A$AP Rocky Recruited Morrissey for Upcoming ‘All Smiles’ Album
In a new interview with GQ, A$AP Rocky opened up about his long-anticipated fourth studio album All Smiles, revealing Morrissey and Rihanna’s involvement with the LP.
“Anything you need him to do, he show up and do,” Rocky said of former Smiths singer’s involvement with his upcoming album. Morrissey reportedly contributed writing, production and vocals to the project, though it is not confirmed yet how big his presence will be on the as-yet-unheard album.
Rocky also detailed how he made much of the album on a cross-country road trip he took with girlfriend Rihanna over 2020. The pair traveled from LA to NYC, stopping in Texas and Memphis along the way. They also spent a lot of time listening to a perfect road trip soundtrack, which included the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead and Curtis Mayfield. “Being able to drive and do a tour without feeling like it was an occupation or an obligated job agreement, I feel like that experience is like none other,” the rapper said. He set up a DIY studio on the bus, a new approach for him. “I never experienced nothing like it.”
While he does not confirm that Rihanna will be on his new music, he does indicate that she is a huge inspiration on All Smiles, which he described as a “ghetto love tale.” She was also his primary sounding board. “I think it’s important to have somebody that you can bounce those creative juices and ideas off of,” he said of her input. “It’s just a different point of view.”
Rocky’s last album was 2018’s Testing. Juicy J was the first to tease Rocky’s follow-up in 2019, by sharing a photo of them in the studio together. In July 2019, Rocky was arrested in Sweden after getting into a scuffle with a teenager who had been following Rocky and his entourage. He was held in a Swedish prison for a few weeks, leading to many American artists calling for a boycott of Sweden. In the GQ interview, Rocky revealed that he has since returned to the country and plans on going back again.
