Five rappers Paul McCartney has praised
Just because musicians are separated by genres doesn’t mean they don’t share a common love for music as an expression of art. This is, at least, the case for Paul McCartney, a man who needs no explanation.
But an explanation he will get, because it is, of course, Paul McCartney. Undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in the history of music, his role as singer and songwriter of The Beatles – and naturally, one half of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting duo – his decades-spanning career continued after the world’s most popular band broke up in 1970, rendering him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Something of a grandfather figure across the industry now he is 83, Macca has been notably generous in his mentorship for the next generation of music makers and shakers; and in a testament to his remarkable humility, often quick to compliment those he thinks deserve it.
In this case, it is five rappers, themselves absolute titans of the genre, whom the ‘cute Beatle’ has lavished praise upon.
Five rappers Paul McCartney has praised:
Kanye West
It was an album of Kanye’s in particular that caught McCartney’s attention. Speaking in an interview where the former Beatle recalled collaborating with Kanye on the 2015 single ‘FourFiveSeconds’, McCartney said he “was a big fan of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. That was the record that I really envied. I thought: ‘Oh, he’s done some good stuff.’”
But it isn’t exclusively My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy that McCartney enjoys. Speaking on Kanye’s album Watch The Throne, a collaborative album made with Jay-Z, McCartney said “I like that. It’s not like I’m a big hip hop fan, but I went to see Kanye and Jay-Z and really came away thinking it was like urban poetry. I was very impressed. So when the word came that he wanted to work with me, I was flattered.” He has also since compared him to Andy Warhol, in a brilliant allegory that highlights two great pop artists of different mediums, celebrating for breaking with precedent.
Jay-Z
Perhaps an obvious follow-up here. If you’re going to compliment Kanye on Watch The Throne, you’ve got to pay your dues to Jay-Z too. And he did, evidently, praising both upon their 2014 tour. Another time the Liverpool native complimented Jay-Z and Kanye was in 2015, comparing the two to Bob Dylan, and calling them poets. TLDR; Macca likes Jay-Z and Kanye. Loads.
But McCartney and Jay-Z have expressed their mutual admiration for each other a few times beyond the latter’s collaborations with Kanye, most notably when Jay-Z performed Beatles classic ‘Yesterday’ with Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and McCartney himself at the 48th Grammy Awards.
Eminem
In an interview with Mojo magazine back in 2003, Macca sung the praises upon one prominent rapper of the early noughties scene. “I’d heard Eminem on the radio and I thought, ‘Clever. Good lyrics, good ideas’,” McCartney said.
“So I just went to see 8 Mile, and it’s a great little rock ’n’ roll film, like an Elvis film. I enjoyed it, and I came out like when I was a kid, that feel-good thing coming out of a movie like you’re walking a bit taller.” It’s one thing having your lyrics complimented by Sir Paul McCartney; in a game of The Best Compliment Ever, McCartney proclaiming you are like Elvis is surely in the utmost highest echelons.
Kendrick Lamar
McCartney turned his lamplight of praise giving to hip-hop’s very own Nobel Award winner in a more roundabout way than his peers. Speaking about how he discovered he ‘accidentally’ co-wrote a song with ’50 people’ on Kanye’s track ‘All Day’, good old Macca managed to turn it into yet another example of his flawless modesty.
“Only three of them I knew,” he explained, “and one of them’s Kendrick Lamar! I’m thinking, I’ve written a song with Kendrick Lamar…?! I’m very honoured.” He has also listed Kendrick as an artist he refers to as part of his own personal education within music. As if Paul McCartney needs any educating.
Drake
Unfortunately for Drake, there’s no huge displays of gushing compliments from Macca. Instead, the Canadian rapper will just have to settle for the mere, mere achievement of counting Paul McCartney amongst one of the hundreds and thousands of people across the world that have flocked to see him perform live.
In an interview, McCartney cited that he “go[es] to concerts occasionally”, including the aforementioned Drake concert. “It’s the music of now,” McCartney continued. Started from the bottom and now Drake is here, performing live for McCartney, who called him the music of now. Pretty good innings.