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Is it possible that we will have a new album by Eminem and Kendrick Lamar in 2020? Of course. All the conditions are in place so that lovers of two different types of rap (which, at the same time, have the supreme lyrical quality in common) can enjoy two hits from the Aftermath record label this year. Today we get news of what will be Kendrick Lamar's fifth studio album that assures that, in addition to being almost finished, it will have important rock touches.
Bill Werde, former editorial director of Billboard and current columnist on their website, has secured on Twitter that Kendrick Lamar has his new album practically finished. And we say "virtually" if it weren't for the fact that "records, at this point, go back into the studio again and again for a million reasons," as this seasoned industry insider has said. Also, as Eminem did from a certain point in his artistic career, Kendrick's sound may evolve from pure rap to rap / rock:
«It comes to me from different friends that the recording of the new album could already be finished. This time it will mark much more rock sounds ». – Bill Werde, Billboard
Kendrick Lamar: two years of almost total silence
Eminem and Kendrick Lamar also have another element in common. When they are not promoting a new album, their media presence is practically nil. They disappear from the map. Eminem, at least, has had a very prolific 2019 thanks to a good number of collaborations (including Lord Above alongside Fat Joe and Dre). But what about Kendrick?
The one from Compton still doesn't have a bad record. But if you have to identify your less good record, your less work master piece, that is without a doubt his last project: Damn. Since his release in 2017, Kendrick has only broken his silence three times. The first, to collaborate in 2018 with the famous (and deceased) Nipsey Hustle in dedication. That same year he also surprised us with a fun collaborate along with his record housemate Anderson Paak in Dyes, proving that you can make an entire song about tinted car windows. Finally, in 2019, Kendrick supported the release of his labelmate SiR's record, ChasingSummer, with the beautiful and very relaxed and atmospheric melody Hair down.
And nothing more.
What will Kendrick Lamar's 2020 look like?
That said, one of the biggest clues that Kendrick Lamar is up to something is his hefty concert schedule. His long list of confirmed performances for this year (including his presence at Bilbao BBK in July) could be indicative of an upcoming tour. And Kendrick only tours when he releases a new record. By calendar, he already touches him.
Covers of all Kendrick Lamar's albums, including the occasional jewel in the form of an EP.
"How do you keep up the pace and hunger once you've won the race?" Eminem wondered in his song Believe of the disc revival (2017). It is a question that is completely applicable to Kendrick Lamar, a rapper who has been proving since minute 0 of his career to be capitally above the rest.
An impeccable recording career
It's hard to avoid comparisons to Eminem, who also achieved supreme glory very early in his career thanks to the holy trilogy formed by The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP y The Eminem Show. In the case of Kendrick, he has had four studio albums to date, although only two of them deserve the category of masterpiece: Good kid, mad city y To pimp a butterfly. It goes without saying that this is a personal opinion and that there are many who do not hesitate to include Section 80 in the sum. Be that as it may, the idea remains and, if anything, explains the rapper's near demise: why keep pushing yourself when you've already accomplished just about everything and aren't even close to 40?
To pimp a butterfly It has been a fixture on the lists of the most memorable albums of the 2010s in all specialized media. Perhaps Kendrick wants to remain relevant to, incidentally, make another relevant album, this time for the 2020s. Or perhaps he doesn't care at all. Both positions would be entirely understandable. We'll keep you up to date with any news regarding Kendrick Lamar's highly anticipated new album. Two years of silence is too many.