Hello and Welcome to Medi8tor,
Medi8tor
is an entertainment blog that is meant to be a resource for entertainers and
entertainment professionals. Medi8tor also stresses the importance of balance
for entertainers, and entertainment professionals while seeking to foster
understanding between entertainment professionals and entertainment consumers.
Today we will be discussing a topic that has been feverishly trending on the
Internet this week, and look beyond the hype.
On
August 13th, Detroit rapper Big Sean, released
a track entitled Control featuring fellow rappers Kendrick Lamar and
Jay Electronica. However
the song made waves on the Twittersphere after fans listened to Compton MC
Kendrick Lamar’s verse which states:
“I heard the
barbershops be in great debates all the time
Bout who's the best MC? Kendrick, Jigga and
Nas
Eminem, Andre 3000, the rest of y'all
New niggas just new niggas, don't get involved
I'm usually homeboys with the same niggas I'm
rhymin' wit
But this is hip hop and them niggas should
know what time it is
And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT,
Wale
Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake
Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller
I got love for you all but I'm tryna murder
you niggas
Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of
you niggas
They dont wanna hear not one more noun or verb
from you niggas
What is competition? I'm tryna raise the bar
high
Who tryna jump and get it? You better off
tryna skydive
Out the exit window of 5 G5’s with 5 grand
With your granddad as the pilot he drunk as
fuck tryna land
With the hand full of arthritis and popping
prosthetic leg
Bumpin Pac in the cockpit so the shit that
pops in his head
Is an option of violence, someone heard the
stewardess said
That your parachute is a latex condom hooked
to a dread”
(Huffington Post,
2013)
Naturally
in our frenzied celebrity culture of sensationalism, fans instantly labeled the
verse a “diss,” due to Kendrick “calling the artists out” named on the record,
who also are some of his friends in the industry. While mainstream American
media and sensationalism fans around the world are attempting to stir up rap
beefs and feuds that were laid to rest in the mid 90’s, Medi8tor would like to
suggest that in all the hype surrounding this verse, most listeners failed to
grasp the heart of Kendrick’s intention on this track. However the Huffington
Post seemed to catch on pretty fast, check out this discussion they did on the
song below.
Medi8tor
would like to continue the video’s train of thought by suggesting that the
heart of this verse does not lie in the namedropping portion, but in the lines
following: “What is competition? I’m tryna raise the bar high, who tryna jump
and get it?” Kendrick Lamar’s goal with this verse seemingly was to awaken the
competitive spirit within his peers and the hip hop industry to take their
craft seriously and work hard to produce the best quality content possible. It
seems that several artists in hip-hop absorbed the message based on their
tweets (Huffington Post, 2013):
As
you may or may not be aware, this blog is dedicated to discussing, examining,
and exploring entertainment or show business at the professional level. One of
the first rules in business is that a seller must have the ability to
articulate and define their product or service to a consumer. In addition a
seller or business owner must also know specifically how to differentiate their
company or product, from the other companies that sell similar products in the
marketplace, this is called a
“competitive advantage”. But the root word is competition: a contest
between rivals (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013).
Obviously
Kendrick Lamar has unearthed this forgotten truth in the art of Hip Hop
recently, but this also applies to all other art forms of entertainment as
well. This is show business and although there can be intrinsic value to making
art for living, an equally important flip side of that value is ACTUALLY making
a living. This would imply that making money is required in show business since
it takes money to live. Here are a few examples: if you’re actor you compete
for a role in a film/TV/web series, if you’re a dancer you compete for a slot
to dance for a music artist or dance company, if you’re a singer you compete
for a record deal, if you’re a visual artist you compete for your painting to
be shown a gallery, etc. Everything in the world of entertainment (and in life)
is a competition. However that being said, there are levels and balance in
competition, and one most also be aware of healthy vs. unhealthy competition as
this speech so aptly illustrates (Thank you Gabrielle Union J). But
moreover the best competition an individual can have in life, especially as an
artist, is the ability to compete against oneself.
When
an individual is able to beat the limitations in their own minds, or surprise
themselves by their abilities, or work harder than they ever thought possible
to achieve their goals and plans… that is success. An artist’s ability to
continue to push themselves in order to reach their highest heights, fulfill
their greatest potential, and view every opportunity as a chance to work hard
while perfecting their craft is success for any artist. In addition this type
of ethic breeds consistent work, that rings true to fans, and most certainly
guarantees sales on a consistent basis… just ask Kendrick.
But
all of those accomplishments can only happen when an artist realizes that the
art of show is also a business. Business demands monetary sales to be
considered successful. Those sales can only be generated based on
differentiation of product from existing competition in the marketplace, and
that differentiation can only come from knowing a product intimately.
Therefore
for all my astute entertainers and entertainment professionals, please tune out
or completely switch channels from the FM cacophony of sounds surrounding the track
Control, and instead adjust your frequencies to the AM conversation that is
beginning. Kendrick’s verse is not a diss but it is a call to action, a meeting
of the minds for all artists seeking longevity in this business. The message is
simple: take inventory and stock of your company (you, Artist.Inc), invest
heavily and begin to know your product intimately (craft the best product
possible), and strategize how to introduce your brand to the marketplace
(strategize well on how to release your artistic services). In short, take
CONTROL of your career. Thanks for the reminder K.Dot, Medi8tor hears you loud
and clear.
See
you next time!
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/82730929/Kendrick+Lamar.png
