Rap don Jay-Z has spoken about his need to find influences out with hip hop, name checking French electro stars Daft Punk.
With his new album ‘The Blueprint 3’ smashing its way into charts across the globe, Jay-Z has suddenly risen to new levels of fame. Enjoying a global stature almost unrivalled in hip hop, the rapper has been forced to add new visual elements to his live show.
A colossal performer, Jay-Z is set to return to the UK for a select few festival appearances this summer. Speaking to Los Angeles Times, the rapper revealed that he is seeking inspiration from outside the hip hop world to help configure his stage show.
“In hip-hop, there’s not many great performers,” Jay-Z acknowledged. “I look outside the genre, measuring myself against others. I look at Madonna’s production and envy that”.
“Daft Punk’s set, I’m like, what the. . . . And I look at the way U2 can command an audience. Bono’s a performer pretty much like I am. He’s not a dancer; he’s not jumping around. He’s having a conversation. He’s using his stillness as movement.”
Of course, the rapper also cites a learning experience with DMX are helping him learn his game. Discussing festivals, Jay-Z revealed that he is aware that not everyone ins the crowd comes to see his act.
“At festivals, some people are there to see you, some people are there to see the act before you, some people have no idea who you are,” he said. “So how do you take that audience of all those different people and make them focus on one point? That’s the challenge.”
Capable of headlining normally rock orientated events, Jay-Z laughed: “I know I’m a rock star now.”
