We Talked To Future About Going To Space Camp

Going to interview Future in the studio involved a process of sorts. First I was introduced to a man named Propane who came in and joined me as I watched the Georgia Bulldogs play the University of Alabama in football on Saturday evening in Manhattan’s Jungle City Studios. He and I engaged in some small talk as he rolled a blunt while we waited for Atlanta AutoTune ace Future to knock out what he was working on in the booth to join us. As Georgia let the lead and SEC football title slip from their fingers, groans could be heard throughout the studio of all the Atlanta residents that roll with Future. This included his cousin, the legendary Rico Wade of Organized Noize/Dungeon Family Fame, who was chomping on a wrap that may or may not have been Ciara’s as he cheered on his Bulldogs.

The space-obsessed rapper took the loss in stride as he entered the room with a double cup of something pink (don’t think it was lemonade) and shared a smoke with Propane as we chatted about everything from space camp to strip clubs to his impending acting career.

What’s your end goal as a musician?
A Grammy. Making sure the company generates revenue. Doing the right numbers on the albums, finding a way to sell albums. People think albums aren’t selling but we are finding a way to calculate every album sale possible.

How are you confident in doing that in today’s music climate?
It’s all about finding that window, that space to maneuver through and put out the right amount of material. I feel it’s all about getting people excited about what you’re doing do when you drop it, they’re already so hyped to buy the album.

It doesn’t make you nervous?
Nah, I don’t get nervous because I know I’m here for a reason.

What’s that reason?
To make the most of every opportunity I get. Live and learn with no regrets.

When did you become so interested in space?
It’s been a life-long thing.

Did you want to be an astronaut when you were a kid?
Every kid wanted to be an astronaut cuz you just want to float! As a kid you see these movies and think you wanna be floating in the air. I’ve just been really intrigued with the space world and the music world, since I’ve been representing both. I really want to understand the space world and that’s what i’m doing right now. I also want to understand the lifestyle of an astronaut.

What’s the lifestyle of an astronaut like?
That’s what I’m saying! That’s my next move–to go in and really understand their lifestyle and the work they put in. I’m so interested in it right now and I just want to learn certain things about astronauts and space.

You should really go to space camp.
YES! I should go to space camp for a week. That’d be so dope! Yo (talking to Propane) put that down on the schedule, I got to go to space camp. I’m definitely going to a real camp. Man that’s just what life is all about, if you can do it… do it! I can just add that to my repertoire.

Besides learning about space, what do you do for fun?
Hit the studio.

You haven’t gone to Score’s? [Ed. Note: Score’s is a strip club across the street from the studio where this interview was conducted. Yelp gave it two and a half stars and suggested that it’s expensive and you shouldn’t go on Wednesdays.]
Nah, right now I’m not comfortable with that. I find myself most comfortable in the studio going over tracks. That’s my spot. I know that world, going to strip clubs. I love that world. It’s the world that pushes the music.

I get in there and go to the DJ booth. I want to hear that one track that people love, the one that moves people. It’s more like business going there because I want to see what moves the girls and the crow and what people are spending money to. It’s a whole other frame of mind.

So what’s up next for Future?
Mixtapes. Gonna make a movie with my brother.

Like a for-real movie?
Well, we were on the phone today talking about that, we’re gonna get a film in the works for 2013.

Do you want to act?
Yeah, I’d like to try it out. Instead of buying a $400,000 Lamborghini why not shoot a movie for $250,000? We can save some money and then I’ll have something I can look at in twenty years.

But if he can’t act and I can’t act, we’ll just find the right actors for the roles. Who knows he might play the starring role and I might not even be in it. We’re gonna get it done though. We deserve it.

@LUKEmccorm