Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole truly shook things up tonight. They're the only two artists that I know of who can make all other music irrelevant. Kendrick Lamar especially did that with his remix to Cole's "A Tale of 2 Citiez", and I now fear for any other artists who have to compete with Cole or Kendrick. But especially with Kendrick.
Kendrick's remix is such an unfair song. Dot fits so perfectly on the "A Tale of 2 Citiez" beat that I could have sworn it was his own song. Kendrick makes it his own (as J. Cole did with the "Alright" beat) and that's important with a remix. The true magic is what Kendrick does with his verse. He lyrically dismembers everyone who isn't in Cole's world or in his universe. He snaps with a hyper aggressive flow and spits exactly what I (and other knowledgeable types) have been trying to tell people, how extraordinary and original in sound "To Pimp A Butterfly" is and how King Kunta and Young Simba (now Mufasa at this point) are among the untouchable. Kendrick even throws in a few lines that offer food for thought (just as Cole did). I thought it gave this gorgeous balance between the two tracks, making the individual ones feel like a joint song, as both Kendrick and Cole brag and feed the people in their verses.
"Black Friday" is unquestionably dangerous. I don't know how anyone could deny Kendrick and Cole's greatness. Their mixtapes are classics, with each of their albums having the potential to become classics. There is no longer a need to pit Cole and Kendrick against one another, and there never should have been. "Black Friday" shows their dominance over everyone, elevated with their unparalleled skill matched with their friendship. No one comes near the level of these two and that should be evident. We're literally witnessing two new songs that are semi-collabs from the two greatest artists of our generation. I don't need to explain how big this is, what it means to me or the impact it will have on music from their contemporaries. Just soak in the moment and enjoy the greatness of Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.
Check out "Black Friday" below.
Lead Photo Cred: pitchfork.com
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