A$AP Rocky is a man of many talents and interests, and as long as his creativity is bursting at the seams, he’s willing to try it all. The proof lies in everything he involves himself in: listen to the sonic evolution of his music, look at his penchant for being the prettiest motherf*cker in the room and observe the ingenuity in his work — from his recent collaboration with EA’s Need For Speed Unbound to the launch of his cleverly-named furniture design studio Hommemade.

Rocky’s work with Need For Speed Unbound was a lifetime in the making. The Harlem-born rapper grew up with the video game franchise, stealing the countless series titles his brother owned and cracking the CD ROMs for his own use. Flacko even has a favorite game in the franchise: Hot Pursuit 2, the sixth game in the series that was released in 2002. “I was just all for it,” he admits of working with EA, a process he describes as “amazing,” sharing, “I thought that the idea and the grand scheme of things were brilliant, and I’m down for anything that’s creative.”

“Art is subjective, take what you will from it. It’s supposed to strike emotion and that’s all I wanted to do. I need people to love it, I need people to f*cking hate it. I need it to be unbearable for some people. I just need to strike emotion, man.”

These connections served as a cornerstone for Rocky’s inclusion as a character in Unbound, which sees him driving the in-game replica of his real-life, DMT-inspired custom Mercedes-Benz 190E that’s complete with AWGE branding, the slogans “ALWAYS $TRIVE AND PROSPER” and “IF NOT NOW THEN WHEN” printed on the driver and passenger doors, X-taped headlights, a metallic gold grille, TESTING monograms, an extended front splitter with green underglow lights and deep-dish BBS rear wheels. It’s evident that a great deal of care and attention to detail were poured into the creation of this car — so much so that the artist himself can’t even pick a distinct design feature that stands out as his favorite, instead listing several. “I really love the fact that it has an exposed bumper. It has a dystopian, kind of like Star Wars feel to it, mixed with vintage ‘90s… It’s hard to describe but it’s a new classic instantly, right?” he says. “What’s so enticing about it is the two-tone colors, the fog lights and features and the gold touches, the finishes that are placed so elegantly. It’s like mixing streetwear with high fashion.”

But seeing Rocky and his 190E saloon in Unbound’s reveal trailer was only half of the surprise. The collaboration between the rapper and EA were the driving force behind the official release of “Shittin’ Me,” Unbound’s official theme song and a previously-unreleased gem that was a favorite amongst Rocky’s listeners since its leak a few years prior. He first premiered the Kelvin Krash-produced cut during his set at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival back in 2019 and had it initially scheduled for a 2020 release, but instead proposed it and his 2019 track “Babuhska Boi” to EA when they reached out to him in 2020 — smack-dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We felt that the industrial sound and everything just fit and complimented the game so much. That’s why I chose that song,” he shares.

“[Fatherhood] gives me more purpose to live now.”

In addition to finally being able to stream a mixed and mastered version of “Shittin’ Me,” the world was treated to a chaotic yet powerful accompanying music video. Director Grin Machine took fans on a wild ride as they watched Rocky experience his own version of Weekend at Bernie’s with his friends lugging his dead body around before he’s reincarnated as an AI clone at the behest of wicked music executives. The video spurred discussions and debates about its intent, with some claiming it to be a dig at AI rappers or estates of late artists that can’t seem to stop milking the music of those who have passed, but Rocky is coy about its inspiration, shrugging off any specific meaning behind its content “I think it’s just art. Art is subjective, take what you will from it,” he sanguinely explains. “It’s supposed to strike emotion and that’s all I wanted to do. I need people to love it, I need people to f*cking hate it. I need it to be unbearable for some people. I just need to strike emotion, man.”

Although the release of “Shittin’ Me” felt like a long time coming, fans shouldn’t expect the track to appear in his highly-anticipated album, which he (re)confirmed is not titled All $miles (“We can do better than that!”). The still-untitled record is years in the making but will be one of many firsts; it marks his first full-length effort since 2018’s TESTING and his first musical project since welcoming his son with Rihanna earlier this year. The momentous journey of becoming a father hasn’t changed his creative process and has only provided him with something better: “[Fatherhood] gives me more purpose to live now.”

“I’ve been working on [this album for] so long. It’s an extension of my heart, my blood, sweat and tears. I just hope those who give a crap about what I do get to digest it.”

Rocky is almost ready to drop his album — he advises clamoring fans to wait for an announcement for his next live show, as it’s meant to be a hint that the record, which he proudly calls a “masterpiece,” is dropping very soon. But just like the “Shittin Me” video, he wants your reactions to his new music to be entirely your own, no matter if you love it or hate it. “I’ve been working on [this album for] so long,” he says. “It’s an extension of my heart, my blood, sweat and tears. I just hope those who give a crap about what I do get to digest it.”