Elton John Is a Big Young Thug Fan

Though adored by many critics, Young Thug has remained a divisive figure in hip-hop. Since his rise to national prominence in late 2013, some factions of rap fans have objected to his vocal innovations and to his wardrobe. One musical legend who's familiar with each of those things -- and with criticism from conservative music fans -- is Elton John.

In a conversation with Noisey, the pop legend touched on a variety of topics, including the value of misery in songwriting and the toll that addiction and substance abuse take on the creative mind. Then, of course, the conversation circled around to Atlanta's finest. "I love that record!" Elton exclaimed, possibly about "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" the single from Jamie xx's In Colour that features Thug and the dancehall star Popcaan. "I actually asked [Universal Music CEO] David Joseph about it. I heard a track on Beats 1 and I loved it so much. But he’s got himself into trouble, hasn’t he?"

His question refers to the charges against the just-convicted PeeWee Roscoe; his July indictment implicated Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Thug in a plot to kill Lil Wayne, which manifested in an April shooting of the star's tour bus.

The "Candle in the Wind" singer went on to reminisce about the days of controversial album art, happy that Thug was doing something to push the boundaries of modern rap. See the full conversation here.