With a baby on the way with fiancée Ciara, his second studio album Honest dropping next month, and a clothing line in the works, Future’s future is looking more than bright. Born and bred in Atlanta, the rapper has proved one of the most innovative forces in hip-hop's big leagues as of late, churning out a steady stream of beats you can dance all night to and lyrics that yield new meanings with every listen. At SXSW in Austin this weekend, we caught up with Future about recording albums overlooking the Vegas lights, his teen style icons, and who’s on his collaborator wish list.
Kathleen Tso: Fill in the blanks: My name is ___ and my sound is _____.
I am Future and my sound is futuristic.
Your new album Honest is set to come out next month. How has your sound evolved from your last album Pluto?
My sound has evolved knowing the range I can go with making songs. When I say range, I’m saying just going different ways that can be interesting and unique and finding other unique people that will like my music, not just the fans. My mixtapes are trying to tap into another audience, make it more popular.
And you've collaborated with an amazing range of artists for Honest, from André 3000 to Miley Cyrus. What were the highlights of recording the album?
One of the highlights recording this album [was] recording it in Vegas in a hotel room, in my hotel suite, with a studio in the suite. It was looking over the city. Every day waking up and recording, recording at nighttime, just looking at the city lights and with the pool on the balcony, it was amazing. I always wanted to record in Vegas in the Palms, at the top floor, overlooking the city. It was unreal to me.
Do you have anyone you'd love to collaborate with on your next album?
Coldplay, the new girl Lorde, Yukimi [Nagano, of Little Dragon]. There are so many artists out there right now and those are the ones that have been on my brain.
Congratulations on the baby-to-come. Do you have any hopes and dreams for him or her?
Be the best person they can be. That’s what everyone wants for their kids, [for them] to be successful in their own way, whatever it is.
What was your style like as a teenager?
I used to love Platinum FUBU and I used to wear Iceberg.
Any style icons back then?
I used to just love the hipster videos, like the B-Boys who would break dance. I used to love the way they used to dress.
How about your style now?
My style is a representation of how I feel. I might put on anything and it doesn’t even have to match. Or it might match; I don’t care. I just want to be comfortable with whatever I put on.
What was the first album you ever bought?
I used to steal stuff at the store when I was a kid; I didn’t buy albums. The first album I ever stole [was] a tape cassette, Today Was A Good Day by Ice Cube. I had to have it.
What is the craziest thing a fan has ever given you?
Some panties.
Kathleen Tso: Fill in the blanks: My name is ___ and my sound is _____.
I am Future and my sound is futuristic.
Your new album Honest is set to come out next month. How has your sound evolved from your last album Pluto?
My sound has evolved knowing the range I can go with making songs. When I say range, I’m saying just going different ways that can be interesting and unique and finding other unique people that will like my music, not just the fans. My mixtapes are trying to tap into another audience, make it more popular.
And you've collaborated with an amazing range of artists for Honest, from André 3000 to Miley Cyrus. What were the highlights of recording the album?
One of the highlights recording this album [was] recording it in Vegas in a hotel room, in my hotel suite, with a studio in the suite. It was looking over the city. Every day waking up and recording, recording at nighttime, just looking at the city lights and with the pool on the balcony, it was amazing. I always wanted to record in Vegas in the Palms, at the top floor, overlooking the city. It was unreal to me.
Do you have anyone you'd love to collaborate with on your next album?
Coldplay, the new girl Lorde, Yukimi [Nagano, of Little Dragon]. There are so many artists out there right now and those are the ones that have been on my brain.
Congratulations on the baby-to-come. Do you have any hopes and dreams for him or her?
Be the best person they can be. That’s what everyone wants for their kids, [for them] to be successful in their own way, whatever it is.
What was your style like as a teenager?
I used to love Platinum FUBU and I used to wear Iceberg.
Any style icons back then?
I used to just love the hipster videos, like the B-Boys who would break dance. I used to love the way they used to dress.
How about your style now?
My style is a representation of how I feel. I might put on anything and it doesn’t even have to match. Or it might match; I don’t care. I just want to be comfortable with whatever I put on.
What was the first album you ever bought?
I used to steal stuff at the store when I was a kid; I didn’t buy albums. The first album I ever stole [was] a tape cassette, Today Was A Good Day by Ice Cube. I had to have it.
What is the craziest thing a fan has ever given you?
Some panties.
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