A$AP Rocky Addresses ‘the Gay Thing’ in Hip-Hop in Interview Magazine

A$AP Rocky is, unquestionably, the most fashionable guy in hip-hop. So for the April 2013 issue of Interview magazine, the Harlem rhyme-spitter chats with iconic designer Alexander Wang about fashion, hip-hop and "the gay thing."

Before we get into the interview, check out his in-your-face cover shot (see left). The 'F---in' Problems' rapper is flashing his gold fronts for the magazine. But if you look closely, Rocky is also flossing rose gold-encrusted fronts on the bottom row of his teeth. The tag line, "Golden Boy," is apropos.

In the interview, Wang asks Rocky what inspired him to get into fashion. “Fashion was a natural thing to me," he says (quotes courtesy of New York Daily News). "It was just one of those things that helped me be an individual ... and it helped me get the attention that most people try to get with publicity stunts or by doing other crazy things."

Elsewhere in the story, Rocky addresses the issue of homophobia in hip-hop. Even the 24-year-old rapper was subject of homophobic remarks when he wore a high-fashion long-sleeved shirt on BET's '106 & Park' -- people thought it was a dress.

“So now that I’m here and I’ve got a microphone in my hand and about 6,000 people watching me, I need to tell them how I feel," he begins his diatribe with Wang.

"For instance, one big issue in hip-hop is the gay thing. It’s 2013, and it’s a shame that, to this day, that topic still gets people all excited. It’s crazy. And it makes me upset that this topic even matters when it comes to hip-hop, because it makes it seem like everybody in hip-hop is small-minded or stupid -- and that’s not the case."

"We’ve got people like Jay-Z. We’ve got people like Kanye. We’ve got people like me. We’re all prime examples of people who don’t think like that," he continues.

"I treat everybody equal, and so I want to be sure that my listeners and my followers do the same if they’re gonna represent me. And if I’m gonna represent them, then I also want to do it in a good way."

The April 2013 issue, featuring hip-hop's golden boy A$AP Rocky, will hit newsstands this week.

Watch A$AP Rocky's 'Long Live A$AP' Video