The album Kendrick Lamar wrote his first lyrics to
Artists like Pulitzer Prize-winner Kendrick Lamar are not easy to come by. His versatility is an attribute that will be studied by future musicians for generations to come, and Lamar’s place in the hip-hop history books are already cemented.
Although Lamar is a prodigy, he is not the first. Many came before the rapper and laid the foundation for experimental hip-hop. These artists allowed him to explore his musical ability, and he learnt a lot from his predecessors.
In an interview with Complex, he mentions listening to the late rapper DMX and how his album It’s Dark and Hell is Hot was pivotal in inspiring his love for lyricism.
Rap in the 1990s was at its peak, and Lamar, who was a young teenager at the time, was very much tuned in to some of the biggest artists of the era. He has listed works by Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Jay-Z, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg among his favourites while he was growing up.
It’s Dark and Hell is Hot was DMX’s debut album, which had Lamar hooked from the get-go. He says ‘Intro’, the first song of the album, was his favourite and drew him in.
When the album came out, Lamar recalled there being a “void” in the hip-hop world after Tupac’s death. He felt that DMX’s work helped fill in the emptiness left by the legendary late rapper’s departure. Of course, no one can replace Shakur, but for Lamar, DMX reminded him why he loved rap music. It made him realise that he, too, had a voice and wanted to create on his own.
DMX’s signature sound is hardly soothing. It could be quite violent and chaotic, which was probably what appealed to young Lamar. Listening to it at 14 years old, he was most likely going through a confusing, metamorphic time in life when he was introduced to him. Clearly, having something that can inspire you to tell your own story at that stage in life can be the ultimate push one needs to develop their craft. A rapper like DMX shows aspiring artists that there are no strict rules, and as a musician, your limitations are only as much as your imagination.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and boasted 20 songs. Today, it is undeniably a hip-hop classic. Furthermore, DMX’s influence on Lamar didn’t start and end with this project.
Recently, Lamar was involved in a very public rap battle with the ever-popular Drake. In 2012, DMX said in Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club that he doesn’t “like anything about him” in reference to Drake. d. Despite having a couple of songs together, it’s likely Lamar lost respect for Drake after this interview, as he holds DMX in the highest regard.
Whether it plays out through writing song lyrics or making career decisions, it’s evident that DMX has had a lot of influence over Kendrick Lamar. A rapper like DMX is worthy of idolisation because of his honesty and authenticity, which Lamar continues to channel in his work. Perhaps, there is another 14-year-old future rapper listening to DAMN for the first time, writing up a storm and continuing the cycle of influence.