The Black Keys “definitely see ourselves” making more hip-hop music

The Black Keys have said that they plan on making more hip-hop music in the future.

• READ MORE: The Black Keys tell us: “There was more to it than the tour, but making this record helped us work through it”

The Ohio duo previously teamed up with rapper Jim Jones and Roc-A-Fella head honcho Damon Dash on the 2009 album ‘Blackroc‘, which featured the likes of Q-Tip, Mos Def, RZA and Raekwon.

Their 2024 album ‘Ohio Players‘ also featured guest appearances from rappers Lil Noid and Juicy J.

Speaking about the possibility of a follow up to ‘Blackroc’, drummer Patrick Carney told Far Out: “We’ve never really talked about it. I mean, we had some extra stuff. I think we could do something with the right hip-hop artist, that would be fun.”

Frontman Dan Auerbach added: “I don’t think it would necessarily be a Blakroc thing. I don’t think we’re going to work with Damon (Dash) again, but we do love hip-hop, and could definitely see ourselves doing something with someone at some point.”

Reflecting on how ‘Blakroc’ was instrumental in their approach to making albums, Auerbach went on to say: “‘Blakroc’ kind of opened the door in our minds to brothers. We took what we learned making ‘Blakroc’, starting with, instead of guitar and drums, we heavily started with the rhythm section, bass and drums. We took that mentality, went to Muscle Shoals, and started working on ‘Brothers’.”

The duo previously once claimed that their music was more influenced by hip-hop than blues.

Speaking about the track ‘Next Girl’, from ‘Brothers’, Auerbach said: “It’s weird because we ripped off a hip-hop song directly [on that track].”

The Black Keys released their new album ‘No Rain, No Flowers’ last Friday (August 8) via Easy Eye Sound/Parlophone which came after the pair were forced to scrap a whole tour and part ways with their management.

“ We were extremely frustrated after we had a tour cancelled,” Auerbach recently told NME. “There was more to it than the tour, it’s a big, long story, but ultimately making this record helped us work through it.

“We’re still feeling the negative effects of the relationship that we had to break up with. It still is under our skin and pisses us off, but making this record definitely was helpful. We needed to get in there and create, in order to work through our emotions.”

They also expressed their disappointment at not being able to see Oasis on their current reunion tour.

“We’re missing them by a day everywhere!,” Carney said: “We’re in Mexico City the day before they are, and we have an event in Nashville the next day, so we can’t stick around. Then we’re playing Manchester two days before their first show there, so we’re  just missing it again!”

He added: “We’re excited for them to be doing that [tour], though. We had a hunch that they would be getting back together just based on the way that they both were speaking about each other in 2023. We love them both. They’re so funny and, while we don’t know them super well, we’ve got to spend a little bit of time with them and they’re so fucking fun. They’re really smart, really funny guys.”

The Black Keys are currently in the middle of a European tour. Visit here for international tickets.

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