This interview was originally published in our issue 91.

A towering, electrifying figure who is never too shy to speak out, Brooke Candy is hardly an alias or stage name: it is the bona fide identity of a rapper unlike any other, whose music is just as visually appealing as it is sonically captivating. Inspired by drag culture, cosplay, video games and genre movies, Brooke Candy appears in ultra-artsy music videos in which she bellows her raw and edgy rap with a heavy dose of mockery and provocation. Now she is back with her first album, an addictive collection of house, trap and pop tracks called Sexorcism. Listeners will find no better way to supplement their sex education…

This issue is focused on the theme of the future. When you started rapping, what idea of your future did you have in mind?

Hmmm, I’m not sure I was thinking about my future as much as I was thinking about what kind of impact I wanted to have in the present. I knew I wanted to be a role model and solid inspiration for creative creatures.

Could you have predicted certain things that happened in your life?

I wish! I’m so good at reading other people and tapping into psychic predictions for them but terrible at it for myself. I’ve experienced a lot of bliss and a lot of despair and I can tell you that while all of it was unexpected, it was also terribly beautiful.

Are you anxious about the future or do you live in the present?

I try to live in the present, but there are times where I let expectation for the future stress me out. I’ve been surfing and meditating a lot to try to combat it.

It seems our generation is very focused on nostalgia and a certain fear of the future. What do you think about that and does that resonate with you?

It absolutely resonates with me. I think its hard to exist and feel stable in this political and social climate. It’s easy to get caught up in the future or feel nostalgic for the past when every day feels like we’re going to war

Do you feel like you’ve always strived to represent the future of music?

I’ve always strived to make music from a place of love and respect, hoping that those qualities would become a future trend.

At the beginning of your career, your style seemed to be very inspired by the idea of the future and the space age. How has your style evolved through the years?

My style has definitely toned down a bit over the decade…When I started, I was very inspired by cosplay, anime and campy avatar characters… Since turning thirty, I’ve definitely made a conscious choice to dress a little more fashion forward and toned down. I’ll still always have an element of “camp” to everything I do and an element of “risqué”, but I’d like it to be more thoughtful and age-appropriate.

Discover the rest of the interview in Crash #91, available here.

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