Diddy is weighing in on the current state of hip-hop, and what he has to say may surprise you. While the media mogul comes from the golden era in hip-hop music, he suggests that 2017 is actually the best time for the culture.

The Bad Boy executive sat down with Billboard for a quick talk about his new music game show, The Four, when he discussed his feelings about the new generation of music. “I think that the state of hip-hop… we’re in our most powerful state,” he stated. “We can make change. We can have a voice socially, politically, economically and artistically.” 

When asked about his thoughts of hip-hop finally getting recognition for its contribution to the industry, Diddy said: “I think people grew up. You got to understand, it’s just the times. You got people that grew up in the early ‘90s that are now full-fledged adults. And that’s the music they listened to, so you have, like, over three generations, four generations that have invested in hip-hop. It’s the truest form of music that kids around the world can relate to…”

By contrast, a number of veterans in the game have heavily criticized the new generation of rappers, claiming the quality of music is not the same as when legends like Notorious B.I.G ruled the airwaves. While Diddy admits that there will never be another Biggie, he says there is still music worth embracing. And he suggests others just have go with the flow of the times. “It’s just different,” he said. “Hip-hop has grown up and it has to be fearless and embrace, even though some people like the timeless stuff. It’s just a new time and it’s a new era, so it’s like you got to get down or lay down when it comes to music.”