It’s been a long, unstoppable journey for A$AP Rocky in the last four years and he’s just getting started. After going through a year of absolute chaos, Rocky season is in full effect.

The Harlem native surprised the music community earlier this week with the release of his highly-anticipated sophomore album At.Long.Last.A$AP. The response has been nothing but positive. After dealing with the tragic loss of his close friend A$AP Yams earlier this year, Rocky’s emotions vividly pour out of the speakers through each track on this carefully crafted project. The psychedelic theme is certainly a whole new sound to more recent fans, but not an unfamiliar place coming from Rocky’s creative side.

“For me, as an artist, I wanted to prove to people so bad that I could be successful mainstream-wise,” he says of his growth from his Long.Live.A$AP debut days in our Civil Interview. “This project, I didn’t feel the need to prove nothing no more. I was like, ‘Yo, I’m making some dope ass art.'” From landing an unreleased Pimp C verse on “Wavybone,” to tributing Yams on the album’s cover art, Rocky opens up on a slew of topics.

Check out our full Civil Interview with A$AP Rocky on the following pages. –Lindsey India