Pusha T Claims Rap's "Forefathers" Didn't "Stand The Test Of Time"

He recognized that they are “[still] appreciated” but people should understand that he “can do this forever.”

It’s Almost Dry is yet another celebratory milestone for Pusha T as his album has earned itself No. 1 applause. The Virginia rapper has been a mainstay in Hip Hop throughout his career, and Push is determined to not only maintain longevity but respect, as well. “When it’s innovative, when it’s honest, when it’s true, when it’s impactful, you’re gonna come under scrutiny,” he told NME in a recent interview. “I’m cool with that. I can deal with the scrutiny, but you got to admit the greatness.”

“A lot of our forefathers, the greats, they didn’t stand the test of time,” Push said. “As great as they were, I don’t know how much they are [still] appreciated. [I want] to show that rap doesn’t have to age out. When people look at me, they need to understand that I can do this forever.”

CONFIG[‘slots’] = CONFIG[‘slots’] || {};
var code = ‘HNHH_desktop_BelowMainPic’;
if (!CONFIG[‘slots’][code]) {
CONFIG[‘slots’][code] = null;
}
googletag.cmd.push(function () {
var code = ‘HNHH_desktop_BelowMainPic’;
CONFIG[‘slots’][code] =
googletag
.defineSlot(‘/3858450/HNHH_desktop_BelowMainPic’, [[300,250],[320,50],[320,100]], code)
.addService(googletag.pubads());

if (CONFIG[‘fillSlotsImmediately’]) {
setTimeout(function () {
googletag.pubads().refresh([CONFIG[‘slots’][‘HNHH_desktop_BelowMainPic’]]);
}, 1000);
}
googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({
// Fetch slots within 5 viewports.
fetchMarginPercent: 0,
// Render slots within 2 viewports.
renderMarginPercent: 25
});
});

CONFIG[‘slots’] = CONFIG[‘slots’] || {};
var code = ‘kargo_embed_unit’;
if (!CONFIG[‘slots’][code]) {
CONFIG[‘slots’][code] = null;
}
googletag.cmd.push(function () {
var code = ‘kargo_embed_unit’;
CONFIG[‘slots’][code] =
googletag
.defineOutOfPageSlot(‘/3858450/kargo_embed_unit’, code)
.addService(googletag.pubads());

if (CONFIG[‘fillSlotsImmediately’]) {
setTimeout(function () {
googletag.pubads().refresh([CONFIG[‘slots’][‘kargo_embed_unit’]]);
}, 1000);
}
googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({
// Fetch slots within 5 viewports.
fetchMarginPercent: 0,
// Render slots within 2 viewports.
renderMarginPercent: 25
});
});

Kevin Winter / Staff / Getty Images

When it comes to being compared to his peers, Pusha T stands firm that all anyone needs to do is listen to his catalog to see that, according to him, he’s well above.

“I feel like people are definitely seeing what the differences are between me and them,” he explained. “There’s maybe confusion and comparisons when I’m quiet, but when I’m not quiet, you actually see, ‘Oh – they’re not even close’. This [album] is exposing the difference, the creativity, the taste level.”

“I want people to look at this street rap narration that I’m painting and understand that this is all I want to make. Don’t ask me for anything else. I’m not entertaining you. I’ve been a realist. I’ve shown you everything. I’ve won the wars. I went through label dramas. I withstood everything. Now is the best time for me to be more creative and fully uplift the genre.”

[via]