Veteran rapper Reminisce believes that in hip-hop, respect isn’t tied to wealth or streaming success but strictly to “pure skill.”
He stressed that status or riches can’t earn a rapper credibility within the genre only raw talent can.
Speaking on the ongoing rivalry between Nigerian rappers Odumodublvck and Blaqbonez, Reminisce addressed the matter while appearing on the On The Record podcast alongside fellow rapper, Vector.
He pointed to the rap faceoff between Kendrick Lamar and Drake as a clear example, saying Lamar came out on top solely because of his superior lyrical ability.
His words: “Hip-hop is the only genre that doesn’t respect numbers or money. No matter how much money you make as a rapper, you can’t buy it (the respect of the Hip-hop world).
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That’s one thing I love about Hip-hop. You have to earn it. People have to say, ‘Vector is a good rapper, he’s a legend.’
“If you like see 5 trillion streams, if you like name your album the greatest. Nobody cares. Rap respects pure skills.
That’s why Kendrick Lamar is widely adjudged the winner of his hip-hop battle with Canadian superstar Drake. If you look at the margin between Drake and Lamar in terms of commercial, it’s very wide. But because it’s about skill set, which is the primary thing in hip-hop, Lamar won.”