Why Lord Jamar isn’t a fan of Kendrick Lamar’s new “gang banger” style
Kendrick Lamar has had a good year, to say the least, and most, if not all, hip-hop fans see him in a positive light now. However, Brand Nubian lyricist Lord Jamarf had some interesting things to say about Lamar on his podcast The GodPod.
More specifically, he and Artie Stacks questioned how representative Lamar can really be considered a symbol of LA street culture. Since his battle with Drake began earlier this year, Lamar has sought to show the world how authentically West Coast he is. Still, Lord Jamar doesn’t believe the Section.80 creator is genuinely gangster.
Speaking about who he believes is the accurate representation of LA concerning street culture, Lord Jamar stated, “Game is that guy compared to f**king Kendrick [Lamar]. Kendrick was supposed to be just like a nerd or some regular guy. Now all of a sudden, he’s like a gang banger or some sh*t.”
The emcee’s co-host, Artie Stacks, agreed that Kenrick is a “good MC”, whereas The Game is a “good LA rapper” and brings a more uniquely Los Angeles flavour with his music. Artie Stacks even referenced the title of Lamar’s sophomore album Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, and highlighted how the musician labelled himself as a “Good Kid.”
Still, in response to Lord Jamar’s criticisms, Stacks recalled how Snoop Dogg “passed the torch” to Kendrick and crowned him the new King of the West Coast. Unfortunately, the Brand Nubian rhymer wasn’t convinced and asserted that any references Kendrick Lamar makes to gang culture and guns are entirely contrived.
However, Lord Jamar’s opinion didn’t go down well and many people responded to his claims. One user wrote, “Lord Jamar is a flat Earther who thinks he’s a Native American and that slavery happened in reverse. Do with that what you will,” while another commented, “Ay bruh we not taking a New Yorker’s opinion on LA seriously they represent 2 different generations spanning 20 years both carried LA for years.”
K. Dot has shown his West Coast roots very clearly this year and did so especially well with the music video for the track ‘Squabble Up’. While only shot in one room, the visuals pay tribute to Oakland’s Trunk Boiz, Ice-T, the film Menace II Society and even a tribute to the late legend Nate Dogg.
So far, Lord Jamar seems to be the only figure in hip-hop questioning Lamar’s authenticity. Still, many are used to his outlandish and unpopular opinions.