Beat Box: Kendrick Lamar heats up hip hop

Kendrick Lamar performing at the Governors Ball, held at New York City

Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale, Pusha T, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Tyler and Mac Miller, all prolific “new n_ggers” whose hip hop talents shouldn’t be underrated by anybody, unless the critic is some kinder hip hop genius.

Last week hip hop fans took to social media sites to express their views on the controversial new song “Control” by Good Music rapper Big Sean which features Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. Fans shared divided views and some expressed the same opinion regarding the lyrics from Kendrick Lamar’s verse. Lamar’s verse carried an insulting message calling out his peers and uttering that he is the “KING OF NEW YORK”.

While having a conversation with a hip hop lover and a mate of mine on “Control”, he expressed that “to a certain degree Kendrick Lamar could have been quoted out of context”, conversing further on my hip hop loving mate later mentioned that “maybe it’s a good thing that he (Lamar) heats up the rap game a bit and it might also up the standard which has dropped and competition of the rap game”.

The controversial song reminds is a little reminiscent of 50 Cent’s“Piggy Bank”which to a certain level hit the likes of J Rule, Nas, Jadakiss and Fat Joe. One thing for sure “Control” will lead to some “new n_ggers” who were mentioned on the song to retaliate and one can expect harsh verbs.

Thanks to the Compton born rapper a characteristic that I cannot even describe which has been missing within the game of hip hop seems to have reappeared, and my own opinion the interesting phase of new school hip hop has emerged.

Kendrick is a talented rapper, but knighting himself as the “King of NEW YORK” that was a little extreme!

Ashley Mokwena

@ashfonik