Final Composition
Artist Statement
The 2024 surprise single The Hillbilies by multi-platinum Hip-Hop artists Kendrick Lamar and his younger cousin Baby Keem hooked me from the jump. I fucking love this song. It's what the word fun sounds like if words were assigned songs. Kendrick and Keem rap back and forth so eloquently, their familial chemistry not only shows in this fact, though. They reference it in the lyrics as well, comparing each other to legendary footballers Neymar and Messi... who at the time were a part of the same Club, Paris Saint-Germain. The track is also produced by evilgiane, a standout producer apart of the Surf Gang Collective. An independent Hip Hop Label out of New York, making huge waves with an experimental approach to music, art, and design.
I decided to pair the track with clips of graffiti writers because graffiti provides a similar feeling. Just going out there and making something, it's having fun with your buddies, writing what you think looks cool... because you can. But it's also meticulous sketchbook work. For months, you're tweaking maybe even just one character. Perfecting your word because it's your name and you want it to look good. Kendrick and Keem glide across this beat in the same way that graffiti writers paint; they ditch the traditional hip hop sound and just let loose, having fun while rapping. Nevertheless, their years of practices and work shine through. Like I mentioned earlier They compare themselves to Neymar and Messi Multiple Times
