It was the moment that normally wouldn’t have been a moment in Hip-Hop. During a guest slot on Big Sean’s song Control, a song that didn’t even make the album, a song that everyone forgot Jay Electronica was even on, Kendrick Lamar dropped a verse that not only verbally threatened J Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electronica, Tyler & Mac Miller with lyrical annihilation, but also declared the west coast native as the “king of NY.”
And I’m gonna get it even if you’re in the way
And if you’re in it, better run for Pete’s sake
I heard the barbershops spittin’ great debates all the time
Bout who’s the best MC? Kendrick, Jigga and Nas
Eminem, Andre 3000, the rest of y’all
New niggas just new niggas, don’t get involved
And I ain’t rockin no more designer sh*t
White T’s and Nike Cortez, this is red Corvettes anonymous
I’m usually homeboys with the same niggas I’m rhymin’ wit
But this is hip hop and them niggas should know what time it is
And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale
Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake
Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller
I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you niggas
Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n*ggas
They dont wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n*ggas
What is competition? I’m tryna raise the bar high
Who tryna jump and get it? You better off tryna skydive
Out the exit window of 5 G5′s with 5 grand
With your granddad as the pilot he drunk as f*ck tryna land
Back in the day, being called out on a record was no big deal. But in the post Biggie and Pac, lets-all-be-friends-all-the-time-because-nobody-wants-to-die era, K. Dot threw down the gauntlet to Hip-Hop as a whole and with one guest verse, opened the floodgates for a response tsunami unseen in the culture before now. From high-level CEO’s like Diddy to former NBA championship coaches like Phil Jackson, it seemed like everyone had to have something to say. MrMecc of TheUrbanDaily sat down with NY new jacks like Mickey Factz who responded with a verse of his own, as well as OG’s like Black Rob and U-God who didn’t. And whether they thought it was fly or foul, they all had to deal with the good kid from the M.A.A.D. city. Even Mr. top five himself, Jadakiss had to share his perspective with the world on behalf of the Empire State.
“That should be everybody’s mindset,” Jadakiss told TheUrbandaily.com of Kendrick Lamar’s boast on “Control” that he was “The King Of New York,” but insisted that people have been running with only half of the verse. “Before he said ‘I’m the King of New York’ he said ‘I’m the son of Makaveli.’ So he was making a comparison of representing Big and Pac, but people just let that Makaveli line slip.”
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But in case you had a hard time keeping up with the whole phenomenon, here is a timeline of the greatest hip-hop moment of 2013.
August 12th – Funkmaster Flex drops “Control” by Big Sean featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. Within minutes the internet is weighing in and 9th Wonder and Young Guru dropped an analysis that had the internet going nuts.
August 13th – The next day, several rappers ran to their laptops to put their responses online, but none faster than Slaughterhouse’s own Joell Ortiz who became the first to stand up for NY and fire back…well, with his song entitled “Outta Control.” Meanwhile the rappers mentioned had limited feedback. Big K.R.I.T. tweeted “This is Gladiator Shit”…Gotta give the people what they want.” Pusha T tweeted “I hear u loud and clear my nigga.” Wale was caught by TMZ talking instead of rapping when he said “I still feel like I’m the best rapper on the planet.”
Meek did an interview attempting to downplay the verse saying “I’m in a lane by myself. I’m the only [one] that’s lyrically spittin’ some street music and gettin’ money. Kendrick [Lamar and Black Hippy], I’ma tell ‘em in a rap: y’all can run that backpack, I’ma run these streets.” Big Sean wanted everyone to give him props on not changing his verse after he heard Kendrick’s. Noble, but not a response. Jay Electronica was quoted as saying “I like the song and the stir it’s causing. It’s good for rap music” while Mac Miller tweeted “If I can’t do no more nouns or verbs ima start comin with the wildest adjective bars that anyone has ever heard.” Cute but no response.
OkayPlayer.com decided to release a limited edition t-shirt with the names of all the called out rappers effectively making more noise than Drake, ASAP Rocky, J Cole and Tyler The Creator who each did their best church mouse imitations.
Joell Ortiz – Outta Control
B.o.B. – How To Rap
Fred Da Godson – Say My Name
Mysonne – Uncontrollable
King Los – Control
Iman Shumpert – Dear Kendrick
Bizzy Crook – Kendrick Forgot about Me
August 13th – MMG’s Meek Mill, who was actually called out in the verse, would do an interview claiming that he didn’t see the verse as an insult. A move that would be seen as a copout by the general public. Kendrick would later say this response released by Kevin Hart’s “Chocolate Droppa” alter ego was his favorite.
Mickey Factz – South Park
Lupe – SLR2
Astro – KONY
Cassidy – Control
Ransom – Control
J.R. Writer – Control Yourself
August 15th – In a move that seemed like a shot of pure salt, former G.O.O.D. Music member Kid Cudi let out a series of tweets flipping back and forth between what seemed like support one second and dismissal the next ending with his feeling that “I personally don’t think anyone should have responded. N*ggas need to put that energy into making a classic album and respond that way.” Easy to say when you weren’t mentioned.
Grafh – I’ll Body You
Mad Rapper – Control Freestyle
Uncle Murda – The Response
August 16th –
In a move that left more than a few shaking their heads or scratching them, Papoose released a diss track that was supposed to be a response to “Control.” But instead of responding to the sentiment of the verse, which was lyrically based competition with no malice, the Brooklyn native released a slew of ultra personal shots accusing Kendrick of everything from being molested as a baby to being gay, while insulting his manhood and family members. A move made even more baffling given the fact that less than two moths prior on June 2nd, Kendrick let Papoose close down his set at Hot 97′s annual Summer Jam concert painting Papoose as an un-loyal opportunist.
Papoose – Control
Joe Budden – Lost Control
August 21st
Shyne released “King Of NYS” as a response to control. His choice of wardrobe in the video got more responses than the lyrics.
Skillz gave another OG perspective to REVOLT TV. ”I’m from the era where it wasn’t abnormal for a rapper to say I’m the best n*gga out here. You said that to your peers!”
August 26th
NY upstart Joey Badass released a response record to Control. With his name coming up in conversations about an east coast equivalent to Kendrick amongst purist, many thought this would be something special. But in the end, maybe because of the time gap, Joey’s response really had very little impact on the masses and was only really acknowledged and loved by his core fans.
Sep. 25th
Drake goes on the Angie Martinez show and says Kendrick’s verse wasn’t real because “those were harsh words” but when he saw him after “it was all love” so it wasn’t “real.” The same day, the folks at CRWN would upload Drakes interview at NYU with Elliot Wilson where he would attempt to undermine the song by saying things like “he created a moment” and “it was real cool for like, a couple of weeks” and asking “are you listening to it now?” and “how does that verse start?” He then seemed to contradict his Angie Martinez interview by saying “I see Kendrick tomorrow, Ima dap him, I didn’t feel a way about that verse” and “I saw him five days later at the VMA’s and it was all love” but then took another shot by saying “I almost wish he had come in there on that shit because I kinda lost a little respect for the sentiment of the verse. If it’s really fuck everybody then it needs to be fuck everybody, it just can’t be halfway for the sake of the people.” Then stating that now Kendrick would have to “Show and prove.” So plenty (not so) subtle shots, but no verse.
October 15th
BET ran their annual Hip-Hop awards. During the always anticipated Cypher segments, Kendrick closed down the TDE crew’s turn on the mic with a scathing verse that many saw as a direct response to Drakes interview as well as the Papoose diss when he spit (And nothings been the same since they dropped control/and tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes/Ha-Ha, Jokes on you, Hi-five/I’m bullet proof. Your shot’ll never penatrate/pin the tail on the donkey boy, ya been a fake. I Got my thumb on Hip-Hop, and my foot in the back of yo ass/aftermath get the last laugh.” Advantage: Kendrick.
Nov. 29th
Nearly four months later, Roc nation representative J. Cole decided to finally get off the bench and in the game… kinda. At one time it was reported that he and Kendrick were actually working on a joint album together and Cole who’s always stood for lyrical excellence has been a champion for the modern MC. With this in mind, many thought he’d be one of the first to respond and were surprised that the southern spitter had been super quiet. But Cole found a funny way to address the elephant in the room when on the remix for Justin Timberlake’s TKO he spit, “I was home alone, next thing I know/That long ass verse from a song called “Control” was on. The room got nearer, the tomb got clearer/That’s when I seen the shit playin’ on your phone. Girl, what is that? A ringtone? Shit, not you too, Man that hype done got you too?/Everybody and their momma gassed. Even my momma asked what I’mma do, Decisions, decisions. In case this is war, then I load up on all ammunition/If a n*gga want problems, my trigger’s on auto, I’ll make sure that nobody miss him!” It was a good verse that was well appreciated but still seen as a disappointment to those that believe that Cole was one of the few who could go bar for bar with K Dot.
December 18th
Drake drops some more subTweet bars at a nameless opponent in a remix to Future’s “Sh*t” but everyone assumes he is talking about Kendrick:
“If a n*gga say my name he the hot sh*t/but if I say that nig*a name he still the hot sh*t” and “funny how they dangling the bait but I’m the one killing n*ggas on the hook.”
Kendrick’s boss at TDE, Top Dawg, was not impressed and let it be known in a Tweet:
“If this is the best shit n*ggas got… I feel sorry 4 em…lmao #TDE“
Given responses like this it is unlikely that we’ll see an actual battle between Drake and Kendrick, (or anyone else actually mentioned on the song) but it will still stand as a defining moment for hip-hop music in 2013 and possibly, beyond.
“It was a good moment for the culture,” Young Guru told TheUrbanDaily.com reflecting on the whole thing a month later. “That was this generation’s first real deal ‘moment’ the same way we talk about Nas and Jay on the radio. That was a MOMENT. For me it was good.”
For us it was GREAT.
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