Slash has come to the defense of his former Guns N' Roses band mate Axl Rose - insisting music industry peers should make more of an effort to "understand" the rocker, rather than just labeling him "difficult".

The guitarist quit the iconic band in 1996, after his relationship with the frontman deteriorated. They never patched up their friendship and Rose regularly blasts his former pal in the press.

However, Slash is adamant the singer, who is known for being temperamental and a perfectionist, is misunderstood - because his "difficult" personality is one of his greatest assets.

He says, "You have to attempt to understand him as a human being and where he's coming from. I see things very black and white. That's just me. And that doesn't necessarily mean that that's right. And he sees things in a very colorful kind of way, and I can't really knock it, 'cause that's just him. So I try not to sit there and say derogatory things about his personality, because it's his personality that makes him so f**king great, and just difficult to deal with."

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