This past weekend BET hosted its annual Hip Hop Awards, an event dedicated to doling out accolades to the most deserving artists in hip-hop.
The most anticipated portion of the award show, however, had little to do with awards. I’m referring to, of course, the cyphers aired throughout the course of the ceremony that feature members signed to various labels. A cypher refers to anything cyclical, anything that happens in a circle, colloquially used to refer to engaging in illicit activities. In this context a cypher refers to a group of artists “freestyling” one after the other. The cypher provides rap labels with an opportunity to showcase their most promising talent and is a great opportunity for rising talent to gain exposure. This year’s cypher was, indubitably, stolen by the enigmatic and incredibly skilled label Top Dawg Entertainment.
It’s little secret that Top Dawg’s all star, Kendrick Lamar, is currently the most polarizing figure in hip-hop (Kanye doesn’t count; he has transcended the genre).
Lamar’s ability to spit over eclectic beats, mastery of rhyme schemes, profound lyrical content, and unparalleled freestyling aptitude instills fear into the hearts of his opponents and makes him the most recognizable artist in the rap game today.
Many hip-hop heads have been following Lamar’s rise since he dropped his fourth mixtape, O(verly) D(edicated) in late 2010; however, his ascent to superstardom came last fall with the release of the instant classic good kid, m.A.A.d city.
This revolutionary album, an effort which Lamar himself identified as a short film, changed the landscape of contemporary hip-hop and ushered in a new era ━ the Top Dawg Era.
While Lamar is an idol across the boards, his less-known, and arguably equally-talented labelmates are all virtually invisible in his shadow; but not for long.
Black Hippy is a group that consists of Top Dawg’s premier players: Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock. The second most famous of the group would have to be ScHoolboy Q. Q’s sophomore album Habits and Contradictions (2012) gained him a moderate amount of fame (think “Hands on the Wheel,” featuring A$AP Rocky). Unfortunately, his highly anticipated follow-up effort, Oxymoron, has been delayed due to sample clearance issues.
Q is seriously talented; his infectious flow and clever wordplay make him a fan favorite, but most don’t know about his underground rapping ability. Fans looking to hear more from the rapper should look into downloading his mixtapes (check Datpiff.com ━ my bible) and check the shelves this coming winter for Oxymoron.
The last two members of Black Hippy are far less known than Kendrick and Q.
Ab-Soul is the most enigmatic figure of the group. Soul’s eccentric lifestyle, unorthodox manner and, above all else, musical ability make him the most intriguing member of Black Hippy. Soul’s musical style takes some getting used to, he is unconventional, to put it lightly. His subject matter, cadence changes and lighting quick flow make him extremely entertaining to listen to. Soul raps about his struggle growing up in the streets of Carson, Calif. and spits the deepest material created by the members of the group, excepting Lamar.
Soul’s way with words is awe-inspiring. He recently tweeted that he just finalized his latest project and I couldn’t be more anxious, considering that his last album, Control System (2012), is among my favorite releases of the past ten years.
The most obscure member of Black Hippy is undoubtedly Jay Rock.
Jay Rock is best known for his feature on Lamar’s hit “Money Trees,” which gained him much acclaim. Even though Jay Rock has been around nearly as long as Lamar, he has not enjoyed the same level of mainstream success. Jay Rock’s deep voice and coarse flow appeals mainly to the underground hip-hop community, an aspect that enhances Top Dawg’s legitimacy in the streets. Jay Rock’s verse in the BET cypher turned a lot of heads, yet Jay Rock is likely to remain esoteric, relative to his label-mates.
The group is truly not afraid of anyone, no matter how big of a name. It is fearlessly led by the intrepid Lamar, who has called out many of hip-hop’s biggest superstars ━ including Drake, J. Cole and Wale ━ and he is unapologetic about it. That’s a luxury you can afford when you’re more talented than the rest of the competition.
Look out for all members of Top Dawg, including newly signed Tennessee native, Isaiah Rashad. The Hip Hop Awards cypher solidified Top Dawg’s seat above the competition, but there’s no telling where this young, talented group will steer the rap game next.
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