Mastering The "Launch Moment" as Explained by Kendrick Lamar
Song of the Week: Larry June - Imported Couches
This week’s song is a more mellow vibe. If you’ve never heard of Larry June, he’s really dope. His music is chill, motivational, and perfect for the warm weather.
Now for today’s piece…
“Muthafuck the big 3, n**** it’s just big me”
3 weeks ago, the lyrics above set off a chain reaction that reignited a long-debated issue in Hip-hop — one that had been simmering for over a decade.
The lyrics are from a surprise feature on track #6 of Future & Metro Boomin’s album “We Don’t Trust You” and immediately had The Culture on tilt.
Why?
It was a 1st direct shot being fired on wax in the forever-long battle between Kendrick Lamar vs Drake.
No matter who you’re betting on to win that battle, a few things can’t be debated:
“Like That” has been #1 on Billboard for 3 weeks now.
Metro Boomin & Future had the highest 1st week sales numbers of any album of any genre this the year.
The last point is quite possibly the most important of all, and that is…
Kendrick Lamar has mastered The Art of the Launch Moment.
This isn’t the first time a Kendrick Lamar verse shifted the culture.
It happened in 2013 with a Big Sean record named “Control,” where he called out all of the biggest rappers in the game & it’s happened again now.
It was K. Dot doing what he’s done very well throughout his career: he created conversation when things got stale. He created a moment.
Take a listen to his verse from that record below:
Moments are important in storytelling because they’re the culmination of factors building up to a single conclusion.
Moments are when characters clash, truths are revealed, and character arcs are changed forever.
With every album and guest verse he’s dropped so far in his career, Kendrick has showed a commitment to crafting moments of intentionality, conversation and more.
With “Like That” his legacy of moments continues on.
As The Culture waits for his response to continue the clash of the titans, the back and forth is also showing us high-level marketing chess in real time.
Let’s talk about it.
A. Tensions Rise to a Boiling Point
“It’s time for him to prove that he’s a problem”
Tension doesn’t necessarily have to be negative, it just has to be there.
It’s something strategists hear a lot when putting together creative briefs — where’s the tension? What makes the story interesting?? etc.
The goal of tension is the create intrigue with current fans and consideration for potential ones.
In this case, fans know the tension.
Drake & K. Dot have been going back & forth on records for years — often with subliminal shots that require an attentive ear to really understand.
Neither side engaged, but each side was assured that they were the best emcee.
It’s the question of who’s actually the GOAT?
Drake’s assertion on “First Person Shooter” from his most recent album is that when fans ask who the GOAT is, “It’s just me and Cole.”
That line was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
That’s because The thing about tension is that you can press into it and something interesting can come from it.
Tension, when acknowledged, leads to a paradigm shift.
It pushes an idea/conversation or even a piece of creative forward in the best way.
B. The Right Channels Evoke Surprise
The greatest moments are the ones that catch us by surprise.
It’s the chance encounters, the subtle clues that lead to a big reveal, etc. which work as payoffs to the audience.
Using the right channels allows audiences to have a central meeting place to see the work, discuss it, and more.
With this battle, Dot kicked things off in the most surprising way possible: With a surprise verse.
When Future & Metro Boomin’ released the tracklist from their new project, nobody knew who the guest features were (If any) because they weren’t listed. Imagine their surprise when they went to track #6 and heard Kendrick Lamar’s voice.
As the song progressed, it became clear that he was intent on getting some things off his chest.
That album was the first distribution channel that created a moment for fans.
The next channel was Twitter, where they were able to have unbridled discourse on what they had just heard.
C. Let It Breathe
It’s been a few weeks since "Like That dropped, and things have changed a lot.
Hip-hop discourse has reached levels I haven’t seen in years, and for the first time since the Blog Era, the story of what’s going on in Hip-hop feels compelling.
Drake’s diss record is out, and he’s made it clear that he’s ready for whatever’s coming his way, but in the midst of that…
Kendrick has been radio silent.
Aside from social media speculation, Hip-hop fans have been left to wonder what’s next.
This is the flip side of creating tension.
At some point, you have to let things breathe a bit. Not because of how intense it is, but to level set before upping the stakes again.
This allows fans to revisit their favorite moments, entrench themselves in their fandom, and recruit more people to their side.
For the brand, it could lead to an increase in awareness because the anticipation is sky-high.
When creating a moment for your brand, whatever it may be about, once you press in on that tension — that thing that creates real interest with your audience, learn how to ease off the gas and use it to your advantage.
Silence is powerful. It’s sometimes better than talking.
D. Shock The World?
Once the tension dies down, it’s like the calm before the storm. Eerily quiet, and palpable.
The world is waiting.
As for this battle…
The rumor (as of this morning) is that Dot is going to drop soon, and not only will there be a record… There will also be a video.
Hip-hop has a long history of diss records, and often the most scathing part is the video. From Hit em up, to Dre Day it was a multi-layered experience (something both sides are doing, with Drake using social — another story for another day).
This is when fans are completely locked in on your brand, sentiment around it is at an all time high. New stories can spread the lore of your brand again
And… should you engage, this is the moment to turn their world upside down.
WHAT NOW?
Speaking as a fan, I’m just excited about the discourse that’s been taking place over the past few weeks.
I enjoy both artists work, and think they’re both elite musicians who I’d like to work with one day.
Who knows when K. Dot is gonna respond, but salute to both camps for showing how competitive this thing of ours called Hip-hop should be at times.
Hopefully it stays on wax. Let’s see what the weekend holds.
One.