During a recent Q&A with Pro Wrestling Junkies AEW star Eddie Kingston discussed his love of hip-hop music, and how certain lyrics have helped inspire him when crafting his promos. He also compares late Japanese legend Mitsuharu Misawa to rap icon, Jay-Z. Highlights from the interview are below.
How music heavily inspires his crafting of a promo:
“It is reality-based, but I try to make sure I bring it back around to wrestling. You can go too far on reality where it doesn’t come to wrestling and has nothing to do with wrestling. Lyrics from some of my favorite artists help me out a lot like AFI, 2Pac, DMX. I’m into a group called The Builders and The Butchers. Their lyrics speak to me. When I hear a certain lyric, I’ll take that lyric and run with it and figure out how I can put it in wrestling. Music has a lot to do with it. Movies as well. I put reality in, but make sure I put pro wrestling because the people are there for pro wrestling.”
Compares music to wrestling, including a Jay-Z to Mitsuharu Misawa comparison:
“The Concrete Jungle Match, I have to put Nas ‘New York State of Mind’ on that one. A lot of people think I’ve crazy but when I think of [Mitsuharu] Misawa, I think of Jay-Z because he’s so smooth like Jay-Z. [Toshiaki] Kowada would be DMX because he was rough.”
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)