One week after French Montana hit Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club to question why “street rap” isn’t as celebrated as Kendrick Lamar’s music was on the night of the 2016 Grammy Awards, the rapper is clarifying his comments.
In an interview with TMZ, the New York native said that he wasn’t dissing K. Dot, but instead attempting to stress the importance of honoring varied rap styles because “each style of rap, whether it be street rap, conscious rap, trap, or anything else should be looked at equally as being hip-hop.”
According to Montana, all rappers should be recognized as opposed to lauding one above the others. “All of these artists should be acknowledged, rather than singling out an individual, whether it be Kendrick or anyone else.”
Days after K. Dot took home five trophies including Best Rap Album at the ceremony, Montana sat with the media trio on Feb. 23 and said that though he’s happy for the Compton native, Lamar has been favored “because they position him, like they did at the Grammys, as the new music.” According to Montana, the industry has selected Lamar as the chosen one in an effort to push rap music in a different direction.
“I feel like they just position you as the new face of hip hop,” the rapper said in reference to Lamar. “They put him on that platform so they can shift music towards that direction.”
The 31-year-old, who recently dropped his Wave Gods mixtape, went on to explain that Lamar’s music is not at all representative of current hip-hop.
“It’s not that it’s not the right thing to do, but you see like the whole thing was like Kendrick night,” Montana said. “That album don’t sound like nothing that’s out. The whole hip hop game don’t sound like that.”
Watch French Montana discuss Kendrick Lamar on The Breakfast Club below.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=7udmYLWmYZ0