Exclusive: Mr. Hudson Says He’s The “Street Level” Chris Martin

Mr. Hudson - Wireimage

A few years ago, hip hop stars like Jay-Z and Kanye West were scrambling to get Chris Martin to appear on their tracks. Both succeeded with the Coldplay frontman being featured on Jay’s “Beach Chair” from his album, Kingdom Come, and Ye’s “Homecoming” from his smash album Graduation.

Fast forward to now and it seems the new go-to British bloke is London-based singer/songwriter/producer extraordinaire Mr. Hudson, who’s already landed cameos on Jay and Kanye’s most recent albums, The Blueprint 3 and 808s and Heartbreak, respectively.

Not surprisingly, the features have garnered quite a few comparisons between the two musicians. Comparisons Hudson tells Neon Limelight aren’t exactly fair at this point. “I kind of see him as being a few laps ahead,” he told us. “He’s a massive star in his own right with his band. They’re like U2 or something, aren’t they? Whereas I’m that street level guy you’ll find in the club, or trying to get into the club!”

Hudson says hip hop artists might relate with him more because unlike him, Martin was “never on that scene.” “You’re not going to find Chris Martin…outside a club flyering my own [show], trying to shop my beats, trying to give you a copy of my mixtape.

We might be two skinny white guys from London and we might sound vaguely similar, but we’re from two very, very different places musically.”

With the release of his album, Straight No Chaser, on the horizon this October, comparisons and competition are the last things on Hudson’s mind. His main concern is trying to deliver music as great as the artists who’s paved the way. “You know how people are like ‘Oh no, someone is putting an album out the same week as us,’” he said. “It’s like, you know there are already a ton of great albums that are already out in the stores that you’re up against.”

“They get excited like ‘oh Asher Roth and Kid Cudi are out the same week’ — it’s like no, you’re up against Biggie Smalls. You’re up against Rakim. You’re up against Michael Jackson. That, for me, is the competition. David Bowie and the Beatles.”

“I’ll be in the studio and I’ll play some Bowie to inspire myself and it’s kind of depressing,” he continued. “It’s like, I’m never going to be as good as this, but lets try and get halfway there.”

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