• Nakoichi [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      13·
      4 days ago

      I am old and out of touch with all this new shit why does he suck?

      I’ve always been more a fan of Dead Prez and the real og commie hip hop

      • OttoboyEmpire [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
        15·
        4 days ago

        i think (objectively correctly) that’s he’s amazingly corny, his music feigns “consciousness” or immediacy that he either never had or lost by selling out.

        i think the referenced track is the worst of it: telling black dudes they can’t go to atlanta because they’re “colonizers” is pretty gross, especially when he hasn’t used his voice, his normal voice or little slurred muppet character voice, to speak out on, you know, the most morally pressing and publicized issue of colonization of our lifetime. can’t risk the scrobbles, he’s “not your savior.” at least drake and everyone else are honest about what they’re about; kendrick hides behinds his Pulitzers. fitting that TPAB came out in the waning days of obama liberalism, truly.

        • gay_king_prince_charles [she/her, he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
          10·
          3 days ago

          Ignoring your mischaracterization about him calling Drake a colonizer, I agree with his music being corny and self-aggrandizing. Take, for example, Reincarnated which involves a conversation with God, who praises Kendrick’s music (among other interesting decisions in that song). He has such a ridiculous ego and it really seeps into his music.

            • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
              1·
              3 days ago

              I think he’s a good musician, but playing the Superbowl is a measure of popularity, which theologically I don’t think is really an adequate basis for saying “God would personally praise my music,” especially since theologically that’s sort of the opposite of what the Christian God is concerned with.

              "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” – Romans 12:2

              “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7:13–14

              “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10

              I personally disagree with most of these sentiments, I think that Christianity is pretty anti-social as far as this subject goes, but Kendrick is outspoken about being Christian so I think it’s something to consider with the meaning of how he portrays God.

        • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
          16·
          4 days ago

          I don’t think his problem with Drake going to Atlanta was that him being physically present in the city made him a colonizer, nor would I say that Drake is honest about what he’s about in nearly any respect besides, and I would give you this over Kendrick, that he’s naked about his self-obsession and ego-tripping, while Kendrick performs being righteous and claims that he doesn’t like being famous and so on.

          • AF_R [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
            17·
            4 days ago

            I’m gonna be so real, saying black people can’t be colonizers while sitting on a high horse just invalidates the entire post

            Legit just being contrarian for the sake of it and then using Palestinians as a shield from criticism

            Place been getting real reactionary and anti-science these days

            • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
              1·
              3 days ago

              I agree with the rest of it, but could you elaborate on the anti-science part? I’m not contesting that either, I just don’t know what you’re referring to and especially the relevance to the current subject.

            • LangleyDominos [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
              15·
              4 days ago

              There was/is a major hip-hop movement there that a lot of non-local grubby hands want to be part of. Essentially all these record labels and big names from outside the area didn’t care before it became popular. Now they want to come in and sign all the local talent to labels (Drake owns a label) without caring what the local scene is about. They also extract profits without contributing to the area. Then it lets people like Drake claim they helped build the local scene when they only came in after it was already popular. Kendrick views Drake as a culture vulture, trying to buy his way into rap legitimacy.

        • RandallThymes [undecided, comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
          9·
          4 days ago

          I take Kendrick’s early music as insights into his experience growing up as a Black American in LA, the record industry, and the social issues of that time period. His later music being his more personal opinions that I agree / disagree with to different extents.

          I find it useful to see almost every issue he talks about as a direct result of settler colonialism, and see how they relate to other ongoing settler projects in the world today, instead of demanding an artist who typically speaks from positions of authority and experience suddenly becomes outspoken on Palestine.

          i think the referenced track is the worst of it: telling black dudes they can’t go to atlanta because they’re “colonizers” is pretty gross,

          This is an extremely uncharitable reading of those lyrics.

        • mrfugu [he/him, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
          6·
          3 days ago

          Oh you called Drake honest unironically.

          I like Kendrick but he’s definitely not above criticism… unless it’s for Drake’s sake.

        • Nakoichi [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
          9·
          4 days ago

          Makes sense. Like I said, I’ve always been a bigger fan of the real underground revolutionary shit (though I guess Chappelle thrust Dead Prez into the spotlight back when he had that whole block party thing, again I am old).

    • MizuTama [he/him, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
      2·
      3 days ago

      I think the referenced track is the worst of it: telling black dudes they can’t go to atlanta because they’re “colonizers” is pretty gross

      Kendrick is both false conscious and making an apt comparison about exploitative practices that Drake has done. Uncle Tom is a bit played out at this point.

  • MF_COOM [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    15·
    4 days ago

    IDK saying gawd daymn boy is also like, just white southern slang it’s not necessarily some white guy doing AAVE because he’s talking about (“to”) a rapper