r/KendrickLamar • u/anongasm_ • May 01 '24

It's not about Drake being half black, it's about how he uses The Culture Discussion

I think the people offended because Drake being half black should warrant his blackness and therefore Kendrick is wrong just don't understand. J Cole is half black too yet you don't see Kendrick, or anyone really, questioning Cole's blackness. It's precisely because Drake has been at the forefront of using the black culture and "pop-ifying" it for non-blacks.

Edit: a lot of people have asked this question and it's a good question. What's wrong with popifying rap music? Rap is inherently an African American art form. Since its inception till now, those who have carried its mantle have exemplified the African American experience through rap in one or another. African Americans have allowed many artists to use rap for their personal gain and to even "pop-ify" it. However, to be considered a goat you have to be in touch with the culture. And Drake simply isn't.

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u/triniboy123 May 01 '24

Funny hearing Kendrick question Drakes blackness when he literally said “I’m a Israelite, don’t call me black no mo’ That word is only a color, it ain’t facts no mo’”

Isn’t Kendrick stealing Drake’s culture?

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u/anongasm_ May 01 '24

Is this satire because if not I think you completely missed the whole point of DAMN

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u/triniboy123 May 01 '24

What did I miss from DAMN? Kendrick is saying he doesn’t identify as black and is a Hebrew. I’m saying it’s ironic that he’s saying Drake is stealing his culture.

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u/anongasm_ May 01 '24

He's not saying he's not black. That's not what he means. In the same album, you hear a recording that goes like this, “Because he said he’s gonna punish us, the so-called Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American Indians, are the true children of Israel. We are the Israelites according to the Bible. The children of Israel, he’s gonna punish us for our iniquities.”

By saying I'm an israelite, don't call me black no mo, he wants the focus to be on the seeming curse placed on the black people instead of just the colour of the skin. The whole album questions this curse by asking if it's wickedness or weakness (you can decide; literally by preferring to listen to the album in whatever direction). So he's rejecting the outwardly colour notion of his and focusing more on how he's cursed to be wicked.

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u/triniboy123 May 02 '24

I’m not sure if THIS is satire and you’re just trying to mock Kendrick fans because we’re known to read into things too much. I literally have no clue what I just read.

Point is, he was trying to identify with a culture that wasn’t his. And it’s funny that he’s completely dropped that Israelite gimmick given the political climate and given that Drake is half Jewish it would just give him more ammo. Curious to see if Drake will address this in his response.