was a big thing, because I’m from Harlem, and downtown is more artsy and also more open-minded. So I got the best of both worlds. It was like being on the streets and then being in school at the same time, and I tried to keep my hands in everything just so I wasn’t missing out on any fun. I just always wanted to be knowledgeabl
“Now that I’m here and I’ve got a microphone in my hand and about 6,000 people watching me, I need to tell them how I feel. For instance, one big issue in hip-hop is the gay thing. It’s 2013, and it’s a shame that, to this day, that topic still gets people all excited. It’s crazy. And it makes me upset that this topic even matters when it comes to hip-hop, because it makes it seem like everybody in hip-hop is small-minded or stupid—and that’s not the case. We’ve got people like Jay-Z. We’ve got people like Kanye. We’ve got people like me. We’re all prime examples of people who don’t think like that. I treat everybody equal, and so I want to be sure that my listeners and my followers do the same if they’re gonna represent me. And if I’m gonna represent them, then I also want to do it in a good way.”
I also want people to see that I come from the ghetto—I come from the hood—and honestly, man, the mind-state there was kind of fucked up for a while. But now you see me—and other people like me—who are standing up and saying, “All right, the jig is up. It’s not a joke. These are actual people we’re talking about.” It’s same as with racism. There was a time when someone would get on a plane and request to move their seat just because the person sitting next to them was of a different ethnicity or religion or nationality. But I don’t think my generation wants that. That’s how it used to be. People are racist because parents and grandparents are embedding that kind of shit in their heads. But it’s 2013. Time goes on. We’ve moved past that. Everybody should be able to enjoy their life, because you only live once. So I just want to get it all out there and be the best role model that I can be, if people want to put me in that kind of predicament. I mean, I didn’t ask to be a role model, because I’m not perfect.”
“Honestly, man, I feel like most of my dreams have already come true. I remember the first time I found out I was coming to your office; I was so excited because I’d been trying to meet you for the longest time. What inspired me about you the most was that you’re so young. It just showed me that young people can do it—that you can be young and run your own organization or your own corporation or your own business and be your own commodity. I just really appreciated that value in you. I admire it. It just goes to show that as young people, we can do whatever the fuck we want.”
“I wanted to appeal to people who’ve never really listened to hip-hop or really given it a chance before. I’ve also tried to incorporate all my favorite lifestyle things in the music. Of course, “Fashion Killa” is one of peoples’ favorites because it just expresses how much I like fashion. I had to give you that very rare Alexander Wang shout-out on that track.”
“Even for the song “Suddenly”—not to get back on the racism thing and discriminati
Hood by Air was a street brand that was trying to get off the ground for a while. It was just like tastemakers who used to be into it. It wasn’t like a big deal yet. I was always into it because it reminded me of high-end fashion meets ghetto goth—you know, like a ghetto-gothi
I feel like when people put pressure on you, then that’s when it’s just time to show off, man—just show off because you’re the shit. At the end of the day, I’m young. I represent the kids who come from nothing but who understand it all and love it all. That’s what I represent—those are the cool kids, you know, the kids of tomorrow, because who would’ve known that I’d be who I am today? We are the kids of tomorrow. And all of this is just another step. All you’ve got to do is show these motherfucker
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