Courtesy A$AP Rocky
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The SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills is tastefully posh, the sort of place that always smells faintly, never overwhelmingly, of magnolia blossoms and freshly-minted money. But there’s also a hint of playfulness – giant flowerpots and a red carpet lead into the lobby, and hand mirrors and chalices dangling off a chandelier make up the hotel’s crest.
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It’s the perfect spot to meet A$AP Rocky, the 24-year-old Harlem rapper with more than a little Southern in his swag and plenty of money in his pocket. “I’m cozy,” he says, sucked into a couch in the lobby, one knee cocked up. He’s doing a press day before his show at the Hollywood Palladium. While most artists tend to tire of the endless stream of reporters asking the same questions over and over, Rocky, who’s real name is Rakim Mayers, seems to revel in it.


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Maybe that’s because only a couple of years ago, the idea of being interviewed as starlets pranced by was as far-fetched as the idea of bagging a $3 million dollar deal with Sony/RCA subdivision Polo Grounds. First arousing the attention of the Internet in early 2011 with the video for “Get High,” the buzz ratcheted when Drake began requesting A$AP Rocky’s twinkly “Peso” in clubs. Before he even released the mixtape LIVELOVEA$AP late last October, he had already signed his deal.
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“I come from the gutter-gutter. I was a dude that lived in homeless shelters with his mom. I used to walk around New York City by myself just thinking about stuff like this,” he says. “I used to think about how I’m going to make an impact and how I’m going to change the way of the world. And I always knew I was going to be something great.”
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His words may read cocky, but his energy is surprisingly humble. Amid the largely Hollywood crowd in the SLS, he mostly goes unnoticed, though he mentions he’s working on a movie script himself. He hovers around 5’11 and wears a simple white t-shirt, black jeans and hat. No grill.
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It’s a change from his appearance in videos like “Goldie,” which features him and a member of his crew, A$AP Yams, cruising through Paris wrapped in furs and rapping about lace-less gold Margiela sneakers. You get the feeling, however, that being dressed down today was a conscious decision, and that he pours over every aspect of how he presents himself. Indeed: “I did [the video for ‘Goldie’] alongside of Samantha Lecca. She’s a very well known producer. She did Outkast’s “B.O.B.,” Miss Jackson, all that stuff. I’m usually in charge of the directing and stuff for the videos,” he says.

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Attention to fashion is nothing new in hip hop, but attention to high-fashion designers is. And what’s most surprising, considering that hip hop has been one of the last bastions of homophobia, is Rocky’s attempt to be open-minded regarding the sexuality of many of those designers he’s now wearing.
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“I’m 100 percent heterosexual. And I’m proud to say I’m no longer homophobic, man. That’s ignorant. I’m just one of those guys that want to set an example for the next to come,” he says, his voice growing intense. “I hate homophobic people, man, ’cause it’s discrimination at the end of the day. And all that shit is wrong, dude. But I’m proud to say that I can make it cool for kids that wear ripped up tight jeans and not feel gay, bro. Jeremy Scott sneakers do not feel gay.”
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Along with Rocky’s blurring the lines between regions, it’s an indicator hip-hop has outgrown its old mentalities. As he points out, rappers historically have had a tendency to be macho, and even smoking weed didn’t mellow that attitude. But Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y, both rappers more interested in smoking and spreading love than snapping off at someone, have helped pave the way for Rocky’s mentality. “I’m not macho. I’m a peaceful motherfucker,” he says, drinking out of a wine glass. “I’m the modern day hippie. I love weed. I love women. And I love music. And I love art. And that’s it. Did I mention I love pussy?”
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As if on cue, his eyes roam away and follow a brunette woman walking by. “Who picked this location? This is a big distraction, you know. I think I might want to just like rent out the penthouse here, ’cause there’s so much bad bitches just walking back and forth.” He starts to laugh, and we have no doubt that he’ll have no problem recruiting plenty of women to make love, not war.
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