Just about everyone’s weighed in on Jay-Z’s new 4:44 album. Some are saying it’s one of Hov’s best works while others are describing it as “grown man rap.”

Speaking of grown men, The God MC, Rakim, was recently asked by BET about Jay’s latest LP. The hip-hop legend says the growth he saw in the album is refreshing for people his age.

“We gotta understand. Jay is a trendsetter. If he ain’t gon’ set trends, it’s no reason for him to do what he do,” he said. “At this point, you have to mature, so that it’s not just a young culture. No disrespect to the younger listeners, but we have to make sure that the older people are satisfied so that it’s not just a young culture.”

Rakim admitted that he’s 49 years old so, “It’s people my age that love Hip-Hop too, so we gotta make sure that we’re making records for them, as well.”

In regards to people comparing 4:44 to Hov's past albums, Rakim says that times have very much changed for Jay-Z, so it only makes sense that he creates music reflecting that.

“You gotta understand it’s not gonna be Reasonable Doubt,” he explains. “That brother [has] been through things. He got a family now. He got a wife and kids now. So, of course we want to make sure that we support his growth, and we gotta move with him.”

Check out the full interview segment with Rakim below.