The Kendrick-Drake battle become the biggest battle in hip-hop history. Why do I say he’s the best ever? I even have no less than seven reasons. (That’s yet another than 6!)

1. This battle gave us perhaps the best weekend in hip-hop history. From Friday morning to Sunday evening, five recent diss albums appeared in culture. Friday morning was for Kendrick “6:16 in Los Angeles” Friday night belonged to DrakeFamily matters” (with video) and a number of minutes later “Kendrick”Meet the Grahams” And then, on Saturday night, there was one other one from Kendrick: “Not like us” On Sunday, Drake returned with “Heart, part 6” It was an exciting, exhausting and truthfully terrifying few days. (Scary because this beef turned really dark.)

I’ll always remember the screaming text messages I received. Friday morning, a flood of text messages got here in, like 15 people without delay, all saying: KENDRICK FELL!!! That night, as I used to be about to start out watching the Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, one other wave of text messages got here in: DRAKE HAD ANSWERED! Moments later: NEW, NEW KENDRICK! I used to be flooded. It was a lot to soak up. But I also felt very connected to my community – everyone was talking and talking about it. Each song got here with Easter eggs. Kendrick in particular needed a special decoding ring and literary deconstruction to completely understand what he was saying. So each song required reading to assist you to unpack it, scrolling, texting, Googling, and speaking. I spent two whole days furiously texting, DMing, and talking to my most caring hip-hop friends to seek out out what they saw on these records. It was a rare weekend in hip-hop.

2. During this battle, Kendrick gave us his best performance ever in many battle songs. You could argue that Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline” or Tupac’s “Hit Em Up” were the best battle songs of all time, OK. But nobody has ever made 4 diss records pretty much as good as the 4 Kendrick lost in that battle. Drake puts out some solid music – “Family Matters” was really good, it pains me to confess, but it surely’s not enough to maintain up with K’s monstrous body of labor. It’s like Drake on the court putting together an honest 20-point game while Kendrick was running wildly and missing 81 points.

3. This fight is really mean. The two men sit and take a look at to think about the cruelest and most hurtful things they might say to one another. They speak about pedophilia and domestic violence. They each attempt total character assassination. They really hate one another. As in the event that they each find yourself in the same city at the same time, someone may have to go away. That’s what you wish in battle: true hostility. The meanness in this case runs so deep that the entire fight has gone to the gutter. The topic went from who is the best MC to “You’re a terrible father,” “You beat your wife,” and “I’m telling your parents you’re a terrible person and your next show in Oakland might be your last.” ” It’s vile, even by the wild standards of hip-hop battle, and that is why I’m here.

4. Kendrick unlocked a brand new level in this battle. His brilliance was fully revealed. It’s devilish. He’s an evil genius. I’ve heard people joke that Kendrick inspired them to be higher haters, but seriously, Kendrick inspired me to attempt to be a greater author. The complexity of his writing is something to aspire to. Kendrick had a historic performance in this battle that elevated his legacy. For the past few years, I’ve believed that Kendrick needs to be in my top five conversations of all time, but I’ve found that the majority hip-hop fans find the idea controversial. This is now not controversial. It was already clear that he was the best MC of his generation, but now it’s reasonable to argue that he’s the third, fourth or fifth best MC of all time, behind the likes of Jay-Z, Nas and Andre 3000.

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5. This battle has an especially mysterious background feel, like a spy novel or a Mission Impossible sequel. Kendrick said in “Euphoria” that there is a leak in Drake’s camp. He said someone at OVO was secretly working for him. He seemed to prove it by releasing it in the Jewish district and faculty, divorced from the African-American experience. Some consider that his lack of connection to African-American culture during his adolescence explains why he now appears to be greater than that, acting like a black man fairly than authentically embodying a connection to African-Americanism. Does that mean he isn’t black? NO. Does this explain why Kendrick says the N-word just doesn’t sound correct? Maybe. It’s like there is a college-level course on black identity in Instagram comment sections.

7. This battle has led to a deep and offended condemnation and demonization of homeless fathers. I do not know obviously if the term “killer dad” actually applies to Drake, but it surely doesn’t matter in this case. We have Kendrick, an especially respectable MC, screaming on the mic that certainly one of the worst things in the world is being a crap dad. Normalize embarrassing deadbeat dads.

This battle was a wild circus and I adore it. But perhaps it would end soon, because it’s extremely stressful to have a lot vitriol in your ears.

Twelve works by the legendary Jean-Michel Basquiat can now be seen on Samsung’s Frame TV collection. For the primary time, the artist’s work shall be widely available in digital format.

Basquiat revolutionized the New York art scene with an everlasting aesthetic that continues to draw attention to at the present time. The brand’s foundation presented the Basquiat x Warhol exhibition in New York earlier this 12 months. In 2015, the Brooklyn Museum hosted a Basquiat-themed edition of the infamous “First Saturdays,” during which Lion Babe tore down the home in tribute to the cultural icon. The crowd wore paper crowns inspired by his work and swayed to the music before moving from floor to floor to find out about his inspirations and influence.

Artists continually drop the name of a Neo-Expressionist artist. In short, he became a bridge between hip-hop and the world of art. Mobb Deep, Gym Class Heroes, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Nas, Lil’ Wayne, Phonte and Ja Rule have all referenced him in songs. “Jean-Michel Basquiat’s works stand completely alone in the history of contemporary art, which is why it was so important that some of his greatest works were featured in the Samsung Art Store,” said Daria Greene, global curator at Samsung Art Store, in a statement to ESSENCE.

“Basquiat’s prominent place in our culture and unique message for the world is as necessary today as ever, and we are proud to help share that message and advance his legacy.” These twelve works by Basquiat will join the more than 2,500 artistic endeavors available in the frame collection. They include original songs from the Nineteen Eighties, including: (1982), (1982) and (1986). They differ in color and scale.

The works were chosen for their ability to be adapted to a super format for frame television, allowing the integrity of the artist’s original vision to be complemented by this technology somewhat than obscured.

“The ability to bring Basquiat’s iconic works directly to your home through the Samsung Art Store is an exciting opportunity for audiences around the world to experience his work in a new and powerful way,” said David Stark, founder and president of Artestar, the international brand licensing company and the consulting agency representing the estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat in a statement to ESSENCE.

“Basquiat’s work continues to spark important conversations and encourage us to look at our world differently,” he continued. “This partnership on The Frame’s digital canvas allows his work to be viewed in every home, helping to share his work and honor his legacy.”

Samsung Frame TV owners can change the colour of the TV frame as often as they wish to match their home decor. They can also upload their very own images to the TV so that they can display family photos or welcome messages to their guests. These digital images can be planned to be interspersed with artwork from your frame collection.

As square footage becomes increasingly difficult to come back by, they provide a solution to diversify the art you display in your home if wall space is restricted. There is a music frame option that gives art on a smaller scale as well.

Arts-focused television has change into a desirable status symbol. The seventh season of the high-end real estate documentary series, featuring the Oppenheim Group filling a gallery wall with several frame TVs during a remodel. Frame TV provides exposure for artists and access for art lovers that may not be possible without this technology.

You not must go to the closest metropolis to experience famous art. Those who cannot make it to the exhibition in certainly one of the 800 museums with which they’ve established cooperation can simply reach for the handheld remote control.

Find out more in regards to the frame collection Here.

Hip-hop media personality Vladislav Lyubovny, also referred to as DJ Vlad, discovered he wasn’t as popular within the rap community as he thought after an internet exchange with a Princeton professor after Black Twitter called for his dismissal.

It began on Saturday, May 4, when Kendrick Lamar dropped “Not Like Us,” his latest contribution to the countless diss tracks aimed toward Drake over the past week. While most listeners were impressed by the Bay Area influence on the DJ Mustard-produced beat and the catchiness of K. Dot’s lyrics, DJ Vlad turned his attention to other areas.

Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” needed a greater mix. This takes away from the song,” he wrote on Twitter.

Morgan Jerkins, whose X profile lists her as a school member in Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts creative writing program, responded to Vlad’s tweet by saying, “You are WHITE. This is a black people’s issue.”

Jerkins’ response outraged the DJ-turned-journalist, who then threatened to fire her.

“Wait, so a professor at Princeton is telling me that a white person shouldn’t be allowed to express their opinion on hip-hop?” Vlad stated before asking, “Is this how you interact with your students?”

Morgan didn’t budge. “I want to say that you put your opinion into a discussion that is not necessary. This conversation is and should be focused on Black people, not you.

DJ Vlad doubled down and wrote on Twitter: “Good luck being a professor at @Princeton again. I question whether the university supports its professors who tell non-black students to shut the fuck up about anything related to hip-hop because of their skin color.

While DJ Vlad suggests that Morgan Jerkins exclude him from the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake conversation because he is white and she has prejudices, Morgan on the other hand believes that he only singled her out because she is a black woman and tries to use a gun in her words, trying to get her kicked out of the Ivy League.

“I find it funny that you chose to respond to me, belittling my education and threatening my job, while others responded to you in a much harsher way. Very interesting. And talking,” Morgan said after explaining that she never told him to “shut up” when it got here to anything hip-hop-related because of the colour of his skin.

The former DJ warned her not to change her words now, promising, “I’ll contact Princeton about this on Monday,” to which Morgan immediately notified him that she had accomplished each the semester and her contract at the college.

“But thank you for trying to get me fired from my job of centering Black people because your feelings were hurt. Very retaliatory, huh? Nice tactic,” she added.

This is known as a “persistent record”. Every university has one. I went to Berkeley myself. People publicly hurl ignorant and bigoted comments at you, and once they get a response, they act like they’re being persecuted. Typical victim mentality. Go ahead and take it @princeton outside…

— DJ Vlad (@djvlad) May 5, 2024

It didn’t take long for other X users to claim that DJ Vlad had passed out for a selected reason. One of the X users, following the conversation, quickly noted Morgan’s name and identified the university professor’s relationship with the outstanding producer, Rodney Jerkins.

Rodney Jerkins, also referred to as “Darkchild”, gave his biggest hits to stars resembling Michael Jackson, Brandy, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez, Toni Braxton, Lady Gaga and others. He was also interviewed by DJ Vlad.

“Morgan, Are You Related to Rodney Jerkins (Darkchild)” he asked Eagle-eyed user X. “I am culturally competent to know who he is in this culture. Vlad may not know. Vlad, do you know who Rodney Jerkins is? Do your research.

“Yes, that’s my uncle,” Morgan replied.

“DJ Vlad trying to dox and bully a black professor at Princeton is hilarious. but the funniest thing is that she is Darkchild’s niece lol,” one X user he was joking.

DJ Vlad’s decision went silent when Morgan’s connections were made public, but the rest of Black Twitter jumped in to defend her.

“You get accused of being a white person who needs to stay out of black businesses, and the first thing you do is…. *checks notes* …Threaten to call the manager,” one X user said.

You are WHITE.

This is a black people’s issue. https://t.co/BC2NbQcJ0W

— Morgan Jerkins (@MorganJerkins) May 5, 2024

The one person who can always come to the defense of hip-hop is rapper and Flipmode Squad member Rah Digga, who also rushed to defend Morgan.

“Damn, you calling her the principal for talking battle rap? Big right. I don’t read the room, man, she said he tweeted.

“Rah, consider it this fashion,” Vlad shot back. “If a black music blogger commented that a Taylor Swift song didn’t have a good mix and a Harvard professor responded to him and said, ‘You’re BLACK.’ This is a white people’s issue. Would you be okay with this professor teaching kids at a top university? Not me.”

The feminine woman in Flip mode spoke up, “You just described AMERICA. This is literally what they are screaming for Beyonce NOW. And it’s still MUSIC. Like many of your white hip-hop counterparts right now.

Digga Digga left him with words of wisdom, especially as a white man in hip-hop. She told him, specifically regarding Morgan’s message, “If you think you’ve earned your place. Sticks and stones, man…

Journalist Bomani Jones also spoke on the matter.

“And let me be clear: vlad… anyone heard the footage of this battle and was primarily talking about the mix? not like us. well, maybe like you. but definitely not like me. f*** it,” he said, stating that mixing a song is the very last thing a real hip-hop fan cares about during a battle.

“I understand and respect your position. But ultimately, Kendrick’s sound is heard by tens of millions of people – a rough mix equals a blurry image. Meanwhile, Drake is giving his all on the production and mixing level,” Vlad replied.

Bomani reminded Vlad that it is a diss track and it’s much deeper.

“He called Drake a slaver, and you called Kendrick to track him down.” not old. no, he replied, proving that after again Vlad was completely detached from reality.

“He went all out too, Karen,” replied an observer of the conversation.

Even comedian Kev on Stage mocked Vlad’s criticism, but he wasn’t personally attacked like Morgan was. However, she warned him that he might be next: “You higher take it off before the room monitor sends you to the principal’s office!!!”

You better take it off before the room monitor sends you to the principal’s office!!! https://t.co/gZ6v3VOjeg

— Morgan Jerkins (@MorganJerkins) May 5, 2024

The other professors also sided with Morgan, telling Vlad he could call their schools.

My friend 😭 Thank you https://t.co/dvEbBCLeKP

— Morgan Jerkins (@MorganJerkins) May 5, 2024

Vlad said he responded to Morgan’s post because he saw that she was a real person and not a “bot” hiding behind a fabricated identity. The college English teacher said it was much more than that, suggesting his comments were based on misogyny.

She he tweeted“He also didn’t think anyone would defend me because I was a black woman. So thank you to everyone who did this. I know why he responded to me, and it wasn’t because his other critics were “bots.”

If Vlad believed that, he was wrong.

Darkchild did not comment on the quarrel between his niece and DJ Vlad.