Kid Cudi

When it comes to audacious looks and styles, the biggest boundary pusher in hip-hop right now is arguably Playboi Carti. The Atlantan ad-lib master has delighted fans and befuddled foes with his unconventional looks, the inspirations of which he detailed to Kid Cudi in a conversation for Interview Magazine. While the punk-rock influences are pretty obvious, he says he gets inspiration from another unusual source, as well: Vampire movies.

“I’m a big, big, fan of punk artists like Sid Vicious,” he tells the elder rapper. “I just feel like my lifestyle is so rocked out. This is the lifestyle I live, and I ain’t no damn poser.” Prompted to elaborate on his fashion choices by Cudi, Carti explains, “This shit that I do is not just for the ’gram. It’s not just to make people think I’m weird. This is really me. I get a lot of my inspiration from vampire movies because when you see a vampire, he always looks good. He don’t age. He can’t die. He’s beautiful. I won Best Dressed in high school. That’s what I was on. I did the streetwear sh*t. Now let’s see if I can pop this sh*t that they’re wearing on the runway. If it’s a challenge, I’m doing it.”

He also explains how he comes up with his unorthodox raps on albums like Whole Lotta Red: “Everything is freestyle,” he says. “Shout out Lil Wayne. I use whatever I bring with me that day. If something is stressing me out, I’ll come to dish that. If I’ve been hanging around my street, I’ll make street sh*t that day. No matter the vibe of that day, that’s how I come.”

You can read the full interview here.