Male Emotions.

Men generally aren't in touch with their feelings. This is in part due to growing up in a society that soft vulnerable. Giving credit to or praising another man seldom happens.
genderizes everything...including emotions. Rap is dominated by men, where refrains like "we don't love them h***" and money over b******" are commonplace. Most avoid anything that is has any possibility of coming across as "soft". The Drake-hate, and subsequent "hardcore"Drake bars are further evidence of this.
Kendrick Lamarr and J. Cole both went there on two different songs.




This trend of rappers giving credit to their peers is pretty cool. I loved Nas' U.B.R. Unauthorized Biography of Rakim  but that was less of an opening up about how he was inspired by him than it was a timeline of Ra's life. Others have made songs where they rap using flow and wordplay  their idols as a way to give them a vocal head-nod.

Here are two well done examples. One from Kendrick Lamarr, and the other from J. Cole.

On "Fly Black Boy Fly" Kendrick Lamar openly talks about how he was jealous of former high school classmate and current NBA player Arron Afflalo. Similarly, on the second verse he shares how he felt about fellow Comptonian rapper, The Game.

So I'm saying "What up what up. n**** I hated"
So I'm saying "What up what up. n**** I hated"
Frustrated and I'm riding down the back streets
Making my conscious ask me
"Would I survive to make it up out this hole in time?"

I used to be jealous of Aaron Afflalo
I used to be jealous of Aaron Afflalo
He was the one to follow
He was the only leader foreseeing brighter tomorrows
He would live in the gym
We was living in sorrow
Total envy of him
He made a dream become a reality
Actually making it possible to swim
His way out of Compton with further more to accomplish
Graduate with honors, a sponsor of basketball scholars
It's 2004 and I'm watching him score 30
Remember vividly how them victory points had hurt me
Cause every basket was a reaction or a reminder
That we was just moving backwards

"Stick my head inside the study hall, he focused on math
Determination ambition, plus dedication and wisdom
Qualities he was given was the shit we didn't have"

Later in the song he expressed concern about the likelihood of three guys, from the same neighborhood, becoming famous and successful.








J. Cole's Let Nas Down" talks about how he felt once word got back to him that his idol was disappointed in a song that he released.





"I used to print out Nas raps and tape 'em up on my wall
My niggas thought they was words, but it was pictures I saw
And since I wanted to draw, I used to read 'em in awe
Then he dropped Stillmatic, rocked the cleanest Velour"


Backstage I shook his hand, let him know that he's the man
When he said he was a fan it was too hard to understand
No time to soak up the moment though, cause I was in a jam
Hov askin' where's the record that the radio could play
And I was strikin' out for months, 9th inning feeling fear
Jeter under pressure, made the biggest hit of my career
But at first, that wasn't clear, niggas had no idea
Dion called me when it dropped, sounded sad but sincere
Told me Nas heard your single and he hate that shit
Said you the one, yo why you make that shit?
I can't believe I let Nas down
Damn, my heart sunk to my stomach, I can't believe I let Nas down
I got defensive on the phone, resentment was in my tone, fuck it


But while I shot up the charts, you mean tellin' me
That I was not up to par, when I followed my heart
Granted, my heart was tainted by my mind, I kept on sayin'
Where's the hits? You ain't got none
You know Jay would never put your album out without none
And dog, you know how come
Labels are archaic, formulaic with their outcomes
They don't know, they just study the charts
Me, I study the shows, the fans, study their hearts

Coach told me play the game to change the game but on the way I let Nas down,

I always believed in the bigger picture
If I could get them niggas to listen outside my core then I can open a door
Reintroduce 'em to honesty, show 'em that they need more
The difference between the pretenders and the Kendrick Lamars
And so, I took the fall like the Son of the Lord
On the cross, dyin' for that fake shit you niggas bought
For the past decade, if I should pass please let this be my last essay
Therefore I write from the heart
Apologies to OG's for sacrificin' my art


This is for the nigga that said that hip-hop was dead
I went to Hell to resurrect it, how could you fail to respect it?"