A$AP Rocky Covers Complex Magazine

Pretty Flako A$AP Rocky graced the cover of Complex Magazine latest issue.

Do you think you’re influencing people like Kanye?
Of course. That’s obvious. [Laughs.] We’re all in the same circle. He’s way richer than me, but of course he’s influenced by me. C’mon, bro. I made waxed denim cool in hip-hop. Fucking waxed denim and rips in jeans. Nobody else did that. I don’t give a fuck. I didn’t know what I was doing. These jeans are Balmain, and I wear them with a Supreme jacket. Of course I’m influencing.

How do you feel about the culture of hip-hop changing? Lil Wayne is skateboarding now.
That’s dope. I put Wayne in Jay-Z and Kanye’s bracket, in terms of success. Wayne is still fun. Are we forgetting that Wayne made everybody switch their flow up and start using the E’s and R’s, and “I’m ir-regul-ar, segular”? Like, c’mon, are we forgetting that Wayne changed hip-hop, too? Are we forgetting that he made all these motherfuckers want to have tattoos? Are we forgetting that? It wasn’t Wiz, it was Wayne. Wiz did it, too, but I’m just stating facts. This is a guy who fucking went from being the youngest underdog in his crew to saving his company, and saving his “Daddy.” I’m not a fucking Lil Wayne dickrider—I’m just speaking facts.

 

[Complex]

Wiz Khalifa Covers Complex

What does command Wiz’s full attention is his upcoming album. He and everyone in his camp feel confident about O.N.I.F.C.—everyone, apparently, except for Atlantic Records.

“Atlantic likes O.N.I.F.C.,” says Wiz. “But they want more obvious singles because that’s what sells it for them. My belief in the record is what sells it to me. It’s not a conflict. You just have to communicate so everybody understands it.”

Wiz is looking for that delicate balance. “When you’re working with other people, you figure out how much you do for them and how much you do for yourself,” he says. “You can’t just be an artist fighting for your opinion and that’s it. The label has to understand artists. I wanted to make Rolling Papers when I made Rolling Papers, now it’s time for O.N.I.F.C. Now we’re going to do it exactly how I want to do it to see how that works. It can’t be one-sided.”

Video: Theophilus London – Backstage Pass (Part one)

Quoting Complex:

If you’ve ever wondered what a day in the life of Theophilus London is like, this backstage pass will give you some insight. In this Erick Lee and Chad Ross-directed clip, shot in San Francisco back in March, Theophilus sheds light on his boutique obsession, and shows off his jewelry collection at the hotel. Stay tuned for more personal glimpses into his life as an artist in Part Two, debuting on Monday.

[Complex]

Video: The SPOTLIGHT: Toshitaka Kondo @ Complex Magazine (Part 2)

Check out Part 2 of Good*Fella Media’s profile of Toshitaka Kondo, Senior Editor at Complex Magazine. To explain more about the context of this post, I’ll just quote myself from last week:

The SPOTLIGHT is a column video series that the people over at GoodFellaMedia have started doing, dedicated to highlighting the behind-the-scenes (radio, magazine/blog writers, directors, photographers, etc.) individuals that don’t normally get the spotlight. These are the people that they feel strongly impact the culture of music and “make things happen”.

Check out Part One (previously posted) here.

Props Good*Fella Media.