Elton John has spoken on his experience working with Young Thug after meeting Thugger a few years ago.
During a recent interview with Billboard on Monday (Oct. 4), the British music legend spoke on the amazement he felt when witnessing Thug freestyling in the studio for their track "Always Love You" with Nicki Minaj and Gunna on John's upcoming album, The Lockdown Sessions, which will be released on Oct. 22.
Elton John said that he was "blown away," while seemingly comparing Thug to Eminem.
"I mean, I've seen Marshall [Mathers] do it in Detroit, but I've never seen someone like 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."
The 74-year-old singer-songwriter also shared the advice he offered to Young Thug after they met in 2018 when Thugger sampled John's "Rocket Man" for his track "High."
"He wanted to meet me…and we shot the breeze for 40 minutes," Elton John told the publication. "He said, 'What do you think? What advice would you give me?' I said, '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."
As for Young Thug, his rock-influenced album, Punk, is expected to arrive on Oct. 15.