iLoveMakonnen Talks Coming Out, Leaving OVO + More In New Interview

Photo Credit: Instagram / @iLoveMakonnen

It has been two months since singer iLoveMakonnen revealed to the world that he is gay, and now he’s opening up about coming out in his first interview since.

Speaking to the FADER, Makonnen gives insight on a lot, including his departure from OVO and what went down behind-the-scenes (including that alleged confrontation with Drake,) his thoughts on Migos’ homophobic reaction (and subsequent half-assed apology) about him coming out, why he decided to leave ATL and move to Portland and more.

Check out some highlights below!

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On his time with OVO:

“All of a sudden I got my song remixed by so-and-so and I had to go off to try and chase them around. And y’all telling me to come to Canada to deal with y’all, and you know I’ve got a record and can’t even get out the country right now. Why you wanna play these games? When you got the goddam mansion out in Calabasas that I came out to and played y’all songs and ended up making you scared because you saw I could make songs on the spot? Why y’all wanna play these games? Why didn’t you just tell me you didn’t wanna fuck with me anymore and just let me go about my way? Why’d you make me chase you all the way the fuck around? And make me look like a fucking fool? Why [voice escalating] would you do this?

He’s [Drake] all in my face telling me, ‘You one of the greatest songwriters ever,’ da da da. Just blowing me up, bruh. And I’m the little kid from tragedy right now. You could see it. It was written all over my face! I’m depressed as fuck!
And then when I’m like, ‘Can y’all tweet out my mixtape? Can I get a feature? Can I get production?’ No, no, no. So I’m just over here in prison?! Am I in prison?!!
And it’s like, who y’all talking about? Cause y’all definitely haven’t been talking about Makonnen lately. And they know my name very well — they used to say, ‘I love your name.’ Remember? When it made change over there? Made more change than any other motherfucker on the label, huh?”

On his run-in with Drake last year:

“I was threatened by others. Someone I so-called look up to. Saying, ‘We gon fuck you up the next time we see you.’ And I was like, ‘Let me stop being me.’ I started to go back to, ‘I’m just gonna go eat anything, and just be hiding myself and shit.’ And then I was like, no! I’m not doing that no more! I don’t give a fuck! I’m — me. And that’s what led me to coming out and shit.

It was in the middle of the goddamn afterparty at the Up&Down club. Everybody that was in there was in there. I’m in here around these Vanguard Awards and I’m accepted and I took pictures with Chainsmokers and G-Eazy and everybody and we all friends. And I’m here in the middle of the floor, no security, and they coming and I just step to the side and they see me and stop and the biggest motherfucker in the game goes, woo woo woo, ‘Next time I’ma fuck you up!’ And all security and everybody stop like, ‘What the fuck.” And the guys with me was like, “What you do?!’

I don’t have nothing to say. All I did was smile. And I guess they took that as a threat. I was confused, like, ‘It can’t be little old me. I’m just a goddamned old record from way back when. What the fuck am I doing causing stresses and pains?’

Around all that security, the dude that’s doing it — we have a platinum-selling record together! The guy! The leader of the crew! This a nice VMA party, bruh. This ain’t no little back alley on the southside of Atlanta. Do you think I’m on some let’s buck shit?
I guess it came back from my freestyle, from that Tim Westwood. When I’m rapping, people think I’m throwing shots. I ain’t rapped no names! All I did was rap!”

On Migos’ statement about him coming out:

“Did someone mention credible and not mention incredible? That’s really my only comment. Was there not an “in” front of that credible? I can vouch for myself. If we look back at the track record, I thought it was “my friend Makonnen teaching me how to whip it.” I thought he was “my friend.” But you see how friends do in interviews. So it’s like, Oh well. With friends like these, who needs enemies. And now you gotta come back with some sorry ass excuse. Nah. That’s only cause you got the #1 record and you didn’t wanna fuck it up.”

You can read the full interview over at FADER.