#chejohnson

Kendrick Lamar is going to be remembered as the greatest rapper of all time.

The current landscape of hip hop is extremely diverse. On one hand we have artist who do not rely on lyrics, instead they let their production and catchy hooks take them to the top. On the other hand we have lyricist who manipulate the English language in such a beautiful way - a way that leaves you enthralled and mystified at the intelligence level of these artists. Then we have Kendrick Lamar, who has the capacity to do these two things and so much more. Kendrick Lamar is not a rapper, he’s an artist. He has the scary ability to make you feel a plethora of emotions. Not just your run of the mill “sad” or “angry”; Kendrick can make an individual question his or her own existence. Songs like “u” which are so full of pure artistry further support my claim. “u” is not just a song about Kendrick being sad; it’s a drunken Kendrick screaming to God asking why he has forsaken him. Giving justification to the overall statement that God doesn't love humans. No other artist can not only relay such a powerful and deep message, but deliver it in such an enjoyable way. Kendrick is also constantly making improvements on not only his sound, but hip hop as a whole. When Kendrick came out with To Pimp A Butterfly, he redefined hip hop. Not just because of the beautiful jazz instrumentation used throughout the entire project, but the fact that no one else is talented enough to use those jazz beats, while delivering powerful lyrics. That project is Lamar’s magnum opus and will serve as a testament to his skill for years to come.As if that is not evidence enough his peers sing his praises constantly. When asked about Kendrick potentially being the greatest rapper alive Vince Staples said “it’s not even close.” Not only his peers but his mentors sing his praises as well. The Game once said, “Kendrick is like our West Coast Nas so to speak and lyrically amazing.”

Song: 6 Foot 7 Foot

Song Format:

Chorus

Verse 1

Chorus

Verse 2

Verse 3

Song Info: Written By Lil Wayne featuring Cory Gunz. The song is produced by Bangladesh. The song is off the album “Tha Carter IV”.

Arrangement Notes: The “6 foot 7 foot eight foot bunch” background vocals serve as this songs chorus while Wayne and Cory tackle the verses. The vocals balance out the over the top energy and charisma by bringing the song back to neutral each time a verse ends.

Lyrical Notes: Lil Wayne is known for his outstanding lyricism and his phenomenal word play. There are two lines in this song that I think fully encompass that statement. “Bitch real G’s move in silence like lasagna.” Lil Wayne uses this line to express that “real G’s” (real gangsters) do not make their presence known when commuting from place to place. He pushes that narrative further by comparing real G’s moving in silence to lasagna, because lasagna has a silent G. The second line is “You niggas a gelatin, peanuts to an elephant I got through that sentence like a subject and a predicate.” This line could have more than one meaning. When combined with the previous line, Wayne talks about how Pu**y his haters are and how that translates to subjects and predicates. A subject is the what/whom of the sentence (these niggas) and the predicate tells us something about the subject (these niggas are pu**y). The line could also be perceived as to how he goes through his sentence (jail time) in a matter of fact way because he’s the subject and said jail time is what’s happening to the subject (tells us something about the subject). Similar to how every sentence must have a subject and a predicate.

Opinion: I personally believe this song is one of the most lyrical songs I’ve ever heard. Throughout this entire song, Wayne hits you with lines that make you sit and scratch your head. His ability to have lines that are so intelligent that they go way over your head fascinates me. His metaphorical artistry is unmatched. Wayne has the uncanny ability to take two seemingly unrelated subjects and connect them to each other.

Key Production Moves: Multiple vocal snippets ride the piercing high hats and claps. This is also accompanied by the grimy bass that lays at the bottom of this track. All these sounds meld together to create this chaotic yet beautiful sound. Every time I hear this song I feel like thats what goes on inside a psychopath's mind.