The Atlanta rapper, whose album Future Hendrix drops this year, opens up about beautiful women, outer space, and his work ethic.
This feature appears in Complex's February/March 2013 issue.
My obsession with outer space is my way of being different. I make astronaut music. It takes an astronaut so long to get to space—that’s how long it takes to catch up on my music. “Same Damn Time” changed the way people say words. I’m trying to keep the fans on their toes and give them something new every time… But sometimes I’ve got to dumb it down for fans so they can understand it. Sometimes they need repetition to comprehend.
At times, I think, “What would I rather be doing than music?” That’s what you have to ask yourself, if you feel like you need to be somewhere else... But there’s nothing else I want to do more than music. That’s why I stay in the booth. I have a crazy work ethic. I’ll do 20 songs a day. I love music that much. I worked eight years to get where I am. I don’t take anything for granted. I know there are a million and one dudes who are rapping, wishing they were in my shoes.
When I first used Auto-Tune, I never used it to sing. I wasn’t using it the way T-Pain was. I used it to rap because it makes my voice sound grittier. Now everybody wants to rap in Auto-Tune. Future’s not everybody. The people who are taking my style are like my babies. I’ve got a tribe of kids that want to be like me… But I understand why people want to imitate the things I do. They’re dope. It comes naturally to me. My fans can expect greatness. If I wasn’t me, I would want to be me.
I like all types of women. I accept them as they are when they come into my life… But I’m not a romantic. I’m just up-front. I like to be a part of something real, not make-believe. I tell women to tell me the truth, to just lay it out. Let me be the judge and decide if I want you around or not. Let me have my choice. Don’t portray an image of someone you’re not. I want the real person, not a story you made up in your head of a person you thought I wanted you to be.
