That's that Dungeon Family ethos: being able to reinvent yourself, stand out and stand alone. Having your own character and having your own image, no matter what they say about you. I want to show my versatility and how diverse I am, how I approach the track, my rhythm, my melodies. It's something different.
— Future
My favorite designer has to be Louis Vuitton.
I know I haven't always done things the right way. I'm just trying to reflect on how to make myself better, how to become a better man, a better father, a better person, a better artist.
I wouldn't say I'm underrated, but more reserved. Only time will tell, but I've been good so far in being consistent and making hit after hit writing for myself and other artists, from rap to R&B, and being able to make those different records.
My day one fans - my fans from my mix tape days - know my life now. They know where I've been. You don't want to have a disconnection with those fans. You have to give them all of you because they feel like they've known you.
In Atlanta, there's no limitation to where you can take your music. You can be as creative as you want to be.
You make music to change the radio, not make music for the radio.
G-Rock from the Westside, from Allen Temple. He gave my name, The Future; he was like, 'Man, you the future.' Just stuck with the name.
Rihanna takes risks, and I love a woman who takes risks. It just goes to show you have your own mind and your own way of thinking.
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 Won' is not a love song. It's just me uplifting women in general. I'm giving women the power to treat themselves as a trophy - to show that and know it in yourself and be confident - because when they do that, whoever they're with is winning.
I'm just really a free spirit. You gotta be like that. 'Cause life ain't that complicated. It's only that complicated when you make it that way. I just wanna wake up and move with the way it goes. If it's meant to happen, it will happen.
I feel like guitar explains a lot. You can just listen to a guitar without any lyrics over it; you can just feel what kind of track it is. If it's pain... you can feel it. It sets the mood.
My favorite rappers are, I can't really say. I like Kanye because he's so creative. He'll just do anything. I like what Kanye's bringing to the game. Lil Wayne. I like Wayne.
The most fun moments are being on the stage and seeing how the crowd reacts to your music. The energy of the crowd that makes you just want to go in and keep doing it and be a part of this forever.
I'm putting everything on the line in being able to express myself in a different way than rappers normally do. They might say, 'It's rap' or 'It's R&B,' but I'm stepping outside the box and making music for me and making music for the fans to understand me. I'm going the extra distance to be able to come across different.
I was probably 15 when I started going to the studio with the older cats in my neighborhood. They heard me rap outside one time; I was just freestyling. And they invited me to the studio. It's good when you're accepted, no matter what crowd. That's the first step of believing you can do whatever you feel like putting your mind to.
I was drawn to love songs, but I was just drawn to great music - no matter if it's hip-hop, pop, R&B or whether it's rock n' roll or country. It could be a Garth Brooks song, and if it's a smash, then I'll love the different wordplay and different melodies. That's what I'm a fan of - great music.
I feel like I'm doing something in Atlanta that nobody ever did as far as rap. If it happens to end up on the top 40 or the pop charts, it doesn't mean I meant to go pop. It's just where the music took me. It started at the bottom, and it rises.
You get inspiration from craziest places. It's just about being creative. You gotta step outside that box, you know what I'm saying, to reach the people. You never know who can feel it; who it can connect to.
I've always been into fashion since I was a kid. I love fashion. I appreciate it. I just enjoy dressing up and getting all the new sneakers and all the hot exclusive clothes - I did even when I was young.
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.
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.
I don't just write hits for myself, or for other artists, or to just be writing it. I write it because I was born to do this. I was given this gift, and I'm making the most of my opportunity.
I take a little bit from everybody and add that to my life to make me, me. I wanna be nobody else but Future. When you look at me, I want you to say, 'Future.' The way I talk, the way I dress, there's nobody in the world but me.
My three wishes are just be respected out the game. I want respect from everybody. And just make a successful clothing line and company. I'm not going to put a number on it. Just to have a great career.
I want to let little kids know that no matter what situation they come up in, that they're not exempt from success. All I ever wanted was for people to believe in me and just recognize my potential. I came, I struggled, I made it, I conquered.
I need to let people know who I am and instead of just trying to make great records, just be honest and make it more personal and make it more passionate, to make records with emotion and not be afraid to express that.
When you're riding with your mom, and you're a kid, you'd listen to 'Dear Mama' and the radio friendly records. I used to sneak and listen to Too $hort.
I'm always most comfortable in the studio. It's my comfort zone. I love being there, and I love making records.
I can't leave home without certain movies. 'The Godfather' is a big one for me. And I've gotta have my beats so I can write new music.
I know melody. I know rhythm; I know bass guitar; I know the piano. I know everything about music that helps build the music that go along with creating the whole art form, you know what I'm saying?
Where I know I wanna go is being consistent on business, and that's just making another artist, my clothing line - capitalizing off the moment. I wanna be consistently doing that - capitalizing off every move I make.
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.
Big Rube was on my first album and some of my mixtapes. His words are so powerful. I want to speak every word he says into existence. I wanna be a part of that! I wanna be a part of greatness. His wordplay is great to me.
Sometimes it's hard to open up about your personal life, your relationship because you always want the music to be in the forefront. You want the music to be the biggest carrier of everything that you represent.
I wanna make my imprint in the game as far as music - hip-hop, and just music, period. 'Cause I come from hip-hop, that's my background, but I'm not gonna let that limit me from where I can go.
