A$AP Rocky's New Whiskey Brand, Mercer + Prince, Solidifies Him as a Cultural Tastemaker
The multi-hyphenate talks to HYPEBEAST about moving into the liquor world and taking inspiration from Virgil Abloh and Nigo.
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A$AP Rocky is defying the traditional definition of a creative with his latest venture into the world of alcoholic beverages. The multi-hyphenate artist, entrepreneur and fashion icon has created his own spirit to fit the unconventional mold, partnering with Global Brand Equities and Spirit of Gallo to bring a new blend of Canadian whiskey for a new generation of connoisseurs to enjoy.
His latest creation, Mercer + Prince, honors century-old traditions, while also building on the modern culture of whiskey drinking. Aged in American white oak barrels and influenced by Japanese Mizunara oak, Rocky ensures that the design spoke to the social aspect of the brand. This whiskey is presented in a dynamic two-cup bottle design created to welcome all drinks with its sleek, functional and boundary-pushing concept that allows a bottle to be opened immediately and enjoyed with friends.
A$AP Rocky shows no signs of slowing down – recently launching his latest AWGE x Mercedes-Benz collection, as well as working on projects that bridge his passion for music and fashion all into one. On top of all his accolades, he is slated to perform in multiple festivals later this year including The Smoker’s Club Fest and Osheaga. When asked if one of his upcoming projects will feature new music, Rocky simply responded with,
“Absolutely, there’s new music coming.”
With his upcoming debut into the world of whiskey, the soon-to-be new father is proving that innovation has no bounds – showing the world that beyond a fashion and music icon, he is in fact, a cultural tastemaker.
FLACKO sat down with HYPEBEAST for an exclusive interview, diving into the creative process behind starting his own whiskey brand. Along the way, he recounts lessons learned from some of his greatest design inspirations – including Nigo and Virgil Abloh – talking about how his latest F&B project is a product of intersecting the cultural spheres of his music and style.
HYPEBEAST: What first interested you in the art of whiskey? How did the partnership to create Mercer + Prince come about?
A$AP ROCKY: We were more focused on the process of changing tradition. Whiskey is a category that allows us to bring together a hybrid aesthetic, blending the traditional method with our spin to make it more contemporary. I think the whiskey category allows us to do that freely in that space. Gallo just seemed like the right partner to help us get to the finish line, especially when it came to the actual elixir. The creative side came together naturally, and I think so did the actual liquid.
What does this whiskey mean to you and how does it remind you of home?
New York City is obviously where I am from and when you think about the cross streets – Mercer and Prince – there’s just so much diversity and versatility. That’s what the inspiration is based on – just different cultures and different backgrounds, all blended together.
How do you feel whiskey culture has shifted over time and where do you see Mercer + Prince fitting into the modern art of whiskey drinking?
I think Mercer + Prince is the specific catalyst for that change. When it comes to whiskey, it is a very traditional kind of liquor category. I think more so than ever, just for the generations to come and the way culture is now, it’s all about blending everything. Diversity is the key and so taking that Japanese tradition and aging it in American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels creates a hybrid drink that is open to everyone.
How does entering into the F&B world intersect with your passion for music and fashion?
I approach everything with compassion first. I want everything to be aesthetically pleasing and enticing and I think that’s what we strive for when it comes to innovation in any field.
Mercer + Prince
Mercer + Prince
Mercer + Prince
You are known to merge industries together very well, including your recent track “Arya” with Nigo. What is your take on the correlation between music culture and fashion trends?
I think they go hand-in-hand at this point – for sure, music definitely influences fashion and vice versa. I think Nigo is one of my biggest inspirations, outside of other rappers like Kanye and Pharrell. But, Nigo is definitely a style icon for me. I grew up always looking up to him. He always had this westernized influence and he would mix it with his Japanese traditions…it almost sounds like our whiskey, right?
He was always ahead of the game. He still is and has been doing this for over 30 years. It was really an honor and a privilege to work beside somebody like him. I am happy to even be considered to do that by him because, as I said, he’s a legend. I looked up to him and I still do.
Looking at innovators like Virgil Abloh who have seamlessly broken the boundaries between F&B, music and fashion – What is your take on how fashion has evolved over the years especially when it comes to merging high fashion with streetwear?
We’ve been at the forefront of this for a while. Now, it is really hard to distinguish between high fashion and streetwear. It just goes to show that there’s a whole demographic of people and just a whole different genre just waiting to tap into different pioneers of creatives and not just the surface-level things.
Design is really what I’m all about. Anything I do as far as fashion, anything I do as far as curating, facilitating, directing, writing – I think it’s just all about design and raising taste levels.
Can you share a key piece of knowledge that Virgil has imparted on you that has influenced your perspective of fashion, or the way you think as a creative?
Absolutely. One thing about Virgil is that he always said, “Yo, just do it and put it out. Just get it done and get it over with.” Anyone can tell you that I’m a perfectionist and I always like going back to the drawing board and making revisions and trying to change imperfections.
Virgil’s whole thing was just to inspire, put it out, move on and be done with it. Not in the sense of not caring about it anymore, but be done with the fact of working on it and keeping it a surprise. Sometimes you just got to feed the people, feed the culture. I’m learning to do that more so than ever. I’m noticing that tomorrow is not promised to anybody. Sometimes when you wait too long on things, you get over it or somebody else does it or it just becomes old and it never comes out.
Tapping into the popular “drops” culture, A$AP Rocky’s Mercer + Prince whiskey will only be available for an exclusive online pre-release on ReserveBar. The whiskey goes live starting March 24 before becoming available in select retailers nationwide this summer. For more information check out Mercer + Prince.
