Some Hip Hop fans may only know Elton John as the gay guy who Eminem played with at the Grammys amidst the controversy of The Marshall Mathers LP. But the British musician is nothing short of a legend and one of the most respected artists alive. He is also a fan of Hip Hop, as evidenced by his work with Eminem, Kanye West and 2Pac.

“I never dismiss any form of music. I listen to everything,” Sir Elton 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 played the piano on the star-studded “All of the Lights.” The collaboration was a long time coming for Elton, who said in 2006 he would like to work with the likes of Kanye, Pharrell, Snoop, Timbaland and Eminem.

“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,” he continued. “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.”

In 2009 Eminem revealed that Elton played a pivotal role in his sobriety. Eminem retuned the favor when Elton entered into a civil partnership with David Furnish, sending the pianist two diamond-encrusted cock rings.