Top Dawg Entertainment's president, Terrance "Punch" Henderson, wrote an essay titled "Cardi B Is 2Pac," in a guest editorial piece for DJ Booth. The head honcho of TDE, where Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, SZA, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock call home, defended himself after he started a fiery twitter debate after comparing the "Bodak Yellow" singer to the late, legendary MC, saying they both are completely honest and have the same passion and charisma. Punch also said the two share a similar flow and emphasize certain words in their flow. In his essay, Punch says he understands why his comparisons caused so much debate, saying that he "ruffled a few feathers" with his tweets.
After laying down what made 2Pac such an impactful and important artist, which he calls, "a combination of passion, content, delivery, and HONESTY," he further detailed his comparison to Cardi, whose debut album Invasion Of Privacy was released on April 6th.
"I won't pretend to know as much about Cardi as I do about 2Pac, but from what I do know, she embodies some of those same qualities. Sheâs a straight shooter right from the hip. Her interviews are as raw as her music. Sheâs politically incorrect, yet, her charisma means you cannot stop watching and listening, whether you agree or disagree. She says exactly what sheâs feeling at the time the question is delivered. And I believe her!"
The similarities don't come down to just attitude either. Punch goes on to compare their vocal deliveries. "Cardi also has a cadence and flow thatâs similar to Pacâs. She emphasizes and elongates words to stress points for impact, like âI make money movesssâ and âDonât get comfortableeee.â For a sonic reference, listen to the similarities between her No. 1 single âBodak Yellowâ and Pac's legendary âAmbitionz Az a Ridah,â he writes. "Please take into consideration that Pac passed over 20 years ago and that music has changed quite a bit since then."
"Obviously, "Cardi B is 2Pac" is a metaphor. Cardi is one album into her career. Of course she canât compare with his body of work. Pac came from a revolutionary background. Of course there's no comparison when it comes to his social impact. I'm not saying sheâs the heir apparent to Tupac Shakur or that sheâs the second coming, but Cardi B does embody a lot of Pac's best qualities and his DNA is in her blood (as it is countless artists who grew up listening to his music and watching his interviews).
"So, yes, Cardi B IS 2Pac. Or should I say, Tupac?"
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