By now, you've no doubt heard that Kendrick Lamar, known in academic circles as "Pulitzer Kenny," has graced the cover of Vanity Fair for an extensive featured story. Given Kendrick's status as one of hip-hop's most brilliant writers, it's no wonder that the man has no shortage of insight into the craft. As such, it's no surprise that he's got love for a fellow wordsmith. When the interview inquired about Kenny's penchant for well-rounded verbiage, K Dot traces his inspiration to the source.
"Eminem is probably one of the best wordsmiths ever," says Kendrick, before heaping praise onto the rapper's widely-regarded classic The Marshall Mathers LP. “There’s a whole list of why, but just bending words," says Kendrick, trailing off before a concrete checklist can materialize. "The Marshall Mathers LP changed my life." It goes without saying that Em's sophomore album changed the lives of many hip-hop fans Kendrick's age, and few can dispute Em's position as one of the genre's most accomplished lyricists. It's always cool to see an artist of Kendrick's caliber pay homage to a legend like Eminem.
Though the pair have nothing but mutual admiration for one another, they have only shared the mic on one occasion, on Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP 2 cut "Love Game." Be sure to check out Kendrick's Vanity Fair cover story for a wealth of additional material.
