In a recent story penned by founder of a+ creative studio Smokey Fontaine, we learn about Prince’s obsession with Kendrick Lamar’s new album, as well as other tracks by Kanye West and Jill Scott.

The feature, posted on Medium, also introduces Prince’s co-producer of his album, Art Official Age. 25-year-old keyboardist Joshua Welton played a pivotal role in creating music with him, and in the interview, we learn the work he’s done on Prince's upcoming project HITNRUN. However, as the story notes, Prince is most comfortable when he’s talking about other artists. Here’s what he said:

Prince is most comfortable talking about other people’s music. Speaking directly to Josh and his assistant, he drops his appreciation for Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” (“the way he made something new with that sample was perfect”), Jill Scott’s “A Long Walk” (“every song on that first album was the truth”) and Kendrick’s Lamar’s whole To Pimp a Butterfly album (“He just has something he has to say. It’s pure. And with Thundercat on the album? Come on. You’re not taking ‘Alright’ off my playlist!”)

Prince offers up another history lesson in the story, surveying the room if they’ve heard of Rakim. If you have some free time on your hands, head over here to read the entire thing. It’s a compelling look at one of the greatest artists alive.

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(Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for NPG Records 2015)