On the subject of the Beastie Boys, Eminem said, "That's what really did it for me. I was like, "This sh*t is so dope!" That's when I decided I wanted to rap. I'd hang out on the corner where kids would be rhyming, and when I tried to get in there, I'd get dissed. A little color issue developed, and as I got old enough to hit the clubs, it got really bad. I wasn't that dope yet, but I knew I could rhyme, so I'd get on the open mics and sh*t, and a couple of times I was booed off the stage."

Don Toliver’s dope as fuck.

And Juice WRLD…His freestyle that he did when he went on Tim Westwood and rapped for like an hour straight was incredible.

I mention Kendrick and Cole a lot, I know they are not kids coming up anymore but they came after us but they’ve studied all the greats and you can tell because it goes into their pen.

I mention Kendrick and Cole a lot, I know they are not kids coming up anymore but they came after us but they’ve studied all the greats and you can tell because it goes into their pen.

Any new artists you’re particularly impressed with? Well, we had Young M.A. on the album, and she’s definitely one of the new artists that I’m super excited about — every time she puts something out, I listen.

B.o.B's Strange Clouds album is out now, and it's crazy.

My friend Royce da 5’9″ is incredible.

Who do you think is doing great stuff at the moment? J. Cole. Travis Scott. Kendrick is great.

Who were your big influences at that time? It had to be Dre. I remember one of the first times I went out to L.A. I met Dre and Jimmy [Iovine] at Interscope, and it felt so ridiculous and so far-fetched that this was happening. When Dre walked in, it was like an out-of-body experience.