This detail from the trilogy era always stuck with me: exclaim.ca/music/article/ali_shaheed_muhammad

Exclaim: I saw on your website that you had a post about the Weeknd which in a way is related. The lyrical perspective is so interesting on that album. That's vulnerable. Do you see that as a new direction perhaps :​?

Ali Shaheed: Yes. And I don't know if every generation is supposed to get it. I see people who embrace it like crazy and others stand there and hate on it. But absolutely. I sat with them and… it blew my mind. I was sitting there watching him like an MC. He'd just open up a microphone and it all comes out. Not written. Really freestyling all the way through a song.

Exclaim: I didn't realize that. Freestyling, really?

Ali Shaheed: :​Freestyling through the song. He'd sit there, hear it, put the mic on ― boom! I was sitting there like "oh my God"! I'm used to being around rappers who do stuff like that, but I've never been around a singer who's like, all the way through a song. And the words really connect. Like you would think "I sat down and wrote this out for a little bit, or maybe spent a few weeks, a month, a whole day or something." But it's just pure rawness and emotion connecting. I had challenged him saying, "You know what, don't be afraid to be more vulnerable." I have a humble spirit when I'm working with people cause I don't like it when people tell me about what I'm doing. I'm like "OK cool yeah ― I'm not done, don't talk to me, let me get there." But when I was invited to a Weeknd session by my friend Doc who was knocking out the project, he played me a song and I felt Abel so much I was like "don't be afraid to be more vulnerable." His instrument, his vocals ― I'm trying to find the words…

damn beautiful stuff coming from a legend

Freestyling? Holy s*** I thought he only freestyled Gone

legend recognizing legend