Highest 2 Lowest, Rihanna, Assault Trial and More

It’s after midnight in a hotel suite overlooking New York City’s Union Square, and I’m sitting across from A$AP Rocky as he toys with a half-smoked blunt. There’s a fresh one in the ashtray beside it that one of his assistants recently rolled for him. The armchair I’m perched on is made of stuffed Mickey Mouse toys, a “Tom and Jerry” cartoon is playing on mute in the background and Jefferson Airplane’s psychedelic music is blaring from the stereo.

“Can you guys bring that chair closer?” Rocky says to one of his crew about my seat, then turns to me. “It’s heavier than it looks.”

It’s a gentlemanly gesture from the sweet, Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, who is now as well known for his evolution into subversive fashion icon as he is for his A-list coupling with Rihanna.

Tonight, he’s rocking a pink-and-black tartan kilt with Ray-Bans from his new creative partnership with the sunglasses brand and a camo bomber jacket designed by his AWGE collective. The jacket has a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, license plate emblazoned on the front; that’s where the Harlem-born Rakim Mayers lived for a stint as a kid, beginning right around the time he started rapping at age 8.

As an artist, Rocky dabbles in a little of everything: In addition to the fashion collaborations and his latest gig as co-chair of this year’s Met Gala, his long-awaited fourth album, “Don’t Be Dumb,” is expected to drop sometime this year.

But we’re here to talk about Rocky’s Cannes-bound film “Highest 2 Lowest,” Spike Lee’s remake of the Akira Kurosawa crime drama “High and Low” that will see him face off against Denzel Washington. (It will be released by A24 in select theaters Aug. 22 before streaming on Apple TV+ two weeks later.) First, however, Rocky wants to tell me about that time when he was 5 years old and his favorite movie was the 1973 Blaxploitation film “The Mack.”

“At an assembly on Halloween, I told my teacher that I wanted to be a pimp,” he recalls, diamonds gleaming from the corners of his wide grin. “She took back the microphone and said, ‘Pick another one.’ I said, ‘Uhhh — a ninja?’”

In “Highest 2 Lowest,” Rocky isn’t a pimp or a ninja, but instead plays Yung Felon, an aspiring rapper who will stop at nothing to be noticed by Washington’s music mogul. And Rocky’s big moment on the Cannes red carpet will come after he’s fought and won a legal battle that nearly derailed his career and that could have left him in jail for a quarter century.

The situation stemmed from a 2021 incident in which Rocky was accused of firing a gun at and grazing the knuckle of his former friend and collaborator Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli. Rocky worked on the film as the trial loomed, finding a welcome distraction in acting. “That’s my only escape. That’s why I do it,” he says.

But there were moments when art and life intersected. In one scene, Yung Felon faces his own courtroom reckoning, which was “surreal” for Rocky, who knew he’d be in a similar situation in a few months. “That’s why I was able to embody the character so well,” he says, his voice gravelly from weed. “I was able to act like a piece of shit who was going away for a long time but didn’t realize the consequences, because in real life, I knew exactly what the consequences felt like.”

Rocky’s highly publicized trial lasted three weeks before a jury found him not guilty in February. The world watched as a joyful Rocky leapt over a barrier to hug Rihanna and then enfolded his mother and sister in his arms.

Rocky and Rihanna started making music together in 2012, when she was already a mega-star and he was the hot new rapper on the scene. A decade later, they welcomed their first child, RZA Athelston Mayers. His little brother, Riot Rose Mayers, followed in August 2023. Rihanna revealed their third child is on the way just before arriving at the Met Gala.

Professionally, the 36-year-old is living out his childhood dream. He’d been a fan of Lee and Washington since watching “Malcolm X” as a kid, so when the director reached out after spotting him in 2018’s “Monster” (which was produced by Lee’s wife, Tonya), Rocky jumped at the opportunity to work with two of his idols. “I was stuck between greatness and greatness.”

Spike has said that a lot of people get queasy when they’re going up against Denzel. Were you nervous?

Nah, I was born for this. I’m not gonna waste nobody’s time. This is what I do — this is the same approach you would take to making an album or to directing or designing anything: You’ve got to give it your all. People judge you by integrity; that’s how you can measure someone’s principles and morals. If somebody don’t got integrity, and they’re just doing it for the check or the look or the next opportunity, it never works out for them. I promise you. That’s where the phrase “Cheaters never win” comes from. When you cheat yourself in life, you never win in the end.

Did you read the script before saying yes to Spike?

I read it. Spike was open to me creating my character. I’m a Method actor — I’ve gotta embody this person. So wearing different hats — like fatherhood and all that other stuff — there’s only so much time you’ve got, right? So I needed this guy to be realistic. His name was MC Microphone Checka — like microphone check, 1, 2, 1, 2 — and I said, “No, he’s Yung Felon.”

Spike is OK with allowing collective ideas. It was a blessing for him to be so receptive and open-minded to my ideas. He shut down a lot, and he fucked with a lot.

What does Method acting mean to you? What does your preparation look like?

It’s being alone in your trailer, looking in the mirror, embodying that person. When you’re not on the set, or when you clock out, you’re still embodying that character. Around the beginning of shooting, my family was still in California, so I got to really be this guy and go home [as him]. When my family finally came to New York in late May, we were almost wrapped, and I had to be in daddy mode. I had to shift back and forth.

What’s it like when Denzel’s acting opposite you?

It was like a fucking dream come true. But trust me, it was difficult to not fan the fuck out every millisecond of the fucking duration. It was crazy — it’s fucking Denzel, man. I don’t give a fuck how successful [I am]: I’m always gonna be a student and a fan of certain people, and I’m always going to give them their flowers. I’m never going to be too big to be able to say that I had to hold my composure from not fanning out.

The first movies I really loved were “Juice,” “Malcolm X” and “Michael Jackson: Moonwalker.” The first time I saw him, I was watching “Malcolm X.”

You went to Cannes 10 years ago with your first movie, “Dope.” What do you remember?

I didn’t know what to expect. I remember showing up and them telling us, like, “Yo, you know how hard it is to get your shit submitted out here?” And I’m like, “How the fuck do we know if we won or not?” [Laughs] Now I’m more excited because I know the significance. I look forward to seeing the film for the first time with everybody else. I don’t want to see it till then.

You know something crazy? Denzel has never actually been to Cannes before.

Get the fuck outta here!

Yo, Denzel plays more Memphis rap than anybody I know. He’s just like, “Alright, so what you fuck with, kid?” [I’m like,] “Pardon me?” I tried to sound all old school and shit like, “I like Slick Rick…” and he’s like, “Oh, I fuck with Rick, of course. Rick the Ruler.” Then, he started saying Nas lyrics out of nowhere. Then Pac, then DMX, and then he starts talking about the young cats — Moneybagg Yo, NLE Choppa, NBA YoungBoy and these guys. I’m like, “What is this man doing?!” But I’m here for it, like I fuck with it. I was shocked. He’s an OG. You would expect him to listen to Miles Davis all day. Nah, he said, “Throw on NLE Choppa,” [then Washington rapped] “I don’t do drive-bys no more, I walk ’em down.” That’s verbatim. I was like, “This is gonna be lit. It’s on now.”

You did some stunts for the role, including getting up on top of a train. Was that really you up there?

I did. I thought it was lit. I had some bungee wires on, so it was safe. It was action packed, and I was on my Black Tom Cruise shit.

Do you want to do action movies?

I’m down for whatever. I think I need to be the new Black James Bond. Like, why not? If we hit the gym, I’ma be aight. Right now I’m in dad mode; you’re gonna have to give me a couple months.

Do you think you’ll make movies that your kids can see soon?

I want to do something for my children. Everybody’s doing “Despicable Me” and “SpongeBob” and shit like that. I want to do an original DreamWorks/Pixar-ass film, like “Soul.”

I like the internet stuff too, like “Gracie’s Corner.” I hate “Cocomelon.” “Cocomelon” is bad for the kids, man, but “Gracie’s” is hittin’. I just hope my kids don’t grow up and think that shit was lame. So, whatever I do, it’s gonna be cool and timeless.

Rihanna’s doing “Smurfs.”

That’s gangster. Yo, this shit is jokes though. We both got movies coming out the same year. I didn’t even realize that. Wow! Shout-outs to us — we’ve been working!

Do you think you’ll ever act together?

Hell, yeah. You saw her acting in my film [the 2022 music video] “D.M.B.” You saw her acting in [my 2013 music video] “Fashion Killa.”

What do you want to do? A romance? A drama?

See, I can’t give that away.

Are you going to direct it?

More than likely.

You’ve been back in the studio writing some more music. What have you been reflecting on?

It’s odd because as I get older, I’m more conscious about how I view myself. Describing my life sounds very braggadocious, and I want to figure out how to say it to where it feels more humble, relatable and sincere, as opposed to just shitting on the next person or making the next person feel down — or just evoking negative shit out of people.

Are you writing specifically about the trial?

I’m writing about these past four or five years that I had this over me, and it’s been kind of handicapping me.

Have you had a harder time trusting people?

For sure, it’s a lesson learned. I think I had trust issues for a while now. I can’t necessarily blame it on my last situation. But what I did learn is you’ve gotta accept that everybody’s not good people; you’re not gonna run into a solid person every time. Not everybody’s gonna handle situations like you. Once you accept that you’re not responsible for nobody’s actions but yours … That’s where I’m at — like, yo, focus on your own actions. Because I ain’t perfect. I’m human too, and we all fuck up.

We all saw the emotion when you ran into Rihanna’s arms. What do you remember about that moment?

Being happy and wanting to get the fuck out that building.

Did you ever let yourself think that it might not go that way — that the jury might find you guilty?

You got to stop yourself from thinking like that. Because that could get the best of you, and you can manifest that energy by mistake. I tried to stay positive at all times. But it was definitely gut-wrenching and nerve-racking, and I was definitely scared for my freedom. I was so thankful that the jury made that decision. I was really thankful for how the judge was respectful and treated me like a first-class citizen. And I was thankful for my team and my lawyer, my family and my mom for being there with me the whole time.

But I could say my mom, the jury, my girl and everybody, but all praises and credit has to go to God. I’m a firm believer in prayer, and I was praying the whole time he was reading off the verdict. And my prayers were answered.

I pray to God for a lot of the things in my life. But I’m not really a religious man; I’m more spiritual.

Is the trial totally over now?

It’s a traumatic situation, but I can’t dwell on it. I got Cannes to go to. I got an album to make. I got fashion shows to do. I got music to make. I got videos. I got sneakers to drop. I got glasses to be the new creative director of. I got children. I got all type of shit. Like, nah, why would I dwell on that dark-ass shit? I talk about it from time to time, but for the most part, I don’t really think about that shit.

It’s not tragic to the point where I can’t talk about it, because I’m blessed enough to be here with you in the flesh talking about it. That within itself is the victory and blessing from God for real. I know I sound so religious, but when your back’s against the wall, you tend to call two people: Mommy or God or Jesus. To keep it real with you, I have my mother in my corner and God. [Laughs]

What about your other A24 movie, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”?

That film is for all the moms across the world. It’s so hard for women. To be a mom, oh my God, the responsibility. Like being a dad, people always kind of look at you for, like, financial responsibility or to fix the sink and fix the car and do this and that. Honestly, man, the way that we look at roles, it’s really traditional. But it’s a bit different when you’re in a position where you barely drive. I ain’t gonna fix no cars, right? I don’t go on my roof — shit, I don’t even know if anything could get stuck on my roof. I haven’t cleaned the gutters, none of that stuff. I’m busy creating some crazy master plans and shit. I’m trying to spend as much time with my little ones when I’m not on phone calls all day.

I’m blessed to work. With all the circumstances that I’ve been going through, being able to just navigate through life and come out victoriously, I just want that to be an example for guys like me that “Yo, it’s light at the end of the tunnel. You could always take any negative and flip that shit to a positive for real.”

Tell me about the evolution of “Don’t Be Dumb,” the album you’ve got in the works. You’ve already released “Highjack” from it, which got a great response.

I like to do things that don’t make sense. Nobody would have thought to put [folk musician] Jessica Pratt on that, but I think her voice so angelic. She literally let me write the whole thing, and she just sung it beautifully. She makes me want to be like a secret songwriter; I should probably get into writing folk songs. She’s sick.

This fucking album, it represents who I am right now. It’s just I hope that it’s digestible.

You watched “The Brutalist” three times.

In one sitting. Because I would rewind that shit. I’d get to the middle of it, rewind it back to the middle of it, rewind it again and then watch it from the middle to the end.

You watched it because you’re into furniture design?

That’s just another one of my loves and passions, man.

Do you like to go to the movie theater?

I prefer to go to the cinema — the the-at-er. It’s way better.

What do you love about movies?

Cinema is just a portal to an imagination, depicted by somebody else. You get to see somebody else’s dream. It’s almost like a filmmaker is a God in his own right. You get to dictate your world: you get to dictate the weather, the contrast, the color, the mood, the lighting, the people, the characters. You get to dictate the narration. You can dictate the ending, the plot, the twist, everything. It’s a tool that allows grown-ups and adults to still imagine and pretend.

German expressionism is a big influence in your music right now. What inspires you about that style of art?

It equates to hip-hop. You’ve got the war just ending and a whole nation of people that are suppressed and restricted. And nobody’s fucking with them — not the States, not the allies —they’re on their own. Out of all that tragedy — that pain and confusion and war — rose this new art form. There would be no Tim Burton if it wasn’t for that. Film noir derived from German expressionism. And that’s what I try to make: ghetto expressionism. I relate to that personally, because I’m just getting out of whatever the fuck I was going through.

I heard you played Tim Burton some of the album?

I was reaching out to my people for years — like, “I need to meet Tim Burton.” But my current team made it happen. He was like, “Yo, come through to Malibu.” I kicked it with him, played him some music.

What did he think?

He was fucking with it. But his speakers was ass. He got the cinema speakers; he ain’t got them A$AP Rocky “Don’t Be Dumb” hip-hop speakers.

It’s a nice thing to hear when somebody is moved by your work. What’s it like when somebody tells you what you’ve meant to them?

It’s like getting the Oscar-Grammy-Emmy-Tony in one. It’s like getting the fucking every music award you could think of at one time.

Is your dream to one day be an EGOT winner?

I would be lying if I said no. That’s always been a dream. The more that I do it and it doesn’t happen, it’s just motivation to keep trying and going harder.

Are we going to see you on Broadway?

I don’t think so. But that’s what really determines great actors and actresses. If I’m being totally honest, to be a better actor overall, theater is the only way to do that. One of the best, wisest men told me that — Mr. Jeffrey Wright.

During “Highest 2 Lowest,” he was coaching me. I would do something, and he’d be like, “Nah, man, you got to do it like this,” and “Say your line like that.” We would just kick it in the trailer. He would tell me what books to read and show me the old-school shit he used to be in. He’s just an OG like that.

He told you theater is the right way to go?

I don’t think I’m ready. I gotta be in one place, and that’s a lot to commit to.

You’re the new creative director for Ray-Ban sunglasses, you’re designing shoes for Puma, you’ve got the clothes with AWGE and you’ve got the music. How are you managing it all?

If I had those deals or not, I would still be designing that stuff, still trying to put it out. I look at brands, at collaborations, at everything like manifestation. It’s all about the timing and accepting that what’s meant for you is meant for you, and when it’s not, it’s not. That’s the hardest part.

How did you learn how to do that?

Because of how down or upset or disappointed I would be if something fell through or didn’t go right. I’m passionate about projects, about deals, about any partnership. My name, integrity and reputation are on the line, so I want to be the same across all endeavors. I want people to say, “That’s an involved and creative brother, like, a creative young man. He has really good ideas.”

How does that relate to auditioning for movie roles?

I auditioned for “Star Wars” — for Lando — and my audition was trash. I was trash that day. My man Childish Gambino [Donald Glover] was a way better Lando than I would’ve provided at that time. And I think he looked a little more like [Billy Dee Williams] than me.

Would you do it again? Do you dream of wielding a lightsaber?

Hell, yeah.

Styling: Matthew Henson/Total Management; Grooming: Michelle Waldron using Dior Capture Le Serum; Hair: Tashana Miles/Exclusive Artists using Fenty Hair and Dyson; Manicure: Trenna Seney; Look 1 (cover, red backdrop): Saint Laurent; Jewelry Artists own; Look 2 (blue backdrop): Full look: AWGE; Sunglasses: ASAP ROCKY X Rayban; Brooches: Artists own; Look 3 (grey backdrop): Full look: Saint Laurent; Jewelry Artists own.