The Heritage in DNA: Kendrick Lamar v. BBL Drizzy Beef
Kendrick v. BBL Drizzy. Everyone has heard of this beef, and everyone has an opinion about it, as do I (Kendrick ate). But Kendrick, Drake, Metro Boomin, Meg the Stallion, and J.Cole are all equally important in reminding us of an important exercise in hip-hop and the cultural heritage hip hop creates from region to region in the US.
Places matter for a lot of reasons, but one of the most important reasons is how place shapes culture and cultural practices, from the way we talk, the types of food we eat, the dances we dance, the houses we build, the songs we write, and in particular here, the way hip hop and flow is developed. The art we make is an example of preserving our cultural heritage, even in beef format.
There have always been rivalries between regions, from the East Coast to LA to the Bay, the Midwest, and of course the South. And Toronto, I guess. I'm biased, but so are most people, because what we listen to growing up often affects what we consider important. It is a tonal reminder of the people and places that matter in our lives, and at times, how we got to that place in the first place. Hip-hop serves as a time capsule of what's going on politically, socially, and culturally in different areas of the country. Beefs can at times - especially this time - create laundry lists of achievements and wrongdoings of influential rappers in the over-arching hip-hop community.
For me, as someone who grew up all over LA, but in particular Compton, the South Bay, and Long Beach, the artists that take me straight back home and ignite my pride the fastest are Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and of course, Kendrick Lamar. When Kendrick mentions the Tams on Rosecrans, it takes me back to my Granny treating herself to a burger from there. The iconic beats and synths that accompany Snoop Dogg's hits take me back to lazy afternoons full of ambient noise from trees, birds, helicopters, and the occasional car blasting a classic. If there's beef, my initial reaction is gonna be to support the West, and in particular LA. This region's take on hip-hop has a sticky hand grip on my memories in the same way that regional hip-hop has its grip on the people within those regions.
Just in case you’ve been under a rock and haven’t heard the compilation of disses between Kendrick and BBL Drizzy (I will not call him anything other than that for forever) listen here.
some other digital goodies to consider:
