Born Sinner vs GKMC, and the all around impact of Cole & Kendrick on the game..

[Lifer11]

Wale dropped his debut album in 2009 on Interscope. Wale had a massive push. Kendrick - had a massive push. J. Cole has had a massive push. My point is, these artists are getting the big pushes because the labels know that these are now the artists that have the most potential to sell albums.

There's not a gangsta rapper in his 20's with a Gold album plaque.

Like I said - Jeezy and Ross pre-date Graduation. They received the big pushes earlier and garnered a lot of fans that have stayed loyal. They are also the biggest artists of that type. Nobody else you mentioned has a gold album.

Point is, J. Cole and Kendrick aren't breaking the mould. They are billed as the premier acts on their labels and they've had a lot of marketing dollars behind them. I love K.Dot's music but he was pushed so hard by the industry. Jay-Z had Beanie as the premier act on Rocafella (other than himself), that type of act sold the most albums at that time (DMX for example). Jay-Z has J.Cole as the premier act RocNation, that type of artist pushes the most albums (Drake for example)

I got ya and I agree with you for the most part, but I wasn't even referring to gangster rap (more gucci/waka/molly ignorant shyt like that), or saying that they broke the mold, just that they currently, in my opinion, are the 2 ushering back in real hip-hop in terms of lyricism and just that old school vibe all around. Wale I look at as being in the mold of Kanye and Lupe like you said, but Cole and Kendrick I look at as more of a hybrid between backpack rap mixed with a little gangster rap influence (style/technique more so than content). Also, to me they've both (Kendrick certainly has) had a bigger impact on hip-hop than Wale.

But I agree that Kanye helped usher in this era of hip-hop and made it possible for these 2 artists to be in the position they are in, to even be able to make an impact on the game and be the face of what is hopefully a new era of hip-hop music, or at least open up a lane in the mainstream for the real shyt to flourish and sell, which GKMC and Born Sinner would seem to confirm that to be true.

 

[ThaRealness]

And various don't.

As well as sales.

No critics generally agree that its a lackluster album

 

[Momentum]

comparing those two snooze fests... Kendrick has the Baptismal angle so ya'll will call it deep. Then I will remind you Poetic Justice and Backseat Freestyle happened.

 

[Hammer]

shutup, born sinner has 3 good songs

nobody playin that or yeezus anymore

 

[Shadow King]

Cole is my niqqa but GKMC made rappers in 2013 wanna compete again.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

The fact that nikkas leave Drake out of these conversations is DISGUSTING.

I know how hard it is for you all to recognize that Drake is just as capable and often exceeds the very standards you hold for Kendrick and Cole, you all continue to move the goalposts to suit whatever needs you're trying to assert.

nikkas think Cole and Kendrick are "real hip hop"...a misnomer if there ever was one.

Its just wannabe elitists in here trying to act like J Cole holds a candle to people who are CLEARLY better than he.

 

[Shadow King]

Because it's simply not true.

Kanye changed the game in '04. He was one of the first rappers to come in the game with a backpack steez but fit right in with the mainstream. In '07 he crushed Curtis and that killed the popularity of gangsta rap in the mainstream. There hasn't been a super successful new gangsta rapper since Graduation.

Lupe Fiasco is the next important man in the shift. Not J. Cole. Everyone else.... literally everyone else is Kanye/Lupe/Pharrell's children.

Without College Dropout J. Cole doesn't get signed by Jay-Z.

Lupe is my dawg but explain his influence. I feel like he's been underrated/lost in the shuffle.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Lupe is my dawg but explain his influence. I feel like he's been underrated/lost in the shuffle.

Lupe/Kanye and somewhat Pharrell brought black kids from the suburbs into the mainstream fold.

They made it acceptible for the KIDS of rappers in the 90s to enter the game.

All the young guys look up to them. These guys weren't hood but they loved the culture.

 

[Lifer11]

The fact that nikkas leave Drake out of these conversations is DISGUSTING.

I know how hard it is for you all to recognize that Drake is just as capable and often exceeds the very standards you hold for Kendrick and Cole, you all continue to move the goalposts to suit whatever needs you're trying to assert.

nikkas think Cole and Kendrick are "real hip hop"...a misnomer if there ever was one.

Its just wannabe elitists in here trying to act like J Cole holds a candle to people who are CLEARLY better than he.

I tried to hate Drake for years but I couldn't and I actually didn't include him in this conversation cause I consider him a tier above these 2 right now in terms of clout and stardom, as for talent Drake transcends rap, he's a top r&b singer right now and top rapper. Drake is already established as a star who's here to stay, Cole just solidified that he's got at least another couple years in him same with Kendrick. I just look at Drake in a lane of his own.

 

[Lifer11]

The fact that nikkas leave Drake out of these conversations is DISGUSTING.

I know how hard it is for you all to recognize that Drake is just as capable and often exceeds the very standards you hold for Kendrick and Cole, you all continue to move the goalposts to suit whatever needs you're trying to assert.

nikkas think Cole and Kendrick are "real hip hop"...a misnomer if there ever was one.

Its just wannabe elitists in here trying to act like J Cole holds a candle to people who are CLEARLY better than he.

I tried to hate Drake for years but I couldn't and I actually didn't include him in this conversation cause I consider him a tier above these 2 right now in terms of clout and stardom, as for talent Drake transcends rap, he's a top r&b singer right now and top rapper. Drake is already established as a star who's here to stay, Cole just solidified that he's got at least another couple years in him same with Kendrick. I just look at Drake in a lane of his own.

 

[ISO]

SMH at GKMC and Born Sinner being lyrical master pieces.

Cole has so many struggle bars on Born Sinner, he's an average lyricist , Kendrick is nothing special either
Seriously if these would have dropped in '94 nobody would be calling them lyrical master pieces.

 

[Ziggiy]

Lupe is my dawg but explain his influence. I feel like he's been underrated/lost in the shuffle.

If you think back to 2006. It was damn near AMAZING that a major label released a debut album as conceptually brilliant and lyrically captivating as F&L. Lupe's first two albums really set the bar for the newer generation of MC's. Lupe really could've been this generation's Nas if Atlantic hadn't sabotaged his career, forcing to him to put all that bullshyt on LASERS. The impact that Kanye had production wise and conceptually was matched by Lupe's impact lyrically.

 

[WEKetchum]

Good Kid m.A.A.d City is a masterpiece of the genre. A TRUE classic and the first Hip Hop classic debut since College Dropout. I listen to that album damn near everyday. lyrically enthralling, sonically engaging, and thematically captivating it's perfect in every since of the word..


Born Sinner was good, an enjoyable listening experience but in my opinion, no where CLOSE to GKMC. Kendrick made a concept album so cohesive that you simply CANNOT listen to it in patches, its a complete body of work from beginning to end. Born Sinner's musical narrative isn't as captivating nor is it as lyrically dense. Again, taking nothing away from J.Cole but Kendrick is the more creative MC

What you said about not being able to listen to GKMC in patches is what made me say Born Sinner is better riding music. GKMC is like an amazing movie, ala The Godfather, that you only put on on like a holiday or a rainy weekend when u can block out the outside world and just take the whole masterpiece in.

Where as Born Sinner I can just throw on at anytime and either let it ride out straight thru or pick and choose. As nuts as it sounds, the very thing that makes GKMC so amazing somewhat hurts its replay value in the sense that it's not an everyday album. Although I can knock some songs on their own I completely agree, as would anyone else who appreciates it for what it is, the true genius in it lies in listening to it straight thru.

I don't completely agree. I think GKMC works great as a complete work, sure. But I can listen to "Money Trees," "bytch Don't Kill My Vibe," "good kid," "Sing About Me," and "Compton" by themselves and enjoy them nearly just as much. The album is a complete experience, but the songs are individual experiences too. That's what makes it so great

 

[Harry B]

Good Kid m.A.A.d City is a masterpiece of the genre. A TRUE classic and the first Hip Hop classic debut since College Dropout. I listen to that album damn near everyday. lyrically enthralling, sonically engaging, and thematically captivating it's perfect in every since of the word..


Born Sinner was good, an enjoyable listening experience but in my opinion, no where CLOSE to GKMC. Kendrick made a concept album so cohesive that you simply CANNOT listen to it in patches, its a complete body of work from beginning to end. Born Sinner's musical narrative isn't as captivating nor is it as lyrically dense. Again, taking nothing away from J.Cole but Kendrick is the more creative MC

TM101 and F&L.

 

[kermit da hustla]

Good Kid m.A.A.d City is a masterpiece of the genre. A TRUE classic and the first Hip Hop classic debut since College Dropout. I listen to that album damn near everyday. lyrically enthralling, sonically engaging, and thematically captivating it's perfect in every since of the word..


Born Sinner was good, an enjoyable listening experience but in my opinion, no where CLOSE to GKMC. Kendrick made a concept album so cohesive that you simply CANNOT listen to it in patches, its a complete body of work from beginning to end. Born Sinner's musical narrative isn't as captivating nor is it as lyrically dense. Again, taking nothing away from J.Cole but Kendrick is the more creative MC