Cordae album sells 21k first week
- Thread starter Max.
- Start date
He did
There's MC's who have made a listener feel more for fictional characters than the real women Drake randomly name drops. Example, Sasha Thumper became more than a name drop as Andre 3000 tells an entire story of why she was significant.
Kendrick spends a lot of time on "u" screaming "loving me is complicated" without really expounding on why. Jay could give you a "Song Cry", which is a peak into his psyche and it explains his own insecurities and why he felt how he felt about women. "Alright" became a protest anthem, but does it really speak to struggle. Take Pac's "Changes" which also became a protest anthem. Far less rapping and more so a break down of the struggle against racism.
J. Cole is influenced by Pac, Nas, and Eminem, but even they have a greater knack for detail and depth than Cole.
ISO
Pass me the rock nikka
But Kendrick did break it down on that song it’s “loving you is complicated” go back and read the lyrics.
I disagree with this seems like bias. J. Cole and Kendrick have depth. Go listen to 2Face, Breakdown, Poe Mans Dreams, Uncle Bobby.
There is no bias. These dudes are the cream of the crop of a generation, but most of their music is surface level. I get it, it is more in tune with the times. Short attention spans where as much information is packed into 140 characters as possible.
With Cole, he also has trouble fully committing to the subject matter in his songs when it's controversial. Breh will literally make a poignant point and actually drop an impactful line and follow it up by saying he was joking. That takes away the impact. Imagine Nas saying "George Bush killer til George Bush kills me" and then saying "I was just joking". Imagine Pac saying "what's a Black life worth, a bottle of juice? The truth hurts" and then say "I was just joking".
ISO
Pass me the rock nikka
My man they have hundreds of songs listen to the songs I dropped. No way Cole and Kendrick don’t have significant depth.
Nas has half baked surface level concept records too. Nikkas here always say Jay is shallow. Give me a break.
This whole thing started with saying Cordae was all surface level. Lyrically, Drake, Kendrick, nor Cole is any deeper than Cordae. Definitely don't have the depth of a Jay Z, Nas, or Pac were even in their 20's. Pac died at 25 and look what he was able to drop in that time. None of these dudes are penning "I Gave You Power" level stories. Nas was 23 when he made that. Jay was in his late 20's when he wrote the confessional "You Must Love Me". Pac was in his early 20's writing "Brenda Had A Baby" and "Keep Ya Head Up".
This has nothing to do with "half baked concept songs" or people talking about Jay being "shallow".
ISO
Pass me the rock nikka
Those are records that have lore classic records by legendary artists.
Inherently there is nothing that makes them any deeper than those records I listed bar for bar. U feel Jay’s confessional because it’s Jay—his story over an emotional beat.
Go read the lyrics to Uncle Bobby these guys don’t lack depth and Cordae don’t really have songs like that. That’s a real breakdown of the prison industrial complex and familial ties over a heartbeat nikka tone and cadence conveyed the emotion perfect. Even if you don’t think they’re as deep as Nas, Pac, Jay whatever it’s wrong to say they’re surface level or not deep.
Those records have lore for a reason. Again, there's an emotional depth to those records. And yes, telling a story from the perspective of a gun and the listener sees the story from the gun's viewpoint complete with thoughts and feelings, there's an emotional depth there. "You Must Love Me" has Jay talking about his feelings toward shooting his brother and dealing with the fall out.
DontEemTry
Superstar
His girl gonna leave his ass soon
Can't be with no c-list rapper when she a legitimate worldwide superstar.
Dude can rap but his music is super boring/mid. He doesn't have a story or anything interesting to say. Just be rapping "bars" and that's not enough in 2022.
I heard a nikka called him J-Warm
Right now she floppin just as much as he is
I have ears
I will argue that Kendrick is NOT surface level and has the lyrical and performative ability to get just as deep as Nas and Pac
I submit the following
FunkDoc1112
Heavily Armed
I recently listened to DAMN. in reverse order and so really paid attention to the lyrics and the level of depth and themes Kendrick explores is pretty crazy. He's not a guy that will blow you away with a single line but his whole verses are pretty awe-inspiring.