OCTOBER
It won't be long before his claim in The Heart Pt. 2, that "most of ya'll cats just don't know Kendrick," becomes a falsehood. In fact, that time may have already come. Releasing radio hit after hit, Kendrick Lamar is gaining popularity among the average listener/consumer. However, the rap community has known about this rising star for a while now. In 2011, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Game publicly passed the torch at a concert in Los Angelos, CA. Kendrick was visibly choked up at the ceremony which further shows his passion for hip hop and the pride he takes in his work. He has also received high praise from Hip Hop legends like Ice T, who said in an interview on Adam Carolla's podcast, "Now you got new rappers like Lupe Fiasco, T.I., there's a kid out of LA, Kendrick Lamar. I like spitters. I like people that have content and they really go in." Kendrick was named among the XXL 2011 Freshman Class, along with fellow up-and-comers like Yelawolf, Cyhi Da Prynce, and Big K.R.I.T. So it is undeniable that Kendrick is destined for glory.
This month's "Who To Know" is not only focused on Kendrick, however, but also on his crew. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and School Boy Q together go by the name of Black Hippy. The name refers to a growing movement of west coast hip hop focused not around gangster rap, but instead around introspective, honest rap. Think Tupac's "Changes" as opposed to "California Love." Talib Kweli states in an interview conducted on his tour bus that "the move that (Kendrick Lamar) and his crew are making - the Section 80 and the Black Hippy shit - is unprecedented. It's impressive because for him to be that fucking lyrical and be that focused on the music and his crew still be that tight. And just to see the change in the trend; it's so different then how the west coast used to be." Each artist is making waves by landing prestigious guest spots, performing big name venues, and pumping out new material. Drastic differences in style, differentiating both between each other and between themselves and everyone else, leads to captivating content every time they collaborate; which lucky for us is a lot.
(Ab-Soul X Kendrick Lamar)
(Kendrick Lamar X Curtains X School Boy Q)
(Jay Rock X Kendrick Lamar)
(Jay Rock X Ab-Soul X Kendrick Lamar X School Boy Q)
