A$AP TWELVYY TALKS COMICS, BEING A NERD AND THE MOB
Rapper describes how superhero adventures have influenced his ‘very animated world’
If you were to walk up to a rapper (or anyone, really) and call them a nerd, it could end in one of two ways: a punch to the face, or a bout of raucous laughter.
With A$AP Twelvyy, it would be, somewhat surprisingly, the latter.
The 28-year-old musician, whose real name is Jamel Phillips, is cool with being called the seemingly uncool expression. In fact, he’ll even happily call himself one.
“It’s kind of crazy because it’s been like three, four times this week alone that I done had girls call me a nerd,” he says with a laugh. “And I was like, yo, usually when girls call a guy a nerd, it’s usually like a diss. But, now, it’s like being a nerd is the thing to do nowadays.”
It’s true. These days, it seems, nerds are the new in-crowd. And he’s completely OK with that idea.
“I done been a gangster, I done been a hustler, I’m a musician and an artist, but I feel like being a nerd is way cooler because then at least they know I’m into enlightenment,” he muses.
But, popular or not, Phillips has never kept his love of comic books under wraps. In fact, you can often spot the New York native sharing snapshots of video games, comic books and other assorted “nerdy” paraphernalia with his 266,000odd followers on his Instagram account @asap12vy.
“I’m a gamer, into comic books — all of that,” he says about his open interests. “I live in a very animated world.
Thanks to Phillips’ upbringing in the Bronx, New York, he says he’s always felt like he was a part of that superhero world, himself.
“It influences everything,” he explains of the stories. “I’m heavily influenced by how almost the entire Marvel Universe is located in New York City.
“If I wanted to, I could make an entire soundtrack for Spider-Man or Spawn — because that’s what I’m into.”
But comic books also played another big role in Phillips’ life: they taught him to love to read.
“Sometimes we see those big books — those encyclopedias or those Almanac-looking books — and we get discouraged. You think, man, I don’t want to read that,” he says. “But when you see something animated, with colours, vibrant things and a lot of action, like ‘Pow!’ — you get drawn into that.”
Beyond bringing books to life for Phillips, comic books, and the characters depicted in their pages, inspired him to see beyond his urban surroundings.
“It was an outlet, it was a way to control my temper and my anger — and not have as much,” he says of the power he found within the pages.
The comic books also taught him to dream.
“There are expensive comic books and toys, but I started off low. I started off with getting this 15-cent comic book, then went to 25-cent and 50-cent. Maybe a $5 joint or a $20 toy. And all that stuff kept me wanting more. It kept me inspired and creative,” he says. “I remember having a whole wrestling ring full of toys and every day, I used to go and just make a movie (with them). That got me into directing and screenplay, and characters. It all started with toys and collectibles.”
(A little Twelvyy trivia: Phillips’ most prized possession are Dragon Ball Z action figures he’s held on to since his youth.)
While it wouldn’t take any stretch of the imagination to imagine what Phillips’ superhero name would be — Twelvyy, in case you failed to guess — it would be interesting to see what his superpowers would be. So, naturally, we asked.
“I have about 144 different attributes, stemming from laser vision to mind reading, super speed and teleportation,” he says without a trace of humour. “I’d be probably the best superhero ever.
“I’m kind of like Spider-Man, meets Spawn, meets a little bit of Iron Man and Punisher,” he says, this time with an easy, open laugh. “I’m a little bit all over the place.”
Phillips also has a clothing line called Last Year Being Broken.
“I guess that inspiration also comes from the comic books,” he says of his entrepreneurial endeavours. “Like Stark Industries, and Iron Man always wanting to be ahead of the technology. And Black Panther being ahead of the technology.
“You have to be a hybrid,” he explains. “I do hood shit — I do street shit, too. I’m not just sitting here playing with toys. Not only am I into toys and collectibles, I’m into life. Life is a big scavenger hunt. You’ve got to find what you want to.”
That creativity helped lead Phillips to his current role as a celebrated rapper and member of the touted rap collective A$AP Mob.
Made up of more than a dozen musicians, including A$AP Ant, A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg (to name a few), the group has amassed a roster of hit songs, videos, spinoff solo careers and more.
So, where exactly does comic book-loving Phillips fit into this motley crew of rap musicians?
“I feel like I’m the outcast, black sheep of the group,” he says.
“I feel like I don’t really fit in with my bros — and that’s perfect. Because we’re all eclectic and different. My mind has so many dimensions, and the A$AP Mob, we have so many dimensions. You never know what you’re going to get with us. So, I’m just happy that I fit in and stand out.
“We’re kind of like the Harlem Globetrotters meets The Jetsons meets Speedracer meets The Mystery Machine. We’re all over the place.”
So, with all of his success in music, has Phillips turned his back on the idea of Twelvyy the diehard comic book collector?
Not even close.
“If I could have my own little comic book publishing company and collectible company one day, yo, bro, I would be so ecstatic,” he says. “The meaning of a kid in a candy store? That would really be me.”