Only Idiots Think Kendrick Lamar Is "Pop"

[TheRtist]

There is a problem with the label because "pop" and "popular" are not interchangeable. By definition, they aren't the same. Cats act like you can just swap the words out....it don't work like that.

And "Black Beatles" and "Bad & Boujee", despite being popular, aren't pop. "Wu-Tang Forever" went 4x plat....nobody was calling it pop. Pop is "One Dance". Pop is not "Humble". Pop music is a genre, not just short for "popular music".

Fred.

"One Dance" is pop the same way No Doubt's "Hey Baby" is...they are both popular songs that involve Dancehall.

"Humble" is pop as well. Pop isnt a sound, its a category for widespread music. You cant create a pop song. It has to become one. There are plenty of songs that sound like Rihanna, Justin Timberlake...etc. but only have 100 plays on soundcloud. They are not pop songs.

It was the Bubblegum era of Max Martin that gave Boy Bands a "bubblegum sound" that people confuse with pop nowadays. Before that, the song just had to be popular.

 

[JustCKing]

There is a problem with the label because "pop" and "popular" are not interchangeable. By definition, they aren't the same. Cats act like you can just swap the words out....it don't work like that.

And "Black Beatles" and "Bad & Boujee", despite being popular, aren't pop. "Wu-Tang Forever" went 4x plat....nobody was calling it pop. Pop is "One Dance". Pop is not "Humble". Pop music is a genre, not just short for "popular music".

Fred.

Pop Music is a format/formula. It's not necessarily a musical genre. It's why a song like "Black Beatles" and "Bad Boujee" are as huge as they are.

Going 4X platinum doesn't make you Pop. What makes it Pop is the format/formula of the song. Technically, one couldn't really label "One Dance" a Pop song either going by your logic, because that song belongs to a different genre altogether.

 

[LEEeveryday]

Who the hell says Kendrick is pop. Point em out so I can forever ignore their opinion on hip hop from this day forward.

 

[JustCKing]

I mean, just by reading through some of the posts in this thread, I'm guessing these songs aren't Pop songs:



^^^ Song features Timbaland and Nelly Furtado rapping with a chorus that's sung. "bu, bu, but, you couldn't throw a real rapper on that beat". When Khaled made "We Takin' Over", he asked for a beat from Danja that sounded like the "Promiscuous" beat he made with Tim.

 

[CashmereThoughts]

Labeling an artist as a "Pop" artist is definitely one of the biggest methods used to downplay an artist. It's not really anything wrong with the tag or label itself. It's also not far fetched to say Kendrick Lamar is "Pop". I mean, he's definitely crossed over into a sphere of music where he's not just discussed among Hip Hop fans anymore. I mean he got a Rolling Stone cover that definitely is geared more toward Pop culture far more than it is Hip Hop.

Also to say he doesn't make Pop music is kind of erroneous as well. When you look at the biggest songs of 2017: "Black Beatles" and "Bad & Boujee" (both chart toppers) and compare it to "Humble" and "DNA", there are commonalities. Kendrick's verses are just more complex.

the subject matter and sound of 90 percent of his music doesn't fit a pop format by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[hex]

Pop Music is a format/formula. It's not necessarily a musical genre. It's why a song like "Black Beatles" and "Bad Boujee" are as huge as they are.

Going 4X platinum doesn't make you Pop. What makes it Pop is the format/formula of the song. Technically, one couldn't really label "One Dance" a Pop song either going by your logic, because that song belongs to a different genre altogether.

Breh....it's a musical genre by definition of the word. I'm not just saying shyt to say it.

Pop music - Wikipedia

Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid-1950s. The terms "popular music" and "pop music" are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular and includes many styles.

So yeah....it's a genre and pop and popular are not the same. As far as "One Dance", it's possible to be pop and also another genre at the same time.

Fred.

 

[hex]

@JustCKing breh no offense but actually read what pop music is. You're making this harder than it needs to be. A "rap beat" doesn't necessarily make a song not pop....there is several factors, from chord progression to verse/song length to how often the chorus is repeated, that all factor into whether or not a song is considered pop. And virtually none of that applies to the songs you're labeling pop.

Fred.

 

[hex]

the subject matter and sound of 90 percent of his music doesn't fit a pop format by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm saying. I get why some of these dudes are playing dumb, they're Drake stans. But you got otherwise rational posters in here talking about "but he did a song with Rhianna and U2"....ok cool....but what are his singles? If somebody told me "Humble" or "DNA" were pop records I'd laugh in their face. There is nothing pop about his actual discography.

Fred.

 

[JustCKing]

Breh....it's a musical genre by definition of the word. I'm not just saying shyt to say it.

Pop music - Wikipedia



So yeah....it's a genre and pop and popular are not the same. As far as "One Dance", it's possible to be pop and also another genre at the same time.

Fred.

Even by definition, it's still not as black and white as you're making out to be. I mean, labeling "One Dance" as Pop song and then saying it's possible to be Pop and also another genre at the same time defeats an argument that says K. Dot isn't Pop. It's equally as possible to Pop and Hip Hop at the same time. It's a fine line that both Kast and The Fugees walked.

 

[JustCKing]

@JustCKing breh no offense but actually read what pop music is. You're making this harder than it needs to be. A "rap beat" doesn't necessarily make a song not pop....there is several factors, from chord progression to verse/song length to how often the chorus is repeated, that all factor into whether or not a song is considered pop. And virtually none of that applies to the songs you're labeling pop.

Fred.

Where did I state that a rap beat doesn't make a song not Pop. The songs I posted were more than just the artist over a rap beat. They were actually rapping. They even had Hot 107.9ATL playing the songs alongside Hip Hop records.

 

[JustCKing]

the subject matter and sound of 90 percent of his music doesn't fit a pop format by any stretch of the imagination.

Subject matter doesn't disqualify a song from being a Pop song though.

 

[JustCKing]

The main medium of pop music is the song, often between two and a half and three and a half minutes in length, generally marked by a consistent and noticeable rhythmic element, a mainstream style and a simple traditional structure.[17] Common variants include the verse-chorus form and the thirty-two-bar form, with a focus on melodies and catchy hooks, and a chorus that contrasts melodically, rhythmically and harmonically with the verse.[18] The beat and the melodies tend to be simple, with limited harmonic accompaniment.[19] The lyrics of modern pop songs typically focus on simple themes – often love and romantic relationships – although there are notable exceptions.[4]

Pop music - Wikipedia

^^^ Based on this, how isn't "Humble" not a Pop song?

 

[Newzz]

It isn't a genre, pop is a sphere of music that encompasses popular music that's why "pop" stars can come in any genre.

Why does pop music have to be watered down? Why does it have to be bad? You saying the goat and king of pop Michael Jackson made watered down music? Also, if that's the line of reasoning how is Humble not watered down for the masses? I've been listening to Kendrick since Overly Dedicated this is the definition of K-Dot being dumbed down lyrically and trying to appeal to the masses.

This shyt way too crazy, aye
You do not amaze me, aye
I blew cool from AC, aye
Obama just paged me, aye
I don't fabricate it, aye
Most of ya'll be fakin, aye
I stay modest bout it, aye
She elaborate it, aye
This that Grey Poupon, that Evian, that Ted Talk, aye
Watch my soul speak, you let the meds talk, aye



^^^^ If any "mumble rapper" would've rapped these watered down lyrics, threads would've been made discussing the lack of lyrical content and how basic the bars were



Because it's Kendrick, they give him a pass

 

[keon]

The L.O.X. made rap/R&B collabs. They were the go-to street rappers for pop and R&B acts looking for an edge...

Pop isn't a musical genre, it can be any genre as long as it is popular...

Well, that's because you put a negative connotation to pop music. Kendrick as one of the biggest hip-hop artists is pop and a crossover artist that's why he collaborates with artists like Rihanna, Imagine Dragons, U2, Taylor Swift, Sia, Adam Levine, Dido, The Weeknd, Maroon 5, and Beyonce and is on the cover of magazines like Rolling Stone. All those artists I mentioned have roots in other genres like R&B, country, rock, etc. how come they can be pop but rappers can't?

With Damn Kendrick made it a lot more pop and accessible than Pimp, which is why we saw him borrow from popular culture. Like using Lil Uzi's flow on several tracks, going to Mike Will for his two lead singles, using dancehall chants, getting Rihanna and U2 features, having a Drake-style formula record.

Hip-Hop culture is popular culture, which is why you have rappers being quoted on ESPN and CNN nowadays. Kendrick doing pop records and being a popular rapper doesn't make him not hip-hop.

Hiphop is not pop if you call it that then stop

 

[bigbadbossup2012]

Not the only reason he's called pop though.
Name another rapper that gets to perform on the biggest award shows with songs that didn't even work that well?
Pop nikkas.
Most importantly when you takeover mainstream before the streets,you're pop

This point, as well as bossup's post in general, will be ignored by rosenbergs

But of course nikkas want you to keep it real till you say something real they dont want to hear