Jay-Z, Kanye West, Nas, and Eminem have forever been known as the classic kings of hip hop. They raised the bar when they arrived on the scene, making it tough for anyone new up-and-coming artists looking to make their big break to have more than 15 minutes of fame.
Lately, however some new hip hop notables have stepped onto the scene. Those who keep up with the hip hop world will recognize names like J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Wale, and Big Sean, artists who have defied the 15 minutes of fame rule and kept their names at the top of the charts. You may already know this, but do you know why? The common theme is that every single one of these artists has made some insanely bold move to prove their worthiness to their fans. Whether through their lyrics or their beats, they surpass any original stereotypes and ideas.
Why am I even writing this article? Because, Kenyon Ladies (and Lords), I believe that hip hop is not as fully expressed as other music genres at Kenyon are, and I’m here to help give you a boost in “musication”.
Hip hop and rap are two genres that take superficiality and throw it away, bringing raw emotion to the world. It takes the right person with more motivation and determination than you could imagine, and recently, J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake have been hitting it big with their risky moves.
J.Cole released his sophomore album, Born Sinner, in June of this year and as soon as it hit, fans couldn’t get enough. Not only were the songs raw, emotional, and lyrically magical, but he also changed the release date of his album to the same day as Kanye’s Yeezus to directly compete. This risky move shot his album up to No. 1 on the Billboard for three weeks straight. On top of that, in his song, “Let Nas Down,” he grovels at his hero’s feet, literally begging to a legend emcee releasing him from the grips of normality.
Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar dropped his mind-blowing verse off of Big Sean’s “Control” in which he proclaimed himself king and did the unthinkable: called out rappers by name. For the hip hop world, the worst insult of all was not being called out in this verse. Rappers such as Lupe Fiasco made it his mission to refute Kendrick’s verse, just giving more room for Kendrick’s skills to shine.
Last but not least: we have Drake. Though critics have called Drake “Mr. Sensitive” for being a “smooth” rap artist, they underestimate how much his emotions can influence his rise to the top of the charts. Fans seemed to indulge in the change of tone that Drake brought with “Girls Love Beyonce,” and his new song “Too Much” that reveal the artist’s sensitive side. He is one of only rappers in this day and age to demonstrate his flaws through song.
Another reason why I’m writing this article is to spread the love. I always get an odd look when I tell someone my favorite genre is hip hop, The comment: “But all they talk about are b*tches and money” usually follows. So now, anyone who has had that preconception of hip hop, as “only talking about b*tches and money” can understand a little bit more why we hip hop lovers all have so much respect for the artists. So crank up the volume, music lovers, and long live the hip hop kings, old and new!
[Photo Source: Flickr]