Rich Homie Quan Says Drake Gave Him The Type Of Hug You Never Forget

Rich Homie Quan's rise to the top of everyone's minds and the tip of everyone's tongues was as quick as it was ruthless—his ubiquitous single "Some Type Of Way" dropped at the end of 2012 on his Still Goin' In Reloaded mixtape, and took over radio with such authority that Drake, in an interview with MTV, called it the song of the summer, even going so far as to say he'd wished he'd written it. This week, while in New York City, Quan stopped by the XXL office to talk about his monster track, embracing Drake, and his biggest idols growing up in Atlanta.

How does it feel for your song to be called the “song of the summer”?
I just try to keep a positive mind frame about it all and keep looking forward. It feels good. The streets have my back, man. Really, that’s where it comes from. It started in the streets and it kept getting bigger and bigger, and when it hit it just hit.

When you were recording it were you thinking, 'this is gonna be the big one?'
Nah. To be honest, when I was recording it, it really came off a feeling, ‘cause I don’t write. So it came off a feeling. I had got the beat about two weeks prior to when I dropped the song. The producer, Young Carter, texted me like, “Did you check your e-mail yet?” I was like, “No.” But he kept texting. So I was like, “There must be a banger in there if he keeps texting.” So eventually I checked my e-mail. When I listened to it I was like, “I’ve gotta call and book some studio time.” But I never in my mind thought “Some Type Of Way.” I just thought, “This beat is just so hot.” So when they pulled the beat up in the studio I go in dramatically and “Some Type Of Way” came first to me. Like the [hums the melody to the track]—it was just magic when I did it. When I did it I called up a friend and was like, “I think I got it. I think this is the one.” From then we came out with the Still Goin' In Reloaded [mixtape]. We put the four new songs on there. And we put “Some Type Of Way” on there. [His manager] was like “You gonna put ‘Some Type Of Way’ on there?” I was like, “Yeah, lets get it to the people.” And instantly it just hit. We dropped the mixtape, Reloaded, in December. Man, I’ve been on the road since January. Ever since then, boom.

Right when it dropped, instantly, the feedback from the Internet, from Twitter...my Twitter was blowing up. Boom. ‘Cause back then we thought “Party” was gonna be the one. But, nah, people were feeling “Some Type Of Way.” We knew by then that “Some Type Of Way” would be the one. So by January the song was out and we were doing shows five days a week since then. “Some Type Of Way” was the one.

When did you hear Drake that said it was the song of the summer?
I was at home last week. I’d seen the interview had happened at night, but I saw it the next morning. MTV called later that day to do an interview. It made me feel some type of way in a good way. The first time I met Drake was at the Birthday Bash [for Atlanta's Hot 107.9] they just had. That was my first time at Birthday Bash and I think it was the way I approached Drake that did it. The dude’s really a cool person. We embraced. I gave him a hug, but the hug he gave me was like one of those hugs you’ll never forget. He told me, “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. I’m really here early to see ‘Some Type Of Way.’” Ever since then he made me feel some type of way. I’ve been focused a little more since he said that. That’s Drake, man. That’s one of my biggest idols of all time.

What were some of your favorite songs of the summer growing up?
When I think of summer songs...I wouldn’t even say summer necessarily, but I just go back to some of my biggest idols. That’d have to be Wayne, Drake, Webbie, Boosie. I’m a fan of that pain music. Music that paints pictures. Every song is not gonna rhyme, but music you can feel from the heart. That’s the music I love. So it’s never like a favorite song. Oh, and Meek Mill. Man. You can tell a lot of people come from nothing but have a dream that you can hear in their music and they’re going somewhere. That’s the type of music I love. I’m just a fan of good music, so I can’t really say a summer song. I like good music in general. If it’s good music I love it. Kendrick Lamar. There’s a lot of favorites out there.