Big Boi, Outkast member and the self-proclaimed biggest Kate Bush fan, was bestowed with the honor of inducting the singer into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday, Nov. 3 in Brooklyn.
Bush was not present for the ceremony so Big Boi gladly stepped in to accept on her behalf with a heartfelt speech.
"I fell in love with Kate Bush in middle school," Big Boi recalls. "My uncle Russell, my favorite uncle, turned me onto her and I listened to 'Running Up That Hill' on my bike. I was that kid from Stranger Things. Like I’m talking about I really think they took my interview and put it in Stranger Things. So since then, I’ve been obsessed with her music and remained her biggest fan."
He further goes on to explain how the two are far more similar than meets the eye: "What I love about Kate’s music is that I never know what sound I’m gonna hear next. She ignores anything that seems like a formula and instead just does whatever she wants to do, like me. She challenges me as a listener and expands my ears and my mind. No matter how many times I look to albums like The Dreaming or 50 Words for Snow, they sound fresh and surprise me every time. They fill with my head with ideas and expand my ambitions for what music can achieve. As a singer, Kate’s voice is incredibly, incredibly inventive. Who sounds like Kate Bush?"
Big Boi also reveals that the two formed a friendship and he even introduced her to his family. It appears the long-awaited collaboration might be on the horizon.
Bush was announced as one of the inductees back in May, arriving hot off the heels of coming back into mainstream consciousness thanks to the Netflix show Stranger Things. Among other inductees include George Michael, Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Sheryl Crow, Rage Against the Machine, and the Spinners.
