A$AP Ferg on Ariana Grande: 'She's the Next Mariah Carey'

Is Ariana Grande the heir to Mariah Carey’s pop diva throne? According to A$AP Ferg, the “Break Free” singer is following in Mimi’s famous stilettos.

“She’s the next Mariah Carey. She’s dope,” the A$AP Mob member told MTV News. “And that’s not an understatement, or an overstatement—I just see her as that next big voice that’s gonna pop.”

Ferg has collaborated with Ariana on a song called “Hands on Me” for her sophomore album My Everything, due August 25.

But the unexpected pairing shouldn’t come as a surprise. “It’s not really strange because I do a lot of festivals, like Coachella, Bonnaroo [and] people don’t see what happens behind stage,” said Ferg. “I’m a rapper, but Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas comes to my trailer, I’m hanging out with Selena Gomez…and all of these people that love my music. So it’s just about that time we put the art together.”

In addition to Ferg, Ariana’s album features The Weeknd, Iggy Azalea, Childish Gambino, and Big Sean, who is featured on “Best Mistake.”

Listen a snippet of the latter below.

“Best Mistake” Preview