On the eve of his album release, Future is opening up about the highly-anticipated project.

In a rare Q&A with Zane Lowe on Beats 1, the typically private Atlanta rapper revealed that the LP, which was titled Future Hendrix at the time of the interview, took shape while he went on a social media sabbatical.

“Everything started coming together, even when I shut down my social media because I wanted to find time to think about something else, [other] than just finding time to think about posting pictures and posting captions,” he explained. “It was probably the best thing I ever done because I don’t have to respond to certain things that’s going on in my life.”

He added: “All my energy, I want to put it in my music. I want you to hear this and say, ‘He gave us all of him.’ And you didn’t get it from a tweet. If there was a tweet I felt like saying during that time, you’re gonna be able to hear it in my music. If there was a response that you thought I should have responded to, you’re going to be able to hear it in my music…You’re gonna be able to hear the completeness of it, the sound, where I’m at, my voice, my tone, my wordplay, everything that’s going on around me, I was able to create off it, to be inspired by so many moments that were happening.”

In 2016, Future dropped EVOL and Purple Reign, and in 2015, he unleashed DS2, 56 Nights, and Beast Mode. Looking back, he says it was part of a process that helped him get over his failed engagement to Ciara.

“At the time, I wanted to touch the people that I needed to touch,” he said. “I wanted to touch on the people that felt like, ‘He might be over with,’ or, ‘Can he bounce back from his relationship?’ The relationship was pretty much the focal point of my career, at times, bigger than my career, at times. ‘Can he get bigger than his relationship was?’ To be able to get over that hump, now it’s Future Hendrix. I had to get over that hump. I didn’t want to give them Future Hendrix before they understand the trials and tribulations. Paying dues, that’s what it’s about.”

Listen to the interview and read highlights from the conversation below, including Future’s thoughts on his Drake joint project What a Time to Be Alive and his ties to the Dungeon Family.

On What a Time to Be Alive: “Anytime you get a chance to get in the studio and create with another artist, see what you can come out with, see how y’all feed off each other, inspire and motivate each other…We made the most of the moment and captured a great vibe.”

On Drake: “I never really talked about that moment, the whole thing. I never really speak on it because it was just a vibe. It was just a moment in time, for me to share it with another artist. When I talk about it, I want to make sure he here. I’m at the point in my life right now, musically, where I’m just focused on creatively coming out with something special on my own.”

On the past: “I don’t want to be attached to the What a Time to Be Alives or the Dirty Sprite 2s even though that’s me but that was something special. That was a moment. You feed off that energy and feed off that momentum, because people are gonna always try to compare like, ‘Oh, it’s hotter than this.’ No, it’s two separate things. It’s a different lane. Hopefully this lane will be longer than the lane I created when I had that driving force to put out those projects.”

On Future: “I want to be able to speak on how I’m living now, more so. I want to be authentic to what I am now, true to what I am, to be able to tell you, to get you from where you’re at, to get to where I am now, to this position…It’s like a fresh start.”

On individuality: “It’s just being different, being different from your environment and being able to embrace it, being able to own it, walk with confidence, and keep your head up. Be proud of the person you are and being different and embracing that you’re not like everyone else.”

On work: “I work non-stop always. As soon as [Future] comes out, I’m gonna continue to work, continue to build, and search for new hits.”

On his Hendrix alter ego: “I haven’t gotten to the point in my life where I can get to the Hendrix side and really make my fans understand it until now….They wasn’t ready. They wanted Future. They wanted me to be the ratchet-est, to say the most disrespectful [expletive], and I understand that’s what music is.”

On underground aspirations: “I want to go back into being more underground. Reconnecting with the fans, being more hands-on with my fans again, tweeting to fans, responding to things they want to know about.”

On “Super Trapper”: “Getting inspired by my environment and making the most out of it. That’s basically what ‘Super Trapper’ is, taking the average person and making them a super hero.”

On the Dungeon Family: “I don’t always want to say Dungeon Family because I’m gon’ always have to be compared to everything that Dungeon Family was. I’m gonna have to be compared to everything that was built off Dungeon Family…I don’t want to do that. That’s just my family, but it’s just not where I am, as far as my art, my process, my creativity, everything that goes along with Future.”