TDE’s Kendrick Lamar is on his way to becoming rap royalty.  Most recently, his featured verse on Big Sean’s “Control” not only impressed listeners with his lyrical abilities, but found the Compton native slipping his name among Hip Hop greats such as Jay Z, Eminem, Nas and Andre 3000.  Going a step further, Lamar decided to aim his cross hairs on the East Coast by proclaiming himself the “King Of New York.”  Since the leak of the record, Hip Hop heads and music enthusiasts everywhere have been going back and forth on the track’s significance and Kendrick’s intentions.  Check out an excerpt from a new article spotted online over at True Magazine which breaks down the controversial verse and what it really means to Hip Hop.

Since the release of Big Sean’s “Control” which originally was set to be showcased on his upcoming Hall Of Fame LP, the topic of discussion in the world of Hip Hop has been Kendrick Lamar’s guest verse.  All over the internet and across the vast lands of social media, people have been weighing in with their thoughts behind the TDE rapper putting himself on a pedestal above his peers.

“I’m usually homeboys with the same n—s I’m rhyming wit’/but this is Hip Hop and them n—s should know what time it is/ and that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale/Pusha T, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake/Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller/I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you n—s’/Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n—s/They don’t wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n—s/what is competition,” raps the Compton, Calif. native.

Adding insult to injury, Kendrick’s lyrics also include: “I’m important like the Pope/I’m Muslim on pork/I’m Makaveli’s offspring/I’m the king of New York/King of the coast, one hand, I juggle them both.”

Needless to say, Lamar has single handedly sparked the fire that the industry needed in order to shift everyone’s interest back towards lyricism.  With everyone so busy turning up and focusing their efforts on “getting to the money,” artists and fans alike got too comfortable with the direction that Hip Hop found itself going in.  Though rappers have always continued to take stabs at one another from time to time, it’s been awhile since Hip Hop’s seen a respected lyricist embody that competitive spirit of the past and deliver something good enough to put our attention’s in a chokehold.