Don Henley, a founding member of the Eagles, embraced a broad range of musical styles but reportedly had little interest in hip-hop. The article argues that his preference for polished, carefully made music clashed with his view of rap and punk as less musically substantial, illustrating a generational divide in attitudes towards emerging genres.

Despite the Eagles incorporating country, rock, bluegrass, soul influences and disco-like rhythms, Henley criticised hip-hop’s perceived lack of longevity. He said he enjoyed MC Hammer’s choreography and found Tone Loc’s “Funky Cold Medina” video funny, while acknowledging that some rap artists sought to convey positive messages; he later experimented awkwardly with spoken-word elements in live performances of “Funky New Year”.