During a recent conversation with NME, The Kinks’ Ray Davies revealed that he holds different views from Keith Richards on rap music.
The musician, who keeps up with contemporary music, appreciates rap for its spoken-word quality and ability to convey a message. He sees it as a powerful medium for those who want to express their background and perspective. However, it contrasts with Richards, who has openly expressed his dislike for rap, criticizing its aggressive nature. Davies’ words in reply to Keith are as follows:
“And he works with Mick Jagger!? You’ve got to have a voice so that you can struggle to get yourself out [of your situation]. So it reflects society, really… It’s part of the world, part of history.”
Richards’ Stance On Rap Music
Ray’s words came after the Rolling Stones icon’s recent statements on rap in a September conversation with the Telegraph. Speaking to journalist Neil McCormick, he said:
“I don’t really like to hear people yelling at me and telling me it’s music, a.k.a. rap. I can get enough of that without leaving my house.”
In the same interview, the guitarist also shared his thoughts on pop music, explaining:
“It’s [pop music] always been rubbish. I mean, that’s the point of it. They make it as cheap and as easy as possible and therefore it always sounds the same; there’s very little feel in it.”
A Look Back At Keith’s 2015 Thoughts On Rap
Richards’s attitude towards rap music is a previously publicly known topic. In a 2015 chat with NY Daily News, he again reflected on what he thinks about the genre and disclosed:
“What rap did that was impressive was to show there are so many tone-deaf people out there. All they need is a drum beat and somebody yelling over it, and they’re happy. There’s an enormous market for people who can’t tell one note from another.”
It seems like Davies is not the only rocker who appreciates rap music and its influence. Paramore’s lead singer Hayley Williams also revealed in a September chat with Self Magazine that working with Eminem would be a dream come true. She acknowledged that Paramore and Eminem are quite different musically, but she finds that contrast exciting. Eminem was one of the first rap artists she admired, along with Dr. Dre.
