Actor and hip-hop enthusiast Denzel Washington opened up about his favorite rappers during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The two-time Oscar winner stopped by the late-night show to promote his new thriller Highest 2 Lowest, in which he stars alongside ASAP Rocky.
Around the 10-minute mark of the interview, Washington praised the “Tailor Swif” rapper, saying, “I get it, Rihanna.”
“He’s very nice. He’s handsome. He’s a good guy,” Washington said, also calling Rocky a “very bright man.”
That moment prompted Kimmel to ask Washington to reveal his “top three greatest rappers of all time,” knowing the actor’s taste already leans toward names like Moneybagg Yo and Pooh Shiesty.
“There you go. You wouldn’t even know ’em,” Washington quipped.
The actor listed Nas as one of his top picks, even revealing that he borrowed the rapper’s flow for Highest 2 Lowest. “Because I talk a lot. So, he’s a wordsmith,” Washington explained.
He went on to share that he’s been keeping up with newer acts too. “I’m up on this now. I was talking about it the other day. This young group… This girl Samara Cyn and Smino,” he said, pointing out their track “Brand New Teeth.”
Washington also shouted out CC Carter, who’s been reimagining “classic songs.” On top of that, he let the audience in on a fun fact: he’s been DJing since he was just 12 years old.
When asked what track he’d use to close out his DJ sets, Washington laughed that he was “drunk at the time” before naming Lonnie Liston Smith’s classic, “Expansions.”
He also brought up “Brand New Teeth” last month on Good Morning America when the topic of his “amazing rap repertoire” came up.
