Elliott Wilson has been a trending matter this week, thanks largely to a simmering beef with Drake sparked by the veteran journalist critiquing the Toronto rapper for doing interviews exterior of the tradition. The remark possible referred to Drake’s latest look on Bobbi Althoff’s The Actually Good Podcast .
Supply: Shareif Ziyadat / Getty
Timing wasn’t utterly in Wilson’s favor as a result of when footage of the OG interviewing Trippie Redd at Rolling Loud hit the online, Drake took to the feedback to take some digs:
And he wasn’t the one one…
Elliott has by no means shied away from battle in his thirty 12 months profession, which included bringing his conflicts to his Letters from the Editor. We had the prospect to ask Elliott about these notorious letters, in addition to this 12 months’s Rap Radar Exclusives and his early rap inspirations throughout an interview with him on the BET Awards Media Home this June.
On his notorious XXL Letters From YN:
I acquired famously recognized for sharing my ideas per thirty days about what was happening and I might form of offer you perception into a little bit little bit of behind the scenes. Now the viewers has much more entry to what’s happening within the enterprise, however again then the music points had been form of separate from the true world so should you knew I had an issue with this artist I put it in my editorial, ‘I fought with this label. I went in opposition to this supervisor.’ I form of shared the enterprise you already know, pre actuality TV,form of gave you a little bit little bit of an inside look of no matter hardship I used to be going through that month, however simply my web page, this was mirrored in my ardour of it. How decided I used to be for XXL, on the time was approach behind all the opposite magazines — it wasn’t simply The Supply, it was Vibe, it was Blaze, it was Rap Pages it was all these different nice magazines and I used to be decided to be #1 and finally you already know I used to be capable of attain that aim.
On this 12 months’s Rap Radar exclusives with Tyler The Creator, Jack Harlow and Joe Budden:
They got here out the gate actual sturdy. Tyler The Creator, that basically made quite a lot of noise. I’m so proud that we acquired that one off. Jack Harlow was additionally an unique as a result of he hadn’t actually completed any press round his album Jackman with the film [White Men Can’t Jump] popping out so we labored laborious to get these exclusives, in order that form of acquired us out the gate rather well. We simply dropped one with Joe Budden, you already know we wish to begin interviewing our friends. That’s often not our type of shit however that felt good. We simply needed to step up the extent of reserving, step up the extent of manufacturing, like we’re actually attempting to go laborious the second season. We simply occurred to be again and you already know we acquired an excellent cadence the place the audio comes out Thursday the video comes out Friday, so no extra waits.
Supply: Courtesy / Interval Presents
On Interviewing NBA YoungBoy in Utah:
Yeah Younger Boy, you already know he that he switched the type up, you already know he’s he tried to go to peaceable route, he acquired he acquired overestimated again once more, he can’t assist that half, however in that second I believe he was very honest and like his followers are simply insane and that also has like 2.2 million views. I’m gonna put my chest out saying that’s the largest hip hop interview of the 12 months, as a result of it’s I believe it’s acquired essentially the most views of any something I’ve seen, so I’m very pleased with that too man. We needed to go to Utah. He was nonetheless underneath that home arrest. There was a lot politics. It was freezing. I by no means been to Utah. So we labored laborious for that. I imply that’s one of many nice issues. We simply form of got here out and in. Went to the home and we might we are able to solely have three individuals on the home at one time, so we needed to like have our digicam, us and him. In order quickly as we are available in he’s by himself so he’s like, ‘The way you gents doing?’ I used to be like, ‘Oh my God. Hey what’s up man?’ So then we sit down. I’ve by no means met him so it’s simply actual awkward silence, so it’s simply, us once more him and three individuals so me, B.Dot and the cameraman so after we completed, the digicam man left and Kenya, the photographer she got here in. She shot it and we was out. We by no means had greater than three individuals in the home and we simply was out and in.
On the second hip-hop modified his life:
Wow I believe my love for Run DMC, as a result of I first heard about hip-hop, by means of you already know just like the Chilly Crush and the tapes that existed and Kurtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash. I like that stuff, however that was extra form of just like the stuff that was my massive cousin or my pals or those that I knew, that was their music, however Run DMC felt like my music. Being from Queens and them being a type of totally different type than what the old fashioned rappers earlier than them had been, I related from soar. I simply have a lot satisfaction after which to see how massive Run DMC acquired and the way they conquered the world, they gave me inspiration, that hip hop, this factor I really like with my pals in New York. It’s not only a native factor, it’s nationwide. There’s a child in Georgia, there’s a child in, you already know, Oregon, there’s a child in Japan that likes this, and Run DMC was to me the primary to interrupt it down. LL Cool J as a person proper after them. So having these guys from Queens, not not too removed from the place I grew up, they served as quite a lot of inspiration that I wish to get on this and I’m not I’m not ok to rap however I wish to someway be related to this tradition.
On his favourite period of hip-hop:
The 90s is our defining period, our Motown you already know and I’m completely happy to say I used to be a contributor, a author and editor in that part. I began writing in 1992 for impartial magazines, ego journey, Beat Down after which ego journey, Supply. I acquired The Supply music editor job in ’96. I did that for 1998 after which XXL was 99 to to to 2008. So the 90s I used to be working, and we documented — I might say the
’90s was dope as a result of we beloved the ’80s a lot that we felt we might by no means match that, or fill their sneakers so we went further laborious and in some ways we did. So I have a look at the ’80s now type of a pioneering period. I acquired to nonetheless be a fan however the ’90s to me just isn’t solely the best period as a result of the music’s nice, however I additionally was within the enterprise of it, studying about it in actual time and you already know doing issues proper and making errors too. I positively really feel just like the 90s continues to be like our defining period.
On Busta Rhymes Being Honored At The BET Awards:
I like that they’re paying tribute to my man Busta Rhymes. I all the time say Busta, guys like Busta, Fats Joe, like they’re just like the heartbeat of the tradition. I discovered later. I didn’t know Busta was being getting a tribute and I’m simply so excited to see him getting again within the highlight and getting the love he’s getting. I do know he’s engaged on the album with Swizz and Timbaland and Pharrell, so I’m Staff Busta. There’s additionally gonna be nice – with HipHop50, quite a lot of artists, just like the Child and Performs, and so forth will likely be within the constructing. Plenty of nice artists that don’t get the sunshine that they deserve, giving them an opportunity to showcase HipHop50 form of makes every thing related, giving all people a platform, so I’m excited to see artists I haven’t seen a very long time. I’m actually excited for Busta Rhymes getting his due and getting revered as a result of you already know he’s such an excellent passionate dude. He’s acquired the strongest daps in hip hop and the largest hugs. We’ve had robust occasions when it you already know it might go one other approach however we acquired by means of them as grown males and like there’s nothing however love and blessings to him.
We’ve acquired nothing however respect for this OG and hope he and Drake are capable of work by means of their variations the identical approach Elliott talked about he has with different artists.
