Kendrick vs Drake

[Narz]

There's hip-hop out there that's insane poetry though. Listen to the Black Star album for example. Some of my favorite lines in all of English literature.

the new moon rode high on the crown of the metropolis
shinin, like 'who on top of this?'
people was tusslin and arguin and bustlin
gangsters of Gotham, hardcore hustlin
I'm wrestlin with words and ideas my ears is pricked
seekin what will transmit
scribes can apply the transcript
(Ay y-y-y-y-yo Yo!)
this ain't no time where the usual is suitable
tonight alive let's describe the inscrutable

Hip hop is the best poetry. But its not only poetry

 

[Gori the Grey]

I wouldn't listen to just the music

So that pretty much makes my point

Hip hop is the best poetry.

And that makes it yet more forcefully.

but I don't think most people would just listen to just the instrumentals of the Beatles either

Muzak says otherwise. Will the Xzibit piece ever serve as the basis for Muzak?

But its not only poetry

What's at issue between us is which it is more fundamentally.

 

[Farm Boy]

Don't put that on in an elevator without the lyrics. I need him subtitled, and it still isn't interesting enough for an elevator without him.

 

[sophie]

I absolutely would listen to just the instrumentals of the Beatles. Hell I’ve listened to a full version of Rubber Soul just with the drum-bass isolated. It slapped.

 

[Lexicus]

Abbey Road without any lyrics would still go hard af too

 

[Hygro]

Drake response last night, Family Matters, pretty good. But only out of context. Out of context it goes hard. Does have that "I'm reading off my phone screen" sound for parts of it so not great but I mean, the song was recorded and posted on Spotify in a matter of like 2-3 days and no one expects Drake to do anything other than studio work.

But Kendrick's on his third one since "euphoria" and "6:16" now with "Graham Family" which:
a) musically shows he can do Drake's quiet voice more powerfully
b) is terrifying.

I hope it keeps going.

Pac might have had the GOAT diss track. But "Grab your glocks here comes Tupac" is a lot less direct than the bile this monster Kendrick is spitting.

 

[Gori the Grey]

Bah. This debate with Narz is keeping me from progressing on the main point.

 

[Narz]

Drake response last night, Family Matters, pretty good. But only out of context. Out of context it goes hard. Does have that "I'm reading off my phone screen" sound for parts of it so not great but I mean, the song was recorded and posted on Spotify in a matter of like 2-3 days and no one expects Drake to do anything other than studio work.

Beat pretty weak & WTH is this b-role of a car impound??

Hit vanilla cream to help out w your self esteem made me chuckle a bit

I got bored and clocked out at 2min. Both these guys gone downhill since the collab w asap. I guess when you're all the way up the only way to go is down

Pac might have had the GOAT diss track. But "Grab your glocks here comes Tupac" is a lot less direct than the bile this monster Kendrick is spitting.

"When you see Tupac"

Less direct is fine, I'm not here for the flame war just good music

 

[Hygro]

Narz, you have a strange understanding of music.

 

[Gori the Grey]

Ok, so now I've listened to Seven Minute Drill and J Cole's retraction of it.

I suspect that once I see the whole narrative, I'll continue to think what I think now: this is where the whole thing turned, and despite the retraction.

Up til now the references to violence have been the play-acting as street thugs that established multimillionaire rappers are expected to do (Yeah, you click out, Drake). But this one grounds that swagger in real violence that J Cole has known, and therefore suggests that the threatened violence is also to be understood as real. His retraction shows that he knows this is the stuff that got Biggie and Tupac killed. The other thing that makes it "real," is that the specificity with which he claims "I'm number one now" makes it feel genuine rather than just the usual tongue-in-cheek oneupsmanship, and authenticity on that point bleeds over into the violence.

I like his singing voice best of all three , and his rapping style is the most congenial. He's the winner so far, but that's just because this is a fully developed rap, rather than just offhand verses. Well, that and his rapping style is purer. I don't mind n***a as metrical filler, but the relevant verses in Like This are scarcely anything but that.

 

[Narz]

Narz, you have a strange understanding of music.

Even you said it felt like he's reading off a prompter, it's boring, one line after another after another (maybe I didn't reach the chorus by minute two), like a feud on twitter w a monotonous beat in the background.

I don't think I'm particularly strange or unique in thinking hip-hop is losing steam as it's gaining popularity, I don't see how wanting music you can move to is "strange" but maybe I'm way off, perhaps someone somewhere is dancing to the Kendrick and or Drake tracks...

 

[Gori the Grey]

Elsewhere you use popularity as your indicator of value.

 

[Narz]

Elsewhere you use popularity as your indicator of value.

You're referring to the fact that I mentioned IMDB to vet whether a movie is worth watching?

I don't judge the movie based on other's rating, I give it a chance if it's highly rated, it then has 20min or so to pull me in

 

[Gori the Grey]

No. I'm referring to your counting album sales as a metric for what makes rap rap.

 

[Hygro]

Bah. This debate with Narz is keeping me from progressing on the main point.

Even you said it felt like he's reading off a prompter, it's boring, one line after another after another (maybe I didn't reach the chorus by minute two), like a feud on twitter w a monotonous beat in the background.

I don't think I'm particularly strange or unique in thinking hip-hop is losing steam as it's gaining popularity, I don't see how wanting music you can move to is "strange" but maybe I'm way off, perhaps someone somewhere is dancing to the Kendrick and or Drake tracks...

Here's the rundown:
Lexicus loves rap, but he's suuuuper picky. He didn't Euphoria on first listen, but now thinks its quite alright. This very normal in music, sometimes our favorite songs sound bad to us the first or first many times. The Butthole Surfers ruined radio for me as a kid with their big single, until I came to freaking love that song.

How I am to take your opinions seriously when you haven't even listened just skimmed it to see it aligned with you already-defined taste?

But here's the thing. It's not just listening, it's reading before responding too!

__
Hygro, post 1, after having listened:
I don't think this is a friendly "we-can-both-sell-more-records-its-all-game" fight.

Narz, post 3, having not listened and .... not read the post?:
These hip-hop fueds are to increase interest and create story.

__
Hygro post 14 on Kendrick's Euphoria:
And it makes me dance holy smokes.

Narz post 51:
I don't see how wanting music you can move to is "strange" but maybe I'm way off, perhaps someone somewhere is dancing to the Kendrick and or Drake tracks...


__
You're making me feel like Merlin living reverse in the timeline.

 

[Narz]

No. I'm referring to your counting album sales as a metric for what makes rap rap.

Where did I say that?

Re : hygro. If I gotta listen 7x it ain't a banger, a banger snaps you out of the haze of life right off the bat makes your ears perk up straight from the intro. If I smoke enough cigarettes I think I like em but why would I want to?

And I never said I skimmed it, I started from the top and wasn't pulled in. Movie's got 20minutes to hook me, song has about one and a half. With music I'm like a hot girl on tinder, gotta stand out from the get go or it's thank you next, I'm not gonna do research on this reality show drama to try to uncover some appreciation.

I heard there's a new Kayne song as well so I gave it a listen

He's lost some pep as well even his voice sounds different and it's pretty disjointed. But that vibes with his life tradgectory

 

[Hygro]

If I gotta listen 7x it ain't a banger

I caught it immediately. It's incredible. But people miss incredible things staring them in the face.

You want what sits inside your preferences, cool. I can't save you.

 

[Crezth]

haverhill, uk, hip-hop capital of the world

 

[Hygro]

So I'm already seeing the effects of this battle. Dunno if it's gonna take hold. But..

Drake has long been in cultural trouble for his communications with teenage girls. But I'm the commentary on reddit today surrounding him, including just the meme where's he's like "ew" vs "mhmm that" being like "don't use that meme he's a groomer". Which before wouldn't get enough upvotes to reach me before I ditch a thread.

 

[Broken_Erika]

But I'm the commentary on reddit today surrounding him, including just the meme where's he's like "ew" vs "mhmm that" being like "don't use that meme he's a groomer".

I remember that cause it led to this