A$AP Rocky Talks $3 Million Record Deal, Mainstream Acceptance

[The_Ripper]

"I used to be homophobic, but that's fucked up. All the designers I'm wearing are gay."


Pitchfork: A lot of rappers are moving away from big record deals and, as recently as last month, it seemed like you didn't want to sign with a major, either. What changed your mind?
$AP Rocky: About three million dollars. [Other rappers who don't sign] are smart, but I feel like Sony/RCA is a family and the people there actually care about me. When I came to meet [Polo Grounds Music founder] Bryan Leach, I got to know him on a personal level-- he would set up car service for me to go to other labels. He wanted to see me make it. He's from Harlem.

I'm going to have creative control; there's no bullshit. The situation is almost unrealistic. I mean, five months ago I had about $3,000 in my bank account. Now I'm worth $3 million. Nobody's gotten a deal like that since 50 Cent.

Pitchfork: You have a place on blogs and in more underground circles, but you're getting mainstream love and being played on Hot 97, too. Where do you see yourself fitting in?
A$AP: The only thing mainstream about me are my investors. That's it. I can adapt to the radio because I'm a street motherfucker. I can adapt to the underground because I was independent for a while. Up in Harlem and the Bronx, they didn't accept us up until now, until we got Jim Jones, Drake, and Lil Wayne cosigning the weirdo. Now people are like, "Oh, shit. He's really making moves. How much money he got?" And it's like, "Suck a dick."

Really though, I was dating this chick from Czechoslovakia-- is that how you pronounce it? Her dad used to be around the house like, [sings] "Everything is purple." Mind you, this is a rich-ass nigga with a Bentley, all that shit. I've had fucking corporate white niggas come up to me and say, "What's up? I love that shit." I live for that, because the black motherfuckers from Harlem and the Bronx didn't accept us. They thought we were gay.

I'm going to be honest with you-- I used to be homophobic, but that's fucked up. I had to look in the mirror and say, "All the designers I'm wearing are gay." I hear stories about all these industry motherfuckers who are gay, and I don't know if it's true or not, but that shit don't matter. It's so immature.

Pitchfork: It seems like there's a lot of pressure on you to represent and rejuvenate New York hip-hop. How do you feel about other rap coming out of the city right now?

A$AP: [makes thumbs-down gesture] It sucks-- it's cliché shit. Diamonds, cars, aviator shades, Gucci, half-naked bitches, wack-ass beats. When Jay-Z was the only one rapping about that stuff, it was cool. Now it's just so fucking old. Who gives a fuck?

Pitchfork: You represent A$AP as a crew pretty hard, but you've become the de facto leader of the group. Why is that?
A$AP: I'm not the leader [laughs]. People try and focus on me, but Clams is an impeccable producer, and so is Ty Beats, so is Spaceghost. We all became vegetarians about a month ago-- that means these guys are really dedicated. They're on this dark shit with the all-black [clothes], they want to be rebels. I respect it. It's a cult-- they even have codes. They recruited A$AP people from Vancouver, Arizona, Utah. It's a secret society.

But don't get scared-- it's not no Illuminati shit. But it is a brotherhood because the days of racial barriers are over. The days of sexual preference are over-- if you're gay, that's your business. That doesn't stop you from being my brother. If you yellow, you're still my brother. Let's smoke some weed.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ob3ktDxAjWI&amp;feature=related" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ob3ktDxAjWI&amp;feature=related</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/KuZ2QZKYj7c" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/KuZ2QZKYj7c</a>

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

Why did this dude name himself after a white rapper?

[dubsmith_nz]

 A 3 million dollar deal in this day and age is crazy. Is this guy actually that dope?

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

He didn't get 3 mil

[13th Duke]

A few points:

1. He's actually quite good, but he's not THAT good.
2. He definitely doesn't make the type of rap music that would be financially successful and crossover to mainstream radio.
3. He practically bit his name from a Def Jukie.
4. Whoever spent 3million to sign this guy may aswell have thrown that money on a bonfire and started pissing in it.

That said, I'm pretty sure I heard that earlier this year Kreayshawn signed a $1million record deal with a major, so fuck it, if that mess of a woman can do that then anyone can.

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

Okay I looked this up.

http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/10/aap-rocky-says-he-signed-to-polo-grounds-for-3-million/

It says 1.7 mil is going to be spent on his albums and 1.3 is going to be spent on his group's label. This isn't money he's walking away with. It's money the label's gonna spend on features, production, promotion, videos etc for his projects.

[Nima - Dubcnn.com]

Okay I looked this up.

http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/10/aap-rocky-says-he-signed-to-polo-grounds-for-3-million/

It says 1.7 mil is going to be spent on his albums and 1.3 is going to be spent on his group's label. This isn't money he's walking away with. It's money the label's gonna spend on features, production, promotion, videos etc for his projects.

That's how it's ALWAYS been with record deals. Whatever amount the artists get in advance, they have to recoup on the backend when their projects drop (and with 360 deals, when they tour and/or sell merchandise as well).

[dubsmith_nz]

Okay I looked this up.

http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/10/aap-rocky-says-he-signed-to-polo-grounds-for-3-million/

It says 1.7 mil is going to be spent on his albums and 1.3 is going to be spent on his group's label. This isn't money he's walking away with. It's money the label's gonna spend on features, production, promotion, videos etc for his projects.

That's how it's ALWAYS been with record deals. Whatever amount the artists get in advance, they have to recoup on the backend when their projects drop (and with 360 deals, when they tour and/or sell merchandise as well).

I know that's how it works but 1.7 mil for a single artist in today's climate is crazy. I wonder how many albums they signed him for. What songs or tapes would of made this guy get checked for on that level?

[Nima - Dubcnn.com]

Okay I looked this up.

http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/10/aap-rocky-says-he-signed-to-polo-grounds-for-3-million/

It says 1.7 mil is going to be spent on his albums and 1.3 is going to be spent on his group's label. This isn't money he's walking away with. It's money the label's gonna spend on features, production, promotion, videos etc for his projects.

That's how it's ALWAYS been with record deals. Whatever amount the artists get in advance, they have to recoup on the backend when their projects drop (and with 360 deals, when they tour and/or sell merchandise as well).

I know that's how it works but 1.7 mil for a single artist in today's climate is crazy. I wonder how many albums they signed him for. What songs or tapes would of made this guy get checked for on that level?

Yeah it is nuts, I'm shocked at the number. He's had two buzzing singles, "Peso" and "Purple Swag".

[dubsmith_nz]

Okay I looked this up.

http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/10/aap-rocky-says-he-signed-to-polo-grounds-for-3-million/

It says 1.7 mil is going to be spent on his albums and 1.3 is going to be spent on his group's label. This isn't money he's walking away with. It's money the label's gonna spend on features, production, promotion, videos etc for his projects.

That's how it's ALWAYS been with record deals. Whatever amount the artists get in advance, they have to recoup on the backend when their projects drop (and with 360 deals, when they tour and/or sell merchandise as well).

I know that's how it works but 1.7 mil for a single artist in today's climate is crazy. I wonder how many albums they signed him for. What songs or tapes would of made this guy get checked for on that level?

Yeah it is nuts, I'm shocked at the number. He's had two buzzing singles, "Peso" and "Purple Swag".

Just listened to those songs, sound kind of dope, definitely got potential. Be interesting to see how they develop / push him cos neither of those songs have major youtube views.

[bez]

cant stop listening to Pesoooo though, big tune