iLoveMakonnen sat down with the legendary Amos Barshad for a Fader interview. And to be honest, it’s one of those things you just have to read. All that that wild, weird, sad angst in Makonnen’s music? Turns out that’s just how the “Tuesday” artist talks.
So, by now, you know Makonnen’s gay — maybe you knew it all along, but he came out to those unaware in January, in part because, “everybody felt like I was lying and I was ashamed for it, ‘cause I didn’t come out as gay earlier. It’s like, why do I need to come out as gay to do open heart surgery on your dumb ass?”
Now, it’s 2017, and you’d think, well, who cares about Makonnen or anybody else being gay, straight, bi, asexual or any combination thereof?
You’d think that, but then you’d remember what world we live in.
Like, take the Migos.
Makonnen told Barshad, “If we look back at the track record, I thought it was ‘my friend Makonnen teaching me how to whip it.’ I thought he was ‘my friend.’ But you see how friends do in interviews.”
How do friends do in interviews? Well, if they’re Rolling Stone interviews, friends apparently do it in a less than stellar manner. When Rolling Stone informed the Migos that Makonnen had just come out, the magazine says it went like this:
"'Damn, Makonnen!' Quavo bellows after an awkward interlude. I mention support I saw online for Makonnen’s decision. 'They supported him?' Quavo asks, raising an eyebrow. 'That’s because the world is fucked up,' says Offset."
And yeah, Takeoff got in on the action too, adding, “The world is not right.” Quavo, taking the final word, said, “We ain’t saying it’s nothing wrong with the gays,” before claiming that Makonnen’s sexuality destroys his trap credibility.
After taking flak, Migos put out a statement, saying, “We love all people, gay or straight.”
Responding to the comments, Makonnen said, “We don’t really talk no more,” and also, “with friends like these, who needs enemies?”
Makonnen also didn’t put much stock in the Migos’ boilerplate apology. “Nah. That’s only cause you got the number one record and you didn’t wanna f*ck it up.”
The artist went on, noting that he feels the group’s words may have even been a personal slight. “Hell nah, they ain’t got no problem with gay people!” Makonnen exclaimed, “They f*ckin’ song is “Versace!” Like, the f*ck! Nigga, Versace is the gayest nigga. They ain’t got issues with him, why they got issues with me?”
In the end though, Makonnen believes that — at least in the Migos’ hometown, homophobia will eventually fall to the wayside. In Atlanta, he said, “it’s probably more gays than it is goddamn straights! They will rise!”
You can read the rest here — Makonnen also talks about his feud with Drake (who tried to beat him up apparently?!), his crushes and old-timey, trailblazing lumberjack lovers. It’ll make your day, promise.
