Kamasi Washington Quotes

We may play in a contemporary rock vein, use standard bebop themes, and many other things besides.

I'm this strange kind of fusion of jazz, pop, and R&B.

What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man.

Taxi drivers used to ask me what kind of music I did, and I'd say, 'Well, it's kind of jazz, soul, classical' - but that makes no sense to anyone.

I don't see myself working with Lil Pump. He goes crazy though. We have two different sounds, but he goes hard.

I've always gravitated toward technical music in general. I love jazz fusion.

If you take 'Nothin' But a G Thang' by Dr Dre, that could also be an R&B record. 'Bonita Applebum' by A Tribe Called Quest could even be a jazz record. 'Bring Da Ruckus,' you gotta call it hip-hop.

I got a reputation for being 'eclectic' or some damn thing like that, but to me, the different kinds of music I play are all the same stuff - good time music - and it is the only stuff I can do.

I've always had a close connection to both rock and classical music.

Three-6 Mafia, we were always doing different kinds of things, and we like rock music, we like whatever - not saying they was rock, but they had a little rock-n-roll with some of their music, a little rock with it.

Bebop and hip-hop, in so many ways, they're connected. A lot of rappers remind me so much of bebop guys in terms of improvisation, beats and rhymes. My dream is to see hip-hop incorporated in education. You've got the youth of the world in the palm of your hand.

Times were changing. Clothes were changing. Morals were changing. We went from romantic loves songs like I used to do to rock 'n roll. Now that has changed to rap. So, there's always a new generation with new music.

Where do you even draw the line between genres?

I've done the country, done the pop-rock, done the super-hard electro.

I can make any type of music, so I wouldn't want to describe myself as having one type of sound. I think music is about keeping it diverse.

Some people think I'm a rock 'n' roll musician and some think I'm a jazz musician but, for me, there is no difference.

I'm quite an eclectic musician.

The beauty of jazz is that it's malleable. People are addressing it to suit their own personalities.

I always believed a singer should be able to sing any kind of song. If I wanted to sing a Cole Porter song, I should be able to do that. Or 'Sherry,' I should be able to do that. Or a Dylan song.

It was really terrific but Foreigner was nothing like Yes and that style did not suit our music.

With my music, I don't have to stay in one lane. One day I'm in Motown, and the next day I'm in reggae.

Rap is the only interesting music left - it's the only genre that's still pushing itself, and experimenting in a way that I find exciting.

I don't think there's a defined contemporary American musical, do you?

People ask me how could I go from country to jazz. It's been a natural convergence for me.

I'm not interested in a rock/jazz fusion.