https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Ikw9SCY0k
The irony here is compelling
Taylor Swift saved 2014 from an awful statistic that speaks not only to the state of Hip-Hop, but the culture and consumerism of music as a whole. It appeared that, for the first time since since the inception of platinum certifications in 1976, not a single artist’s album would be certified platinum. Well, thanks to 1989, Taylor Swift’s 5th album, that won’t be the case. In its first week on the shelves, 1989 moved just over 1.2 million copies, which is obvious cause for celebration. How did Swift celebrate? She got in her car, and rapped Kendrick Lamar‘s “Backseat Freestyle” word for word, complete with facial expressions and neck jerks. It’s rather impressive, and speaks to the far-reaching effects Kendrick Lamar’s music has had on pop culture.
The irony here is “Backseat Freestyle” is a single off Kendrick’s debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, which was released on October 22nd, 2012, the same day Taylor Swift’s last album was released. Kendrick’s GKMC sold 242,000 copies in it’s first week, impressive for a Hip-Hop artist in the 2010’s and usually a lock for #1 on Billboard, but 1.2 million copies of Taylor Swift’s Red album said no to that.