The Hood Pope of Harlem came down to Los Angeles during BET weekend to get in touch with fans and drop some serious knowledge. Conducted by journalist Elliot Wilson, Ferg took us deep into his mindset as an artist, discussed how he continues to inspire young kids growing up in the hood, and stressed how important it is to never forget to be human.
Ferg shared with the audience that he believes he is not just a rapper but an overall artist. He claims he knows exactly which songs are going to be a hit before they even drop.”I knew “Work” was going to be crazy”, Ferg said and he was not wrong. To date, A$AP Ferg’s Work has nearly 100 million views on YouTube. Ferg also mentioned how he felt the same about his track “Plain Jane” which went triple platinum. According to Ferg “creating a song is like creating a world”. Once Ferg sparks up a song, he can already envision how the song looks like as a whole from the visuals down to specific costuming. This process has yet to fail the awarding-winning artist.
Ferg also elaborated on the juxtaposition of being called "The Hood Pope" or "The Trap Lord". Just last year, A$AP Ferg became the first male rapper to become a spokesperson for the luxury jewelry company Tiffany & Co. He also has attended Paris Fashion week and has become a fashion icon worldwide. On the other hand, Ferg still lived in Harlem up until very recently because he believes it is important for part of his message to inspire young children growing up in such areas. “I wanted kids to see a celebrity in Harlem to show them that it is possible” Ferg shared. Therefore, it’s no surprise that when asked, A$AP Ferg truly does believe he is the King of New York.
Amongst all his success, A$AP Ferg is still a student of life. Whether it’s about money, music, or girls, the artist continues to learn from other successful icons in the music industry such as Pharell and Timberland. However, one of the most important tips A$AP Ferg shared with us at the BET Experience is to never forget to take a break and be human. Ferg says “Artist think they have to be robots all the time. It becomes a thing where the machine can't stop and we forget that we are not machines. We aren't mechanical so we have to take time out. We have to see family. We have to mourn peoples death. We have to be human.”
Fans can look forward to A$AP Ferg’s next album Floor Seats to be released this summer which he shared will be featuring several upcoming female rappers including Rico Nasty and City Girls.
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Check out more of EARMILK’s coverage on the 2019 BET experience here.
