Lil Durk Speaks On Praise From Jay-Z

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.9K Views
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Smurk recalled when Hov told him he motivated him, and what that means to him as an artist, during an interview with XXL.

When an OG in the game gives respect to a younger star, it always makes for a significant moment of respect in hip-hop culture. Moreover, Lil Durk recently sat down with XXL for an interview, during which he spoke on his conversations with Jay-Z. In addition, he spoke on his upcoming album, his relationship with India Royale, and a lot of other topics and insights. However, his remarks about his admiration and exchanges with Hov rang particularly powerfully in the lengthy piece, as it represents yet another bridge between the older and newer generations. Of course, Durkio's been at it for a while, but he said that Jay's inspired him for a long time.

"I’d say Jay-Z," Lil Durk responded to a question about who inspired him to "build an empire of [his] own." "S**t, look what he did. Résumé speak for itself. He used to be in this position. He used to be the underdog. The streets used to take him under. And he bossed up, you know what I'm sayin’? You ain’t see him post pictures every day trying to fit in."

Lil Durk Recalls Jay-Z Praising Him In New XXL Interview

"I seen him at [businessman] Michael Rubin’s party [in 2022]," the "Mad Max" MC continued. "He like, 'Man, you motivate me.' Man, f***ed me up. I forgot my reply to him, ’cause it was on a walk-by. The reply ain’t make no damn sense ’cause it shocked me. I’m like, 'What the f**k?' Damn, that’s hard." Furthermore, the interviewer asked Lil Durk how someone at Jay-Z's heights looking to him for motivation makes him feel. In his answer, he spoke to his own determination and initiative to rise above expectations.

"It’s just motivation," the Chicago MC expressed. "Everything happens for a reason. It was for a reason I was standing right there when he walked past at the time. You know, it’s probably people that be around him every day or be around Drake every day and wasting time. And they won’t be like, 'Lemme learn how to engineer. Lemme learn how to shoot videos, lemme learn how to...' They just want to soak up the air. I’m like, nah, I’m gonna get to it. I’m gonna figure this s**t out for us." Check out the full interview in the link below and return to HNHH for the latest on Jay-Z and Lil Durk.

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About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.