If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what everyday stuff famous people add to their carts — like hair spray or an electric toothbrush. We asked Denzel Curry, who has just released a new album and will be playing festivals across the U.S. and U.K. this summer — including a slot at Reading and Leeds — about the knit bucket hats, composition books, and weird cologne he can’t live without.
Bucket hats in general — let’s just talk bucket hats in general. I simply said the Isa Boulder brand because those are the ones I rock the most, but either way, you got to rock a bucket. I got the look from a Japanese actor named Yūsaku Matsuda; he was wearing so many hats and glasses. I was like Man, I want to look like that. I feel like that’s my look. And that’s what got me into fashion and everything. So I was rocking the golds, the bucket, some glasses, and then some cool-ass clothes to mesh with it. Isa Boulder hats have a nice little feel to them. They look nice and they fit nice.
I grew up in Miami seeing everybody have gold. That’s the reason my look and aesthetic is with two gold teeth. When I was getting my teeth done, I had one set that’s just my regular teeth and then I wanted to have another set to up my ante when it comes down to my imagery. Having the ultra on the top and the ground at the bottom was the first step in doing something that is pretty much solely me, me creating my own little entirety and having the artist behind me. So I helped to create them with Alligator Jesus — I’ve been going to him for a little minute; he’s also a Miami guy.
[Editor’s note: Curry’s sets are custom-made.]
I write rhymes on my phone. When it comes to the composition book, I use it for drawing purposes. People will probably be like, “Hey, why you don’t get a sketchbook instead of a composition book?” Because I’m already drawing a comic. I’ve been drawing this comic for almost four or five years now. And basically, I’m like, “Look, man, the lines are already on the paper when it comes down to the composition, so it’s easy for me to just draw little boxes and just figure it out.” I draw with a regular ballpoint pen, and if I feel like coloring, I just take Sharpies.
It’s not a lunchbox lunchbox. I put my wallet in there, my passport, my house keys. It’s like a regular bag, but it’s fashionable because it’s Craig Green. I got introduced to Craig Green’s products last year through my stylist. And you know me, I was like, “Man, I ain’t trying to wear no purse, you know?” It’s got to look cool. And then I found this and it was just convenient. I was like, “Look, I’ll rock the little man bag, but I ain’t rockin’ no goddamn skirt.”
Crazy thing is, I be having them on me and not realizing I have them on me. When we have long drives to different states and stuff and we don’t have video games, nothing to pass the time? Uno cards — that’s the one thing that passes the time. The next thing you know, we’ve been playing Uno for hours. It keeps you sharp; you think strategically. You know, you got your Uno cards, you got your homies around you.
I got these in Thailand because I was training there. I trained there this year, and last year I was there for months, Japan as well. My boy Kyle is one of the co-creators of Primo. I met him, and we were training together, sparring and going to fight camp and everything. He was like, “Yo, you need new gloves.” He gave me new gloves and I was like, “Oh, I like these yellow ones.” It kind of reminds me of some sting-like-a-bee–type shit. I like the heavier ones; they help me get my hands to a certain speed because they’re so heavy.
Bio-Oil was something my girlfriend introduced me to for my skin. You take a shower, you exfoliate, you got your skin-care routine. I’m Black, so you know I can’t be going outside all ashy and shit. You know, rubbing your elbows together and starting a fire. So I use the Bio-Oil because it’s good for your skin, it gets rid of scars, it gets rid of bumps. And a bottle lasts you a long time, too.
To be honest with you, this was the one perfume I didn’t like. I went to Byredo, my friend was working there, and they had all these colognes, so I was like, “Let me smell something.” She said, “Why don’t you smell Mixed Emotions,” and I asked “Why’s it called Mixed Emotions?” I smelled it and I instantly hated it. I was like, “I don’t know about … wait a minute. Oh! Ohhhhh!” I liked it because at first you’re like, What the hell is this? But when it blossoms, you get it. It’s something that smells really nice. That’s why they call it Mixed Emotions. Weird in the beginning and then it just blossoms.
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