During the unveiling of Pusha T’s new collaboration with adidas, the Virginia lyricist spoke with Forbes about a variety of topics including his new sneaker with the brand, working with Kanye West in the studio, the recent protests across the United States, and more.
In regards to the recent protests, one of which took place the day of Pusha’s sneaker launch party, the rapper revealed that all artists “should be speaking out” about the Mike Brown, Eric Garner verdicts. He also revealed that he would have canceled his launch party if he had known that Millions March NYC was taking place the same day.
“Had I known that this was happening today, I wouldn’t have done this event,” Pusha T said. “When the [Mike Brown] verdict came out, we were supposed to start the rollout for the shoe and I was like no, we just can’t start today. Artists definitely should be speaking out about it.”
Pusha then detailed what it’s like working with fellow artist Kanye West in the recording studio. He says the G.O.O.D. Music helmsman will completely recreate a song an artist has worked on even after they’ve fallen in love with the record.
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“He makes a whole new song with your vocals after you are done,” he said. “After you are married to it and love it, he takes your song and does a whole 360 with the beat then gives it back to you and tells you that’s your record, bud. That’s the process. We’ll go in the studio together and he asks me what part of the beat that I like, and then he’ll loop that part of the beat and I’ll go right to that and I’ll record to that and give that back to him. Bye bye song, bye bye what I fell in love with. Because it ain’t coming back the same.”
The Clipse emcee also revealed that prior to collaborating with adidas on their latest sneaker, which features Italian leather and natural carp fish scales, he wanted to create country jerseys that featured cartel names on the back. He ultimately decided that that particular idea was too controversial.
“I wanted to actually do a soccer jersey but it was a little edgy – I was taking countries’ [jerseys] and putting cartel names on the back,” Pusha said. “It was a bit much…I look at Pharrell and Kanye as the tastemakers – I feel like I translate ideas and a lot of higher-end fashion to the street culture. My friends are like ‘man, I can’t wear that’ and then I wear it and I tweak it, I make it digestible, and then they have it on the next week.”
Pusha T also spoke on his upcoming album, King Push during his interview with Forbes. According to the rapper, King Push will feature “more unorthodox Hip Hop” and will be “rebelliously conscious.”
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