Ed Sheeran may not be the most likely candidate for the cover of R&B magazine VIBE, but the redheaded Brit sure proves that he can rock it on the cover of the mag's Summer 2014 issue.

Sheeran may be known for this acoustic vibes, but we can't deny that the 'Sing' crooner can spit those rhymes just as good as any rapper.

"Just because I’m a man with an acoustic guitar doesn’t mean I have to play love songs,” he tells the magazine. “I want to straddle all worlds at once. I want to do my acoustic stuff, write for the biggest pop acts in the world, and also work with all the rappers I like, underground or not.”

It certainly seems like he's living that dream, with his sophomore album, 'x,' out today (June 23), having written for artists like One Direction, Taylor Swift, Hilary Duff and more, and also collaborating with Pharrell and rapper the Game.

And as for 'x' (pronounced 'multiply'), Sheeran revealed what inspired his record.

“Last year was the best professionally, but the worst personally," he explains. "At the end of the year, there was quite a lot of shit going on. I’m a quiet, chill, happy guy, but everyone goes through dark times. I get rid of them by writing a song.” (The biting, candid 'Don't' tells of a girl cheating on him, while 'Afire Love' details the loss of his grandfather.)

But the interview was not all serious, and Sheeran even showed off his hip-hop and comedic skills in one, performing his own, redheaded parody of the YG song 'My N----.'

"I ride for the Gingers down for me," Sheeran started. "Can't go in the sun unless you're wearing sunscreen / Yeah, you know how it feel / My skin ton' peel / But you know that s--- is real." LOL!

Check out some behind-the-scenes footage of Ed Sheeran, Mack Wilds and August Alsina in the video below.

Watch Ed Sheeran Perform 'The A-Team' Exclusively for PopCrush

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