ON STANDS NOW

Prepare yourself for fall and beyond with our June/July Issue. If you're not familiar with our cover girl Cassie...then obviously you just started reading Complex. Last year, the sexy singer was hand selected by guest editor Kanye West to grace our cover, but with her new album dropping and her single "Official Girl" hitting radio, we couldn't resist giving her a second look. The results? Well, you can see all the amazing photos HERE and the behind the scenes videos HERE. Check out some of the interview right here:

On the debates about her true ethnicity:
Cassie: What’s funny about it is, when I was growing up, I wasn’t confused. I knew exactly what I was. My dad’s Filipino, my mom is Mexican, West Indian, and black—I’m a little melting pot. In school, you were either black or white. Being Asian really wasn’t anything until I got to high school and was modeling all the time, and it was important because it intrigued people. Black people definitely didn’t claim me before. They were like, “Light skin over there, she’s just not for us.” [Laughs.] It’s all perception. The other day, I was at the drugstore and this girl in line was like, “She’s next, the white girl.” I’m not white. I’m not even close.

On getting her nipples pierced:
Cassie: Can you really see them? [Laughs.] It’s not like I was trying to hide them. I wear T-shirts, so you’re going to see them. I think it’s sexy. I’m proud of them. I wasn’t expecting that [question]! No, it’s not too painful. It stings when it happens. It’s a really strange feeling.

On trying to improve her voice:
Cassie: I’ve worked with lots of different vocal coaches, but my vocal producer brought something out of me that I didn’t really know that I had. She was just like, “Don’t be afraid to let your voice crack and let things happen.” When you make a mistake, it just opens up so many doors and I didn’t even realize that. I was so scared to make mistakes after my first time around. I didn’t even want to let people hear me hit a bad note in studio—and that’s where you’re supposed to make your mistakes and work through it. With her I got to work through the kinks, and I really figured out what I liked and what I didn’t like. I haven’t decided to belt things out, but I have decided to sing a little bit more and put a little more personality behind what I’m saying.

Click here for the full Cassie Q&A

After you finish reading Cassie's side, flip the magazine over to check out the N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco covers that commemorate our annual "Style & Design" Collector's Edition issue. For each cover story, we recruited our favorite artists to paint over photos of the musicians. Pharrell and the gang linked up with KAWS, while Lupe got sent to outerspace thanks to Todd "REAS" James. Check out some excerpts from their interviews.

Lupe on why he will be exclusively wearing his label, Fall Of Rome:
Lupe Fiasco: Yes! [Laughs.] That’s how it’s supposed to be. You don’t see niggas on the Bulls rockin’ a Celtics jersey because the shit matches their shoes. When your game is to sell clothes and for people to believe in your brand and to push your brand, you keep your game face on. And if your game face is Billionaire Boys Club, it’s Billionaire Boys Club. If it’s Bape, it’s Bape. That’s one of the things I love about Nigo. It’s like, “This is me. I’m engulfed in it. I’m every part of it. I am it.”

Pharrell on influencing music's new generation:
Pharrell Williams: I’m very excited that music is finally far more diverse. It’s come like a 20 on a Richter scale to the industry because they don’t know how to recoup their money anymore—the new program director is not the radio station, it’s a kid who’s been armed by Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs has disseminated the virus of individuality. And the record industry is hopelessly and helplessly collapsing from the inside.

Click here for to read the full N.E.R.D. cover story
Click here to read the full Lupe Fiasco cover story