Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Hi-Hop poster boy Kendrick Lamar and R&B’s newly crowned prince Miguel grace the commemorative double cover of VIBE’s April/May “Big List” issue. According to the magazine, both artists are “proudly waving the torch for new-age hip-hop and R&B” while leading the way for the next generation of artists. They also chop it up about each other’s music, their influences, taking risks as artists and Frank Ocean. Check out their photoshoot and a few excerpts from the interview:
Kendrick Lamar on Miguel’s approach to R&B…As far as Miguel, one thing I said these past couple of years, from an R&B perspective, I always felt like it’s been missing the depth of actually telling a story. Everything on the radio has been cliché. But when you get a body of work like Miguel’s, you hear actual intricate details and lines where it’s not just saying, Come here girl, blah blah blah.
Miguel on taking risks…If anything, when you do take risks, you become either more confident because you’re going to be criticized and speculated, and those conversations are gonna cross you and you’re either sure of yourself and what you believe in or you’re torn down.
Kendrick Lamar on future goals…The biggest goal is to say, “Damn, we did it.” Think about Jay-Z and R. Kelly and everything they accomplished. I don’t know if they’re on talking terms now, but I’m sure they’d say, “Damn, we did it,” 20 years down the line. That’s the ultimate high—to accomplish what you sought after, just like those two did.
Miguel on Frank Ocean’s sexuality announcement …In all reality, Frank Ocean took a big chance the way that artists are supposed to. I mean, even his album doesn’t sound like mine or anyone else’s. So sonically and how he writes and what he’s writing about and how he chooses to express himself vocally, all his choices are very unique, and I appreciate that about him. Not only did his announcement overshadow my music, but it overshadowed his as well.
Click here to read the full interview
Photography Credit/VIBE
