When the going got tough, did you guys ever consider giving up?
A: Before I made it? Yeah, a lot of times. I’ve been through deep shit, like hella depressing shit where I doubted myself and I felt like it’s taking too fuckin’ long. And then I thought, “This is what I do best and I know I’m good. And if I know I’m really good, then the world has to know it.” And I kept pushing for it. There were times that I was like, “Fuck it man. I just want to keep selling drugs.” But I kept going.
And now you’ve got one of the hottest mixtapes of the year. If you could play it for anybody in the world, who would it be?
A: Let me take my time with this. I would play it for my brother. He died. So I would play it for him.
God is blessing me and it’s been a long time coming. I’ve been poor. I’ve been hood rich. I’ve been heartbroken. I've been sad.
—A$AP Rocky
How does losing your brother affect you on a day-to-day basis?
A: I try not to think about him at all. It hurts. But this is his way of blessing me, like looking over me. I don’t mean to sound like a cornball—because people might be reading this, like, “Oh, he’s about to talk some bullshit”—but I really feel like my brother’s up there. God is blessing me and it’s been a long time coming. I’ve been poor. I’ve been hood rich. I’ve been heartbroken. I’ve been sad. God is great, man. And I plan to keep Him in my life—and my brother. I’ll never forget about him, ever.
What about you, Jeremy? Did you ever feel like giving up?
J: Yeah, after my fourth show everyone decided to turn against me. I did a show that was all gold and it was in the middle of [a period of] minimalism, and people were like, “This is too brash and too tacky.” And, yeah, it was harsh to have Anna Wintour in your front row and all these people like André Leon Tally suddenly saying, “Oh, you should never design again.”
A: He said that?
J: Yeah, and other people said some really harsh shit. I weathered it and survived. So I’ve had tough times but I never felt like I shouldn’t do it. It was just tough to bear ’cause everyone wants a little love. Those are the things in life that make us stronger.
A: What year was that?
J: That was ’98, ’99.
A: Well look at you now.
What made you keep going?
J: It’s funny because the outfit Rihanna wears at the finale of her tour is something she asked me to duplicate from that show. She was freaking out. She said, “This is amazing! Can you make me one of these?” It was a full circle moment. I just try never to get too caught up in that.
I don’t want to be negative about it. If other people didn’t have the vision—that’s their lack and their misfortune. And that’s not going to be mine. Any artist has to go through these journeys, like what you’ve talked about. That’s the artist’s way. That’s what we have to do and that’s our burden. Maybe other people can’t bear that. We bear that for others. That’s part of our job and the reason people appreciate us.
WATCH A$AP ROCK & JEREMY SCOTT'S BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO:
ADDITIONAL CREDITS: (PROP STYLING) Jonathan Law. (HAIR) Sean James. (MAKEUP) Karen Faye. (CLOTHING) All clothing & shoes by adidas Originals x Jeremy Scott / Hat & necklaces A$AP Rocky’s own.
Maya January 23rd, 2012 at 05:42 PM
Love how you guys straight stole 7L & Esoteric's A New Dope album cover. Real original.
melo January 23rd, 2012 at 06:06 PM
ever hear of Basquiat and Andy Warhol, dummy?
Maya January 23rd, 2012 at 06:48 PM
Actually, I am very familiar with Basquiat and Warhol. The album cover I am referring to was an homage to them - how polite and astute of you to point out. This reference was done six years ago and with the talent that one would think exists at Complex, you would think a more creative approach would exist. Maybe you are suggesting we celebrate tired ideas, or with media moving so quickly should forget what's been done every 5 years so that we may continue to use the same thing over again and be as excited as when we first saw it previously. I suppose that would save us from having to progress - and that would save a lot of time and money. I'm beginning to understand your wisdom.
Lenny January 23rd, 2012 at 10:51 PM
LOL, Maya you clearly didnt know about the Warhol/Basquiat poster, its okay. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6750079807_dc1982333d.jpg
Maya January 24th, 2012 at 11:59 AM
I am entertained that this is your best response. I guess I would then not know that the original poster was intended to be a parody of the bout between Max Schmeling and Joe Louis, bringing the issue of Aryan supremacy to light? Or maybe you already knew that, since you seemed well versed in the competitive nature of Basquiat and Warhol and the whole intention of this show being Warhol's attempt to exploit Basquiat's celebrity. I appreciate your reference being that from a Flickr account, while this poster is so famed that needing to find it online and then uploading it to an account would deem pointless and unnecessary.
Antoine January 24th, 2012 at 12:56 PM
Gotta give it up, others are ignorant.
Maya January 25th, 2012 at 12:28 PM
I think melo, right below, just proved your point. Point well taken. I am not angry or protective in my responses. One who is insecure in their own opinions would paint me that way - that's a weakness in human nature. My only intention was to provide a reason why people are less than impressed with the lack of creativity given to this choice of direction. To state that well A$AP is black and Scott is white, so it makes more sense in this instance tells me what kind of reader we have here. I felt that when Karma from Brick Records went this route, it was because of the very nature that 7L and Esoteric encapsulate - that of Basquiat and Warhol's sense of competitive nature that only challenged each other to bring out the best in themselves. The fact that A$AP and Scott only met at this interview screams that this was the wrong choice in direction and the only reason it was chosen was a failure to come up with something original -- or perhaps the art direction is like the reader and only saw black and white. Either way, I remove myself from this conversation because it seems as though normal human discourse isn't welcome here. Next time I will fill my comments with more LOLs and misspellings.
melo January 24th, 2012 at 01:16 PM
what is the big deal? the cover is dope. Both parties bit off of the original. And to be honest, this version is more accurate than the New Dope cover. You know, a white and black guy? Take a chill pill.
Drake January 24th, 2012 at 12:46 PM
Great read complex. Good duo.
C January 24th, 2012 at 08:20 PM
Maya..You Mad!! Lol
Youg May 20th, 2012 at 10:51 PM
I and my brother bought this jacket,from : http://www.adidas.com/us/N?searchTerm=jeremy+scott http://jeremyadidas.com/vmchk/Jeremy-Scott-Hoodie-T-shirt-Jackets/3033-adidas-obyo-Jeremy-Scott-Tailed-First-Star-Track-Top.html