I know, it seems unusual for Gwyneth, doesn’t it? I would have thought she’d be jamming to some shitty country music or … I don’t know, what’s the most pretentious genre of music?
Anyway, Jay-Z interviewed Gwyneth for whatever reason, and somehow she managed to make a conversation about Eazy-E and N.W.A. incredibly boring:
I first was exposed to hip-hop when I was about 16 (1988) by some boys who went to collegiate. The Beastie Boys were sort of the way in for us preppie kids. We were into Public Enemy, Run-DMC and LL Cool J. But then I went to LA the summer between my junior and senior year of high school and I discovered N.W.A which became my obsession. I was fascinated by lyrics as rhythm and how Dre had a such different cadence and perspective from say, Eazy-E, who I thought was one of the most ironic and brilliant voices hip-hop has ever had. It was an accident that I learned every word of Straight Outta Compton and to love something that a.) I had no real understanding of in terms of the culture that it was emanating from and b.) to love something that my parents literally could not grasp. But I was hooked. I can’t remember what I ate for dinner last night but I could sing to you every single word of N.W.A’s “Fuck Tha Police” or [Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s] “It Takes Two.” Go figure.
God, I would so gladly go even more in debt than I already am to see Gwyneth perform “Fuck Tha Police.” That was the first thought I had after reading that quote. But then, later in the interview, Jay-Z asks Gwyneth the classic question “Biggie or Tupac?” And Gwyneth answered with “Biggie by miles.” So now she’s dead to me.