With no album or mixtape out in 2012, Drake still managed to pull into the #5 spot on MTV News’ “Hottest MCs in the Game VIII” list, in a unanimous vote from the roundtable. And that alone says a lot about the YMCMB rapper’s star power.
With his guest verse on A$AP Rocky’s “1 Train,” K-Dot made it clear that playing second fiddle was of no interest to him. “If I’m not the hottest, than hell must’ve froze over,” he spit in a poignant and measured tone.
Well, someone tell Kendrick that the underworld is still intact because the Compton, California, native has just been crowned the Hottest MC in the Game by MTV’s Hip-Hop Brain Trust.
“I think when it’s all said and done, Kendrick Lamar is going to be an important voice of his generation,” said MTV News Senior Hip Hop Writer Rob Markman.
K-Dot earned the #1 spot in a unanimous decision, while 2 Chainz landed in the #2 slot. While both MCs made indelible marks in the last year, it was Kendrick’s artistry and commercial appeal that helped him earn the title. Lyrically, Lamar is an expert spitter who weaves complex rhyme patterns around soul-drenched beats, with as unique a style as rap has seen in years. And while verbal depth isn’t usually a marker for rap success, the Compton rapper moved major units when he dropped his debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d city.
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Yet on Thursday, there was no one more excited than Kendrick, whose gold-selling good kid, m.A.A.d city LP helped him rise above his hip-hop contemporaries. “You know what’s crazy, we were looking at the years of the different MCs, and we were always like, ‘Man, we gotta get on there. We gotta at least get on the list.’ But to make it #1, that’s a whole ‘nother thing,” he said immediately after he found out the news.
Kendrick also performed “Poetic Justice” at the MTV studios. Watch his performance below.
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