Surprised there isn't a thread about this yet. Twitter's been on fire over the last few days over a scathing verse from MC Kendrick Lamar where he calls out pretty much every rapper for concentrating their music on superficial things like cars, women, money, drugs, etc. He takes on the likes of J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electronica, Tyler the Creator, Mac Miller and compares them to "a bunch of rich ass white girls". Some of these guys are his friends, which is what makes the song ruthless. He also drops references about Phil Jackson, James Bond, Paul McCartney, Saddam Hussein, Lindsey Lohan. It's freaking awesome. Anyways, it's all the Hip Hop world has been talking about the last few days, from what I can glean. Have you heard the verse yet? Thoughts? Lyrics (NSFW): Video (Kendrick part at 2:59): [youtube]bkZZo0XSm5s[/youtube]
All these nobodies responding are really effin annoying. Nobody would care about this track if there wasn't this verse. Liked it, nothing special.
I like the verse so much just because it shows that you can get into "battles" or get offensive, even though these people are your friends. I feel like this "competitive side" of hip-hop has been lacking in the mainstream and I think Kendrick's trying to revive that competition side of things. But not per se starting an all-out war. That and, lines about cars, women, money, drugs, etc. are beaten to death now. So in that sense, he's trying to call them out on that, hopefully forcing them to deal with other themes in their songs. But yeah, that's my view on things. All in all, awesome verse from Kendrick, he most definitely killed it! It's funny that he's just a featuring artist on this song but made the song what it is. As for the track itself, I like it! Nice beat and great vibe. Is the whole "hype" around the track blown out of proportion? Maybe. People will jump on the bandwagon and like the track/Kendrick's verse just because, but nothing new there.
I pretty much agree with this, besides the fact that I don't think Kendrick is all that amazing as a rapper. [video=youtube;sXHOpyd4YXU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXHOpyd4YXU[/video] And yes all the people responding who's names weren't mentioned is kinda silly.
Everyone should be responding, regardless of their "nobody" status. Kendrick called out his friends, yes, but he also basically challenged everyone to do something more. To step the fuck up. The scene has become complacent. And you know what? The whole hip-hop world is stepping up. That's not annoying at all. Some hot fire has been coming out this week and it's awesome. Not many rappers going for the throat nowadays. Some names coming out of the woodwork that haven't been around in a bit. Papoose dropped a verse today. Lupe put out SLR 2. Joel Ortiz's verse was dope as FUCK. We're getting the entire game being challenged to go hard. Hip-hop has needed this. In more succinct terms, if these "nobodies" are also dropping dope shit, imagine how the cream of the crop are going to be seen if they DON'T drop something.
I'm not that familiar with Mac Miller, but is he even capable of writing anything that isn't party rap?
Ha, Kendrick Lamar. It seems like every mainstream rapper that doesn't rap about "pussy money weed" every song and can rhyme words together that don't repeat throughout the song is considered the "king of hip hop" or "bringing hip hop back". Same goes with J. Cole, even though I love J.Cole's music. This verse was nothing special on paper or in audio, but it's effect on the hip hop world is what is special. It brought a lot of rappers out to start responding in the old school hip hop fashion. Everybody was trying to release a 64+ bar freestyle and it just heated up the end of a good summer in the rap/hip-hop community. Also you have to remember, this is Big Sean's song. A "throwaway" track/b-side to HIS album which is helping HIM get views regardless of the guest features. He could've sneezed on the song and that would've been his only bar but the fact that Kendrick had such a verse is the fact that it's helping all of them gain more hits on their music, more trends on twitter, and of course, getting other artists to shine in the spotlight. Shit, at this rate, I could release a response to Kendrick and it would be "VERY HOTTTTT" on Hot New Hip Hop just because everyone is drooling over the hip hop battle drama scene right now.
Gotta say, the more I listen to Lupe's response the more I like it. [video=youtube;k84OHJn-JEw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k84OHJn-JEw[/video] Lu snapped hard!
Krispy Kreme's responded and thoroughly buried Kendrick. As expected. [video=youtube;571BuZeeQjE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=571BuZeeQjE[/video] Kendrick's great, but yes this is an incredibly overrated verse, if it wasn't for the reaction of other rappers nobody would actually care.
The verse was never what was important. The only reason that verse is what it is is because Kendrick was TRYING to get responses. It was the hip-hop equivalent of flamebaiting. People who are focusing on if certain rappers "beat" Kendrick aren't focusing on the point of all of this in the first place. Think of it as rap's equivalent of Ozymandias in The Watchmen staging the framing of Doctor Manhattan to bring peace to the world. Or in even simpler terms, it matters not WHY something happened but rather that it actually happened in the first place.
Froggy fucking killed it. I expected nothing but absolute carnage from this response, and damn he delivered.
I didn't mind Lupe much years ago, but he's become absolutely insufferable. I think it's the combination of his condescending fan base ("you just don't get it, man") and the mediocre music he's been putting out.
Those above are right. It's not anywhere near K. Dot's hottest verse but that's NOT the point. The point is that it happened and he said "step your game up" in this age of "we're all friends" rap. Outside of naming names he called himself the King of New York. An WEST COAST RAPPER said that! Everyone in New York should be responding! You have hits yes, but you do have bars? Ortiz certainly does. B.O.B.'s response was pretty good. Lupe smashed it like usually with two hours of writing. And regarding Lupe, his twitter persona is becoming more and more annoying (I say this as a lupe STAN). And I only say "you don't get it" when people truly don't get half the metaphors or references in his bars. Even something as simple as referencing the news (I feel sicker than a cruise ship). But yeah, he's your rappers favorite emotional rapper lol.