We live in an era of hip hop where the trends that form immediately influence the direction of where the culture goes. Over the past several years, it seems like there's been an endless stream of new artists coming out. While an artist like Future continues to carve his own way through the industry, his style has been emulated and imitated by many. There's only one Future though, and that's the reason he's one of the most iconic artists in hip hop. In HighSnobiety's cover story with Future, he explains why he thinks that honing your individuality pays off in the long-run.
In the feature, he talks about several topics including his charity work, work ethic, his Gap commercial with Cher and more. One of the more interesting parts of the interview was when Future was asked about his prolific run. Future has not only been able to maintain his position in the music industry but more so influence the direction in which the industry goes. He believes that his individuality is the driving force behind his longevity.
"Being yourself [musically] is the most important thing because if you think your shit ain’t working and stop trying and then somebody else tries it and it starts working for them, you’re going to be mad." He said "Some people try to be everybody, so that’s why they burn out. There’s longevity in being yourself and not trying to be 10 other people."
For Future, his key to success is continuing to stay in the studio.
"I’m always making music. I feel like that’s the key. Music will change in just three months, so if I go to Europe for a whole three months and come back, the music scene will be completely different. I just try to stay in tune with what’s going on: I keep my eyes open for the new artists, listen to new melodies on the radio; pay attention to the tempos playing in the clubs," he tells them.
Along with this, he also gives an anecdote about his work ethic and how sometimes, he may be bothersome to others.
"I got in an argument with a dude, he really got mad because I wouldn’t let the engineer leave the studio. He got mad at me, but he wasn’t complaining, he was scared. He was like, “Yo, that shit ain’t right, that shit ain’t right. You just had him recording you for a whole fucking week, he never even went outside.” he said.
It's an insightful interview into the mind of Future.
Check a clip of the behind the scenes below: