Again in April, Billboard journal, the music trade’s recordkeeper for chart success, took the possibility to attempt to predict what could be the tune of the summer season. On the time the publication thought-about Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em” and Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends” to be front-runners, in addition to “Like That,” the collaboration by rappers Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar.
Opinion Columnist
LZ Granderson
LZ Granderson writes about tradition, politics, sports activities and navigating life in America.
Two weeks after Billboard requested what could be the tune of 2024’s summer season, Drake launched “Push Ups.” The observe insulted a variety of folks within the rap trade, however Drake took explicit purpose at Lamar, going as far as to mock his peak and shoe dimension. Drake got here at Lamar straight the next week with “Taylor Made Freestyle.” And on the final day of April, Lamar responded with the six-minute dissertation “Euphoria.”
Ultimately Billboard chosen Publish Malone’s “I Had Some Help” that includes Morgan Wallen because the “song of the summer.” Lamar’s chart topper “Not Like Us” — the fourth observe in his backwards and forwards with Drake — was by some means ranked third. I used to be a bit shocked. To be trustworthy, I assumed the “song of summer” dialog was over in June after Lamar carried out “Not Like Us” 5 occasions at his Pop Out live performance on the Discussion board.
Two Americas, I suppose.
Then once more, “Not Like Us” will not be a tune, it’s a revelation as Lamar would say.
A relatively prescient one, contemplating how a lot racial pressure and id politics formed the overall election, notably after Vice President Kamala Harris grew to become the nominee. On “Like That” and “Euphoria,” Lamar threw haymakers at Drake. Nevertheless, by the point we heard “Us,” Lamar was merely utilizing Drake as a logo to impress a bigger dialog about authenticity, accountability and manhood.
By that lens, together with “Us” on a best-of-summer record is akin to referring to the locs on my head as a coiffure — technically true, but culturally tone-deaf.
“Let me tell you what that record did do. It united the West,” Snoop Dogg mentioned just lately on the podcast “The Champs,” including it made “everybody out here start looking at each other like how much love we got for each other … so we should speak on that.”
Completely. We definitely don’t have an issue speaking about conflicts in hip-hop — whether or not a beef between two stars or a conflict between Bloods and Crips. So why can’t we acknowledge the love?
Whereas different types of music are routinely acknowledged for his or her therapeutic energy, the vulnerability embedded within the lyrics of hip-hop is commonly missed. And due to that, the humanity of the artist rapping these lyrics is definitely missed. Lamar’s seven Grammy nominations this 12 months, the Tremendous Bowl gig lined up for subsequent 12 months and the streaming information are all excellent. And none of that might have been potential with out the social commentary that accompanies the music.
This consists of “GNX,” the shock album Lamar launched Friday. Whereas he does proceed to hammer away at Drake personally, the ability of Lamar was all the time his capability to make a single story about a person really feel like an analogy about all of us. The place “Not Like Us” left off, “TV Off” and “Man at the Garden” picked up by way of manufacturing worth and searing observations.
It’s humorous to assume that again in April, Lamar was someplace minding his personal enterprise earlier than Drake got here for his crown — and missed. Since then, the tradition has gone backwards and forwards between headlines about one thing outlandish from the election and social media going loopy about one other Kendrick Lamar shock.
Track of the summer season?
Document of the 12 months?
These monikers couldn’t start to encapsulate simply how sensible and vibrant Lamar has been in a 12 months filled with darkish moments.
Consider it this fashion: In 2012, LeBron James gained the common season MVP, an NBA title, Finals MVP and Olympic gold in London. Just one different participant had completed all of that in a single 12 months — Michael Jordan. That’s when the controversy over who is healthier started in earnest. After cementing his legacy with a historic summer season, James began the next season carrying a pair of gold gymnasium sneakers in honor of his Olympic achievement and formally asserting his arrival among the many sport’s biggest.
As life would have it, the week earlier than that sport, Lamar introduced his arrival among the many greats as effectively, dropping “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City.”
And like James he’s been breaking information ever since. Nevertheless in contrast to for James, the controversy over the best in Lamar’s sport is over.
