Elton John has shared his thoughts on who he thinks the best freestyler he’s ever seen is, and it’s not his close friend Eminem, but rather, Young Thug.
For context, John has collaborated with Young Thug on a new track titled ‘Always Love You’, alongside Nicki Minaj. The track is set to feature on John’s upcoming album The Lockdown Sessions, which is due to be released on Friday, 22nd October.
The topic came up in conversation with Billboard, where John recalls the studio session the pair shared, and how he felt when he first heard him freestyling in the booth.
He described feeling “just blown away.”
“I mean, I’ve seen Marshall [Mathers] do it in Detroit, but I’ve never seen someone like Young Thug come in and do that.
He continued: “In the end, I had to leave because I think he felt a bit intimidated that I was there and I just wanted him to relax. But it’s just an amazing moment in my musical life… I have no understanding of how rap records are put together and it’s fascinating to watch.”
He also recalled just prior to the session, where the pair “shot the breeze for 40 minutes.” John offered up some advice to the rapper that seems to have stuck.
John asked: “‘Did you sing in the choir?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, of course I sang in the choir. Gospel choir.’”
“I said, ‘Sing more. Don’t just rap, sing more, because the mixture of rap and musicianship and melody is what really makes rap take off.’ And he’s doing that now.”
You only have to look to Young Thug’s latest releases and his Tiny Desk Concert to see just how far he’s taken John’s advice.
The Lockdown Sessions is set to be John’s 32nd album. It’s set to also feature collaborations with Miley Cyrus, Gorillaz, Stevie Wonder, and more.
