#like that

Like birds have dances and singing

"Like That" by Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar r. March 22nd 2024, as part of WE DON'T TRUST YOU

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Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli about this line on Popcast, a New York Times podcast that covers the latest in popular music criticism, trends and news (April 3rd 2024, aftermath of "Like That" release):

CO: Now, taken literally… [Prince and Michael Jackson] both had unfortunate demises. CA: [Nods] They met unfortunate ends; substance-related deaths. CO: Uh, [Prince] didn't outlive him by that long. The music that he made in the time after Michael Jackson…. [laughs] it doesn't really hold up to scrutiny, but you know what he means. CA: I know what he means, it's interesting- CO: He means "I'm an artist and you're a pop star." CA: Michael Jackson was an artist. Respectfully- CO: Of course, that's what I'm saying, it doesn't really- It's like, it's the best line in the verse to me, but also doesn't really hold up when you look at it closely- he's trying to say the thing that you're saying which is "we play different games", like "you can have your number 1 hits, I'll just pop out and be a genius." CA: But this is what people always get wrong about Drake [CO: yeah] and you would think Kendrick would be an astute enough listener to not get it wrong about Drake. And obviously there's a difference between what you know and what you put in a verse; they can be different. But the thing that people fundamentally get wrong about Drake is reducing him to statistics and success. CO: He does that a little bit to himself. CA: Yeah, but if I had those statistics and success I probably would as well. CO: Sure. CA: But a lot of times people weaponize that against his artistry. And Drake is fundamentally truly one of the most artistically successful huge popstars of the 21st century. CO: Similar to Michael Jackson [laughs]. CA: Yes. What Kendrick is saying, obviously, is like — we talked about auteurs before — he's like "I'm the auteur and you're the frivolous guy." It's not true. CO: About either of those guys or about either of these guys. Also, Prince was quite prolific, I will say [laugh]. CA: Extremely. And frankly, late in career, to very mixed effects.

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Saving this here because it's a very interesting perspective to me, which I overall agree with. I decided to bold the line about Kendrick "not being astute enough to know it" (which I think it's debatable) because I think it's possible this dissonance within him is part of what's fueling his own conflicted thoughts about going at Drake like he did as I raised up in my previous post.

Now, the elephant in the room: they are both white men. Back when the beef was happening, I followed almost exclusively black reactors/commentators of hip hop (Knox Hill being the only exception but he never comments on it, he just breaks down what bars mean and their artistry). I already know what "the culture" as it's called had and still has to say about Drake and as someone who was (still am in some ways) on Kendrick's "team" (even though I never quite hated Drake as much as people do), I was contently eating it all up since I've always liked to understand different cultural viewpoints. The reason I decided to give a chance to the whiteys is 1) I liked what they had to say about ICEMAN and how they focused on the work itself instead of any dick-riding and 2) in some ways I understand that my perspective as an outsider might have points of similarity to the outsiders of that culture in that country and even come close to where Drake might come from as a semi-outsider (more on that later).

Of course, these guys don't have the perspective of black culture commentators and what they do speak on is the crossover between that and the overall pop culture it's inserted on. That leaves a lot of people to believe their view is fundamentally limited, but I think there is merit in seeing things from the macro too instead of focusing on the micro. Especially when this tension is one that is intrinsic to Drake as an artist.