Rock legend Bruce Springsteen shared his thoughts on hip-hop in a recent interview published by NPR. In the piece, “The Boss” recalled his first experiences with hip-hop in the early 1980s and explained that, while he is admittedly “not well-versed” in the music, he does have an appreciation for it and has listened to several major artists over the years, ranging from Public Enemy to Kanye West.
“Well, it was so present,” Springsteen explains. “At one moment particularly you had [Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel’s] ‘White Lines [Don’t Don’t Do It]’ and this was stuff that was talking about what was going on in the streets and in the inner cities with people who were struggling. … And so, you know, I’m not well-versed in it but I have listened over the years. You know, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G., I listened to Tupac, I listen to Kanye West. Kanye West is incredible, you know. I mean, the record-making facility, you know, there’s a lot of hours in those records.”
The New Jersey rocker goes on to praise Kanye’s record-making abilities.
“I mean some of these, there’s like, just the production,” Springsteen continues. “I saw [West] on television. He did the song called ‘Blood on the Leaves’ … It was fantastic. … I still find him very interesting. I’m not necessarily driving [to] it in my car, you know. … But I do listen. I listen to a lot because there’s a lot of information in it and it’s just fascinating record-making.”
Springsteen recalls his experience at the 2012 Barack Obama campaign concert that featured him and Jay Z.
“Jay Z and I performed together for President Obama in Ohio and we were both on the same bill,” Springsteen says. “I was playing acoustic and he had his group, you know. And the audience was filled with some of his fans and some of my fans. … And it was fascinating as I watched the crowd who — I knew a lot of them had not heard my music before — but who understood the language I was speaking in because it was very gospel-based — you know, ‘Promised Land’ — and the issues that were involved. So that was a fascinating afternoon.”
