The Canadian rapper has always admired Hendrix, but when he got a DVD of the guitarist performing at Woodstock, admiration grew into obsession: "I play it constantly on my tour bus," Drake says. "He had to play around 8 a.m., after a huge storm, but he went out there and put on one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. I love watching that before I go onstage. When I played Seattle, we drove out to his grave site. I left a note for him that said, 'Still inspired.' "
- "Voodoo Chile" 1968 I use "Voodoo Child" as my nickname when I DJ. This song's just got that classic Hendrix sound. I'm very much into the lyrics — they have a real eerie vibe to them.
- "All Along the Watchtower" 1968
- "Machine Gun" 1970 This song was a protest against the Vietnam War — it's from a time when music was being used to address real-life situations as opposed to just money and cars and women. That's what's most inspiring to me: It's revolution music.
- "Purple Haze" 1967 It's one of the greatest guitar songs of all time, and it's also a classic for anybody who likes to indulge in, you know, leaving this world occasionally.
- "The Wind Cries Mary" 1967 It's, like, psychedelic bluegrass rock — a sound he invented and really crafted and perfected.
- "Little Miss Strange" 1968 It's got a crisper sound than most of his songs.
- "Hey Joe" 1967 My guitar player and I talk about Hendrix a lot. He knows way more than I do. When I hear this song, I imagine I'm a kid at Woodstock.
- "Star Spangled Banner" 1970 He's ripping the national anthem apart with a sound that's just so aggressive. You can hear his pain in his playing.
- "House Burning Down"1968 Hendrix's music was very psychedelic, but it could also be nightmarish. I didn't realize until later that this song was about riots in urban communities. The burning house, the smoke: He paints a really scary portrait.
- "Foxy Lady" 1967 That opening riff, it's like a drop off a cliff. I've been trying to figure out how to sample it for, like, six months now. I'm not sure if I should even touch it.
