HotNewHipHop is back with another panel discussion. In our latest conversation, our features editor Aron and I discussed the Lil Durk verdict in his murder-for-hire case, Kendrick Lamar and his divisive feature run, and the debate between Vince Staples and his fans over his assessment of his artistry. We recorded the panel discussion below on Tuesday afternoon (September 15), which is now yours to enjoy.
Regarding Kendrick Lamar's panned and praised features post-GNX, we spoke on the negative reception hitting collabs like "So Good" with Jhené Aiko and "Good Flirts" with Baby Keem and Momo Boyd. Aron and I aren't big fans either, going over Kendrick's MUSIC deficiencies with Playboi Carti and how his run of features since the Drake battle haven't felt very consequential. We named the exception to this, though, as "Chains & Whips" with Clipse from last year.
This led to a debate about whether or not Lamar can "hold the crown" in hip-hop from this view, which we think is still possible. After all, this could be just an artistic shift he wanted to take for these collaborations and not rest on his rap laurels. But Aron and I hope this isn't indicative of a future studio album direction, even if the strong hate for these features can go overboard.
HNHH Panel
Elsewhere, we also discussed the acquittal of Lil Durk in his murder-for-hire case. Beyond legal details, Aron and I focused on what could be next for Lil Durk considering he was already shifting his music to more pop-friendly directions. Also, he has another racketeering trial on the way, and we believe this and other factors will contribute to Durk's difficulty in shaking this turbulent time off.
Finally, Aron and I discussed the Vince Staples debate, which sparked after he didn't pick a favorite song of his and compared the question to asking a McDonald's employee what their favorite burger is. We found the fan outrage to this to be very entitled, as it represents how art falls outside of its creator's control once it's out in the world. Aron and I spoke on the worth of music, Vince's consistently compelling and honest perspective on the industry, and how his burger pop-up in response to this was dope to see.
Let us know what you think about all these buzzing hip-hop topics. Elsewhere, stay logged into HNHH to rate new songs and albums we've covered and check out our news and feature coverage.
Read More: Lil Durk’s Racketeering Charges, Explained
