Sir Elton John Defends Rap Music; Blasts The United States

Musical icon Sir Elton John recently sat down and discussed his love for all types of music - including rap music.

The 63-year-old singer told TeenMusic.com that he grew up as a fan of all genres of music, from black gospel music and R&B, to the Sound of Motown, to rap and rock.

"I never dismiss any form of music. I listen to everything," Elton John told TeenMusic.com. "I'm on the new Kanye West record, for example. It's a genius record. I was on the Alice and Chains record."

Elton John heaped praise on Kanye West and Eminem, after working with both artists in the studio. For Eminem, the pair collaborated on a live rendition of Eminem's track "Stan" and for Kanye, Elton played the piano on the track "All of the Lights."

Elton John also contributed vocals to a song by Tupac Shakur titled "Ghetto Gospel."

"People who mock rap, and say, 'I don't like it,' they should go check out Kanye in the studio rapping. Or Eminem when he's in the studio. It's a phenomenon," Sir Elton John said. "Don't knock it until you've seen it. It may not be your cup of tea, but don't ridicule . I find that so many of my peers of my age don't listen to anything new. I love the new."

While the British singer praised Kanye West and Eminem, he had some choice words for the United States in an interview earlier in the week at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills, California.

Sir Elton John and his partner became fathers to a baby boy named Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish, born from a surrogate mother.

He said he was treated like a "2nd Class citizen" in the United States because of his sexual orientation.

"In this country, we need more dialogue," Sir Elton John said during an interview with The AP. "We don't need any more stone throwing. We don't need any more vitriol. We need people to say, 'OK. I'm straight. You're gay. Let's get along. I'm Republican. You're Democratic. Let's work together.' I'm sick and tired of people being hateful to each other in this country."