Each month, we will speak to an athlete, celebrity, or non-Hip Hop entertainer about what Hip Hop means to them. This feature is intended to showcase how far-reaching the influence of Hip Hop culture has grown in the past 50 years and how much the culture means to so many.

This month, we spoke with Darius Rucker, acclaimed solo artist and lead singer of the multi-platinum Pop/Rock band Hootie & The Blowfish.

Hootie & The Blowfish are among the most successful bands ever, having sold over 25 million albums worldwide and releasing classic songs like “Let Her Cry” and “Hold My Hand.” As a solo artist, Rucker has sold millions of albums and continues to shape the sound of Pop and Country music. But alongside his success as one of the most successful Pop and Country artists, Rucker is also a huge fan of Rap music and Hip Hop culture. He recently started a monthly Rap challenge on Instagram, where he guesses the sample of a Hip-Hop song.

So darius rucker, what does Hip-Hop mean to you?

Adam Aziz: Do you remember the first Hip Hop album that you bought?

Darius Rucker: I think it was Kurtis Blow’s first album with ‘The Breaks.’ I still listen to that record, man.

AA: Do you remember the first Rap concert you went to?

DR: Seeing Public Enemy was the first time I went to a Rap show, and it was awesome. Seeing them was iconic. It was early on in their career with “Fight The Power” and everything. When they played “Fight The Power,” the audience was one; everybody was jumping. You knew you were seeing something really special.

AA: We always hear about easter eggs in movies. Given you’re a Hip Hop fan, are there any Hip Hop easter eggs in Hootie and The Blowfish’s or your solo music?

DR: I can’t say there is too much. I can say that The Notorious B.I.G. was huge for Hootie & The Blowfish. ‘Ready To Die’ was one of the albums we constantly played in the van and bus. That might’ve crept in somewhere, but I can’t tell you where. That album was a staple for us. It’s one of my top five favorite albums of all time.

AA: What do you think of the growing influence of Hip Hop on Country music?

DR: It shows you the true extent of Hip Hop’s power, how big it’s become for people, and that even a genre like Country is now influenced by it. You see Morgan Wallen and a bunch of those guys using Hip Hop beats in their music and singing over the top of it. I think that’s awesome. It shows how important Hip-Hop is to culture and how big it has become. It’s a wonderful thing.

AA: You have one of the most iconic voices. Have you ever thought of featuring on Rap records?

DR: I sang the hook on Nelly’s song “Ms. Drive Me Crazy” off his last album. One of my dreams is to sing the hook on one of those big Rap records. Sing the hook for Eminem and have a big hit with it. That’s been one of my dreams for decades. It hasn’t happened, but I want to keep that dream alive.

AA: What does Hip Hop mean to you?

DR: For me, Hip Hop is that form of music that represents my culture. It represents where I’m from. It represents where I grew up, so I love it. It’s part of my life. Music is so important to me, and Hip Hop is one of those genres that means everything to me. I love listening to it. I love it when it’s on the radio. I love it when I get to see it live. Kendrick at the Super Bowl. I love all of that, and Hip Hop means a lot to me. It means life, really.

Follow Darius Rucker on Instagram.