The Kings of the New School (Kendrick, Cole, Drake, and Chance)

Hip-Hop has evolved as an art form since its heyday in the 80's and 90's, but there are still a lot of rappers who embody what the culture has been known for since Hip-Hop's rise to mainstream popularity. Today, with all the rappers of different sounds and approaches, such as Logic, Big Sean, Joey Bada$$, Wale, etc., there are probably four rappers who are head and shoulders above everyone else. With all the intelligent lyricists around, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Drake, and Chance the Rapper have the most pull of anyone in the game right now, each with a different approach, a different cult following, and different, trendsetting sound. Kendrick is the consensus king, the west coast heir to the throne, with hints of trap and soul music, that appeals to old head Hip-Hop fans and youth alike. J. Cole is the melodic, soulful, insightful MC from Fayetteville, NC that would make Nas and Lauryn Hill proud(No pun intended). Drake, the reigning king of the pop charts from the 6 who seemingly makes hit after hit. Chance, the newcomer, the colorful, refreshing, down to earth kid from Chicago with acidic jazzy vibes.

Kendrick Lamar, by most accounts, is the best rapper alive, and has been for a number of years. Kendrick was born and raised in Compton, California. He was a straight A student at Compton High School, and idolized Tupac Shakur. In fact, one of the major points of his childhood was when he was able watch his heroes Tupac, and Dr.Dre(whose Aftermath label he later signed to) His mixtape Overly Dedicated and debut album Section. 80 led to widespread breakout acclaim. His major label debut, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, solidified him as a major force in the rap game, and is considered one of the greatest rap albums in recent memory. Kendrick's verse on
Big Sean's Control signaled his take over, and has been widely considered " The verse that woke the game up". His album To Pimp A Butterfly showed a change from his traditional West Coast sound to one infused with Jazz and spoken word. The album led to 11 Grammy nominations, one less than Michael Jackson's record of 12 from the 1984 Grammys. His album DAMN, was arguably the most popular album of the past year. The album outsold Drake's More Life, which was shocking, as Drake's style is seen as more pop, and more conducive to record and streaming sales  At one point, all fourteen tracks from the album were on the Billboard Hot 100. He was also the curator and one of the executive producers for the newly released Black Panther: The Album soundtrack for the movie Black Panther. Kendrick's music follows in the footsteps of his hero Tupac Shakur, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, etc.,  delivering hits that made statements on social issues, such as Alright and Blacker the Berry, both from TPAB.


J. Cole, possibly the artist most mentioned with Kendrick(the two have been tied together since Cole produced for Kendrick's hit HiiPower off of Section. 80) , has a little bit different of story. A native of Fayetteville, NC, he used academics as a way to get to New York and vie for a major label record deal. One of the few rappers with a college degree, Cole graduated magna cum laude with a degree in communication and business. One of the greatest rappers of the current generation, he was originally snubbed by Jay-Z before being the first artist signed to his Roc Nation label. After his breakout mixtapes, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights, his debut album The Sideline Story( named for his frustration with the period of time his album was "benched") debuted at #1. Next came his sophomore album, Born Sinner, which reached  #1 in its second week, outselling Kanye West's Yeezus, and solidified him as a Hip-Hop megastar. He followed that up with 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which is hailed as one of the greatest rap albums of this decade. His latest album, 4 Your Eyez Only, debuted at number one, and made J. Cole one of three rappers to have each of their first four albums reach number one on the Billboard 200(DMX and Drake). He also fits into the line of artists known for using music as a platform for social and polital change. His songs, Be Free and Neighbors are probably the biggest examples


Drake, the wunderkind from Toronto, first appeared in the public eye on the series Degrassi. He signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money label, and has been arguably the most successful artist of the past ten years. He is the only artist to have a Grammy nominated diss record, as his single Back to Back was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 58th Grammys. He broke onto the scene with his EP, So Far Gone, which debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200. As previously said, Drake's debut album, Thank Me Later, as well his next three albums, Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, and Views, all debuted at # 1 on the Billboard 200 as did his mixtape, If You're Reading This, It's Too Late, What a Time to Be Alive, his joint mixtape with Future, and More Life. Drizzy has had a stranglehold on the charts since his rise to popularity, and is one the most impactful MCs of the new school. His blend of rap with smooth R&B has also undoubtedly influenced a generation of rappers and singers like Bryson Tiller and Tory Lanez.


Last but not least, Chance the Rapper has ascended to the top of rap like no one else in the past 2 years. Yet to release an album, Chano still has his fingerprint on Hip-Hop, and has changed the game despite not being signed to major label. Drawing comparisons to Kanye West and Andre 3000 for his soulful, jazz and gospel inspired sound, Chance is known for his world beating authenticity. His debut mixtape, 10 Day, was named after the length of his suspension for marijuana possession that led to its conception. His next mixtape, Acid Rap, debuted at number 63 on the Billboard 200, even with his sales on Amazon and iTunes not being counted. He is the lead artist of the band The Social Experiment, and is featured of their album, Surf. His third mixtape, Coloring Book, was the first streaming-only album or mixtape to be nominated, let alone win, a Grammy. The album won three.


These artists have become superstars in their own right, and carried on the torch that artists like LL Cool J, Nas, Tupac, Biggie Smalls, DMX, Jay-Z, and Kanye West bore before them. The four of them are on an elite level above anyone else in the rap game right now, and contribute heavily to Hip-Hop recently becoming the most popular genre of music.