People have asked me what I think about the events that happened overnight, so here it is…
When was the last time you witnessed a ripple like this? Not just in hip hop, but in music PERIOD! Lately, hip hop releases have been more about marketing hype than the substance contained within. Greatness markets itself. Sure this is fueled by the seduction of hip hop beef, but what makes this more interesting than the other rappers mouthing off that they’re the best in the game is the fact that Kendrick can back that shit up. Didn’t Kanye claim that Big Sean would be the best rapper of all time? We’re starting to get used to laughing at such silliness. Nobody is laughing at Kendrick.
This was supposed to be Jay Electronica’s moment. And there he and Big Sean are, like two buns on a sandwich. Fans have cut them out of the song and are only circulating Kendrick’s verse now. It cost Samsung millions to generate this kind of hype for Magna Carta, and it’s already over. This shit with Kendrick is just getting started. All eyes are on him and the others are forced to challenge his claims or it will stand as truth.
There’s no formula. Become dope. Let others sing your praises. Don’t shoot to be the dopest in the world if you’re not even the dopest on your block or in your city. The genre is saturated with mediocre talent. I get mildly depressed every time I think about looking through my submissions. It’s a nightmare, really!
What Kendrick did was about separating himself far from the others and raising the standard. You have to do that too. Greatness in this game is not measured by record sales anymore. It’s about buzz, and Kendrick has it right now in spades. Along with Danny Brown, Earl Sweatshirt, Joey Bada$$, J. Cole, Chance the Rapper, and a few others, this new hip hop era already shines brighter than the bling era that preceded it and I’m all in. I love hip hop!
