Takeover Magazine 1st issue april 15th 2016 | Page 17

9. Kendrick Lamar
Unlike many of the 1980s legends, the greatest rappers of the '90s
-- from Jay Z to Andre 3000 -- maintained relevance into the next
decade and the one after. One reason why is that despite the
genre’s ever-shifting sounds, rapping didn’t change much as a
craft since the end of the golden era; the techniques were largely
the same, just over different beats. Until Kendrick Lamar came
along. From triple and quadruple-time rhythms, his layered
adlibs, and his multiple-personality voices, the Compton rapper is
arguably the greatest rap craftsman to emerge this millennium,
but his lyrical content never suffered. His last three albums -Section.80, Good Kid Madd City and To Pimp a Butterfly -- are
three of rap’s most vivid and topical.

....................................................................................................................................................................................................
15