I'm from New York and I love New York and I'm always repping New York, but what I represent is something deeper than just being a New York rapper.

You wouldn't take me to be a Skrillex fan, but honestly, when I'm at his shows, I get high and liquored up, and I just go in the crowd and start raving.

My real name's Rakim - my parents named me after the god MC himself.

I'm a people's person, believe it or not. I just have a dark side to me, which we all do.

Why can't I be friends with somebody who's gay? Why not? You can miss out on a lot by being so small-minded and stereotypical about people. It's stupid.

I didn't want to be a loser, but I didn't want to fit in at the same time because I don't like just being ordinary. So it's one of those situations where I always kept my head up.

Fashion is almost like a religion, for me at least.