13:16 No! I do love your theory, and it was my theory before I heard you say it! I literally squealed when I heard you say it!! I sent it to the 5 people who I had already said it to. WE are here 😜😝
Can I just say that after all the drama people tried to stir up between Kendrick and Wayne, or Kendrick and Snoop, both of those situations ended amicably? And what did Kendrick say on his album? "If that's your family, then handle it as such / Don't let the socials gas you up or let emotions be your crutch / Pick up the phone and bust it up before the history is lost"
@@comicdans7732 🖤 preach! There's a line from a comedian I love, named Josh Johnson, coincidentally in his set about Kendrick v Drake): "The internet is all gas and no brakes. The internet will get you to mess. up. your. life. - y'know what I mean? People you don't know, with no skin in the game, will be like, 'Oh, I wouldn't take that if I was you. Whatcha gonna do? I wouldn't take that. Ooo. If I was you...'"
Oh, you haven't heard? A fortnight after the superbowl Elliott, Zane Lowe, and Justin are having a 3-way cage fight to see who gets the first interview.
I've said this a million times. I actually think Takover is better.... it's just harder to say you got Ether'd. That was subpar Nas bars to me. I'm a fan of both, was a Nas fan first.
@@TheCompanyMan A rap battle isn't won by whomever provides "facts." It's won by whomever can successfully change the narrative about the other person to make them look like a joke. It's whomever wins the game of psychological warfare...and Nas did that with Ether. He handled each one of Jay's claims while taking him down with precision. Ether really was a surgical diss that did what it was supposed to do. On the day it dropped (Jay-Z's birthday no less), Jay was so affected by it that he went on Hot 97 _crying_ ! It was _then_ that the victory was Nas's. No one even remembers Superugly lol
Thank you so much. ANd I'm sincerely thankful for all the insight you drop on this community. They definitely open my perspective. I'm blessed to have you a part of the community. Happy new years to you and your family. 🙏🏿
@@TheCompanyMan Thank you for what you do, Justin. It’s the most electrifying time in hip-hop in the last 15 years, maybe ever. I think I can confidently say for everyone that watches your videos, we are so blessed that you are here to chronicle it. Holidays can be difficult when loved ones are missing. I hope your celebrations and New Year are full of love and peace. It’s all happening. ✊🏾
33 minute and 42 second applause for one of the tightest, all killer no filler, most beautifully written videos i have ever heard here or anywhere. If you told me you wrote this in a single take with hands guided by those of the master wordsmiths of history i would believe you. Justin this was just phenomenal. I cannot give you enough props for your work here. I leave you enlightened by your insight and invigorated by your craft with the pen! E: And another round of applause cuz i have to run it back. Once wasn't enough. Congrats Justin. This is a milestone in hip hop commentary. Idk what else to call it. It's all happening!!
Yes! As the daughter of a journalist, I adore the work and word you're putting out! Big love from a black American English teacher in Italy who just finished a four hour course on the battle as it related to Shakespeare versus Marlowe. Big ups, Justin!!!
@@WillyWafflesTV I wish I had filmed it. But it's a high school, so privacy laws. The parallels are so insanely apt, it's almost funny. One is one of the fathers of modern literature who can do any style of story telling, and the other was a one trick pony who got shanked in a bar because that many MF's hated him...see where I'm going?
Thank you SG 🙏🏿 I've been working on it for a few weeks and was excited to share it with you all. I'm glad you rock with it. I appreciate you sincerely.
Ooooo. You right. Edit: my guess is he's gonna *rock* the Superbowl, tour the GNX album for a while, then return home & get *deep* into helping Compton - basically taking up the guardian role that Nipsey once held. Those experiences will guide his album.
Ask people and most will tell you Drake best song is Family Matters. Do the same for Kendrick and you’re going to find 4 different answers. This battle showed Kendrick’s different range, flow and style.
"Everything means something" you hit it on the head. This man must be recieved with that in mind. He is a master of his craft and always has a message for us.
The year of Kendrick confirmed for me that Kendrick understands ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA. I'm a fan of comedy and movies, these things have different aspects, genres and approaches that make them work and resonate with the audience and these nuances add so much for me. To me, the people who don't get why Kendrick's approach this year(and even his career in general) was so monumental, exposes how much they genuinely don't appreciate art. Being offensive while philosophical and funny(Patrice O'neal - comedian) is an art. Creating vivid stories through rhythm and rhyme(Name your film maker), is an art. Having eccentric flows, vocal inflections and song ideas(Busta Rhymes, Eminem, ODB), is an art. Encapsulating all these characteristics at once, is GOAT sh*t Side note: Its cool how, if you a long time kendrick fan, or even a new one, its clear to see that he always had the resume, this beef just helped people who never delved into kendrick's dicsography see what a lot of us saw since forever. Its the ultimate, Tortoise vs The Hare(What is it the braids?) tale we've ever witnessed. Number's don't tell the full story, but with kendrick being the top streamed hip-hop artist right now, it reinforces Kendrick's statement on Mask Off Remix, "How you let a conscious n*gga go commercial while only making conscious albums?"
I always feel people miss it when they compare Family Matters to Not Like Us. NLU was not the response to FM…Meet the Grahams was Dots response. While MTG was not a club banger…it was the total destruction of a man, not an artist. When Dot says in hey now, “ I walked in with a therapeutic flow…” he was talking about MTG. That’s the song to compare to FM and that’s the song that bodied Drake.
@@shotbyfabi It's really dope how structured the album. I really appreciate you SBF. I'm blessed your apart of this community and always sharing insight. Happy New Years to you and your family. 🙏🏿
More thoughts: love that you fleshed out the thoughts on Macbeth. Love the 1 second applause for your own Makavelli take. Oh hey, that’s me! Neat to be in a video this good and important .
Ha! Thanks brother! My favorite cutaway is you gaslighter quote. Stuck with me all year. Find myself saying outside in conversations all the time.. Congratulations on a great year!
This is really the other have of Drake Deserves The Smoke. It's evolved so much, Nic and honestly it came out when it was supposed to. This story has moved so fast for so long, I'm just happy to have finally been able to ship this and share it with you all. I really appreciate you for everything, Nic. I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season.🙏🏿
I thought Harriet Tubbman was an american hero and a certified badass? I dont understand why/how they turned her in to a slander against doechii. Doechii is fuggin awesome and i hope she wins those grammys!
Exactly. It’s ok to not like someone’s music, but people who use terns like protest music and woke music are why hip hop needs to be gatekept. If exploring the black experience in music is offensive to you then there is nothing for you in this genre.
Staying underground is literally the goal. Make my underground takes go pop. A year like this will never be repeated. Amazing way to end off this great year. Dope video Justin. Thank you for everything this year.
BIG FACTS🎯😂 Joe Budden is saying that bcuz he feels bad that he cooked Drake when he told some of the bs Drake was doing behind the scenes🤦🏾♀️FM wasn’t even better than euphoria 😂
One more layer, Gloria references Father Time, it samples Father Time as well, with new GNX musical elements - The Latin singer, the Spanish guitar - who's meaning I am yet to crack. A song where he uses basketball as a metaphor to his relationship with his father (*wink wink* Reincarnated) and how it affects both his humanity and his craft; coincidentally enough the song opens up with Whitney talking to Kendrick and Gloria is a double based of his, at times, rocky relationship with her. "It takes some Tough skin just to f with you" is reference to Father time - "...everything he didn't want was everything I was"(Which itself could be a double incontext of fathertime) th-cam.com/video/5Pl1ylm3rg0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=aZpvEbjm8tzAHheF The song shows the balance he has embracing the "saint and my sin" he sees within himself. My favorite line is by SZA "Gloria I wanna take you to Euphoria" the double entantre is immaculate 😂. *Unfinished Thoughts*: So far here are the "key pieces" I found Gloria consolidates in the album/EP, Nas - "I gave you power" Pac - "Me and my Girlfriend" both referenced in the similar concept song Gloria. Both of the artists were referenced earlier, I just don't get the symbolism 🤔West and East Coast Legends... Fun fact: Gloria is a pen line by Laban and it comes in two hues Red and Blue...coincidence?
@@lungi8424 Just a guess, but doesn’t mention of the two legends (East to West, encompassing the whole of the country) get us back to the start of the album and Wacced Out Murals (wacc the mural out/ but there ain’t no legends if my legend ends). It feels like a 360° moment that’s a warning, a premonition and an inevitability of the “regular” love/hate duality (like the duality of the pen metaphor) that’s “without a cure.”
@@chauffeur0575 something about Wacced Out Murals "there ain't no legends if my legend ends" line connecting to those legends on the West and the East that were referenced on the album making a full circle moment
Loved this battle 'shakedown'. Not only did it do justice to this amazing year in hiphop, it also brilliantly dissected aspects of the beef and GNX I hadn't even thought about. It's all happening!
Kendrick definitely dissed 50 Cent. 50's ex is named Cuban Link, and Kendrick just happened to say "put his head on a cuban link" on Wacced, the track where he was taking shots at everybody. Then on Squabble Up he said he has "the money and the power both gyrating"... 50 Cent had a show called "The Money And The Power" in 2008. I'm pretty sure 50 responded on Snoop's album too, which I'm surprised not many people are talking about! On Gun Smoke he was talking tough to someone he referred to as a "big stepper"... the fact that he went on Andrew Schulz's podcast right after Missionary dropped makes me think that was DEFINITELY a Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers reference.
I thought the Cuban Link reference could've also been a subliminal towards Fat Joe, who has a long standing beef with rapper (and former member of the Terror Squad) Cuban Link.
It's honestly so great to see a critical analysis of hip hop culture with callbacks to classical literature I was surprised to hear a deconstruction of Macbeth work so well in describing a moment within modern hip hop culture. The seminal works of both the English canon and of rap culture are timeless imo and continuously prove themselves to be sources to learn critical lessons from, both about ourselves and the culture.
Thank you for checking the piece. I completely agree. The mission of the channel is life though the lens of hip hop because humanity is inextricably connected and I think we don’t do a good enough job learning as much as we can from each other
People are going to look back at this moment in time as the shift. The shift in culture, from Katt Williams calling out the weirdness in Hollywood to Puff being arrested. From Kendrick dissecting Drakes whole career to Aubrey suing. There’s a shift, and I hope it keeps going and grows to be the mainstream thing. Thank you Justin for an amazing year of reporting and breakdowns again. I’ve been a fan since the early DX days. You’re a legend bro, and one of the GOATS of this. Happy New Year my brother! I can’t wait to see what you achieve next year.
Loool that album was trash, the Damn was the last best album from Kendrick , gnx at least but it ain't touching the ( Might Delete Later) that the unpopular fact tooo hot to take i know 🔥🔥
@@TheCompanyMan And Julius Caesar! Future, Metro, Ross, Rocky, Ye, Gambino couldn’t wait for the Ides of March, leaving Cassius/Brutus (Kendrick) trying to save the heart and soul of Rome (hip-hop). It’s all happening!
Regarding the last question: To me "man at the garden" sounds like he knows what's coming. The obvious reference is to Adam, who was kicked out of the garden of Eden, but it also reminds me of the Godfather movies. IIRC both Vito and Michael Corleone died in the garden, and Michael, who removed himself from the community, died alone. He has it all right now, but he's aware that it's precarious.
00:00 Intro 01:07 Kendrick Catalog Breakdown 02:27 Roller Coaster Effect 05:05 GNX Subliminals 07:14 GNX Two Song Theory 07:52 GNX Mexican Influence 11:37 Weird Side Quests 13:11 7 Day Theory theory 15:01 The End Of The TDE Era 17:06 Family Matters Propaganda 17:40 Jay-Z vs Nas 24:07 Family Matters Propaganda 2: Manosphere 26: 31 The Fallacy Of Drizzy The Invincible 29:30 MacBeth 31:28 Outro
25:00 - 26:20 this is the point ive been having the hardest time trying to make. I just couldnt find the way to articulate it, and there's an incredible catharsis i feel knowing im not the only one seeing that pattern.
I think culturally folks thought that ignoring this media as irrelevant slop would be the best move… but we kind of got collectively blindsided towards the second half of last year in seeing it gain legitimacy and its investors and consumers not fearing being public supporters anymore
I thought that part kinda showed one of Drakes crutches when rapping. When he finds a flow he rides that shit to the ground for so long it becomes white noise without any interesting changes and with his monotone rap voice it gets boring. I do think Family Matters is the best Drake has ever rapped, but the saddest part is this is the best Drake has ever rapped lol
@@omartyre This is my thing. The take that Family Matters is best song in the battle just doesn't ring true so many of the disses could be applied to Drake himself and too much time aiming better shots at people other than Kendrick. It always landed flat to me.
@@TheCompanyManyou gotta bring up that background piano tune you used to have in the beginning of your videos. I started down the vintage rabbit hole earlier this week lol.
What an AMAZING wrap up, cementing what we witnessed into the annals of history! Beyond grateful for your work and I'm lucky to be a spectator. LOVE this format too!
Thank you so much Yaz! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. My goal is to do two of these a month in 2025. Along with a daily live news hour. I really appreciate you🙏🏿
I love that Kendrick is showing a different meaning of what success looks like. Like he said he has the “money and the power both gyrating” but he showcases his success as his family, his connections and his growth as a man and human being. It’s beautiful. I wish this for more people. (Including myself 😊)
As someone who was submitting lyrics to Genius in the first hours of GNX dropping, seeing a lyric I subbed that got approved in one of your videos is an honor and a privilege.
1:05 This breakdown of Kendrick's album releases is very eloquently put and illustrates what expert journalism sounds like. Justin might be the goat lol
WEW! This is a geeat piece, Justin. I love your framing of things here (side missions, the description of GNX, the opening with Dot and Dave Free). Just the way things unfolded given everything Kendrick has done, irrespective of how much of it was intended by Kendrick, is absolutely incredible. What a time to be alive.
Thank you, Jim! I've been working on this idea for a while and was determined to get it out before the new year. I barely made the deadline... but I made the deadline. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. This was a wild and wacky year and I really appreciate you holding me down for so long. My goal is to get to a two a month rhythm on breakdowns in 2025 along with the daily live news hour for members Which I'm starting next week. Thank you for everything and happy new year to you and your family.
14:37 Justin giving a one second applause for his own theory after listing all the evidence despite the disagreements from others is the energy we need in 2025
This might be the best year by a rapper ever. Kendrick won a historic rap battle with a legendary performance, scored multiple number 1 hits, earned the Super Bowl gig, released a #1 album while occupying the top 5 spots on BB hot 100 that will be considered a west coast classic at minimum, excellent features, elite bars. All-time performance, amazing to watch in real time
The TH-cam-Hip-Hop community is so consistent with showing up for each other, collaborating together and making quality content at the same time. It's an oasis in the desert of doom and ragebait.
This video is amazing. Thank you so much for this. You put in so much hard work into this piece. Side note: Jason Martin’s “I’m gonna sue!” voice is hilarious😂
Wow. This was an awesome video essay. So well written and insightful and engaging for longtime dot fans. I smiled at the Macbeth reference. Do more of this!!!!
Superb journalism Justin, so happy we have you to engage in our culture content like this. The passion for the true essence of Hip Hop is sadly a rare thing and compounded with critical/honest/logical/accurate discourse, it's even more rare. We need you man.
Perfect timing, as I just finished the 3 hour, year-end culture conversation on your channel. Happy to see you included those potential 50 bars in this video! Great work, Mr. Hunt! Appreciate your work here. 🙏🏽
Love the piece, I see you started having some fun with the editing- nicely done. Also loving the outro- and as somebody much smarter than I once said, “ I would rather have questions that can’t be answered, than answers that can’t be questioned.👊🏾
Wow! Masterful writing, and a captivating delivery. I watch all your videos, but this was absolutely riveting and I learned a few things! It’s All Happening!
I figured a lot of this out early on and everyone said I was reaching, I’m just happy that people really have had time to sit with everything and understand, this is bigger than rap in so many ways. Kendrick deserves it all!
I just wanna say thank you for calling out that line about Kendrick's uncle from family matters. For all Drake's talk of being a huge pop star, he forgets that the LGBT community is a HUGE pillar of pop, brat summer was huge in the gay community. Drake really couldn't keep doing pop star numbers in rap while burning his bridges in both communities
“The media’s addiction to false equivalency”. This is the kind of insane bar that must not be buried.
So the correct way to organize the absolute fuckstack of bars in this video is... some sort of vast array so as not to bury even a single one?
ACAA
Thank you, brother 🙏🏿🙏🏿
@@professorskye yep.prob gonna end up on kendricks next album lol
Akademiks could NEVER this is the black professional media that should be embraced by the community at large.
I stand by this message
@@Diamolyn3 Agreed❤️
💯
@@Diamolyn3 And he's been consistently delivering for years. Celebrate this man!
@@BraillionaireFACTS!!! 🎤 🔥 🎉
A DAMN Masterpiece Justin! 🔥🔥🔥
Thank you for everything brother. 🙏🏿
@ likewise brotha
@@CurtissKingTV I’m glad I discovered this new community this year.
@@CurtissKingTV Keep those popstar apologists’s feet to the fire, Curtiss. Thank you for what you do.
I standby my statement - greatest string of tweets of all time... and the craziest part is it's still going lol
You're correct!
@@jeremyhecht that last part is insane. It’s art and what NFTs and profile values could be.
@@jeremyhecht huge fan, thank for a great year
Tiramisu!!!!
My man Justin bringing us back to that HipHopDX era of masterpiece essays.
It's all happening 🫡
In his bag!
13:16 No! I do love your theory, and it was my theory before I heard you say it! I literally squealed when I heard you say it!! I sent it to the 5 people who I had already said it to. WE are here 😜😝
WE ON THE ZEITGEIST! It's all happening!
Euphoria was the best song/rap in the whole beef hands down
Battle was over after Euphoria imo 🤷🏾♂️
@@SladeW5218frfr
@@SladeW5218... I said the same.... the rest was Dot stunting
Absolutely Family Matters doesn’t even stand up to Euphoria, much less NLU
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💯
14 minutes in and you’re cooking per usual. Thank you for the mention. 💛
The man is going off exxxtra hard!! There musta been something in the mashed potatoes at Christmas... my word!
The hip hop youtube space is exploding this year
Love seeing my favorite creators connect and interact.. Keep it up Monie
Cousin🙌🏾
@@ChillingWithMonie cooking open mic eagle 🤣
Can I just say that after all the drama people tried to stir up between Kendrick and Wayne, or Kendrick and Snoop, both of those situations ended amicably? And what did Kendrick say on his album?
"If that's your family, then handle it as such / Don't let the socials gas you up or let emotions be your crutch / Pick up the phone and bust it up before the history is lost"
EXACTLY.
@@comicdans7732 🖤 preach!
There's a line from a comedian I love, named Josh Johnson, coincidentally in his set about Kendrick v Drake):
"The internet is all gas and no brakes. The internet will get you to mess. up. your. life. - y'know what I mean? People you don't know, with no skin in the game, will be like, 'Oh, I wouldn't take that if I was you. Whatcha gonna do? I wouldn't take that. Ooo. If I was you...'"
@ I remember that. I love Josh Johnson! Not a big stand up guy but I've seen some of his stuff on TH-cam.
Justin, I hope you get the next Kendrick Lamar interview in 2025. 🙏🏾🥰
Oh, you haven't heard? A fortnight after the superbowl Elliott, Zane Lowe, and Justin are having a 3-way cage fight to see who gets the first interview.
Yes Justin, you deserve it all!!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
That would be on point!
Putting it in the ether
It would be epic.
Im mexican, and I can say Kenny is loved in Mexico a lot. BTW: Your video has so much quality, congrats, it actually feels like profesional journalism
THANK YOU 🙏🏿
Nobody says “you got takeovered” they say “you got Ethered” Nas won 😂😂😂
I've said this a million times. I actually think Takover is better.... it's just harder to say you got Ether'd. That was subpar Nas bars to me. I'm a fan of both, was a Nas fan first.
I loved Nas forever, and his viciousness (as basic as the bars may have been) on Ether will forever give him the win for me!
BIGFAX
@@TheCompanyMan A rap battle isn't won by whomever provides "facts." It's won by whomever can successfully change the narrative about the other person to make them look like a joke. It's whomever wins the game of psychological warfare...and Nas did that with Ether. He handled each one of Jay's claims while taking him down with precision. Ether really was a surgical diss that did what it was supposed to do. On the day it dropped (Jay-Z's birthday no less), Jay was so affected by it that he went on Hot 97 _crying_ ! It was _then_ that the victory was Nas's. No one even remembers Superugly lol
@@jefferycoleman1257 I don't believe you if you like Jay better just say it. SMH
“I fux with it. It’s hip-hop.” I missed this sort of well-researched journalism full of lived and studied history. Thanks, Justin.
Thank you so much. ANd I'm sincerely thankful for all the insight you drop on this community. They definitely open my perspective. I'm blessed to have you a part of the community. Happy new years to you and your family. 🙏🏿
Wow, so much info packed strategically and effeciently into this stream. There's levels to this journalism game! Awesome.
@@TheCompanyMan Thank you for what you do, Justin. It’s the most electrifying time in hip-hop in the last 15 years, maybe ever. I think I can confidently say for everyone that watches your videos, we are so blessed that you are here to chronicle it. Holidays can be difficult when loved ones are missing. I hope your celebrations and New Year are full of love and peace. It’s all happening. ✊🏾
Thank you so much. My mom is smiling up there. 🙏🏿
This💯
"It ain't about getting bigger all day.
Ain't about the number one record all day. Its other ways to be bigger" - Kendrick
33 minute and 42 second applause for one of the tightest, all killer no filler, most beautifully written videos i have ever heard here or anywhere.
If you told me you wrote this in a single take with hands guided by those of the master wordsmiths of history i would believe you. Justin this was just phenomenal. I cannot give you enough props for your work here.
I leave you enlightened by your insight and invigorated by your craft with the pen!
E: And another round of applause cuz i have to run it back. Once wasn't enough. Congrats Justin. This is a milestone in hip hop commentary. Idk what else to call it.
It's all happening!!
I’m humbled. Thank you so much 🙏🏿 I really appreciate the kind words. Happy new year to you and your family 🍾🏆
Your comment was also beautifully written.
@Msboochie2 that's so kind 😊 listening to Justin in his flow state for 30 straight minutes had me inspired
@@Mighty_Atheismo
@@dysonspheretxi yoooo that 9 second applause emoji!!? 💯💯💯
Kendrick is the king of keep them guessing and I can't lie he has kept my attention. It's truly programmed language
This could be the quintessential breakdown to wrap up the year that Kendrick just had
💯
It's all happening...5 second applause!!!
Me being a Kenyan living in Nairobi and understanding every bit of this, is what makes hiphop exciting .. i enjoyed your take Company Man.
Thank you so much! Happy new years to you and your family!
from mine to yours Justine. Happy new Year @@TheCompanyMan plan to visit Kenya in the near future, you won't be disappointed
"I was conflicted" - j Cole
Perfect jump cut after that lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂
This is HipHop journalism. Period. Top tier work
Yes! As the daughter of a journalist, I adore the work and word you're putting out! Big love from a black American English teacher in Italy who just finished a four hour course on the battle as it related to Shakespeare versus Marlowe. Big ups, Justin!!!
Oh that's dope! Where was the course offered?
Would be dope to see this lecture ! 🙏🏽
@@TheCompanyMan Thank you, Justin. I taught it at a high school in Northern Italy.
@@WillyWafflesTV I wish I had filmed it. But it's a high school, so privacy laws. The parallels are so insanely apt, it's almost funny. One is one of the fathers of modern literature who can do any style of story telling, and the other was a one trick pony who got shanked in a bar because that many MF's hated him...see where I'm going?
@@TheCompanyMan See above and thank you again, brother.
Forget 9 seconds applause, this work gets a 9 minutes standing ovation. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thank you 🙏🏿
take it to cannes, marche du film type thing
Really excellent writing, people who dont write non fiction dont recognize how hard it is to write like this.
Phenomenal stuff, thanks Mr Hunte
And that voice makes his editorial roll off the tongue as smooth as butter
I must agree!
Yeah, he was deep in his bag here 😂
Thank you 🙏🏿
This a classic. Love hearing all the parallels between the Nas vs Jay and KDot vs Drake.
"History do repeats itself, Sometime it don't need a reason."
Thank you SG 🙏🏿 I've been working on it for a few weeks and was excited to share it with you all. I'm glad you rock with it. I appreciate you sincerely.
The pattern is clear…
GKMC - Chart banger
TPAB - Underground banger
DAMN - Chart banger
MMBS - Underground banger
GNX - Chart banger
Next project will be underground
🤔
Oooh. I like this take.
Ooooo. You right.
Edit: my guess is he's gonna *rock* the Superbowl, tour the GNX album for a while, then return home & get *deep* into helping Compton - basically taking up the guardian role that Nipsey once held. Those experiences will guide his album.
Take a shot everytime TCM says "Shakespearean shakedown".
Great video!
ITS ALL HAPPENING 🍾
Ask people and most will tell you Drake best song is Family Matters.
Do the same for Kendrick and you’re going to find 4 different answers. This battle showed Kendrick’s different range, flow and style.
And Drake's best can't touch Dot's 'worst' 😂
💯
@@Msonelifeatatime Well said.👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Push Ups is better than Family Matters anyways
FACTS!!!
"Everything means something" you hit it on the head. This man must be recieved with that in mind. He is a master of his craft and always has a message for us.
The year of Kendrick confirmed for me that Kendrick understands ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA.
I'm a fan of comedy and movies, these things have different aspects, genres and approaches that make them work and resonate with the audience and these nuances add so much for me.
To me, the people who don't get why Kendrick's approach this year(and even his career in general) was so monumental, exposes how much they genuinely don't appreciate art. Being offensive while philosophical and funny(Patrice O'neal - comedian) is an art. Creating vivid stories through rhythm and rhyme(Name your film maker), is an art. Having eccentric flows, vocal inflections and song ideas(Busta Rhymes, Eminem, ODB), is an art.
Encapsulating all these characteristics at once, is GOAT sh*t
Side note: Its cool how, if you a long time kendrick fan, or even a new one, its clear to see that he always had the resume, this beef just helped people who never delved into kendrick's dicsography see what a lot of us saw since forever. Its the ultimate, Tortoise vs The Hare(What is it the braids?) tale we've ever witnessed. Number's don't tell the full story, but with kendrick being the top streamed hip-hop artist right now, it reinforces Kendrick's statement on Mask Off Remix, "How you let a conscious n*gga go commercial while only making conscious albums?"
This!!
I’ll never understand The Weeknd bar. Does he think his own songs aren’t played in gay clubs? Trust me, they are lol
EXACTLY. Drake sells songs in the same places as the weeknd.🤦🏿♂️
@@TheCompanyMan😂😂that's how he knew about The Wknd's songs. He had to be there
I always feel people miss it when they compare Family Matters to Not Like Us. NLU was not the response to FM…Meet the Grahams was Dots response. While MTG was not a club banger…it was the total destruction of a man, not an artist. When Dot says in hey now, “ I walked in with a therapeutic flow…” he was talking about MTG. That’s the song to compare to FM and that’s the song that bodied Drake.
Honestly i think he was bleeding out after euphoria alone. Mtg was kendrick eating the corpse 😅😅
@@Bdavis2475 I totally agree. Euphoria was chef’s kiss. Ageing like wine
Cook The Company Man. They still coping. But the K Dot community is loud, proud and here to stay
I was so happy you pointed out the "two song" theory for GNX. You are cookin' sir.
Is the two song theory rabbit hole deeper?
@@TheCompanyMan Nah, you pretty much nailed it, not much more to it, or even if there is a meaning to it.
@@shotbyfabi It's really dope how structured the album. I really appreciate you SBF. I'm blessed your apart of this community and always sharing insight. Happy New Years to you and your family. 🙏🏿
@@TheCompanyMan Appreciate you brother, same to you and yours.
More thoughts: love that you fleshed out the thoughts on Macbeth.
Love the 1 second applause for your own Makavelli take.
Oh hey, that’s me! Neat to be in a video this good and important .
Ha! Thanks brother! My favorite cutaway is you gaslighter quote. Stuck with me all year. Find myself saying outside in conversations all the time.. Congratulations on a great year!
"Shakespearean Shakedown" is what you've been doing forever. Reminds me to revisit your Oxford shakedown
This is really the other have of Drake Deserves The Smoke. It's evolved so much, Nic and honestly it came out when it was supposed to. This story has moved so fast for so long, I'm just happy to have finally been able to ship this and share it with you all. I really appreciate you for everything, Nic. I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season.🙏🏿
I thought Harriet Tubbman was an american hero and a certified badass? I dont understand why/how they turned her in to a slander against doechii. Doechii is fuggin awesome and i hope she wins those grammys!
1000% Though backhanded AF, still a huge compliment for the Swamp Ruler. Guess she rapping like she trying to get the slaves free too 🐊💚
Cause they don't really like blackness or black people.
Exactly. It’s ok to not like someone’s music, but people who use terns like protest music and woke music are why hip hop needs to be gatekept. If exploring the black experience in music is offensive to you then there is nothing for you in this genre.
Thankful for Justin, as a casual hip hop fan, my interest in the genre just keeps going up ever since the beef started.
Well tell us you are an elite hip hop journalist without telling us!!! Awesome job
Thank you 🙏🏿
Staying underground is literally the goal. Make my underground takes go pop. A year like this will never be repeated. Amazing way to end off this great year. Dope video Justin. Thank you for everything this year.
Family matters is not the better anything. Lets stop trying to give someone a trophy for participating
🎯💯 Facts!
Hahaha…I’m screaming 🙀
I thought it was trash on 1st 👂
Facts
BIG FACTS🎯😂 Joe Budden is saying that bcuz he feels bad that he cooked Drake when he told some of the bs Drake was doing behind the scenes🤦🏾♀️FM wasn’t even better than euphoria 😂
So the “homages” in the squabble video are actually disses? I love it.
Kendrick saying, "I see you". They should take it how they want. They know what they did.
Yesssss hence the title, “Squabble Up”! 😂
Yes, all those folks or their people had things to say about him. So he put them in the video as a I see you moment
No.
No.
Describing Euphoria as a "bar-heavy six minute assassination" gave me goosebumps! Keep up this elite journalism!
The Edit on this is straight fire, sir!
Thank you 🙏🏿
One more layer, Gloria references Father Time, it samples Father Time as well, with new GNX musical elements - The Latin singer, the Spanish guitar - who's meaning I am yet to crack.
A song where he uses basketball as a metaphor to his relationship with his father (*wink wink* Reincarnated) and how it affects both his humanity and his craft; coincidentally enough the song opens up with Whitney talking to Kendrick and Gloria is a double based of his, at times, rocky relationship with her.
"It takes some Tough skin just to f with you" is reference to Father time - "...everything he didn't want was everything I was"(Which itself could be a double incontext of fathertime) th-cam.com/video/5Pl1ylm3rg0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=aZpvEbjm8tzAHheF
The song shows the balance he has embracing the "saint and my sin" he sees within himself. My favorite line is by SZA "Gloria I wanna take you to Euphoria" the double entantre is immaculate 😂.
*Unfinished Thoughts*:
So far here are the "key pieces" I found Gloria consolidates in the album/EP, Nas - "I gave you power" Pac - "Me and my Girlfriend" both referenced in the similar concept song Gloria.
Both of the artists were referenced earlier, I just don't get the symbolism 🤔West and East Coast Legends...
Fun fact: Gloria is a pen line by Laban and it comes in two hues Red and Blue...coincidence?
This is dope. I'm gonna pin this. The rabbit hole is deep...
@@lungi8424 Just a guess, but doesn’t mention of the two legends (East to West, encompassing the whole of the country) get us back to the start of the album and Wacced Out Murals (wacc the mural out/ but there ain’t no legends if my legend ends). It feels like a 360° moment that’s a warning, a premonition and an inevitability of the “regular” love/hate duality (like the duality of the pen metaphor) that’s “without a cure.”
@@chauffeur0575 that's a very good take
@ Looks like the comment was removed. I don’t know what I said. 😂
@@chauffeur0575 something about Wacced Out Murals "there ain't no legends if my legend ends" line connecting to those legends on the West and the East that were referenced on the album making a full circle moment
You’re really good at what you do Justin. Really dope video
Thank you winter 🙏🏿
Loved this battle 'shakedown'. Not only did it do justice to this amazing year in hiphop, it also brilliantly dissected aspects of the beef and GNX I hadn't even thought about. It's all happening!
Thank you 🙏🏿
Kendrick definitely dissed 50 Cent. 50's ex is named Cuban Link, and Kendrick just happened to say "put his head on a cuban link" on Wacced, the track where he was taking shots at everybody. Then on Squabble Up he said he has "the money and the power both gyrating"... 50 Cent had a show called "The Money And The Power" in 2008.
I'm pretty sure 50 responded on Snoop's album too, which I'm surprised not many people are talking about! On Gun Smoke he was talking tough to someone he referred to as a "big stepper"... the fact that he went on Andrew Schulz's podcast right after Missionary dropped makes me think that was DEFINITELY a Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers reference.
🤯👀
50 deep but it ain't deep enough
So fly in this bitch, 50 on me, don't die tryin' and shit. You know I'm up and down when I slide in this bitch.
I thought the Cuban Link reference could've also been a subliminal towards Fat Joe, who has a long standing beef with rapper (and former member of the Terror Squad) Cuban Link.
@@firstnamelastname4427That might be a double entendre for sure. Both 50 and Fat Joe were were/are on Drake side
It's honestly so great to see a critical analysis of hip hop culture with callbacks to classical literature
I was surprised to hear a deconstruction of Macbeth work so well in describing a moment within modern hip hop culture.
The seminal works of both the English canon and of rap culture are timeless imo and continuously prove themselves to be sources to learn critical lessons from, both about ourselves and the culture.
Thank you for checking the piece. I completely agree. The mission of the channel is life though the lens of hip hop because humanity is inextricably connected and I think we don’t do a good enough job learning as much as we can from each other
if anybody should get an interview with kendrick, it’s you! it’s all happening!
People are going to look back at this moment in time as the shift. The shift in culture, from Katt Williams calling out the weirdness in Hollywood to Puff being arrested. From Kendrick dissecting Drakes whole career to Aubrey suing. There’s a shift, and I hope it keeps going and grows to be the mainstream thing. Thank you Justin for an amazing year of reporting and breakdowns again. I’ve been a fan since the early DX days. You’re a legend bro, and one of the GOATS of this. Happy New Year my brother! I can’t wait to see what you achieve next year.
Thank you so much SB. And thank you for rocking with me all these years. I feel the shift too. It's all happening🏆
13:05 "Aaaaw shet buddy i gotta dig a littler deeper" was me all summer. As soon as i took a break the peakaboo theory pulled me right back in 🤦🏾♀️😂
Me too!
Mr. Morale is phenomenal regardless of numbers.
kendrick’s best songwriting of his entire career on that album imo, most creative production too
Mr morale is a strong body of work to me🔥
Lol it went double platinum and had one of the biggest tours..but dummies will have you believe it was a flop smh
Loool that album was trash, the Damn was the last best album from Kendrick , gnx at least but it ain't touching the ( Might Delete Later) that the unpopular fact tooo hot to take i know 🔥🔥
I'm thrilled I've never listened to Family Matters and never will.
Same😂
I cant tell you what it sounds like
You're not missing anything fam
Not worth the time. Only notable line: Kendrick just opened his mouth/Someone come give him a Grammy right now 😂😂😂
.....Lucky......
Dang the Macbeth connection just blew my mind. Justin is too good at this. Its all happening,9 second applause!!!
Thank you 🙏🏿 it’s all happening. Happy new year to you and your family 🍾
@@TheCompanyMan And Julius Caesar! Future, Metro, Ross, Rocky, Ye, Gambino couldn’t wait for the Ides of March, leaving Cassius/Brutus (Kendrick) trying to save the heart and soul of Rome (hip-hop). It’s all happening!
@@chauffeur0575 ITS ALL HAPPENING!
Regarding the last question: To me "man at the garden" sounds like he knows what's coming. The obvious reference is to Adam, who was kicked out of the garden of Eden, but it also reminds me of the Godfather movies. IIRC both Vito and Michael Corleone died in the garden, and Michael, who removed himself from the community, died alone.
He has it all right now, but he's aware that it's precarious.
@@DanGolag i think it's also a reference to the quote, "Better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war." Attributed to Bruce Lee
00:00 Intro
01:07 Kendrick Catalog Breakdown
02:27 Roller Coaster Effect
05:05 GNX Subliminals
07:14 GNX Two Song Theory
07:52 GNX Mexican Influence
11:37 Weird Side Quests
13:11 7 Day Theory theory
15:01 The End Of The TDE Era
17:06 Family Matters Propaganda
17:40 Jay-Z vs Nas
24:07 Family Matters Propaganda 2: Manosphere
26: 31 The Fallacy Of Drizzy The Invincible
29:30 MacBeth
31:28 Outro
u forgot to pin this - shoutout to the editor he's funny asf
25:00 - 26:20 this is the point ive been having the hardest time trying to make. I just couldnt find the way to articulate it, and there's an incredible catharsis i feel knowing im not the only one seeing that pattern.
It’s all happening and We should all be aware.
I think culturally folks thought that ignoring this media as irrelevant slop would be the best move… but we kind of got collectively blindsided towards the second half of last year in seeing it gain legitimacy and its investors and consumers not fearing being public supporters anymore
0:30 bro the unified barber shop “MMMMMMM” always sends me 😂
Me too!!!
Watching Kendrick and Dave Free discuss art must be like watching Plato and Socrates discuss philosophy in Ancient Greece
🗣️THIS IS HIP HOP JOURNALISM AT ITS FINEST, SIR!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾You are indeed what the culture feeling!!! Excellent work!!
I finally listened to Family Matters in its entirety. The drill portion of the track was the strongest outside of that it laid flat
Exactly! I think that song should have been whittled down to 2 to 2 minutes to hit hard!
I thought that part kinda showed one of Drakes crutches when rapping. When he finds a flow he rides that shit to the ground for so long it becomes white noise without any interesting changes and with his monotone rap voice it gets boring. I do think Family Matters is the best Drake has ever rapped, but the saddest part is this is the best Drake has ever rapped lol
Really flat
Yo, how do yall judge beef tracks by not listening to all of them? What is going on with some of yall!? 😆 🤣 😂
@@omartyre This is my thing. The take that Family Matters is best song in the battle just doesn't ring true so many of the disses could be applied to Drake himself and too much time aiming better shots at people other than Kendrick. It always landed flat to me.
It’s so good to hear a Justin Hunte breakdown again 🎉
I’ve been waiting for this think piece format from Justin for a hot minute. It’s all happening!!
My goal is to get to 2 a month rhythm in 2025
@@TheCompanyManyou gotta bring up that background piano tune you used to have in the beginning of your videos. I started down the vintage rabbit hole earlier this week lol.
Bro said the parallels jut out like a green hat with an orange bill. That’s hilarious. You won the internet this year 🙌🏾🙌🏾
@@TekniCaliSpeakin was that a Eminem reference
I don't get pissed, y'all don't even see through the mist
@@stevescotthiphop how the f*** can I be Drake? I don't even touch kids.
@@stevescotthiphop”how the fck can I be white? I don’t even exist”
@@brandoncollier4562 yep
Just got off a 12 hour shift to a new Company Man video? I’ll take it
Thank you for bringin back the essay format justin. You cooked, served, ate, and left no crumbs
It’s all happening! 🙏🏿
Bra, I love when you get in your bag! Good video
Thank you! Appreciate you rocking with me. 🙏🏿
What an AMAZING wrap up, cementing what we witnessed into the annals of history! Beyond grateful for your work and I'm lucky to be a spectator. LOVE this format too!
Thank you so much Yaz! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. My goal is to do two of these a month in 2025. Along with a daily live news hour. I really appreciate you🙏🏿
That was great thank you Justin 👏🏾👏🏾
Thank you antionette 🙏🏿 My goal is to do two a month in 2025.
Truly outstanding work! You are probably THE choice for excellence in Hip Hop journalism.
I love that Kendrick is showing a different meaning of what success looks like. Like he said he has the “money and the power both gyrating” but he showcases his success as his family, his connections and his growth as a man and human being. It’s beautiful. I wish this for more people. (Including myself 😊)
The "I don't know" 🤷🏾 after reading the lyrics and asking the references is cracking me up 😂
😍🐐KENDRICK🐐😍
Thanks!
Thank you!
Great video Justin ! Broke it down perfectly
Appreciate that 🙏🏿
Bro you made youtube for me this year and as an avid kendrick fan , your hardwork didnt let us down
Thank you
It's all happening. 🙏🏿
@TheCompanyMan more blessings for you brother ,hopefully will become a member soon, all love from south Africa
All love to you and your family too. Wishing yall a wonderful new year and thank you for rocking with me 🫡
As someone who was submitting lyrics to Genius in the first hours of GNX dropping, seeing a lyric I subbed that got approved in one of your videos is an honor and a privilege.
1:05 This breakdown of Kendrick's album releases is very eloquently put and illustrates what expert journalism sounds like. Justin might be the goat lol
27:25 😂😂
I'm in SA and woke up to this on New Years Eve.
All hail Justin. Brilliant! 🥂
Happy New YEars!
Justin this is so good. Thank you for succinctly doing the wrap up of what took place this year. A Shakespearean shakedown indeed.
WEW! This is a geeat piece, Justin. I love your framing of things here (side missions, the description of GNX, the opening with Dot and Dave Free). Just the way things unfolded given everything Kendrick has done, irrespective of how much of it was intended by Kendrick, is absolutely incredible. What a time to be alive.
Thank you, Jim! I've been working on this idea for a while and was determined to get it out before the new year. I barely made the deadline... but I made the deadline. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. This was a wild and wacky year and I really appreciate you holding me down for so long. My goal is to get to a two a month rhythm on breakdowns in 2025 along with the daily live news hour for members Which I'm starting next week. Thank you for everything and happy new year to you and your family.
@@TheCompanyMan I love those goals for you & the channel. You know I'm here for all of it. It's all happenin'!! Starting 2025 off right
14:37 Justin giving a one second applause for his own theory after listing all the evidence despite the disagreements from others is the energy we need in 2025
Thank you!
This might be the best year by a rapper ever. Kendrick won a historic rap battle with a legendary performance, scored multiple number 1 hits, earned the Super Bowl gig, released a #1 album while occupying the top 5 spots on BB hot 100 that will be considered a west coast classic at minimum, excellent features, elite bars. All-time performance, amazing to watch in real time
The TH-cam-Hip-Hop community is so consistent with showing up for each other, collaborating together and making quality content at the same time. It's an oasis in the desert of doom and ragebait.
How do I give this video a 9 second applause? 👏🏾
🙌
Thank you!
This video is amazing. Thank you so much for this. You put in so much hard work into this piece.
Side note: Jason Martin’s “I’m gonna sue!” voice is hilarious😂
Wow. This was an awesome video essay. So well written and insightful and engaging for longtime dot fans. I smiled at the Macbeth reference. Do more of this!!!!
Thank you!
That Jurassic Park cut in had me dead lol haha
Superb journalism Justin, so happy we have you to engage in our culture content like this. The passion for the true essence of Hip Hop is sadly a rare thing and compounded with critical/honest/logical/accurate discourse, it's even more rare. We need you man.
Perfect timing, as I just finished the 3 hour, year-end culture conversation on your channel. Happy to see you included those potential 50 bars in this video! Great work, Mr. Hunt! Appreciate your work here. 🙏🏽
Tomorrow watch the 3hr Decyphered live. For a treat. 😂
Great video Justin! 9 second applause for you sir. Journalism at it’s finest.
Damn, this was so well done! Top tier recapping. Wishing you continued success in ‘25.
Love the piece, I see you started having some fun with the editing- nicely done. Also loving the outro- and as somebody much smarter than I once said,
“ I would rather have questions that can’t be answered, than answers that can’t be questioned.👊🏾
Thank you! Took me two days to edit. I'm improving slowly.
Wow! Masterful writing, and a captivating delivery. I watch all your videos, but this was absolutely riveting and I learned a few things! It’s All Happening!
I figured a lot of this out early on and everyone said I was reaching, I’m just happy that people really have had time to sit with everything and understand, this is bigger than rap in so many ways. Kendrick deserves it all!
I love this man's takes. That ending was Peak "I don't have the answer to these questions*
You were cooking in this one bro. Got that momentum
I just wanna say thank you for calling out that line about Kendrick's uncle from family matters. For all Drake's talk of being a huge pop star, he forgets that the LGBT community is a HUGE pillar of pop, brat summer was huge in the gay community. Drake really couldn't keep doing pop star numbers in rap while burning his bridges in both communities
You're absolutely right. The same thing happened to DaBaby. These guys sell songs. It's crazy to me.
Brilliantly Spoken. THANK YOU 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏