Kendrick Lamar Covers ‘Billboard’
Last Days.
Kendrick pulls up a chair and sits with another year ahead of him on the cover of this week’s Billboard. The print is available for purchase now, but you can read the full cover story here. Below is an excerpt on premiering his untitled song on The Colbert Report.
“I just like the energy” of the song, says Lamar. “I didn’t go on there to sell a single. I just did what I felt.” Such is the prerogative of Kendrick Lamar, widely hailed as hip-hop’s savior in a period when few rappers seem committed to art for art’s sake. While image-conscious leading MCs like Drake and Nicki Minaj competitively hone their craft and tally hits, Lamar seems intent on transcending what he calls the “sport” of rap: “I pride myself on writing now rather than rapping,” he says. “My passion is bringing storylines around and constructing a full body of work, rather than just a 16-bar verse.”
“My passion is bringing storylines around and constructing a full body of work, rather than just a 16-bar verse.”
^
Translation: You niggas are fuckin’ wack with your remedial Dr. Seuss raps. I’m ready to shit on ya’ll in 2015.
DON’T HATE ON MY OPINION!!!!
glad to see you come around bro..u wasnt feelin K. Dot at all a few years ago
“But get it while you here boy. Cause all that hype don’t feel the same next year boy.” – Drake
We can do the Kendrick vs. Drake talk all day. But it’s really commercialism vs. art at this point. I’m not saying one is better than the other, but I personally respect art more.
Commercialization is also an art form, its not just anybody who can become a Drake or a 50 Cent or a Jay Z.
The mainstream wont let you be and “artist” so commercialization can not be an artform ! And Kendrick will be around longer than Drake.Drake has yet to put out at solidified classic album! Fuck singles!
People consider Take care to be Drake at his finest, but just because Drake don’t’ have a classic doesn’t mean he is trash. I get it we have to hate Drake but it is hard to hate when he put out hits after hits.
Nas, and Wu Tang have been mainstream their whole career so are they not “artists”? Jayz aint a “artist” just cause he mainstream? Comeonson. Drake spent more time as an underground artist then Kanye West. Being mainstream is simply a position but you can be an “artist” no matter if your mainstream or underground.
Wu Tang is underground sir! Their presence in hip hop made them worldly viable. Nas did mainstream shit because of his label! When the corporate bigwigs control you you have no creative control what so ever so you cant be the artist you want to be when mainstream america dictates the direction of the culture! Ask Dave Chappelle!
Wu Tang is not underground. When they came out their album was played on almost all the major platforms and they went platinum in the 90s several times over as a collective and as solos like Mobb Deep, Big Pun, DMX, Redman, Scarface, Busta Rhymes, Fugees, Outkast, Onyx, JayZ etc…. All mainstream “artists” that did what they wanted. Nas also did what he wanted. His albums were released mainstream (except his debut) the way he wanted them to sound.
You’re still the idiot you always were.
2 diffrent emcess you cant compare them…
Lmfao…Kendrick is way better than wack ass Drake.
can i get out your mouth yet? – drakes nuts
dude is a hero of mine – no sarcasm
He said so much wack nonsense in this video, my opinion of him changed…..drastically. He’s a nice mc and good story teller but no hero at all.
you’re entitled 2 ur opinion.
“What happened to [Michael Brown] Should’ve never happened. Never. But when we don’t have respect for ourselves, how do we expect them to respect us? It starts from within. Don’t start with just a rally, don’t start from looting …”
Some people are crucifying him for making this statement.
Victim blaming and it’s disappointing. Those are two different conversations not to be linked.
That’s NOT what he’s saying…he’s not blaming Mike Brown. He’s saying as a community….as a group of people, as a race…WE DON’T RESPECT each other. Cops prob kill about hmmm let’s say for the sake of argument…about 1000 ppl a year. Black on Black crime prob triple that! Shit Chicago alone is a hot bed!
What he said is fact and we as black people need to start taking onus and ownership of our actions. Fuck race and politics of the issues. Like anything else, it starts in the person and in the home!
Megamind
I see nothing wrong with the statement. He stated his opinion like it or not. He may have known people who don’t respect themselves which then led to conflicts with the Police; I’ve known some people like that. It’s unfortunate that as Black people we can’t talk about accountability and the role we can play in some not all incidents with the Police. The truth is there is a fundamental flaw within the idea of policing that will never be solved. Who has the answers?
dope
if we are not talking about battle rap, as far as the most productive and powerful scenes go, LA and chicago have enough authentic artists and savvy DIY indie business people to spend the next ten years trading banners back and forth. nipsey, tde, tink, dreezy, herb & bibby, yg, chance, vince, snow, odd future, etc. but this guy right here. that colbert performance. just different.
I love Kendrick in God mode!!