Steve Lacy Doesn’t Believe Popular Culture Is Disposable Now: ‘People Just Aren’t Putting In The Time’

Steve Lacy is the man of the hour after his Gemini Rights single “Bad Habits” climbed the charts to overtake Harry Styles’ “As It Was” for the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100. Lacy, who is currently on his Give You The World Tour crisscrossing the United States, has gone from being a late addition to The Internet to one of Kanye West’s favorite artists (which is still saying something, even if Kanye is a little… off right now).

What makes all this even more impressive is that Lacy is defying the boundaries of being a Black artist in an era when there are still material benefits to following trends — especially the ones on TikTok. In a new feature in Billboard, Lacy’s quiet cool is compared to that of another Gemini, Lenny Kravitz, as the two rockstars — who are 34 years apart in age — get paired to talk about everything from vintage guitars to their worst breakups. They also address the above quandary, which ties into a question about whether or pop culture has become disposable due to technology-addled limited attention spans. Here’s what they thought:

Lacy: Oh, my God. I don’t believe that sh-t. I feel like people just aren’t putting the time in to make things that last longer. Me, I study things that last. I’m like, “What are those elements of songs that last?” I realized that it’s songwriting, drum selection, melodies, and lyrics.

Kravitz: Drum sounds, man! I spend so much time on the drums.

Lacy: It can kill a whole song. I’m so anal about the drums.

On a personal note, I’d throw in mixing. Underrated, almost unnoticeable, but a good mix can be the difference between a timeless classic and a disposable dud. Lacy and Kravitz’s convo is well-worth reading in full — especially for hardcore music equipment geeks — and puts an interesting twist on a fascinating glimpse into the creation processes of a legend… and a legend in the making.