Interview: A$AP Ferg Talks About Dog Tricks On BMX Bik & Beg Called Gay | Complex

Contents:

• INTERVIEW: A$AP FERG TALKS ABOUT DOG TRICKS ON BMX BIK & BEG CALLED GAY
• A$AP FERG SCHOOLS DABABY ON ‘SUPER IGNORANT’ HOMOPHOBIC RANTSPEAKING UPEXCLIVERICHARD SHOTWELL/INVISN/AP“COMG OM THE HOOD, THERE’S A LOT OF IGNORANT PEOPLE,” THE HARLEM-BORN RAPPER SAID OF DABABY’S HATEFUL REMARKS ABOUT PEOPLE WH HIV/AIDS AND MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. CHEYENNE ROUNDTREEENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED AUG. 06, 2021 9:03AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 05, 2021 3:47AM EDT A$AP FERG HAS KEPT HIMSELF BY. OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE RAPPER RELEASED HIS ALBUM FLOOR SEATS II, SIGNED HANDMA SILK AND WOOL GS FOR HIS LIFTYLE BRAND LNCH, ALREADY HAS NEW MIC THE WORKS, AND MOST RECENTLY, DIRECTED AND PRODUCED THE MI-DOCUMENTARY A SNAPPLE CORNER STORY ABOUT NEW YORK CY BOGAS AN EFFORT TO GIVE BACK TO LOL SHOPS IMPACTED BY COVID-19.MOST OF THIS BURST OF CREATIVY TOOK PLACE WHILE FERG RECHARGED HIS BATTERI AND SPENT SOME MUCH-NEED DOWNTIME WH FAY MEMBERS WHILE LAYG LOW NEW JERSEY DURG THE PANMIC. BUT NOW, THE HARLEM-BORN ARTIST IS EAGER TO GET BACK OUT AND PERFORM ONT OF A LIVE, HYPED-UP DIENCE VERS JT VIRTUAL NCERTS AND LISTENG SSNS.“YOUR SOCKS DON’T GET DIRTY OM JT SLIDG ACROSS THE FLOOR, YOU GOT TO GO OUTSI AND TURN UP THEM DIRTY VANS,” HE TELLS THE DAILY BEAST, LGHG.FERG, BORN DAROLD DURARD BROWN FERGON JR., WILL GET JT THAT CHANCE NEXT MONTH PHILALPHIA AT JAY-Z’S MA AMERI FTIVAL, ALREADY G OFF AN ADRENALE SH AFTER APPEARG ALONGSI FELLOW A$AP MOB MEMBER A$AP ROCKY AT ROLLG LOUD MIAMI LATE JULY. “THAT WAS SUPER AMAZG, THAT ENERGY WAS OVERWHELMG,” HE GRS, ADDG THAT FANS N EXPECT TO HEAR TRACKS OM FLOOR SEATS I AND FLOOR SEATS II. “I N’T WA TO DO AN HOUR-LONG SET, GET SWEATY, HAVE EVERYBODY MOSH P AND TURNG UP TO THE MIC.”IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE BUZZ AND EXCEMENT THAT FED TO ROLLG LOUD, WHICH HELPED KICK OFF THE LATE SUMMER FTIVAL SEASON, WAS QUICKLY RAILED BY DABABY, WHO WENT ON A HOMOPHOBIC RANT DURG HIS SET. THE CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLA, RAPPER MA OFFENSIVE REMARKS ABOUT PEOPLE WH HIV/AIDS AND ROGATORY MENTS ABOUT THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. HIS MENTS QUICKLY WENT VIRAL. DPE HIS TEAM REPORTEDLY PROMISG OTHER FTIVAL PROMOTERS THAT DABABY WOULD CREATE AN APOLOGY VIO THAT HE’D PLAY BEFORE HIS SET AT LOLLAPALOOZA LAST WEEKEND, THE VIO NEVER MATERIALIZED, AND AS A RULT, DABABY HAS BEEN YANKED OM AN EVER-GROWG LIST OF FTIVALS.WHILE SOME MICIANS ADMONISHED DABABY, CLUDG ELTON JOHN, MADONNA, QUTLOVE, AND DUA LIPA, WHOM THE RAPPER LLABORATED WH ON A REMIX OF “LEVATG,” HIS FELLOW RAPPERS HAVE STAYED MOSTLY QUIET. IT’S NOT SURPRISG, NSIRG THE HIP-HOP DTRY’S BLEAK HISTORY OF HOMOPHOBIA, SOMETHG LIL NAS X CED WHEN HE ME OUT AS GAY THE WAKE OF HIS BREAKOUT SONG “OLD TOWN ROAD” 2019.BUT WHEN FERG IS ASKED ABOUT HIS THOUGHTS ON THE DABABY NTROVERSY, HE DON’T HATE. “I FEEL LIKE WAS SUPER SENSIVE,” HE SAYS, ADDG THE MENTS ME ACROSS AS “SUPER IGNORANT ON HIS BEHALF.”“I LOVE EVERYBODY. I LOVE GAY PEOPLE, STRAIGHT PEOPLE,” HE SAYS. “I HAVE A LOT OF GAY IENDS. I KNOW A LOT OF SIGNERS. I KNOW NORMAL PEOPLE THAT ARE GAY—THEY’RE NORMAL PEOPLE. THEY SHOULD BE FELY TREATED WH RPECT. YOU JT GOT TO TREAT PEOPLE [LIKE] RPECTABLE HUMAN BEGS, MAN.” ADVERTISEMENT “COMG OM THE HOOD, THERE’S A LOT OF IGNORANT PEOPLE,” FERG ADDS. HE POTS OUT THAT ARTISTS WHO E OM THE TYP OF BACKGROUNDS N SOMETIM BE NDNED TO HAVE HARMFUL AND OFFENSIVE VIEWS AND WH ONE H SONG, THEY BEE SUPERSTARS AND THST TO THE PUBLIC EYE.“YOU N MAKE A LN DOLLARS TOMORROW, JT BEE YOU GOT A GREAT SONG—YOU LERALLY ME OM THE HOOD, YOU’RE GONNA DO SOME IGNORANT SH,” FERG SAYS. “WE WEREN’T TGHT TO BE POLILLY RRECT A LOT OF THE TIM.” “THE HOOD IS VERY BOXED-, ’S A SMALL MUNY,” HE ADDS. “A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THEIR POWER, YOU GO ON THIS BIG STAGE AND YOU’RE SPEAKG TO LNS AND ZILLNS OF PEOPLE, MAKG ALL OF THIS MONEY—THAT DON’T CHANGE WHO YOU ARE MENTALLY.”ACKNOWLEDGG THE APOLOGY DABABY PUT OUT ON MONDAY, HOURS AFTER NEW YORK CY’S GOVERNORS BALL DROPPED HIM OM S SEPTEMBER LP, FERG THKS DABABY “GOT RIGHT.”“YOU KNOW, [HE’S] GONNA GET THE BACKLASH BEE HE KILLED HIMSELF,” HE SAYS. BUT IF DABABY TAK THE TIME TO REFLECT AND LEARN, FERG BELIEV HE SHOULD BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE. ADVERTISEMENT “SOMETIM YOU GOTTA BUMP YOUR HEAD REAL HARD TO KNOW,” FERG ADDS. “I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A VERY HUMBLG TIME FOR HIM.”WH THE MIC FTIVAL SEASON FULL SWG, STILL AS A SHOCK THAT ANIZERS N PULL OFF A FEAT THAT DIDN’T SEEM POSSIBLE JT LAST YEAR, AS COVID-19 NOT ONLY BROUGHT THE LIVE MIC DTRY TO A HALT BUT CLAIMED THE LIV OF MORE THAN 600,000 AMERINS.THE VIS PECIALLY ROCKED NEW YORK CY, AND DURG THE PEAK OF THE PANMIC LAST SPRG, FERG RETURNED TO HIS OLD NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP, DONATG HUNDREDS OF MEALS TO MEDIL WORKERS, AND MAKG A MOARY DONATN TO HIS FAVORE RTRANT MELBA’S SO THE BS ULD HIRE BACK FURLOUGHED EMPLOYE. FERG ALSO PUT WORK ON THE GROUND, PERSONALLY HANDG OUT MEALS TO THOSE NEED. “YOU KNOW, [HE’S] GONNA GET THE BACKLASH BEE HE KILLED HIMSELF.” “I FELT LIKE THAT WAS SOMETHG THAT I HAD TO DO AT THE TIME,” FERG SAYS, MENTNG THAT DURG THOSE EARLY DAYS, HE HAD SEVERAL FAY MEMBERS GET SICK, SO HE WANTED TO HELP RAISE IAL AWARENS OF THE VIS’ SEVERY. “I WANTED TO LET THEM KNOW I RE ABOUT THEM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT THEY WERE DOG.”AND NOW, EVEN AS THE UNTRY BEGS TO SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL THANKS TO THE VACCE ROLLOUT, FERG ISN’T DONE HELPG, THIS TIME FOCG ON NEW YORK CY BOGAS AND RNER STOR THAT BEME THE BACKBONE OF THEIR MUNI DURG THOSE UNCERTA EARLY DAYS. ADVERTISEMENT IT WAS THE MOM-AND-POP SHOPS THAT KEPT THEIR LIGHTS ON WHEN MANY OTHERS SHUTTERED, BEG SOME OF THE FEW PLAC TO SECURE CLOROX WIP AND TOILET PAPER. AND AS PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS, THE BOGAS OFFERED CRED TO PATRONS WHO MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO OTHERWISE AFFORD FOOD OR SENTIAL EMS.FERG’S MI DOCUMENTARY A SNAPPLE CORNER STORY, WHICH HE PRODUCED AND -DIRECTED ALONGSI SHOMI PATWARY, FEATUR THE BOGAS AND SMALL SHOPS, AND HIGHLIGHTS HOW THEY SERVE AS A RNERSTONE THEIR MUNI. AS PART OF THE LLABORATN WH SNAPPLE, FERG CREATIVE-DIRECTED AND SIGNED A LE OF SPECIAL MERCHANDISE, WH ALL THE PROCEEDS GOG TO THE BOGA AND SMALL BS ASSOCIATN.THE PROJECT HS CLOSE TO HOME FOR FERG, WHO SAYS HIS LOL BOGA GROWG UP OFTENTIM HELPED SOMEONE WHO WAS A FEW BUCKS SHORT. “I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A KID NOT BEG ABLE TO AFFORD A JUICE OR A SANDWICH,” FERG SAYS. “I’D BE SO HUNGRY, BUT ONLY HAVE $1.50.”“IT WAS LIKE, I DON’T WANT A BUTTER ROLL, I WANT A WHOLE SANDWICH, LIKE TURKEY AND CHEE. THEY GAVE ME CRED. I’D E BACK LATER ON AND GIVE THEM THE CHANGE. THEY DON’T DO THAT AT SUPERMARKETS OR THE BIG RPORATNS. BOGAS ARE SUPER SIGNIFINT AND HELPFUL TO THE MUNY, SO WE GOT TO SHOW THEM LOVE AND KEEP THEM ALIVE.” CHEYENNE ROUNDTREE

INTERVIEW: A$AP FERG TALKS ABOUT DOG TRICKS ON BMX BIK & BEG CALLED GAY

”It’s unfortunate that the buzz and excement that fed to Rollg Loud, which helped kick off the late summer ftival season, was quickly railed by DaBaby, who went on a homophobic rant durg his set. It’s not surprisg, nsirg the hip-hop dtry’s bleak history of homophobia, somethg Lil Nas X ced when he me out as gay the wake of his breakout song “Old Town Road” when Ferg is asked about his thoughts on the DaBaby ntroversy, he don’t hate.

A$AP FERG SCHOOLS DABABY ON ‘SUPER IGNORANT’ HOMOPHOBIC RANTSPEAKING UPEXCLIVERICHARD SHOTWELL/INVISN/AP“COMG OM THE HOOD, THERE’S A LOT OF IGNORANT PEOPLE,” THE HARLEM-BORN RAPPER SAID OF DABABY’S HATEFUL REMARKS ABOUT PEOPLE WH HIV/AIDS AND MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. CHEYENNE ROUNDTREEENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED AUG. 06, 2021 9:03AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 05, 2021 3:47AM EDT A$AP FERG HAS KEPT HIMSELF BY. OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE RAPPER RELEASED HIS ALBUM FLOOR SEATS II, SIGNED HANDMA SILK AND WOOL GS FOR HIS LIFTYLE BRAND LNCH, ALREADY HAS NEW MIC THE WORKS, AND MOST RECENTLY, DIRECTED AND PRODUCED THE MI-DOCUMENTARY A SNAPPLE CORNER STORY ABOUT NEW YORK CY BOGAS AN EFFORT TO GIVE BACK TO LOL SHOPS IMPACTED BY COVID-19.MOST OF THIS BURST OF CREATIVY TOOK PLACE WHILE FERG RECHARGED HIS BATTERI AND SPENT SOME MUCH-NEED DOWNTIME WH FAY MEMBERS WHILE LAYG LOW NEW JERSEY DURG THE PANMIC. BUT NOW, THE HARLEM-BORN ARTIST IS EAGER TO GET BACK OUT AND PERFORM ONT OF A LIVE, HYPED-UP DIENCE VERS JT VIRTUAL NCERTS AND LISTENG SSNS.“YOUR SOCKS DON’T GET DIRTY OM JT SLIDG ACROSS THE FLOOR, YOU GOT TO GO OUTSI AND TURN UP THEM DIRTY VANS,” HE TELLS THE DAILY BEAST, LGHG.FERG, BORN DAROLD DURARD BROWN FERGON JR., WILL GET JT THAT CHANCE NEXT MONTH PHILALPHIA AT JAY-Z’S MA AMERI FTIVAL, ALREADY G OFF AN ADRENALE SH AFTER APPEARG ALONGSI FELLOW A$AP MOB MEMBER A$AP ROCKY AT ROLLG LOUD MIAMI LATE JULY. “THAT WAS SUPER AMAZG, THAT ENERGY WAS OVERWHELMG,” HE GRS, ADDG THAT FANS N EXPECT TO HEAR TRACKS OM FLOOR SEATS I AND FLOOR SEATS II. “I N’T WA TO DO AN HOUR-LONG SET, GET SWEATY, HAVE EVERYBODY MOSH P AND TURNG UP TO THE MIC.”IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE BUZZ AND EXCEMENT THAT FED TO ROLLG LOUD, WHICH HELPED KICK OFF THE LATE SUMMER FTIVAL SEASON, WAS QUICKLY RAILED BY DABABY, WHO WENT ON A HOMOPHOBIC RANT DURG HIS SET. THE CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLA, RAPPER MA OFFENSIVE REMARKS ABOUT PEOPLE WH HIV/AIDS AND ROGATORY MENTS ABOUT THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. HIS MENTS QUICKLY WENT VIRAL. DPE HIS TEAM REPORTEDLY PROMISG OTHER FTIVAL PROMOTERS THAT DABABY WOULD CREATE AN APOLOGY VIO THAT HE’D PLAY BEFORE HIS SET AT LOLLAPALOOZA LAST WEEKEND, THE VIO NEVER MATERIALIZED, AND AS A RULT, DABABY HAS BEEN YANKED OM AN EVER-GROWG LIST OF FTIVALS.WHILE SOME MICIANS ADMONISHED DABABY, CLUDG ELTON JOHN, MADONNA, QUTLOVE, AND DUA LIPA, WHOM THE RAPPER LLABORATED WH ON A REMIX OF “LEVATG,” HIS FELLOW RAPPERS HAVE STAYED MOSTLY QUIET. IT’S NOT SURPRISG, NSIRG THE HIP-HOP DTRY’S BLEAK HISTORY OF HOMOPHOBIA, SOMETHG LIL NAS X CED WHEN HE ME OUT AS GAY THE WAKE OF HIS BREAKOUT SONG “OLD TOWN ROAD” 2019.BUT WHEN FERG IS ASKED ABOUT HIS THOUGHTS ON THE DABABY NTROVERSY, HE DON’T HATE. “I FEEL LIKE WAS SUPER SENSIVE,” HE SAYS, ADDG THE MENTS ME ACROSS AS “SUPER IGNORANT ON HIS BEHALF.”“I LOVE EVERYBODY. I LOVE GAY PEOPLE, STRAIGHT PEOPLE,” HE SAYS. “I HAVE A LOT OF GAY IENDS. I KNOW A LOT OF SIGNERS. I KNOW NORMAL PEOPLE THAT ARE GAY—THEY’RE NORMAL PEOPLE. THEY SHOULD BE FELY TREATED WH RPECT. YOU JT GOT TO TREAT PEOPLE [LIKE] RPECTABLE HUMAN BEGS, MAN.” ADVERTISEMENT “COMG OM THE HOOD, THERE’S A LOT OF IGNORANT PEOPLE,” FERG ADDS. HE POTS OUT THAT ARTISTS WHO E OM THE TYP OF BACKGROUNDS N SOMETIM BE NDNED TO HAVE HARMFUL AND OFFENSIVE VIEWS AND WH ONE H SONG, THEY BEE SUPERSTARS AND THST TO THE PUBLIC EYE.“YOU N MAKE A LN DOLLARS TOMORROW, JT BEE YOU GOT A GREAT SONG—YOU LERALLY ME OM THE HOOD, YOU’RE GONNA DO SOME IGNORANT SH,” FERG SAYS. “WE WEREN’T TGHT TO BE POLILLY RRECT A LOT OF THE TIM.” “THE HOOD IS VERY BOXED-, ’S A SMALL MUNY,” HE ADDS. “A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THEIR POWER, YOU GO ON THIS BIG STAGE AND YOU’RE SPEAKG TO LNS AND ZILLNS OF PEOPLE, MAKG ALL OF THIS MONEY—THAT DON’T CHANGE WHO YOU ARE MENTALLY.”ACKNOWLEDGG THE APOLOGY DABABY PUT OUT ON MONDAY, HOURS AFTER NEW YORK CY’S GOVERNORS BALL DROPPED HIM OM S SEPTEMBER LP, FERG THKS DABABY “GOT RIGHT.”“YOU KNOW, [HE’S] GONNA GET THE BACKLASH BEE HE KILLED HIMSELF,” HE SAYS. BUT IF DABABY TAK THE TIME TO REFLECT AND LEARN, FERG BELIEV HE SHOULD BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE. ADVERTISEMENT “SOMETIM YOU GOTTA BUMP YOUR HEAD REAL HARD TO KNOW,” FERG ADDS. “I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A VERY HUMBLG TIME FOR HIM.”WH THE MIC FTIVAL SEASON FULL SWG, STILL AS A SHOCK THAT ANIZERS N PULL OFF A FEAT THAT DIDN’T SEEM POSSIBLE JT LAST YEAR, AS COVID-19 NOT ONLY BROUGHT THE LIVE MIC DTRY TO A HALT BUT CLAIMED THE LIV OF MORE THAN 600,000 AMERINS.THE VIS PECIALLY ROCKED NEW YORK CY, AND DURG THE PEAK OF THE PANMIC LAST SPRG, FERG RETURNED TO HIS OLD NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP, DONATG HUNDREDS OF MEALS TO MEDIL WORKERS, AND MAKG A MOARY DONATN TO HIS FAVORE RTRANT MELBA’S SO THE BS ULD HIRE BACK FURLOUGHED EMPLOYE. FERG ALSO PUT WORK ON THE GROUND, PERSONALLY HANDG OUT MEALS TO THOSE NEED. “YOU KNOW, [HE’S] GONNA GET THE BACKLASH BEE HE KILLED HIMSELF.” “I FELT LIKE THAT WAS SOMETHG THAT I HAD TO DO AT THE TIME,” FERG SAYS, MENTNG THAT DURG THOSE EARLY DAYS, HE HAD SEVERAL FAY MEMBERS GET SICK, SO HE WANTED TO HELP RAISE IAL AWARENS OF THE VIS’ SEVERY. “I WANTED TO LET THEM KNOW I RE ABOUT THEM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT THEY WERE DOG.”AND NOW, EVEN AS THE UNTRY BEGS TO SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL THANKS TO THE VACCE ROLLOUT, FERG ISN’T DONE HELPG, THIS TIME FOCG ON NEW YORK CY BOGAS AND RNER STOR THAT BEME THE BACKBONE OF THEIR MUNI DURG THOSE UNCERTA EARLY DAYS. ADVERTISEMENT IT WAS THE MOM-AND-POP SHOPS THAT KEPT THEIR LIGHTS ON WHEN MANY OTHERS SHUTTERED, BEG SOME OF THE FEW PLAC TO SECURE CLOROX WIP AND TOILET PAPER. AND AS PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS, THE BOGAS OFFERED CRED TO PATRONS WHO MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO OTHERWISE AFFORD FOOD OR SENTIAL EMS.FERG’S MI DOCUMENTARY A SNAPPLE CORNER STORY, WHICH HE PRODUCED AND -DIRECTED ALONGSI SHOMI PATWARY, FEATUR THE BOGAS AND SMALL SHOPS, AND HIGHLIGHTS HOW THEY SERVE AS A RNERSTONE THEIR MUNI. AS PART OF THE LLABORATN WH SNAPPLE, FERG CREATIVE-DIRECTED AND SIGNED A LE OF SPECIAL MERCHANDISE, WH ALL THE PROCEEDS GOG TO THE BOGA AND SMALL BS ASSOCIATN.THE PROJECT HS CLOSE TO HOME FOR FERG, WHO SAYS HIS LOL BOGA GROWG UP OFTENTIM HELPED SOMEONE WHO WAS A FEW BUCKS SHORT. “I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A KID NOT BEG ABLE TO AFFORD A JUICE OR A SANDWICH,” FERG SAYS. “I’D BE SO HUNGRY, BUT ONLY HAVE $1.50.”“IT WAS LIKE, I DON’T WANT A BUTTER ROLL, I WANT A WHOLE SANDWICH, LIKE TURKEY AND CHEE. THEY GAVE ME CRED. I’D E BACK LATER ON AND GIVE THEM THE CHANGE. THEY DON’T DO THAT AT SUPERMARKETS OR THE BIG RPORATNS. BOGAS ARE SUPER SIGNIFINT AND HELPFUL TO THE MUNY, SO WE GOT TO SHOW THEM LOVE AND KEEP THEM ALIVE.” CHEYENNE ROUNDTREE

I love gay people, straight people, ” he says. “I have a lot of gay iends.

I know normal people that are gay—they’re normal people. "When he attend the High School of Art and Dign Manhattan, he says, his lunch table—"om goth people to gay people to thugs om Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, that wanted to do art and graffi; all kds of fashn people"—affected the way he now creat his art and imagery. Sexualy - Gay or Nay.