The Culture

Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly After listening to Kendrick Lamar's latest release, DAMN. , every single day since its release, I decided to delve back into Kung-Fu Kenny's discography. My first stop was K-Dot's 2015 release, To Pimp A Butterfly . I have always considered this album as a great, but I never really knew why. The album's interconnected themes, cryptic poems, and complex lyrics continually left me in a state of slight confusion. I decided to go read up on the album's lyrical content and read a few reviews (shoutout to genius.com and Anthony Fantano over at theneedledrop.com) in order to shed some light on Kendrick's intentions behind each track. What I found left me spellbound; I am now able to see the truth behind this record's critical acclaim, and I can't stop listening to it. From the posthumous Tupac feature on the last track "Mortal Man," to the sheer emotion that Kendrick pours out on "u," this alb...

Kendrick Lamar No matter how far back into the history of hip-hop you look, you will always find debates over who truly is/was the greatest rapper alive. I would argue that in all of rap's history there was never a time where it was so clear who that rapper was than there is today. K-Dot, Kung-Fu Kenny, Cornrow Kenny, whatever moniker you want to use, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar has dominated the rap game for the past half-decade. Even Kendrick's weakest projects such as Untitled Unmastered and Overly Dedicated are heads above the competition. The sheer lyrical skill that Kendrick displays on every single project is mind-bending. Drake may get more radio plays and Big Sean may get more features, but that just shows how Kendrick is on an entirely different plane of skill than those who he is normally in competition with for the throne of rap. While other rappers need radio hits and catchy choruses to remain successful in the game, Kendrick's projects are so phe...

Jordan 13 retro "single day" I love sneakers just as much as the next guy. Jordan, Nike, Adidas, you already know it. However, every brand has a shoe that I just can't tell if I like or not. These are usually sneakers that I hate on first sight, but eventually, through some dark and twisted sneaker magic, I find a place in my heart for them. It's really weird. I'll give you a few examples: Jordan 13s, Nike Foamposites, Jordan 11s (please don't kill me), Nike Air Max '97s, Jordan 15s, etc. I honestly don't know if my opinion about the shoe legitimately changes, or it's just that the hype around these shoes just makes me conform to the popular opinion (I guess that isn't true for the 15s though). I'll be honest, I'm relatively new to the sneaker game, so maybe my first impressions were just wrong, and after I understood more about sneakers my opinions changed. I really don't know. Does anybody else have this "problem?...

Yeezy Boost 350 V2 "Beluga" Style. Sports. Music. All day, everyday. Those three topics define any type of culture, and they are most certainly the core of today's culture, whether it be the newest Yeezy Boost V2, the newest Migos collab, or how the Cavs and Warriors have, and will continue to, dominate the NBA throughout this decade. Even if you aren't a fan of hip-hop, sneakers, or basketball, you still have to admit that these subjects are at the forefront of the collective mind of today's youth.  In my eyes, the culture of today is a renaissance of '90s culture. When I think of the '90s I think of the Chicago Bulls, N.W.A., and Jordans. Sound familiar? Today the basketball capital isn't in Chicago, it's in Oakland and in Cleveland. Today's most popular rap music isn't known as boom-bap, and it doesn't come from LA; it hails from Atlanta, and is highlighted by the hi-hat flare of trap beats and the slurred voc...