Lil Dicky says that several “all-time great rappers” have told him he’s “a rapper’s rapper.” Dicky addressed the criticism he's received from "elitist" journalists throughout his career during a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Dicky explained that most of the criticism he's faced has come from “elitist, hipster journalists who thought that it was their place to speak on behalf of hip-hop.” Further, he argued that he's been “meeting the all-time great rappers and they’re telling me, like, man, I’m a rapper’s rapper.” The Hollywood Reporter noted that both Busta Rhymes and 50 Cent have publically praised Dicky, while he collaborated with Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, and Rich Homie Quan on his debut studio album, Professional Rapper.
Lil Dicky With Benny Blanco
Outside of music, Dicky also created and stars in the FX series, Dave. While popular and critically acclaimed, the series has also faced backlash for being similar to Donald Glover's show, Atlanta. Glover, however, has said that he likes the show.
Elsewhere in the interview, Dicky reflected on working with Chris Brown on their 2018 collaboration, “Freaky Friday.” He explained that he has no regrets regarding working with the controversial artist, despite Brown facing many allegations of misconduct. Dicky explained that he knew he needed a high-profile celebrity for the music video, but didn’t have “infinite relationships back then.”
"[Chris Brown] walks right up to me, and he says, ‘Hey man, I just want you to know, you’re an incredible rapper,’” Dicky said about meeting Brown. “And Chris Brown was my ringtone in the ninth grade, and it was just a very meaningful thing for someone to say to me at that time, and we kept in touch, and then we made that song, and I love that song. I still love that song. It went to No. 1 in multiple nations, and without that song, I don’t know that I could have made [a charity single] like ‘Earth,’ where I raised, like, $3 million [to fight against climate change].”
[Via]