Kurtis Blow, golden era MC and legendary hip-hop icon, expressed his love for Future and shared his two cents regarding the current landscape of rap in a Reddit AMA on Wednesday. While subjective appreciation of one artist by another isn’t always the most informative data to have, when a hip-hop God responsible for “The Breaks” and “If I Ruled the World” who arguably changed the game forever has something to say, it’s time to sit down and listen.
When asked how Blow felt about the current state of the game, he made sure to address the genre’s worldwide success as a communal group effort that he doesn’t take for granted. “I am actually proud to be in hip-hop,” he wrote. “It is the No.1 genre in the world. 25 percent of all music streamed is hip-hop, and everyone involved should get the credit and the props, and my hat goes off to everyone involved who made it the success it is today.”
As for influential artists in hip-hop right now, two rappers in particular must be feeling pretty damn proud right now. “I’d say Future should get more respect than he does,” wrote Blow. “He’s an incredible rapper that doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Maybe even David Banner, whose activism doesn’t get enough attention.” When a Redditor nudged for a Future/Blow collab, the rapper was ready to rock. “Future, call me! I’m down.”
Of course, not everyone was as blessed with compliments of that magnitude in yesterday’s question and answer thread. When asked how Blow felt about Lil Pump, Blow had a mere three-word response—“who’s Lil Pump?” He did have some supportive words for Young Thug, when a Redditor asked if Thugger’s unique flow and delivery made up for his arguable lack of lyrical substance. “To each man his own,” he wrote. “We are all blessed with a talent given to us by God. Let that man live!”
Other notable responses included Blow saying he’s into mumble rap, that his favorite current rapper is Kendrick Lamr, that Gucci Mane is a legend for recognizing Blow at an airport, and that “The Breaks” was eight minutes long “so the BBoys could do their thing.” All in all, a pretty awesome moment for Reddit, hip-hop, and positivity in the game.
