The Mixdown: Curt@!n$ on Learning How to Rap & His Michael Jordan Obsession
Brooklyn rapper Curt@!n$ recently sat down with Fuse's Esteban Serrano to discuss his new mix tape, 23. As you might expect, the album was heavily influenced by Michael Jordan, one of Curt@!n$' role models. "23, that's the holy number," Curt@!n$ tells Esteban. "That’s the God. That’s on the back of MJ’s jersey. I love anything Jordan-related." In case that wasn't evident enough, even the album's release date, 9/23, is Jordan-related. "Jordan’s Olympic number was 9."
The fashion-obsessed Curt@!n$ also shared a sneaker-related Jordan anecdote. "I met him at a Def Jam birthday party," he tells Fuse. "Kelly Rowland gets out, Jay-Z gets out. Then they stopped things. But then Jordan gets out the car after, and you’re like, that’s why they stopped. An hour later, I’m leaning aginst the bar and there’s Jordan. He’s just leaning against the bar with me. No one’s around him. He’s just in his own world, just chilling. So I tapped him and pointed down. I had the 7’s on, and the 7’s didn’t come out for two weeks. I had them early. I said, 'If I had a marker now, I’d be rich tomorrow.' He looked at me and just said, 'If.'"
As for the actual record, Schoolboy Q guests on "Ruthless." "When I heard it, I seen Schoolboy just sitting like a Buddha," Curt@!n$ says. "I was like, 'I gotta get him for this record.' I sent it to him, and he sent it back. I was like, 'The world’s got to hear this.'"
Check out the full video above.
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