The Return of King Kendrick! Kendrick Spits a Crazy Freestyle on Hot97, Drops a New Single, and more.

Image Credit: allhiphop.com

The rap beast is back at it again and he’s coming strong and fast. Kendrick Lamar shook the game up with his verse on Big Sean’s "Control" back in August of last year. It heated things up as he proclaimed himself “the best” and almost begged for competition, calling out several of the game’s current top dogs, ie: J Cole, Wale, Meek Mill and Drake. Many rappers responded, but none of the ones he named.

In a nasty Hot 97.1 FM freestyle with Funk Master Flex on September 18, the "B---h Don’t Kill My Vibe" rapper went in. In one half of his freestyle, listeners re-visited the fire of the same undefeatable, hungry energy Kendrick gave us on "Control."

Kendrick rapped:

I’m sparring with a dragon, he tried to throw a flame but I ducked and then I stabbed him. Came out the battle laughing. That’s a metaphor for any rapper who want it, I smack ‘em til they nose running..

The Compton rapper has been fairly under the radar since the release of his controversial verse on Control, but I think we all knew he was cooking up his next pot of gold! Not much of Kendrick’s perspective has changed (as you can see from the lyrics above) concerning what spot he solidifies when it comes to rap—and that’s the top spot. He’s still welcoming or daring rather, any rap guy to try him. However in a recent interview with Big Boy, Kendrick says that hip-hop is a sport, it’s all love between him and the guys. He even mentioned and that he respects them all as people and creators.

Kendrick also dedicated some bars of his Hot 97 freestyle to story-telling in which he recalls some Compton tales, mentioning his dad’s disquiet of him staying out the streets and of course his Uncle Tony is referenced —“Comprehending well and could smell the soberness evaporating by itself he said Tony my biggest fear is to hear Kendrick disappeared in a fire out here and I didn’t help.”

Five days after the freestyle aired he dropped his first single since his debut album Good Kid m.A.A.d City. The track is titled “i” with a reoccurring line “I love Myself”. Leave it Kendrick to force us to address the real ish. He delves into the idea that it’s impossible to love outside if we don’t love ourselves. He does this with uncountable bars graced by a beat you wouldn’t automatically tie to a hip-hop tune. There is speed then there’s rest, drums and horns. It makes you want to dance and think at the same time. Tough tune. But what did we really expect. He’s Kendrick.

True to his Compton roots he finds a way to incorporate an uplifting message for his home town into his cover art for the single. He put a crip and a blood forming a heart sign together instead of a gang sign—another way to spark conversation and change.

Instagram: @KendrickLamar

You can expect his new project to be 100% K.Dot. In an interview with AMP Radio he revealed that he has been making it a point to minimize his musical influence while he’s creating. He wants to go in and organically lay down tracks that have not been impressed by the expectations of outsiders.

I guess we'll have to stay tune for more from King Kendrick!

By: Tina Louise (Twitter: @TinaLouiseMe)

Edited by: Brittany C. Jackson (@xPlatinumChanel)