A$AP Ferg Says Missy Elliott is One of His Biggest Influences
In an interview on NPR's Microphone Check, New York rapper A$AP Ferg revealed to host Ali Shaheed Muhammed that one of his biggest influences as an artist is Missy Elliott. Missy, who recently enjoyed a resurgence on the Billboard charts and in the public consciousness after her Super Bowl halftime show performance alongside Katy Perry, has long been held as a stylistic innovator; her early work with Timbaland is some of the most daring hip-hop the early 2000s had to offer. However, at first pass, the gruffer Ferg might seem to share little with Elliott. But as he told Muhammed, "Way before I was rapping, I was looking at Missy videos and loving her music." Ferg added that the rapper, who has recently joined in the studio, was an influence in the visual realm, too. "And just the visuals, I never imagined that I would one day be doing music and, you know, dope visuals like that as well--sojust for us to share that moment with one another, that was the biggest thing for me."
He also spoke on racism that raised some eyebrows.
"That's what it is about this culture of the Internet. Is everything is merged. There's no racism with the Internet. Racism only was — is probably like five generations ago," he said. "Racism been over. It's the old people that keep on holding on to it. We don't hold on to that shit. We don't know racism. We all like having—like my brother had white—my little brother had white girlfriends. And that's regular."
He cleared up his comments on his Instagram.
Late last year, Ferg released his second major project since breaking through nationally, a mixtape called Ferg Forever. Elsewhere in the interview, he talks of printing hundreds upon hundreds of shirts with his father for labels like Bad Boy and D-Block. Ali Shaheed Muhammed is best known as one of the founding members of A Tribe Called Quest.
Related: Follow A$AP Ferg and YG on Tour in ‘This Side’ Video
A$AP Ferg Records Music Video for “Dope Walk” on His iPhone
A$AP Ferg and the A$AP Mob Live the Fast Life in ‘Doe-Active’ Video
More From XXL
