Big Sean's "Control", particularly the verse of Kendrick Lamar[Bridge: Kendrick Lamar]Miscellaneous minds are never explainin' their mindsDevilish grin for my alias aliens to respondPeddlin' sin, thinkin' maybe when you get old you realizeI'm not gonna fold or demise(I don't smoke crack, motherfucker I sell it!)Bitch, everything I rap is a quarter piece to your melonSo if you have a relapse, just relax and pop in my discDon't pop me no fucking pill, I'mma a pop you and give you this[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar]Tell Flex to drop a bomb on this shitSo many bombs, ring the alarm like Vietnam in this shitSo many bombs, make Farrakhan think Saddam in this bitchOne at a time, I line 'em up and bomb on they mom while she watchin' the kidsI'm in a destruction mode if the gold existsI'm important like the pope, I'm a muslim on porkI'm Makaveli's offspring, I'm the king of New YorkKing of the Coast, one hand, I juggle them bothThe juggernaut's all in your jugular, you take me for jokesLive in the basement, church pews and funeral facesCartier bracelets for my women friends I'm in VegasWho the fuck y'all thought it's supposed to be?If Phil Jackson came back, still no coachin' meI'm uncoachable, I'm unsociableFuck y'all clubs, fuck y'all pictures, your Instagram can gobble these nutsGobble dick up 'til you hiccup, my big homie KuruptThis the same flow that put the rap game on a crutchI've seen niggas transform like villain DecepticonsMollies'll prolly turn these niggas to fuckin' Lindsay LohanA bunch of rich ass white girls lookin' for partiesPlayin with Barbies, wreck the Porsche before you give 'em the car keyJudgement to the monarchy, blessings to Paul McCartneyYou called me a black Beatle, I'm either that or a Marley(I don't smoke crack motherfucker I sell it)I'm dressed in all black, this is not for the fan of ElvisI'm aimin' straight for your pelvis, you can't stomach meYou plan on stumpin' me? Bitch I've been jumped before you put a gun on meBitch I put one on yours, I'm Sean ConneryJames Bonding with none of you niggas, climbing 100 mil in front of meAnd I'm gonna get it even if you're in the wayAnd if you're in it, better run for Pete's sakeI heard the barbershops spittin' great debates all the timeBout who's the best MC? Kendrick, Jigga and NasEminem, Andre 3000, the rest of y'allNew niggas just new niggas, don't get involvedAnd I ain't rockin no more designer shitWhite T's and Nike Cortez, this is red Corvettes anonymousI'm usually homeboys with the same niggas I'm rhymin' witBut this is hip hop and them niggas should know what time it isAnd that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, WalePusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, DrakeBig Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac MillerI got love for you all but I'm tryna murder you niggasTryna make sure your core fans never heard of you niggasThey dont wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you niggasWhat is competition? I'm tryna raise the bar highWho tryna jump and get it? You better off tryna skydiveOut the exit window of 5 G5's with 5 grandWith your granddad as the pilot he drunk as fuck tryna landWith the hand full of arthritis and popping prosthetic legBumpin Pac in the cockpit so the shit that pops in his headIs an option of violence, someone heard the stewardess saidThat your parachute is a latex condom hooked to a dread Even hundreds of years after the troubadours sang through the hallways of medieval castles, the influence of the lyric poet remains. Troubadour themes transcend the boundaries imposed by time and the limitations of genre, evident in even the most unlikely sources: modern rap. By focusing on Peire d'Alvernhe's sirventes Chantarai d'Aquest Troubadours and Kendrick Lamar's scathing verse on Big Sean's Control, we can explore the parallels that run between the two incredibly different sources. Both lyricists made extensive use of the art of the insult, referencing great artists from each respective time period in order to glorify their own skill with wordplay. Each song also references some popular troubadour themes, such as pride, respect for the craft, and respect for the artist. Though it is difficult to ascertain the motivation behind the creation of these songs, the effect that each has had on music is unmistakable and widespread. Some of the troubadours mentioned by Peire d'Alvernhe are only remembered in the annals of time because of Peire's biting words. Kendrick Lamar's verse has garnered responses from even those he did not mention; he proved his words were far-reaching when even comedians and professional athletes acknowledged his claims. It is highly unlikely that Kendrick Lamar studied the art of the troubadours, nevertheless the works of Peire d'Alvernhe. However, his works remain influenced by troubadour themes. By drawing parallels between these artists and their works, I am able to understand each piece to a greater extent. As such, I have gained a deeper understanding of works created nine centuries apart, and gain a new appreciation for not only the wordplay of modern rappers, but the troubadours that started it all. I have attached a video of Kendrick Lamar's verse on Control, as well as included an excerpt of the lyrics from the song. You can also find a pdf version of my slides from the presentation.
Lyrics:
Big Sean's "Control", particularly the verse of Kendrick Lamar[Bridge: Kendrick Lamar] Miscellaneous minds are never explainin' their minds Devilish grin for my alias aliens to respond Peddlin' sin, thinkin' maybe when you get old you realize I'm not gonna fold or demise (I don't smoke crack, motherfucker I sell it!) Bitch, everything I rap is a quarter piece to your melon So if you have a relapse, just relax and pop in my disc Don't pop me no fucking pill, I'mma a pop you and give you this[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar] Tell Flex to drop a bomb on this shit So many bombs, ring the alarm like Vietnam in this shit So many bombs, make Farrakhan think Saddam in this bitch One at a time, I line 'em up and bomb on they mom while she watchin' the kids I'm in a destruction mode if the gold exists I'm important like the pope, I'm a muslim on pork I'm Makaveli's offspring, I'm the king of New York King of the Coast, one hand, I juggle them both The juggernaut's all in your jugular, you take me for jokes Live in the basement, church pews and funeral faces Cartier bracelets for my women friends I'm in Vegas Who the fuck y'all thought it's supposed to be? If Phil Jackson came back, still no coachin' me I'm uncoachable, I'm unsociable Fuck y'all clubs, fuck y'all pictures, your Instagram can gobble these nuts Gobble dick up 'til you hiccup, my big homie Kurupt This the same flow that put the rap game on a crutch I've seen niggas transform like villain Decepticons Mollies'll prolly turn these niggas to fuckin' Lindsay Lohan A bunch of rich ass white girls lookin' for parties Playin with Barbies, wreck the Porsche before you give 'em the car key Judgement to the monarchy, blessings to Paul McCartney You called me a black Beatle, I'm either that or a Marley (I don't smoke crack motherfucker I sell it) I'm dressed in all black, this is not for the fan of Elvis I'm aimin' straight for your pelvis, you can't stomach me You plan on stumpin' me? Bitch I've been jumped before you put a gun on me Bitch I put one on yours, I'm Sean Connery James Bonding with none of you niggas, climbing 100 mil in front of me And I'm gonna get it even if you're in the way And if you're in it, better run for Pete's sake I heard the barbershops spittin' 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 And I ain't rockin no more designer shit White T's and Nike Cortez, this is red Corvettes anonymous 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