Never heard of this mag until today. But they seem to be across the pond-based and Hov chopped it up with them when he was out there. Interview is the typical fodder, but there’s an interesting note about how it came to be for Kanye to get a guest verse on “Run This Town.”
Do you have a fixed idea of who you want on a particular track and then aim to get them?
Actually, they weren’t on till the other day. Literally, Kanye wasn’t on there until two days ago. It just felt like he needed to be on there. I was listening to this track and the drums just kept reminding me of ‘Jesus Walks’ and I could hear him… And that’s how collaborations usually happen for me. I don’t sit there and pick people out of the air. It’s more that I’ll find myself in someone’s zone and I’ll be ‘man, this would sound good if so-and-so was on it’.
Props: Miss Dreams
There’s a gang of exclusive photos too. Peep a few, after the jump.
Great breakdown of Statik Selektah’s *Round Trip*! Honestly, this 2023 Mass Appeal release is pure boom-bap bliss from start to finish. Statik really outdid himself with those smooth, jazzy sample flips and turntable scratches, creating the exact kind of laid-back, golden-era hip-hop vibe you want playing in the background while relaxing at Denmark holiday cottages over a quiet weekend. The guest list alone is stacked—having legends like Posdnous kicking things off on the opener "Round Trip (For Dave)" alongside heavy hitters like Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Inspectah Deck on "Unpredictable" makes every track feel like a proper event. Even the newer-school features like Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, and Joey Bada$$ fit effortlessly over the dusty, soulful production without a single wasted verse. Definitely one of his most cohesive projects in years and an easy front-to-back spin for anyone who appreciates real hip-hop craftsmanship.