Many rappers that started to gain traction in the beginning of the decade haven’t been as consistent or maintained their relevance, like Big Sean or A$AP Rocky. Kanye West and Lil Wayne have arguments for the 2000s, but not the 2010s. Looking specifically at the 2010s, the competition immediately slims down. The strongest defense for Kendrick as the rapper of the decade really comes in just two words: Who else? My personal favorite: “If a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?” And his writing is some of the most thought-provoking across all genres of music, whether it’s intricate metaphorical storytelling or gripping lines that could be broken down and analyzed for days on end. His versatility has led to songs that are dense, layered works of art while remaining accessible in the mainstream (see “Swimming Pools”). In 10 years he’s had two masterpieces and four other amazing albums. What really made Kendrick the king of the ’10s is simple: Prolificity, consistency and quality. Or when his chorus, “We gon’ be alright,” was adopted by police brutality protesters to show solidarity in the Black community. Like when his aggressive throne-claiming verse on Big Sean’s “Control” sparked an enormous backlash. But there is something to be said for the way every move Kendrick makes creates an earthquake in hip hop.
That’s something we’ll probably see in the next 10 or 20 years. Not much of Kendrick’s work has shown direct influence in terms of the type of music that’s coming out. But that has little to do with his dominance. Who defines the decade? Some point at the numbers: Kendrick has numerous awards and sales accolades and chart positions, all the stuff that only kind of matters. But that’s who defines your decade in hip hop. My gut instinct is to say that when you think of hip hop in the 2010s, the recording artist that naturally comes to mind is the one who defines that decade. What makes for a “decade-defining” rapper? If Kendrick hadn’t sealed the deal halfway through the decade with TPAB, then DAMN. He didn’t need to release another album in 2019 there was no rapper who could do anything in 2019 to make a difference to the record. Masterminding the hype of Black Panther: The Album in 2018 was just icing on the cake of Kendrick’s decade of domination. in 2017 was a little more divisive among hip-hop superfans, but critics and the mainstream rallied behind it for album of the year. Somehow untitled unmastered., a compilation album of TPAB demos, sounds better than most records from 2016, even without any unifying theme or message. Since then, Kendrick has been eating Grammy awards and Platinum certifications like candy. President Obama himself deemed “How Much A Dollar Cost” his favorite song of 2015. Few albums have combined so much artistic experimentation and conscious, clever songwriting while remaining smooth and accessible. By the time To Pimp A Butterfly dropped in 2015, Kendrick was one of rap’s most universally acclaimed emcees, the holy hip-hop prophet. Every music journalist made it their mission to explain what a “concept” album was and why GKMC was the greatest one of all time. Storytelling was already Kendrick’s greatest strength, but he amped it up to the max for one of hip hop’s most cinematic albums of all time. Kendrick’s debut studio album sparked heated online arguments about the concept of an “instant” or “modern” classic. Dre and Snoop Dogg, wore their Compton background like a brand of toughness, Kendrick used his experience to develop a socially aware message.Īt the end of 2012, good kid, m.A.A.d. While others, inspired by West Coast legends like Dr. Still, Section.80 was acclaimed for its dark and thought-provoking lyricism. His first independent album Section.80, like Overly Dedicated, remained low-key outside of Los Angeles and hip-hop circles. The little-known mixtape earned Kendrick a spot in XXL’s 2011 Freshman Class, an accolade that meant a lot more back then than it does now. The meteoric rise of a decade-defining rapperĮven though he got his beginnings in ’04 under the moniker K-Dot, Compton-based Kendrick Lamar wasn’t on anybody’s radar until Overly Dedicated in 2010.
0 kommentar(er)
