In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan said he’s a fan of both The Wu-Tang Clan and Eminem.
The 81-year-old musician was asked about what music he’s been listening to this past year, and revealed that he’s a “fan” of “anybody with a feeling for words and language” and “anybody whose vision parallels mine.” He admitted that he mostly finds new artists, or artists that are new to him, “by accident” or “by chance” but listed an eclectic selection of musicians.
“If I go looking for something I usually don’t find it. In fact, I never find it. I walk into things intuitively when I’m most likely not looking for anything,” he said. “Performers and songwriters recommend things to me. Others I just wake up and they’re there. Some I’ve seen live … Zach Deputy, I’ve discovered him lately. He’s a one man show like Ed Sheeran, but he sits down when he plays. ... I’m a fan of Royal Blood, Celeste, Rag’n’Bone Man, Wu-Tang, Eminem, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen."
As for his listening habits, Dylan admitted that he has an affinity for the sound of “old vinyl” but listens to CD’s, satellite radio, and streaming, too.
Dylan has never collaborated with any hip-hop artist, but the artist formerly known as Kanye West did ask to meet with the Nobel Prize winner in 2018. Pharrell also compared Kendrick Lamar’s songwriting to Dylan’s in 2012, which K Dot said was “crazy” to hear. “He’s a legend,” Kendrick told Arsenio Hall in 2013.
