MusicWhy Jimi Hendrix would have loved hip-hop, according to his sound engineerEddie Kramer reflected on the guitarist’s legacy and, in an exercise of imagination, thought about his relationship with modern musictoday at 08:00

The early death of Jimi Hendrixat 27 years old, still leads to several imagination exercises regarding the future of the guitarist. To Eddie Kramerwho was the artist’s sound engineer, his ability to reinvent and absorb new concepts would make him a great admirer of hip-hop.

The subject was discussed in an interview with Classic Rock. The engineer tried to think of what a Jimi already more experienced. What would you have worked on? What would change about your music, which has always been constantly evolving?

Kramer he said:

Jimi he could have become an elder statesman, perhaps with his own film company, his own music publishing company, still making music, working with young artists. He would have embraced rap and hip-hop – all of that would have become a small part of what he created, because he absorbed music like a sponge.”

The changes in each of the Hendrix can be heard at different times. Kramer pointed out:

If you listen to the albums, Are You Experienced (1967), passing through Axis (1967), until Electric Ladyland (1968), they’re on a steep curve, and you can hear the music shifting and changing. AND Band of Gypsys (1970)? That was a radical change – but a great one.”

I had no idea I was making history

Still according to Eddie Kramer, Jimi Hendrix it was obviously different, but there was no way to know more than that at the time when such revolutionary works were being conceived. The engineer recalled:

You had no idea you were recording the story at the time. You knew the guy was a genius and you were just there and part of the creative process. (His death) is the unfortunate part of the story. But the fact that he was with us for those four years and created all this wonderful music… and it still lives on. It’s something that lives and breathes.”

Jimi Hendrix out of the spotlight

The figure of Jimi Hendrix on stage is what everyone has in mind when they remember the artist. However, people close to him saw him differently.

In 2022 (via Far Out Magazine), Kramer participated in an event alongside Janie Hendrixthe guitarist’s sister, who spoke a little about his relationship with his family. She comments:

When he came home, he didn’t have a guitar in his hands. He wanted to spend time with his family. We had these family conversations where we sat in a circle in the living room, and we wanted to ask a bunch of questions to each other. Jimi. He called home all the time, but wasn’t always talking about what he was doing. He really just wanted to know what everyone was doing, because being on the road, he felt like he missed birthdays, Christmas holidays and various events.”

Janie described Jimi as a quiet and reserved person, who liked to play Monopoly with his family at home. The guitarist’s sister concluded:

He was very shy and quiet and just wanted to spend time together, talk and listen. He listened a lot, more than we would have liked, because we wanted to hear from him. So that was kind of his life outside of music – just very quiet, shy, soft-spoken.”

Jimi Hendrix He left us in 1970, at just 27 years old, due to an overdose. His career was short, but it had a huge influence on subsequent generations. It’s possible to say that the guitarist made rock change — for the better.

Collaborated: André Luiz Fernandes.