In Kerwin Frost‘s latest interview, Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky (real name Rakim Mayers) revealed why he attacked Hood by Air (HBA), an attempt at a take down that included “Multiple,” a diss song in which he described the label as weak, along with streetwear label Been Trill.
While defending his decision to criticize Been Trill, a label he described as a troll, he acknowledged his attacks on Hood by Air were born out of frustration with label head Shayne Oliver‘s unwillingness to give him part ownership of the company.
Wearing a yellow kerchief and sipping tea, Rocky explained, “That was because they didn’t give me part of the company at that time. I wanted part of the company. I wanted ownership, I felt like I had rights to it being that I was the one that made it so popular.”
When asked whether he would have the same expectation of Raf Simons, a brand Rocky also has championed, he said, “No, I’m not saying I need entitlement to everybody. I felt that was a brand that I had to literally tell Shayne, ‘Yo bro’ make pieces, you buggin’ bro’, you got this, you’re the best!’ And he never really wanted to do it like that and then he finally started to do that, I wanted in and I was getting curved.
“And the truth is, Shayne is one of the most influential artists to this day. [Expletive] be making collections, whole collections based off that man’s ideas from 2011, graphics to everything, [expletive] is taking that man whole shit from what he was doing back then.
“Me and Shayne, we good because I called him up literally two years ago and apologized. I’m sorry, bro’ I was wrong for what I did; because I shouldn’t have did that to you as a black man. And you independent. For sure, for sure I shouldn’t have did that to you and you don’t deserve that because you way more talented than the rest of these [expletive].”
He added, “Without spoiling [expletive] I want to work with Shayne right. Hopefully we make that happen.”
Still, as Frost pointed out, Rocky neither publicly acknowledged his mistake nor did he let it be known he apologized to Oliver.
