Can someone explain "fake deep" to me

[T.H.E. Goat]

eh, song was more celebratory.

Hell, you could argue Jeezy's "The Recession" isn't fake deep...dude is talking about real people in real situations at a real moment in history.

None of it is contrived or attempts to score cheap points. He isn't taking the edge off his music for white audiences. He's talking to his people and his surroundings.

...oh, and it sounds good.

If it sounds good, you can escape most of the "fake deep" criticism

As far as the album goes he was talking about real issues that affected his core audience which is the streets, and he kept it within his knowledge of those issues.

As far as the song goes, I agree with it being somewhat celebratory, but why even talk about Desert Storm and crude oil if it has nothing to do with your President being black?

Because it made him sound deep, which is the prime example of being fake deep

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Even if a rapper isn't intentionally trying to be an authority, they play into it.

Like why does Kendrick feel fit to speak on gangbanging in LA when he has no depth when I can clearly cut on Vince Staples and get a much clearer picture of the trials and tribulations of that lifestyle?

"Fake deep" might not be the right word but you can clearly tell when rappers are not talking about things they have either experienced themselves or read up on extensively.

Kendrick don't even party but then lames will hold him as an authority when Dom Kennedy, Nipsey, YG, Problem, etc all are out here showing y'all what LA life is really like.

Kendrick is really like a kid who didn't go outside rapping about everything he saw or heard a rumor about

@xCivicx @FruitOfTheVale @Poitier @bigbadbossup2012 @Cadillac

 

[Clapsteel O'Neal]

Same thing as labeling a gangster rapper a puccy/fraud/cb4


Someone who tries to market themselves or project an image of high intelligence and sincerity in regards to social issues, esp black social issues....but clearly they are either a mouthpiece for someoneelse's ideologies, only regurgitate what they've read without adding fine tuned personal commentary on it and or their views are very basic/surface level on these topics and if you actually challenge their viewpoints and try to scratch even just a little under the surface, you find nothing there

An example being talib kweli and him staunchly criticising the government and its system...but then proudly proclaiming he never votes, and then saying black people shouldn't vote because it doesn't do anything. Not voting is fine, but that's not a good enough reason not to vote imo and is moronic too.


J Cole is the worst offender of the new age rappers

Joey Badass has shown himself to be a dumbass on a couple of occassions too

 

[Henri Christophe]

everyone knows what it means.



stop playing dumb.

 

[Henri Christophe]

Kendrick is really like a kid who didn't go outside rapping about everything he saw or heard a rumor about

and people say hes headed for GOAT status

 

[Zero]

Its when people with surface level knowledge talk about subjects beyond their depth oftentimes littered with fallacies and misinformation.

See: Joey Badass latest album

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

So here you want police brutality to be described in a visceral fashion.

From less of a "oh bad cops are bad" stance.

fukk The Police came from a real place.

This song doesn't:

Here you would want police brutality cast in a subversive way? What does that mean?

For it to be referenced in a more skillful way than merely stating it.

What is an easy layup on police brutality?

When artists lazily mention the new social issue of the moment to score streams.

Here you seem to be saying you want themes of police brutality to be subtly integrated into music so as to meld a vibe?
That wouldn't be a visceral description for sure.

Breh. What the fukk are you talking about?

Writing well is a skill.

Thats why some artists don't have it.

You're asking for the cheat code.

Go listen to Lupe do it.

Then listen to Kendrick do it.


Lupe does it better. KRIT does it better. GIBBS does it better. Even Sean does it better.

 

[Zero]

I always see this thrown out about dudes like joey badass

You never saw that until new album because that lil nikka wont doing shyt but rambling over 90s-styled beats before

I bought that first album too so I dont wanna hear it

 

[hex]

its lazy lines where you name drop victims of police brutality instead of referencing the topics in a more visceral way.

Its like trying to score points in an essay rubric, instead of weaving the themes into the essay.

Fake deep songs try to score points with easy lay-ups on social issues instead of casting issues in a more subversive way.

People confuse lyricism with songwriting.

Fake deep people focus on lyricism...where the mere mention is enough.

The songwriters can integrate the themes more subtly so as to meld the vibe and scene of the music in a way that allows you to enjoy the message more cleanly.

Look at Kendrick Lamar's "Freedom" song with Beyonce. THAT was Fake Deep.

Then look at something like 99 Problems. Hov made that shyt sound easy but there was a more subtle play on the scene unfolding.





Its the difference between these songs:

Remember When Napolean aka 4d 6f 6e 65 79 Sh!tted On Black Folks For Supporting Mike Brown.?

Fred.

 

[Cadillac]

Its pretty easy to identify.

This guy described it well

Fake deep to me is more like when stans try to convey meaning onto lyrics that the artist clearly didnt intend. They just stretch things to make there favorite artist sound more meaningful than they actually are.

Another meaning of fake deep is when the artist starts throwing out hot button subjects with vague context. Where you know if you pushed them more on the subject, there knowledge would be superficial. Its like when someone uses a word and you know they dont entirely know what that word means.

 

[Stone]

Fake deep is more about the fans than the artists themselves.

 

[Henri Christophe]

Fake deep is more about the fans than the artists themselves.

exactly

"look at my favorite artist.. so smart... so aware... so socially conscious... so much better than yours" - weirdos


I dont even think the artists themselves respect that weirdo segment of their fan base.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Fake deep is more about the fans than the artists themselves.

nah, its definitely the artists most times.

Remember. MOST mainstream artists are barely high school graduates.

When you remember that, it becomes much easier to find the "fake deep" ones.

 

[Lýba'rhaésheýun]

I always see this thrown out about dudes like kendrick, lupe, joey badass, sometime cole – basically anyone coined as creating songs "with meaning" or "depth" yet i never see anyone explain what makes them fake deep nor does anyone offer examples of who/what is "real deep"

Can someone post some examples of "fake deep" verses vs. "real deep" verses for me? Can I get the coli official list of "fake deep" artists and "real deep" artists?

I Always understood ''Fake Deep'' as mentioning issues but not going deep enough into to explore deeper issues with in that subject.

A Good Example of this is Logic. He speaks alot about race issues now don't get me wrong its great that he mentioned it but he never goes deep into
breaks stuff down, reference historic events the listeners may not have been privy too essentially teaching the listener something new.

I'm Not Saying a rapper has to teach you you can & should teach yourself however if a rapper insists Swimming in the ocean he better learn to dive at some point
of course there is limit to how deep you can get on a 4min song because thats alot of info to be shoved in a song but a good example of this done right would be ''Conflict diamonds'' By Lupe Fiasco

or this



or this even this



Of Course every song mentioning deep issues may not have been originally intended to be deep to begin with

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

Even if a rapper isn't intentionally trying to be an authority, they play into it.

Like why does Kendrick feel fit to speak on gangbanging in LA when he has no depth when I can clearly cut on Vince Staples and get a much clearer picture of the trials and tribulations of that lifestyle?

"Fake deep" might not be the right word but you can clearly tell when rappers are not talking about things they have either experienced themselves or read up on extensively.

i think kendrick talks about it in the way he's experienced it, no he wasn't the one banging or attending the weekly crip meeting at c-loc's house, but he has experiences that were shaped by it, he sees the effects, nothing wrong with speaking on it. dude never comes across as trying to be the authority on it IMO