It seems like Marcus Mumford is trying to reinvent himself a bit. The Mumford & Sons frontman rose to prominence for his band’s shambling folk anthems that soon wearied audiences with their cookie cutter similarities. Now that the group is on the cusp of releasing their decidedly electric third album Wilder Mind, the frontman has also opened up about his love for hip-hop.

Mumford told NME that he’s been learning beat-making from Jay Z and Kanye affiliate 88-Keys — who worked on Watch The Throne — and mentioned that he grew up listening to rap:

I went to that Kanye gig in London recently, and I grew up listening to Jurassic 5 and Nas. I’ve been getting into that again recently. I’ve been hanging out with an amazing guy called 88-Keys to learn how to chop-up beats. That’s really fun for me. I don’t really care about how we’re seen right now, because I think the story of this band will be a long one. People are always going to say stuff in the moment, but I hope that the arc of the band will be interesting.

While most people grew sick and tired of Mumford & Sons, I still enjoyed their predictable folk (so did Tom). But if they collaborated with Kanye or another rapper I would not be mad — especially considering what we’ve heard from Wilder Mind so far isn’t very interesting.

Mumford also recently proclaimed in Billboard that Kanye is the “only rockstar left” — something Kanye already claimed for himself two years ago. I’m sure Yeezy appreciates the praise though. Considering the coffee-shop vibe of his recent Paul McCartney collaborations, Mumford & Ye might not be that far off.

[Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images.]