While speaking on Hip Hop past and present during an interview with Vlad TV, the conversation with R.A. The Rugged Man shifted to Compton, California rapper Kendrick Lamar. R.A. began to criticize today’s mainstream Hip Hop when he was asked about the TDE lyricist.

He then immediately shared his belief that Kendrick isn’t a top five lyricist. R.A. revealed that the rapper is a top five lyricist commercially and credited K-Dot’s success to the fact that he’s a good lyricist who happens to have the backing of Interscope Records.

The Long Island, New York rapper later added that King Los, Locksmith, and Elzhi are three artists who are better lyrically than Kendrick.

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“I don’t think Kendrick is a top five lyricist,” R.A. The Rugged Man said. “I don’t think he is. I think he’s a top five lyricist in a commercial market. I think Kendrick is a very good lyricist, but I believe the reason he’s so respected is because he has the Interscope machine behind him. And when you’re actually marketing a real lyricist—It’s refreshing to hear a real lyricist. Then they put you on the top. In my opinion, I think there’s a lot of rappers that can slice up Kendrick. I don’t think Kendrick is the best. I think Locksmith will slice him up. I think Elzhi will slice him up. I even think King Los will slice him up. Those are just off the head real quick.”

Prior to speaking on Kendrick, R.A. The Rugged Man revealed that there is “great Hip Hop being made” today, but stated that there isn’t an artist out today who’s capable of impacting the culture as much as an artist like Rakim.

“There’s great Hip Hop being made,” he said. “When you go to the whole ‘My era’s better than this era and this era and that era,’ I understand it. Because when you come from an era of ’88. With Rakim, KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, that era is an untouchable, golden era. It is a climax. So, I went through the ‘90s spoiled cause I came up on these guys. Even in the ‘90s I was like ‘Yeah, Q-Tip’s dope, Tribe’s dope, but they can’t fuck with Kane and Rakim.’ I was even doing that in the 90s…So, today I don’t think there’s a lyricist making an impact or impacting the culture as much as like Rakim did when he dropped. But I think there’s a lot of lyrical dudes doing a lot of lyrical shit that’s very impressive.”

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R.A. The Rugged Man’s interview with Vlad TV can be found below.

For additional Kendrick Lamar coverage, watch the following DX Daily:

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