Exclusive Interview With Ace Hood During His Visit to Manhattanville College

Though the night air made it very chilly, students gathered on the Quad to see the headlining performer who concluded the eventful day taking place at Manhattanville College’s 2016 Spring Quad Jam.  After he finished setting fire to the stage, WMVL “Sweet To The Soul” radio host and co-host—Khadijah Davis and Lanisha Porter—caught up with the “Body to Body” rapper who performed a tasteful remix to Bryson Tiller’s “Exchange.” In an exclusive interview Ace Hood opens up about how he connects with college students, his advice to women in a society that pushes sharp standards of beauty, and marriage.

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Ace Hood, it was great to have you here at Quad Jam 2016. You brought quite the crowd to have performed so late in the day.  This is huge. I’ve watched you grow from your project ‘Trials and Tribulations’ until now, and one thing that remains constant is your ability to connect especially when you speak about overcoming obstacles in life. How do you think you are able to connect with college students exactly?

I don’t think I actually set out to connect with specifically college students, whenever I’m creating the music. I think for me I just try to create from a real perspective anytime that I do create and they are able to relate to it along with many others. My music is fun and it's hype. I’m young, we are all young, and we just want to have fun and turn up. College kids need that and my music provides that for them. 
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Being the President of the Black Student Union, I stand for empowerment. As college women, I know there’s a lot of pressure to live up to the mainstream ideas of beauty. What would be your word of empowerment or advice to young women who find themselves haunted by those pressures?

I admire women, and the woman I’m with now stands for the same things. I like people I can relate to on a real level. I think we should remain who we are. You know, God made us that way for a reason. And there’s strength in the black community. A lot of real strength and I think a lot of people want to emulate and be like us. There’s strength in us. Simplicity. Just be yourself in anything that you do because you can always get the truest response back. And not only that, but it’s important to just move through life like that so you don’t have any regrets.

It’s really great to see how far you’ve come and grown in your career. You now work with DJ Khaled, and after “Hustle Hard” you’ve just really taken off. And it’s also great to see your new love life…is marriage an option?

I’ll take my time. You know, she’s my partner. We are building. It’s about going slow and steady.
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Well thank you so much, Ace Hood. Great job once again tonight. This is WMVL Radio.
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​Published by: Lanisha Porter
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​Interview: April 2016
​Published: August 2016
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