People used to run to Rigamortis as the go to track to display Kendrick's lyricism. That nikka said a whole bunch of nothing in that song when he really break down the lyrics but it sounded good.
Lupe Fiasco “kendrick is not a top tier lyricist to me”
- Thread starter WickedGames
- Start date
He makes good music? More specifically: I like introspective lyricism. Rappers/singers who are able to paint a vivid, emotional picture of not only their own state of mind but show the ability to do it for other people/places as well. Nas comes to mind. Common comes to mind. And Kendrick does too. That "project window" perspective.
I also like narrative and storytelling, which is why Ghostface is in my top 5. Kendrick tells dope stories and understands that doing so has nothing to do with a "this happened and then this happened" framework. Like Ghostface, he creates a world and lets you step in it as he tells the tale. That's something most rappers don't understand, IMO.
GKMC is an amazing concept record with multiple highs, from bangers to shyt like Sing About Me. Speaking of which, that song encompasses everything that makes Kendrick a dope rapper in terms of the introspection and differing perspectives presented.
Am I gonna say Kendrick is one of the greatest rappers of all time, better than Nas etc like Peter Rosenberg's dikkriding ass? Hell no. But he's dope and nobody is coming close to his catalog right now, with Danny Brown, Vince Staples, and Billy Woods being the closest competition. And maybe Gibbs.
Piff Perkins
Veteran
Prince.Skeletor
Don’t Be Like He-Man
Kendrick is not a lyricist, he is a storyteller
Black Lightning
Superstar
Kendricks basically just excellent at making concepts, he'll never have many memorable or thought provoking bars. That's how i see it at least
Kendrick is a poet, not a punchline rapper.
Ab >>> Kendrick easily.
But that's if you narrow it down to that style of rap.
You wanna see the disparity between him and soul, look at the lines they had about blacks and juidism..
"I'm an Israelite, don't call me black no mo, that word is only a color, it ain't facts no mo" - Kendrick
"Back to reality, sadly I'm actually Jewish
Or whatever Jew-wish to call me, I don't wanna offend nobody
Just remind em all, that' is-real (it's real), like where the ark of covenant is still" - Ab- Soul
DWTW > if you in it for the raps instead of just vibes.
That being said, Kendrick's shyt is poetic and I admire him as a writer, but I wouldn't rank him up there as a super complex lyricist, and not because he CAN'T be, that's just not his approach, he's said as much.
Ab >>> Kendrick easily.
But that's if you narrow it down to that style of rap.
You wanna see the disparity between him and soul, look at the lines they had about blacks and juidism..
"I'm an Israelite, don't call me black no mo, that word is only a color, it ain't facts no mo" - Kendrick
"Back to reality, sadly I'm actually Jewish
Or whatever Jew-wish to call me, I don't wanna offend nobody
Just remind em all, that' is-real (it's real), like where the ark of covenant is still" - Ab- Soul
DWTW > if you in it for the raps instead of just vibes.
That being said, Kendrick's shyt is poetic and I admire him as a writer, but I wouldn't rank him up there as a super complex lyricist, and not because he CAN'T be, that's just not his approach, he's said as much.
The last verse of pride touched me, yet I can't really section off a 'bar' or 'quotable' from it...the whole shyt is a poem to me and works great as a piece as opposed to something you could break down line for line.
Exactly. And it's not a punchline thing because I can quote individual Big and Nas lines all day and they're not punchline rappers at all
He ain't respond to SLR2, I doubt he responds to this. Kendrick knows what he's doing. If he's really directing traffic with the production like he supposedly is, he's musically inclined enough to not be as intricate with the raps.
Imagine Kendrick EP'ing shyt for somebody like Lupe...
Same thing with Em...he obviously lost without Dre, he needs musical direction and Kendrick is somebody that could help him with the musicality.
Devil Plisken…CMS
Veteran
Rocky (imma get hate for this but)
Drake
Cole
when it come to straight rapping all 3 of them got more bars than KDot...
Cole has no bars! Lmao
Fani Willis fan
moderate not liberal
People confuse rapping in double time with being a great lyricist
Kendrick is a good artist but his word play has never wowed me. Cole is not at all lyrical, his delivery and mic presence comes off like hes saying profound shyt.
Kendrick is a good artist but his word play has never wowed me. Cole is not at all lyrical, his delivery and mic presence comes off like hes saying profound shyt.
bourgeoisie tall freak
Superstar
idk, this is just proof of how good kendrick is... nikkas just cant stop talking about him. lol, i fukk wit it and im here for it
