Rock stars and rap music have an often fraught relationship. Remember when Keith Richards said rap is for tone-deaf people? Or when Oasis' Noel Gallagher thought Jay Z headlining Glastonbury festival was wrong? Or when Gene Simmons said he was looking forward to the death of rap?
Well, now a legendary rocker has shared a very different view, as the Who's Roger Daltrey tells The Times of London that rappers are the only people saying things that matter. He also thinks that rock is lacking excitement and innovation and is definitely not impressed with pop. The full article is behind a pay wall, but you can read an excerpt below:
"The sadness for me is that rock has reached a dead end. The only people saying things that matter are the rappers and most pop is meaningless and forgettable… You watch these people and you can’t remember a bloody thing."
Of course, not all rock legends are as close-minded as Richards, Simmons, and Gallagher—David Bowie and his producer Tony Visconti listened to "a lot" of Kendrick Lamar's music while recording Blackstar and, of course, The Beatles' Paul McCartney collaborated with Kanye West last year. Regardless where you fall on the issue, there is a lot of truth in Daltrey's statements, especially about contemporary pop music.
For a taste of rappers saying things that matter, listen to Run The Jewels' latest single "Talk To Me" below.
