I know that most sites discourage vs. topics and I hope Im not out of line here but I like to generate discussion and every time my friends and I talk about these three we debate until the sun comes up. I think it's safe to say that these 3 artist hold the crown right now in the game. An argument can be made to Future being in there if you like hood music, but lyrically these are the top dogs. I'd like to know who you guys think is the better of the three. Cole recently set records by being the first artist in years to go Platinum without having a single feature on his album Forest Hills Drive so you have to salute him on that. I've criticized Kendrick in front of his fans for his lack of consistency but I have to be honest he's a beast. But in my own personal opinion I like Drake just because of how versatile he is and because the man is everywhere. Im definitely looking forward to Views From The 6 if it ever drops.
Drake's versatility is a good point; he sings and raps and features in so many other songs it's impossible to not know him or get a taste for him. I can't speak to J Cole, but out of the three it's clearly Kendrick. Lyrically, conceptually, emotionally, he's the realest and the most electrifying of the three. He's in the rap tradition of laying down the world around him in verse and cutting deep into his emotions and history to bring it out. Not that Drake doesn't do that, but Kendrick does it on a whole different level; growing up in Compton is worse than heartbreak, clearly.
When I see Drake, I just think of Jimmy on DeGrassi. I'm not familiar enough with Kendrick and J. Cole to say much about them. Is Drake "hood" music? I'm more partial to Tech N9ne and Immortal Technique.
Every time I see Drake's face, I want to build a wall between the United States and Canada. This was awesome...
Drake isn't hood music for sure, more just good quality music but versatile enough to feature on almost any song. He's in the club heavy though, much more than Kendrick and Cole who don't really shoot at the club going crowd. Lyrically Kendrick Lamar is an animal who has to be respected, and Cole is no slouch either but I've realized that lyrics aren't everything when it comes to rap anymore. In fact it doesn't help to be a lyrical rapper as far as mainstream media goes unless you can "dumb" your lines down to the point where the crowd gets it and can still dance to it to. I appreciate all three of these artists though simply because they all make good music and don't try to be anyone other than themselves.