Rob Apollo’s Musical Debauchery

The Detroit musician is progressive and devious in his newest album, NSFW 2: I Like Girls.

Rob Apollo is pushing the envelope in every possible way as an alternative rapper. The Detroit musician, who recently released his sequel album NSFW 2: I Like Girls, is unafraid to be brash on a beat or verse. His outrageous lyrics and cadence will leave you jaw-dropped and wanting to hear more. 1202 spoke with the eclectic artist regarding his newest project, the essence of his eccentric sound, what’s in store for the future of Rob Apollo, and how he can become even more musically outlandish and radical.

How did NSFW 2: I Like Girls come about?

NSFW was a project idea that I started two years ago. I wanted to narrow the focus of my music because I was trying to do too many things at once. I feel like I was pulling instead of focusing on one thing and pushing the idea to the fullest. I was almost half-assing different ideas because I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to go in. So, I created the NSFW umbrella for anything that I felt was under what I consider contemporary debauchery. It’s a progressive tone but devious and chaotic in attitude. It’s similar to Twitter humor. This is the second album. The first album was testing the waters, but I didn’t push it enough. I wanted to get as silly, ridiculous, and chaotic as possible. It was really my boundary and pushing the line without getting in trouble.

How are NSFW and NSFW 2: I Like Girls thematically correlated?

They’re more thematic in terms of the voice and lyrics than they are sonically. I don’t do any of my own production. I’m not crafting the sound myself, but I’m in the rooms when a lot of the production is being made. I’m usually leaning towards stuff that is very digital and fun. I want to push things forward, but lyrically, they’re definitely connected. I feel I’m trying to provide a unique voice that merges progressive content without preaching. I reference the internet, contemporary and queer cultures, and left-wing politics. At the same time, I’m not trying to convince people.

Who usually produces your beats?

Most of this album was produced by Tilla. We’ve been friends for four or five years and have been working for the last two years, as well as CutManXay.

Who is Rob Apollo?

My coworkers say I make slut music for smart people. I think that’s a good characteristic of some of my music, but I think the general idea is heavy contrasts of things I’m interested in. Across the board, in my music, I’m trying to push things as far as possible. I’m really pushing the line of what I’m allowed to say with song structures, how silly production can be before it’s bad, and introducing things that aren’t usually overlapping with each other. I grew up in Detroit, moved to the suburbs, and went to art school for college. I’m pulling from this wider tapestry of influence that I feel is a relatively unique voice.

Has Detroit influenced your sound?

Yeah, definitely. Even growing up with Doughboyz Cashout, the music was so fun and such bad behavior — but they were also barring out. Detroit, more than other regions, has always had a focus on lyrics…Detroit has always made me feel like I have to bar out no matter what.

What was the creation process for NSFW 2: I Like Girls?

This one was a slow cook. I didn’t have a set deadline for it, so I was kind of making stuff. The oldest song from this album is probably from last May or June. It was a little over a year in the making. I feel like when I’ve tried too hard to convey a certain idea, I limit myself too much and don’t get my best ideas. We were making music for a year. Then I said, ‘Well, I have enough songs now; let me try and curate the best ones and see how they fit together on an album.’ It’s not how I usually do it, but I actually liked it better. It felt more free, fun, and surprisingly cohesive, even though it wasn’t meant to be.

*NSFW 2: I Like Girls* cover by Isaiah Johns

What’s the inspiration behind the album cover?

I had the visual in my head for several months. NSFW means ‘Not safe for work.’ I feel like the two things that come to mind with things not being safe for work are things that are sexual or violent. In addition to that, I was trying to add a layer of tongue-in-cheek, which is why I made it silly at the same time. It’s almost like cartoon violence. I’m not actually conveying violence, but I like the idea that cartoon violence is silly, like a bad action movie. The yellow background was leaning towards Kill Bill.

How do you want people to react to NSFW 2: I Like Girls?

I want people to listen to this album and go do some crime. I want people to do some petty theft and send reckless texts to their exes in either direction. It could be anger or down bad. I don’t want people to listen to this and make sound decisions — be on bullshit. I don’t ever want what I’m making to be boring. I’d rather make something really bad than really boring.

Who are some artists you want to collaborate with?

I want to make music with TisaKorean. I think we could get really silly. One of my all-time favorite artists is Father. In Detroit, I’d like to work with Veeze.

What do you want to achieve by next year?

To keep it a thousand, I’m trying to make some fucking money. This is my 10th year releasing music. I’m obviously very young, but I’ve been doing it for a very long time and trying to do it seriously. I feel like I put up my hours, and I’m finally good enough. But with money comes growth. I want to make more interesting music and have more fans and streams, too…a million is a good number.