Taking a look at some of the biggest hip-hop songs of 2014, we come across such hits as “Anaconda,” about having a lot of junk in the trunk, “Hot Boy,” which sticks to common rap themes such as violence, money, and women, and a song all about being “Fancy.”
I’m not saying that any of these songs didn’t deserve to top the charts. They were stuck in my head just as much the next guy’s. However, across the board, there was a general lack of “substance” in any of the biggest rap songs of the year.
Even broadening to scope to pop songs, with the exception of “Happy,” we were only graced with the most repetitive of themes on the radio. I understand that breakups are hard, but there are only so many ways you can tell that story in three minutes with a catchy hook.
I am not making the irresponsible and played-out cliché that modern music is dead and the Top 40 Chart is an audio vomit of synth and white girls who like to whine about boys or just tell us about how much they love singing in the shower. If anything, I think that music continues to make great strides. However, in regards to hip-hop in particular, it remains true that the quickest way to get a song to blow up is to make sure it can be played in a club.
From the beginning, Kendrick has ignored the “rules” of modern day music. He was able to make a commercially successful and culturally significant debut album with good kid, m.A.A.d city while sticking to his guns as a poetic storyteller. And it doesn’t look like he is planning on switching up that formula on his upcoming sophomore album.
The infectious, funky new single from Kendrick, “i,” is a celebration of individuality and self-empowerment. “Everybody looking at you crazy / What you gonna do?” Lamar asks over the upbeat, groovy sample of the 70’s classic “That Lady” by the Isley Brothers. “Lift up your head and keep moving? / Or let the paranoia haunt you?” Unsurprisingly, it is catchy. It’s anthemic.
Kendrick Lamar has never shied away from claiming his status at the top of the rap food chain. He has called out a large number of the biggest names in hip-hop, given himself the title, “King of New York” despite hailing from Compton, California, and largely stepped on a lot of peoples’ toes in the industry along the way. However, he is considered one of the greatest lyricists alive today, if not in the history of the genre.
Chris Brown recently had this to say of the emcee: “Some rappers, you have guys that will only talk about what they have or what they got or what they can shine off of. But I think when you can paint a picture poetically, it’s more therapeutic, and at the end of the day it means a lot more. It goes a long way.” While I generally think it a good rule of thumb to ignore anything the respectable Mr. Brown has to say, he echoes many of the sentiments that I have touched on.
The fact that a rapper at the top of his game is willing to put out a song that sounds so very different from the other noise that is out right now, both sonically and lyrically, as his lead single is a very encouraging sign. While many fans were quick to mark the beginning of a new era of hip-hop with the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city, I saw it more as a necessary complement to the club bangers that are being put out on a consistent basis.
“i” opens up with an impassioned voice describing Kendrick, saying “He’s not a rapper—he’s a writer, he’s an author!” Kendrick then takes over and describes his struggles and his confidence despite this strife. By claiming, “I love myself,” he is calling on all of us to love ourselves, because that is the first step in loving one another. As much as I loved hearing about a “Rude” father-in-law-to-be on the radio all summer, a song like “i” is a breath of fresh air.
And while it may or not be the start of a greater movement in pop music to be more positive, introspective, and ultimately meaningful, it doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that we do have at least on voice from one of the most significant artists of the day willing to step up and say, “I love myself.”
