John Legend has shared some high praise he once received from Jay-Z and how it relates to his standing within the hip-hop community.

Speaking to Complex , the singer-songwriter, who released his new album Muse on Friday (October 23), discussed the impact hip-hop has had on both his life and career, and expressed how thankful he is that so many artists are inspired by his work.

The conversation began after Legend was asked about Tony Sunshine and Termanology 's "Desert Eagle," a firearm-inspired remix of his Grammy-winning 2005 hit "Ordinary People." "I’m trying to remember when I first heard it," Legend said of the DJ Khaled -produced mixtape cut.

Turning his attention to other versions of the hit song that he's heard, it's then that he reflected on his relationship with hip-hop. "I've heard "Ordinary Negros" as like a joke. I've heard a bunch of different takes on that song," he recalled.…