My Quest for Breaking Everything: John Cale's Favourite Music | Page 3 of 14

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

2. Snoop Dogg‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ ft. Pharrell

This was my intro into the world of hip hop as avant-garde minimalism. I can’t think of a recording that stopped me in my tracks like this one did. I was already a fan of Snoop and having trawled through Pharrell’s hit production resumé, the idea of something so sparse having so much personality was that moment for me when I realised the nexus between all genres being linked to a ‘good hook’ and abstract thought. The listener fills in the spaces with whatever they hear to complete the beat or even the melody.

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