.
.
.
Shhh...I see dead people.
Yes, Kendrick Lamar and Drake's beef seems to have come to a raging head, and the internet is going berserk. There's so much to unpack, but for now, I want to discuss two of the main tracks people have been talking about: "Push-ups" and "Meet the Grahams".
Let's start with Drake. From an artistic standpoint, I will be the first one to admit that "Push-ups" is a great diss. Initially, it seemed as though KDot was mad without merit and might have just been a little bitter about something super arbitrary. As things have begun to unravel, we are seeing that all is not as it seems.
*I spoke to a former counseling instructor, and he noted that we are seeing a cultural expression bringing many black issues to the surface.*
This segues into the point that Drake has been stepping on the toes of other black artists for a while now. Longtime emcee and recent podcaster Joe Budden suggested that Drake seems to be an agent of chaos within the rap community, simply because of his Certified Lover Boy ways, i.e. promiscuity, dishonesty, reactiveness, coloniz… - you get the point. I suppose it’s true that female genitalia runs the world... if only our feminine powers were recognized for their necessary place. Why are women always at the center of male fragility? I mean the mandem go on to diss their exes over 16’s now… strange work.
Alright, let's move on since people's attention spans are limited. Let's discuss the horror movie turned musical "Meet the Grahams". Since "Not Like Us" was released, "Meet the Grahams" seems to have been ignored. There are conversations about the lack of credibility of "Meet the Grahams" and how it relies solely on hearsay. The same can be said about Drake's responses, especially since Whitney appeared in the "Not Like Us" video, which undermines his claims that Kendrick is a violent partner. This, along with other examples of literary imagery could be analyzed extensively in a full dissertation. The Pulitzer Prize is starting to make more sense as time goes on.
"Meet the Grahams" presents a powerful portrayal of the human nightmare experience through its lyrical content. Kendrick Lamar uses various literary devices, such as anaphora, to convey his message sonically. An example of this is the repetition of the phrase, "You lied".
This is the perfect time to develop a new appreciation for sound producers like The Alchemist, who contributed to "Meet the Grahams" and Kendrick's latest album, "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers". We should also acknowledge producers like Metro Boomin for “BBL Drizzy” and DJ Mustard for the success of “Not Like Us”. It might be the perfect time to reignite the East Coast/West Coast debate, and the West Coast seems to be dominating this year (not that “O Canada” constitutes as a hot new record for either region or anything).
Ultimately, whether or not the allegations these artists have made about each other are true, the culture would be remiss not to acknowledge that it's been a great duel between the two. Though it's obvious to me who kept their head above water as the rap ship sank, I wonder what others think.
There is a lot more I can say about this, but I want to see some engagement. Let me know, I’ll be waiting for your responses!
Comments
Post a Comment