The rappers Paul Simon said he felt were a kindred spirit: “It’s hard to find”
Who do you think would be the kindred spirit to a contemporary rapper? An R&B icon, maybe, or even a soul legend – but probably not Paul Simon.
This is not meant as any form of insult to the man, because he’s undeniably one of the greatest folk stars to have ever lived, but he’s not exactly the prime candidate you would put on a line-up alongside the big rap and hip-hop exports of the day. To say he’d stick out like a sore thumb would quite easily be the understatement of the century.
But it’s clear to see that Simon’s mind has evidently wandered away with him, as within the fantastical confines of his own head, he truly believes that he is the ideal sonic pairing to not one but two rappers on the scene. No one can say whether they’d gladly be seen alive alongside him, but if one thing’s for sure, they certainly wouldn’t stand beside each other.
“The thing about Kendrick Lamar and Drake is, they’re interested in the same thing that I am, which is sound,” he once espoused in an interview with Billboard. “How do you make a sound that’s arresting? It’s hard to find. The only difference between us is we’re fishing in different pools of sound.”
Let’s just say that they’re not going to be starting out as a trio anytime soon, not least because the two rappers of the group are more than likely to be found scrapping at the side of the stage. Yet Simon’s approach to his so-called kindred spirits is evidently far more meta than most, relying on the basic building blocks of sound to create some tenuous connection.
On one hand, you can kind of see where he’s coming from: musicians are simply forms of artists, no matter what their genre is, and they all start from the same drawing board of a limited selection of notes. But by that same logic, you could say that Johann Bach was a kindred spirit of Benson Boone, or that Edith Piaf was a calling down to Taylor Swift.
In short, the analogy doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny very well. But in fairness to Simon, despite the height of his heady success now having been resigned to decades gone by, he is clearly always keen to keep his finger on the pulse of what’s happening. Whether that’s becoming a musical icon of Saturday Night Live or refusing to retire from the touring life, he seems to know what’s right for him.
It doesn’t mean that either Lamar or Drake is going to be completely bowled over by the comparison, even though they might be flattered to be mentioned by the star. It somehow doesn’t seem all that plausible that ‘Not Like Us’ could be swapped out for ‘The Boxer’, but you can bet everyone would be more than willing to see the footage if that ever were to happen.
So, that dysfunctional band may remain as nothing more than a pipe dream, but a man – namely Simon in this case – is well within his rights to let his mind run wild. To be fair, each of them is known for creating sonic history in their own respective rights, but it might just be bringing them together that proves a bridge too troubled to cross.
