Jay Z's third album, "Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life" was a great influence to 15-year-old DC native, Wale, growing up. During his recent interview with XXL magazine, the Maybach Music Group artist discusses Jay Z's influence and status in Hip Hop, and talks about him learning from Jay Z's success. Also, he was asked to write his own review on the album.

"Jay Z?" he says during the interview. "Jay is the greatest to do it - hands down. No debate. If you debate, you're really just mad. You got some kinda inner joint, but he knows it though. I think that's the greatest thing about knowing him is like, being around somebody who knows. It's just like when Steve Young learned from Joe Montana," he continues by making a quite bold statement.

Wale also talks about how the album influenced him during his teenage years, specifically discussing about the impact of "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)."

"I remember hearing it on [Washington, D.C. radio station] PGC long ago," says Wale. "I think I was I middle school, eighth [grade] or something like that, and I remember listening to that joint, and I just remember 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)' being on the radio, and I was just like, 'Yo, I've never heard anything like this ever.' Like, that hook ['Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)'], I didn't even really know what it was saying, but that mothafucka was so cold, man.

The MMG artist is asked to rate the album for the magazine, but he decides not to. Instead, he explains how the alum can be perceived today.

"I just think it was a different time. You can't even really rate no more 'cause the scale have just went like that. That would be considered a backpack record right now. Process that. Like, that would be considered an outright backpack record. No street niggas would rap on that right now. Not one. That was his most selling album 'cause of that song. 'Cause niggas wasn't buying singles, like a lot of mothafuckas was like, 'I wanna hear the Annie song.' And the album, that album was dark. 'Money, Cash, Hoes,' and all that."

Wale recently appeared in Jay Z's short film "Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film" as a cameo.