Q. During the shooting, you were more serious than before.
GD: Do I seem lightweight?
GD: Do I seem lightweight?
Q. I thought you would have a ball.
GD: Well, I enjoy doing music, but shooting is different with music. Because it’s not the thing that I can do well, so I usually get a bit nervous to reduce mistakes during the shooting.
Q. I remember when you sang “I’m 13 years old.”. Is there any difference from the past?
GD: Umm.. I don’t feel any different about my opinion that I will continue to do music as I get older. Surrounding conditions are different from the past. It was difficult to find music and listen to it, and difficult to be on the stage. I’m happy that I can do whatever I want now. This surrounding condition is good to make my image. Well, others might envy me, but I think I worked so harder than they worked. So it seems like.. reward? Yes so I feel relaxed these days.
Q. You said “G-Dragon, whatever they say.” in “I’m 13 years old” and “The boy”. There’s no change, right?
GD: Yes. At that time, I did like that to show me even if there was nothing inside me. But now.. hmm.. there’s something inside me.
Q. You did collaboration with Ambush of Verbal. What made you like him?
GD: Because they are not much major. Musicians have their own brand, build up their power. It seems very cool. And that is what I want to do someday, so I asked a lot of questions when I met Verbal first.
Q. It seems familiar that others feature G-Dragon’s music, but it seems a bit unfamiliar that G-Dragon features others’. This case is the latter one. How was it?
GD: This is the thing I don’t know. I tried to learn many things because they already achieved good results. They are like.. seniors who can teach me good things which is useful to me when I’m launching my own brand.
Q. Is there still something you want to have?
GD: Something that I want… now? I really want to have Yves Saint Laurent, although it aren’t out yet. Because I’ve liked Hedi Slimane since I was young. I don’t see collection yet, but I really want to see and have it as soon as it comes out.
Q. Among something that existed, there is nothing that you can’t have right?
GD: Honestly, there’s nothing that I can’t have. I can get if I try to get…
Q. It seems like Bigbang is getting back to Hip-Hop since Bad Boy.
GD: From the very start, Bigbang have been Hip-Hop group although it takes 5-6 years to get back to Hip-Hop. We thought people would follow us if we did idol’s music first, did something else that people liked, gained popularity, and after that, did music whatever we wanted. So I think we’re doing Hip-Hop little by little and secretly. Our final aim is that popularizing Hip-Hop again.
Q. Music and fashion are the one thing, right?
GD: Yes. People call me fashionista, but.. it’s a bit.. embarrassing. Of course I’m very thankful but because I like music and fashion so I do like that. But there are many people who can dress very well. I occasionally saw foreigners who dressed well, and sometimes copied them…
Q. Who is fashionable these days?
GD: Um.. these days, M.I.A looks cool. She is a woman, but handsome. Among men, there are a lot of cool men, personally I really like Pharrell.
Q. ‘One of a kind’ MV made me think about ASAP Rocky.
GD: I saw ‘Peso’ MV a few days ago, it’s really good. It seemed like old hip-hop, that feeling… I felt so good to see someone doing what I wanted to do. If I say I was never inspired from it, it should be lie. But I think it’s kind of my favorite song, favorite MV. It’s a bit different from inspiration. I don’t know what you think about my opinion, I didn’t get shock after watching foreign MVs. Musics and whole atmosphere of music market seemed a bit uninspiring, but “Peso” was very fresh and cool.
Q. COMME des FUCKDOWN cap is getting famous. What do you think of people who wear clothes that you wore before?
GD: Cool. Great.
Q. It’s great but it’s like don’t want to wear them anymore…?
GD: I didn’t. If I put on clothes which designed by one designer and entertainers put them too after I did, I didn’t put on them anymore. I can’t understand why I didn’t like that. But it feels great if people put on clothes that I made first. So I’m doing that…
Q. For example, ‘Giyongchy’ cap which is from Givenchy?
GD: Yes, one example. Haha, I’m happy when I see people wearing cap, hoodie which are designed with simple font. Even if they are not for sale.
Q. You look funny on the MV. Putting on not-much-cool clothes, dancing silly dance. It’s fresh and joyful. Don’t you care about that now?
GD: I think I cared so much thing before. I didn’t want to show myself who looked bad, and I thought couldn’t. But now, I think it’s good if I can explain my music and show me through that. People never saw the scene that I shaved before. Acting cool is familiar to them, so it could be boring.
Q. You are the person who knows how to pose very well. Was there limit of looking funny?
GD: Well.. there was, unconsciously. But you know, like the lonely island did, it’s better to do properly. It seemed weired if I just gave it a lick and a promise. So I treid hard to look funny, but well, there’s involuntary limit inside me I think.
Q. You likened yourself to wolf one year ago. Now you said “Fox, better be a bear” right?
GD: I felt relaxed during preparing the album. Last year, there was a period that I should take a rest, I saved energy at that time. That was the first time to be alone so I thought a lot and grew up..? I’m so sorry because that was a shameful thing but that period was the thing I needed. I let go of my greed for something I couldn’t do.
Q. Have you failed in important thing?
GD: Um.. yes! Absolutely yes. I had an unrequited love for someone, I was not good at studying as well..
Q. But G-Dragon seems to win always. You said “I’m sorry, I’m such a hot stuff” and it looks so natural.
GD: I think so now. Because I have confidence about everything. I had no confidence before. I was daunted when I was young because I was short and had a small frame.
Q. This time, there’s nothing like triple title songs or many MVs. There is only your music. It’s because you have confidence?
GD: This is my own solo album and mini album so I did what I wanted to do. There’s no concept in this album. There is a bit weird track, 1st track and 2nd track have no connection. I put what I wanted into this album and make it so people could choose and listen depending on their moods. Well it’s because my life is like that these days. Not because of confidence. And I think people like the way I’m doing.
Q. I thought you showed us what you wanted to show. If you wanted to show strategically, I think you should show “One of a kind” at the end.
GD: Yes, you’re right. I showed what I could do well first, and I think “One of a kind” explained everything I wanted to tell through this album. Music video, style, lyric, mood and everything.
Q. I heard YG chose title song. Is there something that you cannot yield?
GD: I tend to write many lyrics, I think lyric is similar with authors’ writing. One word can change everything. YG asked me to change lyric that many people can empathize, but I insisted. Like ‘That Bastard’.
Q. How would you rate your album?
GD: Um.. score. 70?
Q. Only 70?
GD: 70? 77! 70… I can’t rate now. I think I will be able to rate 3 or 5 years later.
Source: @GQ Korea
Translation @LueKim