KENDRICK LAMAR RENCONTRE QUINCY JONES

Merci Hypetrak pour cette rencontre au sommet entre le « sauveur du rap » et la légende qui a notamment produit « Thriller » de Michael Jackson.

Quelques passages marquants :

– Quincy Jones sur son enfance difficile :
“That’s my medal,” Quincy points to a scar on his hand as a very visual metaphor for his childhood. “Seven years old, wrong neighborhood; they took a switchblade and nailed my hand to a fence. I almost died. And you think it’s heavy now? Shit.”

– La puissance de la musique :
To Jones, music is what brings people together, later assuring Kendrick that “the last thing to leave this planet will be water and music. People cannot live without music.”

– La musique de Kendrick Lamar :
Jones however, someone who played a major part in catapulting Michael Jackson from a child star to one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever known, seems at ease in handing Lamar the torch.
“I’m glad you’re doing the amalgamation of all of our cultures,” Quincy states with a sense of relief as he pats Kendrick on the knee. “You are the future.

– Les vraies origines du hip-hop :
Unfortunately, hip-hop has veered off course, abandoning this very essence without ever knowing it existed. Aware of the self-destructive path it’s on, frustration pours from Quincy’s voice as he moves closer to Kendrick to ask, “Do you know where rap came from?”
Lamar hesitates before responding as if questioning everything he’s learned, “My generation would say the Bronx.”
“Bullshit,” declares Jones. He then begins listing the various forms of expression that have had a helping hand in shaping hip-hop, from the social commentary and oral history of West African poets called griots and the imbongi of South Africa, to early 20th century African American males battling with witty insults in “the Dozens,” to similarities between capoeira – a Brazilian martial art that incorporates elements of dance and music – and breakdancing.
As the industry continues to manipulate and marginalize black culture, a theme that weaves in and out of Kendrick’s music, Quincy attributes the lack of originality, cultural leaders, and a meaningful voice in hip-hop to not knowing its history or its origins. With Kendrick hanging onto every word, Quincy confidently says, “You get to where you’re going easy, if you know what happened before you and how it got there. It’s very important.”

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