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A$AP Rocky Shows Us His NYC for Red Bull Music Academy

Harlem hero A$AP Rocky indulged fans with a lengthy lecture in Harlem’s Madiba for the Red Bull Music Academy Festival, which continues in NYC until May 30th. The two hour interview with the rapper and fashion icon revealed details on his new album (out June 2nd), shared his favorite Stooges song,and that he prefers MILFS. Being around the corner from where he grew up, the artist opened up on his thoughts of a newly gentrified Harlem and where the next NYC hood is. Check out some of our favorite quotes about NYC from the talk with A$AP Rocky below.

1. On performing in Harlem

“I did one [show] at The Apollo and it felt legendary, cause I used to watch the Apollo on Saturdays… It wasn’t no Kiki Shepard though.”

2. On the energy of life in Harlem

“It’s nothing like it is now. When I come here, I don’t see people having fun. It’s not about gentrification… Harlem is washed up.”

3. On Uptown rappers who influenced him

“We had Dipset, Murda Mase Big L,  Children of the Corn…”

4. On Harlem fashion

“New York is the Mecca of fashion. It is embedded in us. Harlem is its own world. We create our own looks. That’s why it’s called Harlem World. Its hard to imitate.”

“Pull in our fresh Prada’s and the Mauri’s with the gator toes… I was jiggy.”

“Hip hop was my main influence in style growing up, in music videos, because we were the first genre to affiliate ourselves with actual name brands. Like certain brands just became hip hop, like Adidas, like that was straight Hip Hop, Tommy Hilfiger at one point, Guess like Guess Jeans. Old Navy too! Don’t act like you forgot. I used to be proud of my Old Navy.”

5. On what he orders from the bodega these days

“Everything but meat. Bacon egg and cheese, without the bacon.”

6. On NYC’s current hip hop sound

“We don’t know what sound is coming out of New York right now. Is it Bobby Shmurda and them? Is it French Montana and them? Is it A$AP and us? Is is Joey Bada$$ and them? Is it Action Bronson and them? It’s not one sound, and that’s the dope thing about that.”

7. On NYC’s new hood

“I’m lucky being from here but the feeling is gone, its not the same. I came up for the 4th of July and there were no firecrackers — none of that. It’s just police on every corner, shit is sad man, but I live in SoHo now, so it’s cool.”

[ Shout out to Spring and Lafayette] “… oh you reppin the hood!”

8. On where he used to party back in the day

“If you don’t know what the Skatekey is you aren’t from NYC. It was like The Tunnel for the kids. Harlem Shake was big there.”

A$AP also dropped a new track for us featuring Rod Stweart, Mark Ronson, and Miguel called “Everyday.” Stream it here and look out for his upcoming film Dope,out June 19th.

Review by Danielle O’Neill. Follow her on Twitter @doneill13.



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