Rakim is showing love after Kendrick Lamar name-dropped him on Clipse’s new track “Chains & Whips,” praising the tribute as one of the most meaningful nods he’s received in years.
The Hip-Hop pioneer took to Instagram to respond to Kendrick Lamar’s verse on the Clipse song from their album Let God Sort Em Out. The God MC has long been vocal about his respect for Kendrick Lamar. Back in 2015, he said that K. Dot was “that new fuel, and it’s a conscious new fuel where he’s not just doing what’s hot for today. He has substance and he ain’t scared to make a statement either.”
Last year, Rakim also weighed in on the high-profile lyrical showdown between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, calling the clash “important” and “very needed for the genre.”
He said it helped clarify the difference between “real” and “mainstream” Hip-Hop, a line that he believes had become increasingly blurred. While he gave props to both artists for stepping into the ring, Rakim’s comments leaned in favor of Kendrick as the torchbearer for Hip-Hop’s core values, while Drake represented the commercial side of the music.
