Kendrick Lamar - "XXX." ft. U2

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Kendrick Lamar - "XXX." ft. U2

You're still young. Much more disappointment to come.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

How can you call Kendrick "borderline unlistenable" and then mention that you've never bothered listening to the guy? How would you know that?

And I guess you would need to describe yourself as a "snob not into Hip Hop" rather than a "Hip Hop snob" because why would a big fan of the genre avoid listening to Kendrick up until now?

"I'm a rock snob who has never listened to The Beatles until this Sgt. Pepper box set announcement. I find it unlistenable!"

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Kendrick Lamar - "XXX." ft. U2

Nice play on words there. I heard a few songs over the years and didn't bother to continue listening I should have said. I went back today and listened to more songs after hearing about the collab and I'm sorry he just doesn't do it for me.

 

[cobl04]

As I recall Gonna Run 2 U is the only person who still pumps up Kings of Leon, so not sure too much stock can be placed into his/her opinions.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Kendrick Lamar - "XXX." ft. U2

Maybe the only one on these boards but in defense of kings of Leon, their latest album, like it or not was actually their first number one on the charts so someone, somewhere is still listening to them.

 

[dan_smee]

Not weighing in as I have zero opinion to offer on KOL - but Nickelback are still touring, so....


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[LemonMelon]

I think Kendrick Is borderline unlistenable for me.

up until this announcement I never even listened to him.

That's probably why you aren't sure about your opinion of him.

EDIT: Didn't read the full thread and missed that BigMac made the same post. I'm pleasantly surprised that this thread isn't a trainwreck yet.

 

[cobl04]

Yet. Wait til the song comes out.

 

[kabigon]

Luckily Record Store Day isn't a week earlier or this place could have a meltdown.

 

[trevgreg]

Luckily Record Store Day isn't a week earlier or this place could have a meltdown.

More so than the "red zone tape" fiasco before the first I&E shows in 2015?

 

[lazarus]

How can you call Kendrick "borderline unlistenable" and then mention that you've never bothered listening to the guy? How would you know that?

And I guess you would need to describe yourself as a "snob not into Hip Hop" rather than a "Hip Hop snob" because why would a big fan of the genre avoid listening to Kendrick up until now?

"I'm a rock snob who has never listened to The Beatles until this Sgt. Pepper box set announcement. I find it unlistenable!"

This.

As I recall Gonna Run 2 U is the only person who still pumps up Kings of Leon, so not sure too much stock can be placed into his/her opinions.

Maybe the only one on these boards but in defense of kings of Leon, their latest album, like it or not was actually their first number one on the charts so someone, somewhere is still listening to them.

 

[DaveC]

I'm sorry he just doesn't do it for me.

then may i ask who does it for you in hip hop please? i don't wanna shit talk you but it's a little hard to wrap my mind around a self-proclaimed "hip hop snob" just outright not getting anything out of kendrick lamar's music.

anyone who thinks u2 on the next kendrick album is anything more than sampling as part of a beat is absolutely nuts, btw.

i hope it's going to be HMTMKMKM chopped up into a beat. he could make an amazing track out of that.

 

[lazarus]

then may i ask who does it for you in hip hop please? i don't wanna shit talk you but it's a little hard to wrap my mind around a self-proclaimed "hip hop snob" just outright not getting anything out of kendrick lamar's music.

From the other thread:

I'm hoping it's a serious song and nothing too ridiculously commercial for today's rap standards.

If you've heard some of Kendrick's material "over the years" as you claimed, you'd know he's pretty far from a "hit single" kind of artist. The guy just released an unannounced album last year that was pretty out there sonically with jazz influences. So why your first instinct is worrying that it would be some kind of trendy radio fare is beyond me.

 

[lazarus]

anyone who thinks u2 on the next kendrick album is anything more than sampling as part of a beat is absolutely nuts, btw.

I'm conflicted here. Kendrick doesn't need U2's stature at this point in his own skyrocketing career; there's nothing for him to gain by placing "featuring U2" next to a song title on the back cover if it's only a sample. It would look like false advertising on his part and he'd get criticized for it.

On the flipside, if U2 insisted that the only way they'd let him use a sample is if they received this kind of hyperbolic credit, they would wind up looking like desperate opportunists themselves and would get an even worse drubbing from the media.

So while I'm a little skeptical that this is a legitimate collaboration with no previous info from anyone in either camp, I feel like neither artist would risk the negative reaction if it turns out to be merely a sample.

 

[cobl04]

I disagree that Kendrick would get criticised for that. No one likes U2 enough to care about that.

But yes, if that story comes out that they asked for a hyperbolic credit, it will be a disaster for them

 

[lazarus]

Well I'm sure people would wonder why he made a big deal about it unlike most samples on hip hop albums.

 

[DaveC]

i can't imagine kendrick giving a feature to u2 on an album where they play new material unless guy oseary actually has blackmail material on top dawg. i think people who are looking for some new u2 here don't know kendrick lamar. it wouldn't work for anyone involved.

HMTMKMKM has several great guitar riffs, lots of bono "oh, OH"s, the strings at the end, the instrumental bass groove just before bono starts the first verse - these are all great sample bits to make a sick beat that sounds little like the original, and something like this would certainly mean all four members of u2 getting a writing credit. there are tons of u2 songs this formula could apply to.

 

[chocky]

Perhaps he's done what Eminem did with Dido on "Stan"; taken a lessor known previously released mainstream track and incorporated it into a new song - but more than merely a sample?

For some reason I just can't see this being brand new U2 material.

It would be pretty cool to have something like The Troubles or Sleep Like A Baby Tonight incorporated into a rap song.

 

[cobl04]

i can't imagine kendrick giving a feature to u2 on an album where they play new material unless guy oseary actually has blackmail material on top dawg. i think people who are looking for some new u2 here don't know kendrick lamar. it wouldn't work for anyone involved.

HMTMKMKM has several great guitar riffs, lots of bono "oh, OH"s, the strings at the end, the instrumental bass groove just before bono starts the first verse - these are all great sample bits to make a sick beat that sounds little like the original, and something like this would certainly mean all four members of u2 getting a writing credit. there are tons of u2 songs this formula could apply to.

I was just discussing with a former Interferencer that the best case scenario would be U2 live in the studio shredding Bullet, Kendrick going nuts over the top, and no contribution whatsoever from Bono.

 

[Mack_Again]

it's so strange seeing people agreeing with BigMac.

 

[DaveC]

I was just discussing with a former Interferencer that the best case scenario would be U2 live in the studio shredding Bullet, Kendrick going nuts over the top, and no contribution whatsoever from Bono.

i can't think of any way kendrick raps over bullet as-is where it sounds good.

i'm pretty sure this is going to involve a u2 song chopped up and turned into something almost unrecognizable.

EYKIW is going to fucking hate it no matter how it turns out tho and i kinda can't wait to see the reaction

 

[lazarus]

i can't imagine kendrick giving a feature to u2 on an album where they play new material unless guy oseary actually has blackmail material on top dawg. i think people who are looking for some new u2 here don't know kendrick lamar. it wouldn't work for anyone involved.

HMTMKMKM has several great guitar riffs, lots of bono "oh, OH"s, the strings at the end, the instrumental bass groove just before bono starts the first verse - these are all great sample bits to make a sick beat that sounds little like the original, and something like this would certainly mean all four members of u2 getting a writing credit. there are tons of u2 songs this formula could apply to.

Go look at the Wiki credits for To Pimp A Butterfly. Ronald Isley and George Clinton were both sampled, but also APPEARED on other songs on the album performing new material. They received "featuring" credit for the latter, but not the songs they were sampled on. Other people receiving "featuring" credit include Bilal and Thundercat, who sang and played an instrument on a song, respectively. Everyone receiving a "featuring" credit did something new in the studio for this album.

Prominent artists who were sampled but did not receive a "featuring" credit include Sufjan Stevens, Fela Kuti, and James Brown.

On the other side of it, do you think Rihanna was merely sampled? Or is it more likely she's getting "featuring" credit because she contributes new singing to the album?

It would be odd to credit one artist for one new contribution, and use the same designation for someone else who isn't even part of the process. And it would also be odd to use one set of rules for credits on one album, and then change to something else on another (untitled unmastered had no "featuring" credits or samples).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Pimp_a_Butterfly

Wesley's Theory by Kendrick Lamar Songfacts

How Much A Dollar Cost by Kendrick Lamar Songfacts

 

[dan_smee]

Bold prediction - EYKIW won't hate it as much as @u2 forums


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[dan_smee]

It is pretty common knowledge that featuring is a performance, sampling is a liner note credit.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[kabigon]

It'll never happen in a million years but Wire could work really well I feel.

 

[DaveC]

Go look at the Wiki credits for To Pimp A Butterfly. Ronald Isley and George Clinton were both sampled, but also APPEARED on other songs on the album performing new material. They received "featuring" credit for the latter, but not the songs they were sampled on. Other people receiving "featuring" credit include Bilal and Thundercat, who sang and played an instrument on a song, respectively. Everyone receiving a "featuring" credit did something new in the studio for this album.

Prominent artists who were sampled but did not receive a "featuring" credit include Sufjan Stevens, Fela Kuti, and James Brown.

On the other side of it, do you think Rihanna was merely sampled? Or is it more likely she's getting "featuring" credit because she contributes new singing to the album?

It would be odd to credit one artist for one new contribution, and use the same designation for someone else who isn't even part of the process. And it would also be odd to use one set of rules for credits on one album, and then change to something else on another (untitled unmastered had no "featuring" credits or samples).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Pimp_a_Butterfly

Wesley's Theory by Kendrick Lamar Songfacts

How Much A Dollar Cost by Kendrick Lamar Songfacts

i will wager the largest sums of money i can afford that this is not new u2.

you may not win much more than pocket lint if you call my bluff, but i'm pretty confident this is going to be an existing song reworked into a dope beat.

 

[Mack_Again]

"feature" clearly means new performances I mean whenever you see features in DJ Shadow album someone's actually contirbuting that music instead of Shadow sampling their (past) work. i mean, Number Song didn't "feature" Metallica because he merely sampled intro of "Orion"

 

[lazarus]

i will wager the largest sums of money i can afford that this is not new u2.

you may not win much more than pocket lint if you call my bluff, but i'm pretty confident this is going to be an existing song reworked into a dope beat.

So you're basically just going to dismiss the actual hard evidence I just gave you?

Ok.

I don't know what's going to be on the album, but we have documentation of what Kendrick's previous approach has been for this type of thing, and he's clearly drawn a line in the past between sampling and guest appearances. Everything else is speculation without anything to back it up beyond subjective feelings.

Feel free to respond to what I posted with some actual explanation as to how my deduction is flawed.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

We can't rule out "featuring" being a new recording of old material either...in other words, it would be kind of like a sample. "One" with Mary J. Blige is something in that territory. Might be easier for Kendrick to have the band play around him and give him what he wants then to try and get a sample that fits...

Two days, tops, until we have our answers. I think we'll be getting something brand new, and therefore, a new U2 track.

 

[cobl04]

Laz's evidence is overwhelming, but I tend to side with Dave as I just can't envisage any way in which a new, in-studio contribution could work with Kendrick, unless Bono doesn't have a prominent vocal / it's the band playing around him.