ASAP Rocky: Harlem Rapper Says Homophobia in Hip-Hop Is ‘Retarded’

ASAP Rocky

Harlem rapper ASAP Rocky has been making power moves since dropping his LiveLoveA$AP mixtape last Halloween.

The videos for “Peso” and “Purple Swag” are nearing a combined eight million views and LiveLoveA$AP has proven so popular his record label has sent him back into the studio to re- record the whole thing professional-like.

Musically, the 23-year-old’s dexterous east coast-meets-Houston-chopped-‘n’-screwed vibe is proving to be a fresh new angle for hip-hop heads. What might be just as interesting is the man born Rakim Mayers’ willingness to question some of the macho standards of conventional hip- hop. Particularly when it comes to homosexuality.

“I don’t give a fuck about your business,” ASAP Rocky tells Spinner. “Man, if you’re gay we can be friends. If you’re straight, we can be friends. I’m not gay, I don’t plan on being gay, I don’t condone it and I’m not sayin’ I’m against it. I really don’t give a fuck and I don’t think anyone should care about what another man’s preference is… unless he’s interested, if you know what I’m sayin’.”

ASAP Rocky’s quick to point out that he’s an ardent heterosexual (he’s reportedly dating L.A. rapper Iggy Azalea). But it shouldn’t matter if he wasn’t.

“Who gives a fuck?” he continues. “I like women. I love women. I’m not going to not be your friend because you like men. As long as you’re a great person and, aside from that, y’know, you don’t bother me and make me uncomfortable, then let’s be friends, dude.

“It doesn’t matter. You don’t see people for being gay. People need to leave gay people the fuck alone. Like, who cares? If you still care about shit like that you need to just hang yourself like the rest of them KKK motherfuckers. For real. Who gives a fuck?”

What bothers ASAP Rocky most is that he figures things like homophobia are bad for his music.

“I’m not saying that hip-hop needs gay rappers or anything,” he says, “but they need to stop being so close-minded because that will just cause the genre to fail. Look at pop. Pop doesn’t discriminate against people. Look at Lady Gaga, y’know what I mean? Who the fuck makes the rules for hip-hop? Who the fuck dictates who’s cool and who’s not? Fuck you.”

ASAP Rocky figures there are better reasons to hate someone than who a person chooses to have sex with, and he feels hip-hoppers should be more accepting.

“[Hate a person] because they’re a thief or a bad person,” he says. “Don’t hate ’em for what they choose to do, because they make decisions on their own time what they choose to do. I don’t care and it’s like fucked up that hip-hop is so retarded. They don’t want to accept nothing.”

This story originally ran February 17, 2012 on Spinner.