Kendrick Lamar: Back to the Basics

It is very befitting that Kendrick Lamar dropped his verse on "Control" this week.  After all, Sunday marked Hip Hop's 40th anniversary.  It took someone of Kendrick's status in the hip hop community to guide the hip hop community back to its origin; it was time to get back to the basics.

Kendrick Lamar is the hottest rapper in the game.  His verse on "Control" went against the grain and either caused two feelings among his contemporaries: (1) Appreciation; or (2) Anger.  Based on the feedback from artists such as Cassidy, and Joel Ortiz, the former feeling represents the status quo thus far. 

K. Dot challenged the industry; he challenged legends; he challenged contenders.  He gave great deference to four great artists.  He essentially said Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, and Andre 3000 are future hall-of-famers.  Some believe he merely paid homage to the legendary emcees; I disagree, and think his challenge to them is subtle.  A literal translation of what I think he means is "Y'all are dope artists and I respect what you have done for the game, but, I want what you have.  I want to be considered the greatest of all time."

There was nothing subtle or indirect when he addressed the younger artists.  He told J. Cole, Big KRIT, Wale, Pusha T, Meek Mill, ASAP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electronica, Tyler the Creator, and Mac Miller that he wants to be the best.  In fact, he said he wants to make their core fans forget about them and never want to hear another verb or noun from any of them. I think people who understand the true essence of hip hop realize he did not disrespect any of the artists mentioned.  In fact, to the contrary, I think he paid them the utmost respect by mentioning their names.  

Do not be fooled though, he unequivocally declared his supremacy as the best in the game.  This kind of challenge is good for hip hop and I am glad to see a new group of talented artists who prefer quality over quantity.  There was a time not too far in the past when hip hop was watered down.  However, the current group of new artists seem to be focused on bringing back the lyrics and competitive spirit.
    

Kendrick's verse reminds me of the classic battles of the 1990s and early 2000s.  During this time, M.C. Shan battled KRS One; Canibus battled LL Cool J, Common battled Ice Cube, Jay-Z battled Nas, and Biggie battled Tupac.  The battles between these artists sparked some of the best music each artist had ever released.  Before the battle, Nas was fading into inevitable obscurity.  After Jay-Z attacked him on "Takeover," however, Nas responded with "Ether," which was followed by his critically acclaimed album, Stillmatic.  I hope K. Dot's verse has the same impact on today's  promising artists.  I hope his verse makes each of them pause before releasing music to the public.  Hip hop fans deserve and should demand nothing less than the best from our favorite artists.

If you have not heard the song, please check the link below.  To say that he dominated Big Sean's track would be a gross understatement, but check it out for yourself.

Peace