Prince is a big fan of Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar

In a rare interview ahead of releasing his new album ‘HITNRUN,’ Prince has expressed his admiration for Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West.

Speaking to Medium, Prince had nothing but praise for Kendrick Lamar and his latest record ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ “He just has something to say,” he said. “It’s pure. And with Thundercat on the album? Come on. You’re not taking ‘Alright’ off my playlist!” he added. He also revealed that he’s a fan of Kanye West’s ‘Gold Digger,’ which samples Ray Charles’ ‘I Got A Woman’. “The way he made something new with that sample was perfect,” Prince said.

Despite being full of positive remarks about modern hip-hop, Prince was more dismissive earlier this week speaking to New York Post about pop music. “There might be music that sounds like me, but what good is that?” he asked. “You’re essentially in the feedback loop. It’s a bad time for music in general. There’s not a lot of pop music in the mainstream that makes you feel scared, that makes you wonder what’s happening.”

Prince also added that it’s important to revisit old classics. “We have to make sure that young people also get to understand the masters,” he explained. “It’s like when I played Sly Stone to Lianne La Havas…she had not ever heard him yet. Then she listened and was totally inspired.”