The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny by Kendrick Lamar

[GeneChing]

I guess Kendrick didn't get enough Bad Blood (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?36569-Kung-Fu-Music&p=1286305#post1286305).


Kendrick Lamar Wraps Coachella on '****.' High Note As Alter Ego Kung Fu Kenny In Short Film (http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7760536/kendrick-lamar-coachella-****-kung-fu-kenny-movie-weekend-1)
4/17/2017 by Adelle Platon

http://www.billboard.com/files/styles/article_main_image/public/media/09-Kendrick-Lamar-day-3-coachella-2017-billboard-1548.jpg
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella
Kendrick Lamar performs on the Coachella Stage during day 3 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival (Weekend 1) at the Empire Polo Club on April 16, 2017 in Indio, Calif.

Three days following the release of his latest studio album ****., headliner Kendrick Lamar returned to Twitter's trending topics list after his gripping set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Sunday (April 16). Perhaps it was no coincidence that the rapper's performance fell on Easter Sunday as the gig felt like the grand return of Lamar himself.

Lamar's label Top Dawg Entertainment opened the set with a special presentation of The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny, a three-part short film designed like an old-school kung fu flick (complete with subtitles) that featured the rapper as his alter-ego, Kung Fu Kenny a.k.a. Black Turtle, on a mission to "find The Glow." He takes on Snake, a cobra who morphs into a female martial artist, Mortal Kombat style. As she lay helpless on the ground following their battle, she tells Lamar, "You thought you could save the world. The Glow will shine bright in the dark."

There was no blocking Lamar's light during his set in the desert. The MC's stage transformed into several stunning displays, shifting from a fiery refuge for the live rendition of "ELEMENT." to a wavy paradise for "GOD." He mixed ****. entries like the opener "BLOOD.," "DNA." and the U2-less "XXX." with catalog staples from previous albums like To Pimp a Butterfly's "King Kunta" and "Alright" as well as Good Kid, m.A.A.d City's "Money Trees," "Backseat Freestyle," "***** Don't Kill My Vibe" and "Swimming Pools (Drank)." For "LUST.," Kendrick Lamar rapped from the inside of an illuminated cage in the middle of the crowd, even checking in on the crowd by eerily asking, "Is anybody out there?" For "PRIDE.," Lamar was suspended in the air in a trippy, martial arts-esque stance involving another dance.

Beyond defying gravity, the rap god also handed over the stage to special guests like his TDE cohort ScHoolboy Q, who performed "tHat Part" (he had hosted his own set on Night 2) and fellow Coachella performer Future, whose flute-heavy banger "Mask Off" made Lamar's lineup. Travis Scott, who also performed at the festival the night prior, re-emerged for a complete performance of the Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight standout "Goosebumps."

After the final vignette of his kung fu movie where the rapper "found the motha****in' glow," King Kendrick launched into the aggressive crowd-pleaser "HUMBLE." where the call-outs "Sit down. Be humble." flashed across the screen in both English and Chinese characters. Lamar seemed to end the set on a somewhat confusing note, telling Coachella-goers "We will be back" and prompting many to make a bee line for the parking lot before the mad rush home. However, the man of the night put on one last show with the melodic number "LOVE." off ****. "Thank y'all for comin' out tonight, I really appreciate, y'all," Lamar told the crowd before his final bow. "I had a good motherf--king time with y'all."

[GeneChing]

'Kung Fu Kenny' Is Just the Latest Example of Hip-Hop's Fascination With Martial Arts (http://www.complex.com/music/2017/04/kendrick-lamar-kung-fu-kenny-hip-hops-obsession-with-martial-arts)
BY SHAWN SETARO
Shawn is the host of The Cipher, a critically acclaimed hip-hop podcast that conducts in-depth interviews with the genre’s most interesting and important figures. He is a regular contributor at Forbes.
Shawn is also the former editor-in-chief of Rap Genius, and has written about music and culture for The Atlantic, Vibe, The Source, GQ, Esquire, The Sondheim Review, and more.

APR 19, 2017

Kendrick Lamar is a man who, for a rapper, has a comparatively short list of nicknames. But on his new album ****, his new video for "DNA," and particularly during his set this past weekend at Coachella, he's introduced a brand new one: "Kung Fu Kenny."

http://images.complex.com/complex/images/fl_lossy,q_auto/v1/gapejjl736piqswm6y6y/kung-fu-kenny-video
Image via YouTube

At Coachella, Lamar started his set by unveiling a short film titled The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny that was modeled after the kung fu films of the 1970s. Similar imagery, including the phrase "Kung Fu Kenny" spelled out in Chinese characters, appeared in the "DNA" video. The moniker itself seems to be inspired by Don Cheadle's character in Rush Hour, who goes by Kenny:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlRi7YSeSRQ

But why? Why would a rap star associate himself with Hong Kong actions films released well before he was born?

As it turns out, Kendrick is continuing a tradition that dates back to the very beginnings of hip-hop. Martial arts—in particular, martial arts as depicted in the films of the 1970s and ’80s—had a seminal influence on hip-hop culture from the start. The New York City of the 1970s that birthed hip-hop faced an economic crisis. The same forces that were burning the Bronx were also having their effects felt in the theaters of midtown Manhattan.

Joseph Schloss, a scholar and author who wrote the book Foundation: B-boys, B-girls and Hip-Hop Culture in New York, explains that the movie theaters were feeling the pinch, so they went for the cheapest programming they could find.

"Their best economic alternative was to buy packages of these cheap Hong Kong action movies, and just show them all day long. It was that and porno movies, basically, on 42nd Street," he tells Complex. Starting in 1981, this programming was mirrored on television as well. WNEW, channel 5 in the city, broadcast Drive-In Movie every Saturday. The program showed primarily kung fu flicks, and was a huge hit with kids. "Pretty much every single hip-hop artist that I've met from that era used to watch that show religiously," Schloss notes.



continued next post

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeAZmY31eE8

So kung fu movies were in the theaters and on TV. But why did the kids of the era—the ones who were, as Schloss puts it, "developing their own culture"—love the films so much? What did they see in those stories?

Adisa Banjoko, founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation and the author of the book Bobby, Bruce & the Bronx: The Secrets of Hip-Hop Chess, has made a life-long study of the connections between hip-hop, martial arts, and the game of chess. To him, the affinity between black youth of that era and martial arts makes perfect sense.

"People often forget that hip-hop was born out of the ashes of the civil rights movement, and so much of that was tied to a reclamation of black male dignity," he says. "These films—Bruce Lee movies in particular, and a lot of the Shaw Brothers films—often dealt with one man going against an organization, or one man going against an unjust state. Because so much of this was done with just the hands, it was also a tool of the poor. You didn't have to be rich to have these skills. You just had to be disciplined and be willing to work, and you could have it.

"That was one of the main reasons that the martial arts resonated with African-American males who, people conveniently forget, had all of their warrior traditions literally beaten out of them on slave plantations and in sharecropper/Jim Crow America. So these films were supremely inspirational to masses of black males who felt culturally robbed of their warrior spirit, and inspirational on a philosophical perspective, because of the responsibility that having the skills demanded."

On a very direct and literal level, kung fu films also gave young black and brown kids heroes who were not white ("it's hard to understand looking back on it how revolutionary that was," Schloss says). But there was also a new model of learning—crucial for children who, like kids everywhere and at all times, mostly hated school. People in kung fu movies learned from a master, practiced their skills obsessively, and developed new styles, all practices that made their way into hip-hop culture.

"What martial arts really did for hip-hop was to provide a model for an apprenticeship system that showed how you could respect a teacher or a mentor without diminishing your own self-respect," says Schloss. "It was a model where you could be like, 'I'm going to learn to be humble and disciplined, and let this guy tell me what to do, but that doesn't mean that I'm letting him disrespect me.' That's a big part of what allowed the art form to develop, because when people put themselves in that situation, they were able to learn a lot of important things and push the art form forward by being open to that instruction."

Banjoko agrees. "It gave all of these renegade artists a blueprint for mastery, because they were innovating and trying to master something that was completely new," he says. "And so when you're looking at films like 36 Chambers and you're seeing all the times they have to practice one kick, all the times that they have to practice one punch—these guys are practicing that scratch, they're practicing the headspin, the freeze, with that same ferocity."

continued next post

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CntG1pXfPI

But at root, the reason martial arts is so deeply embedded in hip-hop is because it was deeply embedded in the lives of the kids who created hip-hop. Schloss sums it up:

"Hip-hop was a combination of everything working-class teenage kids of color in New York City were into in the ’70s. So martial arts was just naturally a part of that."
Had to chop this up to squeeze all the vids in (only one vid per post).

Nice to see my friend Adisa (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?41817-Hip-Hop-Chess-Federation) quoted here.

[GeneChing]

We've been talking about Hip Hop & Kung Fu here since 1999...Sept 99 to be exact (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1195). That was my first cover story for Kung Fu Tai Chi (http://www.martialartsmart.com/19341.html). :cool:

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/images/mzine/1999-4cover.jpg

The original Billboard article has links to all the tracks on spotify, but I couldn't quite cut&paste them here, so you'll have to follow the link if you don't know these.


Before Kung Fu Kenny, 8 Most Kick-Ass Kung Fu-Inspired Hip-Hop Songs (http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7768001/kendrick-lamar-wu-tang-kung-fu-hip-hop-songs)
4/22/2017 by Rob LeDonne

http://www.billboard.com/files/styles/article_main_image/public/media/kendrick-lamar-coachella-kung-fu-2017-billboard-1548.jpg
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella
Kendrick Lamar performs during day 3 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 16, 2017 in Indio, Calif.

With Wu-Tang Clan, Baauer, "The Karate Rap" and more.

When Kendrick Lamar unleashed his fourth studio album ****. last week, the star took his show-stopping performance at Coachella as an opportunity to create a short film titled The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny around a classic hip-hop trope: kung fu.

With actor Don Cheadle (whose Rush Hour 2 character Kenny inspired the Compton rapper's nickname Kung Fu Kenny) in the "DNA." video, Lamar is the latest artist in a long line of rap superstars to build a creative aesthetic around martial arts, with numerous names throughout the past 30 years finding inspiration in the ancient combative art.

Fists up: Here are some of the most notable kung fu-inspired tracks in hip-hop history.

Kendrick Lamar Wraps Coachella on '****.' High Note As Alter Ego Kung Fu Kenny In Short Film
GZA, "Liquid Swords"

“When I was little, my father was famous/ He was the greatest samurai in the empire," starts the title track of GZA’s 1995 epic Liquid Swords album, featuring the ultimate team-up between fierce kung fu awesomeness and a hip-hop great. For Wu-Tang member GZA’s second solo effort, the rapper expertly wove martial arts themes throughout the entire project, whether it was the album’s badass artwork depicting an epic fight to incorporating dialog from the 1980 cult classic film Shogun Assassin. It’s a prime example of two art forms melding into one beautiful soundtrack worthy for even the most skilled warrior.

GZA Feat. Method Man, "Shadowboxin’"

Allow them to demonstrate the skill of the Shaolin! GZA’s Liquid Swords was so epic it merits more than one notch on any respectable kung fu hip-hop playlist. Featuring Method Man, “Shadowboxin’” features dialog from the kung fu flick Shaolin vs. Lama and samples Memphis soul singer Ann Peebles' “Trouble, Heartaches and Sadness.” Coupled with GZA and Method Man’s unflinching lyrics (“Allow me to demonstrate/ That’s right, you corny a--/ The skill of Shaolin, rap motherf---ers”), the track is another Liquid Swords standout.

Wu-Tang Clan, "Shame on a N---a"

A year before GZA went solo with Liquid Swords, his crew the Wu-Tang Clan firmly based their creative themes around kung fu with their 1993 smash album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Named after the 1978 film The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin, the album kicks off with instant classic “Shame on a N---a” and the sounds of an epic fight, only getting more rough and tumble from there. One of the most acclaimed and influential albums in music history (it's credited for bringing the rap scene back to New York and went platinum within a year), Enter the Wu-Tang served as a harbinger for the numerous hip-hop and kung fu collabs to come.

RZA, "Chi Kung"

Another Wu-Tang member obsessed with kung fu, RZA’s “Chi Kung” is named after a practice otherwise known as “Qigong” which is made up of movements that are repeated multiple times. RZA’s track, however, is a bit more menacing with the the rapper’s on-the-nose rhymes when it comes to specific fighting techniques. “We use tai chi to deflect off our enemy,” he spits on the 2003 track. “Five poisons, from the Clan there’s no remedy.” The song comes courtesy of the rapper’s third album, the humbly titled Birth of a Prince.

Baauer Feat. Pusha T & Future, "Kung Fu"

Bringing a hip-hop-meets-kung fu playlist into this century is this pulsating track that combines the talent of “Harlem Shake” mastermind Baauer with rhymes courtesy of Pusha T and Future, respectively. The second single from Baauer's debut 2016 album Aa, “Kung Fu” showcases Future's boasting hook, “Hey and 'bout that boy they 'bout to die today/ Over that girl they 'bout to die today” and touches on themes of drug dealing and fierce fighting with Pusha T menacingly noting, “Counter-clockwise my wrists go."

Afu-Ra, "Mortal Kombat"

A deep cut courtesy of New York City rapper Afu-Ra, “Mortal Kombat” hails from his 2000 album Body of the Life Force, an ode to kung fu fighting that also features Wu-Tang members GZA and Masta Killa. On “Mortal Kombat,” Afu-Ra goes into detail on how he’d take down an enemy: “To be specific, I'm comin' through with jiu-jitsu/ Bone crushin' bone breakin' as I get into.”

Ghostface Killah, "Mighty Healthy"

Back to the Wu-Tang! Another 2000-era kung fu inspired track, Ghostface Killah’s unrelenting “Mighty Healthy” from his album Supreme Clientele opens with a sample from the battle-heavy Shaw Brothers classic Shaolin Rescuers. The entire Supreme album is angry and raw, perhaps a result of the fact that Ghostface served a six-month prison sentence on a weapons charge in the midst of production.

“The Karate Rap”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJSZ1TwjcsQ

So this might not be one of the best kung fu-inspired rap tracks ever -- in fact, it may be the worst -- but it’s entertaining all the same. A song and video that's too '80s for its own good, "The Karate Rap" was released in 1986 and is all sorts of corny, teaching ka-ra-tay using stale rhymes and a generic beat. Perhaps that’s why when the whole bizarre opus resurfaced a few years ago, it proceeded to go viral. And if you’re wondering whether they stooped so low as to rhyme the word "karate" with the phrase "train your body"? Well... they did.

[GeneChing]

I don't usually plug other people's merch, but maybe Kendrick will advertise (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/about/advertise.php)...


https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1369/3615/products/TDE_coachella_2017_07_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492747434
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1369/3615/products/TDE_coachella_2017_06_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492747434
Kung Fu Kenny L/S T-Shirt (Gold) (https://txdxe.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/kungfukenny-l-s-t-shirt-gold)
$40.00
SIZE S M L XL XXL
PRE-SALE: ORDER WILL SHIP OUT BY MAY 11TH

Long sleeve t-shirt in Gold. Screen-print "****." at chest, special "****." graphic at back and Kendrick Lamar at sleeve. Tonal stitching. 100% Cotton




https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1369/3615/products/TDE_coachella_2017_03_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492747406
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1369/3615/products/TDE_coachella_2017_02_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492747406
Kung Fu Kenny Hoodie (Black) (https://txdxe.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/kungfukenny-hoodie-black)
$60.00
SIZE S M L XL XXL
PRE-SALE: ORDER WILL SHIP OUT BY MAY 11TH

Long sleeve sweatshirt in black. Kangaroo pocket at front. Screen-print "****." at chest, special "Kung Fu Kenny" graphic at back and Kendrick Lamar at sleeve. Tonal stitching. 80% Cotton, 20% Polyester.


https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1369/3615/products/TDE_coachella_2017_11_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492747379
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1369/3615/products/TDE_coachella_2017_10_1024x1024.jpg?v=1492747379
Kung Fu Kenny L/S T-Shirt (Black) (https://txdxe.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/kungfukenny-l-s-t-shirt-black)
$40.00
SIZE S M L XL XXL
PRE-SALE: ORDER WILL SHIP OUT BY MAY 11TH

Long sleeve t-shirt in black. Screen-print "****." at left-chest, special "Kung Fu Kenny" graphic at back and Kendrick Lamar at sleeve. Tonal stitching. 100% Cotton

[GeneChing]

Concert Review: For Kendrick Lamar, Less Is More at Staples Center (http://variety.com/2017/music/news/concert-review-kendrick-lamar-staples-center-1202518189/)
Justin Kroll
Film Reporter
@krolljvar

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/kendrick-lamar.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1
Kendrick Lamar Coachella QUINN TUCKER/COACHELLA 2017

AUGUST 7, 2017 | 07:14PM PT

Plenty of emotions were on display at Kendrick Lamar’s Los Angeles Staples Center stop on Aug. 6, but the most evident one was ease. The Compton-native embodied a stage confidence that only few MCs possess. Opening a three-night run at the downtown arena, there was a palpable sense that Lamar was at home.

Not afraid of holding a stage on his own, Lamar jumped from new song to old seamlessly. Kicking off the show with his hit single “DNA” while wearing a bright yellow jump-suit that paid homage to his hometown Los Angles Lakers, the rapper barely skipped a beat as he pumped up the crowd.

Perhaps taking a cue from Wu-Tang Clan, a Kung-Fu theme was the throughline for the night and included the film “The **** Legend of Kung Fu,” during which Lamar is shown as his alter-ego “Kung-Fu Kenny,” a common reference on the rapper’s tracks, nodding to the Don Cheadle character in “Rush Hour 2.” The film features Lamar as a rookie trained by a shifu and finishing with the rapper as a scholar capable of channeling the energy of a master, known as the “glow.”

In a way, the audience could be seen as new students with Lamar as the teacher, albeit delivering the technical skills that one is born with and can’t necessarily learn. In fact, martial artists were the only other humans to join the rapper on stage, though the crowd barely noticed as Lamar’s very presence was that captivating. The video would occasionally bleed in to Lamar’s performance including one impressive feat where Lamar appears to be hovering over the ground as he spits rhymes to his new song “Pride,” from the album “****.”

Lamar takes a minimalist approach to his production, with flashing lights and the occasional shooting pyro the only real effect to join him on stage. Although, what kind of bells and whistles could feasibly accompany a beast of a song like “Humble,” anyway?

Even the setlist had a less-is-more feel to it, with Kendrick steering clear of any tracks from fan-favorite album “Section. 80,” and sticking mainly to new material. Lamar did hit on old favorites like “Alright” and “King Kunta” for the loyalists in attendance, and each time the crowd erupted in applause.

In a way, Lamar has earned the right to stay simple as the MC has always preferred a more anti-flamboyant vibe to that of his counterparts. Ironically, “****” is his most accessible album and you’d think he would want to hip new converts to the hits that helped him get there — and return home.

This show comes to the SAP in San Jose on Saturday, but unfortunately that's the one major venue in the Bay Area where I do not work. Besides, we have Outside Lands this weekend.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXG3jq65SVA

[GeneChing]

Kendrick Breaks Down the Difference Between “K.Dot” and “Kung-Fu Kenny” (http://djbooth.net/news/entry/2017-11-07-kendrick-lamar-the-difference-between-kdot-kung-fu-kenny)
By DJ Z | Posted November 7, 2017

"I didn't have the actual technique of songwriting then."

http://static.djbooth.net/pics-features/rect/kendrick-lamar-breaks-down-kdot-difference.jpg
Photo Credit: Justin Agoncillo

In 2009, following the release of his Tha Carter III-inspired mixtape, C4, Kendrick Lamar decided to drop his then stage name K.Dot in favor of his real, government name. Less than 12 months later, the Compton native released a self-titled EP and Kendrick Lamar, the rapper, was officially born.

This past weekend, during an interview with Jinx at ComplexCon alongside retired NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, Lamar discussed the evolution of his greatness and what separates K.Dot from Kendrick Lamar and, subsequently, his most recent alias, Kung-Fu Kenny.

"K. Dot, this was me prepping myself, as far as the lyrical ability, and being able to go in the studio and say, 'You know what, I want to be the best wordsmith, anyone who gets on this track, I have to annihilate them however that is—whether that's through rhyme schemes, whether it's through metaphors, punchlines [or] wordplay,'" Lamar told Jinx. "I didn't have the actual technique of songwriting then. This is the transition where [I become] Kendrick Lamar and Kung-Fu Kenny. I look at Kung-Fu Kenny as a master of the craft now. Now I have the ability to make songs, and still have the wordsmith technique, and intertwine it and have a composed mentality on how to approach music. Now you're not just connecting with people in the studio and your homies, you're connecting with people around the world, universally."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZE6YRDPpc8

When it comes to Kendrick's desire to be the very best and to, as he said, "annihilate" the competition, not much has changed over the past eight years. What is noticeable, however, between the Kendrick of old (K.Dot) and the Kendrick of now (Kendrick) is the 30-year-old's ability to, as he pointed out, write songs (and full-length albums) with superior craftsmanship.

Simply put: the days of Kendrick just trying to prove he can rap better than others are long gone.

Part of becoming a great writer is practice—I should know, I've been writing every day for the past decade—but real life experience is just as important. At the time of his name change, Kendrick was only 22 years of age. He was an adult, sure, but he still had plenty of growing left to do—both as an artist and as a man. And it's that natural growth over the past nine years, more than a stage name change or alias swap, that has resulted in a handful of classic albums and the title of the greatest rapper alive.

innerestin point. maybe i should adopt a stage name...for writing's sake. ;)

[GeneChing]

Kung Fu Kenny (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70234-The-****-Legend-of-Kung-Fu-Kenny-by-Kendrick-Lamar) meets shoes.

[GeneChing]

SNEAKERS
From the ground up

https://static.highsnobiety.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/19091839/kendrick-lamar-nike-cortez-first-look-01.jpg

Here’s Your First Look at Kendrick Lamar’s “Kung-Fu Kenny” Nike Cortez (https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/kendrick-lamar-nike-cortez-first-look/)
By Graeme Campbell in Sneakers7 hours ago3864 Shares1 Comment

Having left Reebok for Nike back in August, we can now peep a first look at Kendrick Lamar’s latest signature Cortez.

The sneaker pays tribute to Kendrick’s Kung-Fu Kenny alter ego, sporting red medial and lateral panels and a white throat and toe box. The classic Cortez Swoosh is also incorporated in white, while black laces, Chinese text embroidery – directly translating to English as “Supposed to Die,” but has a double entendre that means “****” — and a “DON’T TRIP” lace holder complete the eye-catching look.


View image on Twitter (https://twitter.com/kendricklamar/status/942956531657588737/photo/1)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRYN0MHVoAAgihh.jpg

Kendrick Lamar
✔
@kendricklamar
DON'T TRIP. CORTEZ KENNY

7:15 PM - Dec 18, 2017
838 838 Replies 31,291 31,291 Retweets 116,105 116,105 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Kendrick first announced the new partnership with a Twitter post bearing the caption, “Cortez. Since day one. #teamnike #TDE.” Despite being tied to Reebok, the rapper has never hidden affections for Bill Bowerman’s first commercial shoe, famously co-signing “White T’s and Nike Cortez” on 2013’s “Control” track with Big Sean. Recently, K-Dot wore the shoe throughout the ****. tour, and back in October, an all red version surfaced complete with the “TDE” acronym (Top Dawg Entertainment — the label he’s signed to).


View image on Twitter (https://twitter.com/kendricklamar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.highsnobiety.com%2Fp%2Fk endrick-lamar-nike-cortez-first-look%2F)

Kendrick Lamar
✔
@kendricklamar
Cortez. Since day one. #teamnike #TDE @nike @nikelosangeles

12:02 PM - Aug 26, 2017
452 452 Replies 5,943 5,943 Retweets 21,284 21,284 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
It remains to be seen whether the kick will see a public rollout, but having remixed various classic models during his time at Reebok — namely the Ventilator, Classic Leather and Club C — we expect Kendrick will be busy with the Beaverton design team throughout 2017.

Stay posted for further information.

Kendrick Lamar’s hometown, Compton, is inextricably tied to the Cortez. Here’s what real ‘heads from there think about it.


Kung Fu Kenny (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70234-The-****-Legend-of-Kung-Fu-Kenny-by-Kendrick-Lamar) meets shoes (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?18427-Shoes).

[GeneChing]

****. Kung Fu Kenny! (http://felixonline.co.uk/articles/2018-02-22-****-kung-fu-kenny/)
Fans were treated to a musical and visual masterpiece as Kendrick brought the ****. experience to London.
By Andy Djaba
Friday, 23rd February 2018

https://images.weserv.nl/?url=f001.backblazeb2.com/file/felixonline/2017_felix_issues/issue_1686/1686_Music_Kendrick.jpg

I feel like I’ve spent the last five months as Felix Music Editor almost exclusively writing about Kendrick Lamar. Nonetheless, please indulge me one more time… I’ll try to keep it brief. Kendrick Lamar completed the UK leg of his ****. world tour last week, performing six nights and shutting down arenas in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, and London.

The show played out like a kung fu film, with a recurring theme of martial arts running throughout and the concert beginning with a short film depicting “the **** legend of Kung Fu Kenny”. The night got off to a frantic start as Kendrick kicked off his set with a literal BANG before launching into the explosive ‘DNA.’, complete with a ninja sharing the stage with him. This breathless start to the show set the pace for the rest of the evening as Kendrick proceeded to perform a medley of up-tempo fan favourites, including ‘ELEMENT.’ and ‘King Kunta’. It wasn’t until after performing his feature verse on ScHoolboy Q’s ‘Collard Greens’ that Kendrick gave the crowd a moment to catch its breath, before taking us back with ‘Swimming Pools (Drank)’ and ‘Backseat Freestyle’ from 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city. The intro to ‘FEEL.’ played out whilst an accompanying dance performance took place on stage as King Kendrick made his way to perform ‘LUST.’ and ‘Money Trees’ in an elevated cage in the centre of the regular standing section, amongst his adoring subjects. Kendrick standing within spitting distance of me was arguably the highlight of my evening and that moment was only matched by the a cappella rendition of ‘HUMBLE.’ as the concert drew to a close. There was something magical about hearing the 20,000-strong crowd echo back every line from the track and even Kendrick seemed touched, pausing to witness the extent to which his music has impacted the culture and pervaded the mass consciousness of our generation.

This was quite simply the best concert I’ve attended, worth every penny of the £80 ticket price. If his masterstroke in executive producing the Black Panther album weren’t enough proof that Kendrick is an artist at the peak of his powers, seeing him perform live proves his artistry seemingly knows no bounds. Not to sound cliché, but only one word can describe the extravaganza Kendrick put on for us: ****.

His tour comes to Oaktown on May 8. Given the Black Panther connection there, it's going to be massive.

Thread: The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny by Kendrick Lamar (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70234-The-****-Legend-of-Kung-Fu-Kenny-by-Kendrick-Lamar)
Thread: Black Panther (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70307-Black-Panther)

[GeneChing]

https://imagesmtv-a.akamaihd.net/uri/mgid:ao:image:mtv.com:395941?height=729&width=1296&format=jpg&quality=.7
Getty Images
HIP-HOP
KENDRICK LAMAR WANTS TO PLAY A MISUNDERSTOOD VILLAIN IN BLACK PANTHER 2 (http://www.mtv.com/news/3066305/kendrick-lamar-wants-black-panther-2-cameo/)
'I’D PLAY A KILLMONGER FOR SURE'
MADELINE ROTH
02/23/2018

With Black Panther establishing a groundbreaking hit franchise for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans are already looking ahead to the (practically inevitable) sequel. One such fan is Kendrick Lamar, the film’s sonic maestro, who curated its star-studded, chart-topping soundtrack.

In a new interview with BBC Radio 1 — following his fiery BRITs performance — host Clara Amfo asked Kendrick about the possibility of landing a cameo role in the next Black Panther flick.

“Come on, I got to now!” the rapper responded, adding that he’d love to portray a multi-layered antagonist like Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger. “I really enjoy Killmonger’s character, just off the simple fact that he was a villain but he came with some real [talk]. … He was a villain but he was loved and misunderstood. So if I could, I’d play a Killmonger for sure.”

Kendrick also spoke about crafting the Black Panther soundtrack, saying, “Not even talking about the music - just the movie and the cast and the director - I think it's something that not only stands within its moment, but stands within time. We’re talking about timeless films and things that are going to curate after this film. When we got to the music, I just wanted to make sure that I could complement that and be a part of [it] in the best way I could.”

From everything we’ve seen, Kendrick and Black Panther have been a truly excellent match, so here’s hoping he can take that relationship to the next level and land that coveted cameo.

Heck, I'd like to play a villain in any MCU flick. :cool:



Greetings wolfen,

Did you actually see this movie?

mickey
Greetings Mickey!

Not an argument.

Wolfen
That's not argumentative. That's a perfectly reasonable question on a film review thread. :rolleyes:

Thread: The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny by Kendrick Lamar (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70234-The-****-Legend-of-Kung-Fu-Kenny-by-Kendrick-Lamar)
Thread: Black Panther (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70307-Black-Panther)

[GeneChing]

https://static.highsnobiety.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/14115840/kung-fu-kenny-main-1200x800.jpg
Alexandre Moors / Good Company

The Real Story Behind Kendrick Lamar’s Kung-Fu Kenny (https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/kendrick-lamar-kung-fu-kenny-origin/)
By Fabian Gorsler in Music 1 day ago

Kendrick Lamar has been touring the world in support of his Grammy award winning album ****., and anyone who’s been paying any attention will have seen that the rapper has been performing in front of a rather strange backdrop of short clips. The clips, which depict Kendrick Lamar as his martial arts alter ego Kung Fu Kenny, culminate in him finding what he describes as “the glow.”

When stitched together, the tour clips turn into a short film which has been dubbed The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny, which you can watch below. In it, Kendrick Lamar aka Kung Fu Kenny is a promising martial artist that is looking to master his skills. He ultimately does so by finding the glow – in a woman’s vagina no less.

Although a lot has been written about it, not much has been officially communicated about the actual origins of the Kung Fu Kenny act. Some speculate that the name was inspired by Don Cheadle’s character of the same name in Rush Hour 2. This piece by The Fader goes into detail about how Kendrick Lamar admitted to as much.

Lamar first invited his alter ego into the limelight during his “DNA.” music video featuring none other than – you guessed it – Don Cheadle. In the visuals Kung Fu Kenny is given free reign, rapping and simultaneously showing off his combat skills.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLZRYQMLDW4
continued next post

[GeneChing]

Since then, Kung Fu Kenny has grown in stature, serving as influence for a pair of Kendrick Lamar x Nike Cortez sneakers and ultimately taking over the ‘****.’ Tour with the above short movie.

While there’s no reason to doubt that the name was taken from Rush Hour 2, there’s also more to Kung Fu Kenny’s journey than meets the eye.

The plot of The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny and the journey itself are almost certainly based on a cult martial arts movie called The Last Dragon, the trailer for which you can watch below.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Crt4S1IZM

In the movie, a character named Leroy Green aka Bruce Leroy is on a quest to become as great a martial artist as his idol Bruce Lee. Living in New York City, Leroy’s master tells him he has reached the final level of martial arts accomplishment known as “The Last Dragon.”

Those who reach this level are said to be able to discover and harness the power of “the glow,” a mystical power that gives whoever controls it transcendent skill. Once Bruce Leroy has found the glow, he has reached his full potential as a martial artist.

For Kung Fu Kenny, finding the glow means mastering the art of rap and hip-hop. When Lamar’s alter ego finally finds the glow – in a woman’s vagina no less – it signifies that the rapper has reached his full potential as an artist and is at the top of his game.

Lamar’s short film ends with the words “Kung Fu Kenny Found the Motha****in’ Glow Hoe,” signifying that he believes he is one of the biggest hip hop acts around right now. He’s telling his audience he’s a master at his craft and that his artistry is second to none.

Basically, Kung Fu Kenny is the Bruce Leroy of hip-hop and the ****. tour is his journey. The hunt for the elusive glow is a clear reflection of Kendrick Lamar’s career so far, during which he has strived to become the best in his chosen field. And so, in turn, each of the short, pre-recorded clips are simultaneously a glimpse into Kenny’s quest, as well as Kendrick’s because – really – they are one and the same.

While the inspiration is now more or less clear, the motivation behind parodying The Last Dragon still paints a murky picture. The film was dubbed a critical disappointment upon its release in 1985, however, thanks to a passionate fanbase, became a financial success and, later, a cult classic.

As a cult classic set in New York and featuring a predominantly black cast, it makes sense for this movie’s plot to be the inspiration for Kung Fu Kenny’s quest. Hip hop and martial arts have a long and storied history, with more than a few notable songs clearly inspired by Asian culture.

Wu-Tang Clan is the first that jumps to mind. The group’s 1993 album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), was named after the 1978 film The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin. Naturally, when the rap group split up its members carried that influence over to their individual careers. RZA and GZA both released songs that either directly referenced fighting techniques in the title or spit bars like RZA’s “we use tai chi to deflect off our enemy” from his 2003 track “Chi Kung.”

continued next post

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RawqBx8NMGc

Going into more detail is Adisa Banjoko, founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation and author of the book Bobby, Bruce & the Bronx: The Secrets of Hip-Hop Chess. According to him, the connection between black youth and martial arts is as clear as day.

“People often forget that hip-hop was born out of the ashes of the civil rights movement, and so much of that was tied to a reclamation of black male dignity,” he says. “These films—Bruce Lee movies in particular, and a lot of the Shaw Brothers films—often dealt with one man going against an organization, or one man going against an unjust state. Because so much of this was done with just the hands, it was also a tool of the poor. You didn’t have to be rich to have these skills. You just had to be disciplined and be willing to work, and you could have it.

“That was one of the main reasons that the martial arts resonated with African-American males who, people conveniently forget, had all of their warrior traditions literally beaten out of them on slave plantations and in sharecropper/Jim Crow America. So these films were supremely inspirational to masses of black males who felt culturally robbed of their warrior spirit, and inspirational on a philosophical perspective, because of the responsibility that having the skills demanded.”

Another reason Kendrick Lamar might have chosen The Last Dragon as a reference is the fact that the movie was produced by Berry Gordy, best known as the founder of the famous Motown record label. Given that fact, it’s clear that the movie, billed as a martial arts film meets Motown musical, had a strong connection to the music industry from the get go.

Regardless of the motivations behind creating his alter ego and sending him on a journey in search of the glow, Kendrick Lamar’s Kung Fu Kenny shares a lot of similarities with Bruce Leroy of The Last Dragon.

What do you think, does Kung Fu Kenny’s quest have more to do with Bruce Leroy’s than previously thought? Let us know what you think in the comments.

This article references Rush Hour 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?5132-Black-guy-on-Crenshaw-blvd-in-Rush-Hour-2), The Last Dragon (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?63503-The-Last-Dragon), and Wu-Tang Clan (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49338-Wu-Forever!), but I'm only copying it to our The **** Legend of Kung Fu Kenny by Kendrick Lamar (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70234-The-****-Legend-of-Kung-Fu-Kenny-by-Kendrick-Lamar) thread and our Hip-Hop Chess Federation (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?41817-Hip-Hop-Chess-Federation) thread. Adisa is an old friend and we've been working together on RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70736-RESPECT-Hip-Hop-Style-amp-Wisdom-Oakland-Museum-March-24%96August-12-2018), a special exhibit that opens in Oakland Museum this weekend.

NOTE: There's one more embedded vid that I couldn't cut&paste here.

[GeneChing]

A Pulitzer for Kung Fu Kenny. :cool:


Kendrick Lamar Becomes First Hip-Hop Artist to Win Pulitzer Prize for Music (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kendrick-lamar-becomes-first-hip-hop-artist-win-pulitzer-prize-music-1103162)
12:29 PM PDT 4/16/2018 by the Associated Press

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2018/04/gettyimages-922620004_copy_-_h_2018.jpg
Samir Hussein/Getty Images

His album '****.' is the first non-classical or -jazz work to win the award.

Kendrick Lamar has won the Pulitzer Prize for music, making history as the first non-classical or -jazz artist to win the prestigious prize.

The revered rapper is also the most commercially successful musician to receive the award, usually reserved for critically acclaimed classical acts much less familiar with the pop charts.

The 30-year-old won the prize for ****., his raw and powerful Grammy-winning album. The Pulitzer board said Monday the album is a "virtuosic song collection" that captures "the modern African-American life." He will win $15,000.

Lamar has been lauded for his deep lyrical content, politically charged live performances, and his profound mix of hip-hop, spoken word, jazz, soul, funk, poetry and African sounds. Since emerging on the music scene with the 2011 album Section.80, he has achieved the perfect mix of commercial appeal and critical respect.

The Pulitzer board has awarded special honors to Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Hank Williams, but a popular figure like Lamar has never won the prize for music. In 1997, Wynton Marsalis became the first jazz act to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.

That makes Lamar's win that much more important: His platinum-selling major-label albums — good kid, m.A.A.d city; 'To Pimp a Butterfly; and ****. — became works of art, with Lamar writing songs about blackness, street life, police brutality, perseverance, survival and self-worth. His piercing and sharp lyrics helped him become the voice of the generation, and easily ascend as the leader in hip-hop and cross over to audiences outside of rap, from rock to pop to jazz. He's also been a dominator on the charts, having achieved two dozen Top 40 hits, including a No. 1 success with "Humble," and he has even collaborated with the likes of U2, Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, Rihanna and Beyonce.

His music, with songs like "Alright" and "The Blacker the Berry," have become anthems in the wake of high-profile police shootings of minorities as the conversation about race relations dominates news headlines. He brought of dose of seriousness to the 2015 BET Awards, rapping on top of a police car with a large American flag waving behind him. At the 2016 Grammys, during his visual-stunning, show-stopping performance, he appeared beaten, in handcuffs, with chains around his hands and bruises on his eyes as he delivered powerful lyrics to the audience.

Lamar has won 12 Grammy Awards, though all three of his major-label albums have lost in the top category — album of the year. Each loss has been criticized by the music community, launching the conversation about how the Recording Academy might be out of touch. ****. lost out on the album of the year Grammy to Bruno Mars' 24K Magic in January.

The rapper, born in Compton, California, was hand-picked by Black Panther director Ryan Coogler to curate an album to accompany the ubiquitously successful film, giving Lamar yet another No. 1 effort and highly praised project.

[GeneChing]

I must really give this album a serious listen. I've only heard a few tracks off it.


Kung Fu Kenny, King Kunta, K-Dot. Whatever you call him, Kendrick Lamar is a Pulitzer Prize winner (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-kendrick-pulitzer-20180416-story.html)
By RANDALL ROBERTS
APR 16, 2018 | 7:40 PM

http://www.latimes.com/resizer/RcO0AWgvXOqKYswE5v1FHc8T0CA=/1400x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tronc.s3.amazonaws.com/public/VHYPWFQEYZCD5HOLSWBEETBCYI.jpgKendrick Lamar during Coachella in 2017. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Los Angeles Times)

Their names are inked in history books and on the walls of hallowed concert halls as winners of American music's most esteemed award, the Pulitzer Prize for music: Aaron Copland, George Crumb, John Luther Adams, Ornette Coleman, Caroline Shaw and dozens more.

Add to that list the man nicknamed Kung Fu Kenny.

In news that caught many off guard, celebrated Compton-born rapper Kendrick Lamar was awarded the Pulitzer on Monday for his work on his 2017 album "****." With the announcement, the committee praised Lamar's album as "a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life."

Translation: It's an amazing album that documents South L.A. black life with wildly accomplished beats and verses.

"He's an artist who challenges notions," said Ryan Coogler, director of the blockbuster hit "Black Panther," for which Lamar orchestrated and contributed music, during a recent interview. "One of the bigger themes in our film is this idea of, 'What does it mean to be African?' Kendrick in his music is very directly challenging that question."

To say that Lamar's honor was a shocker is an understatement. Historically, the Pulitzer committee has ignored so-called "vernacular" music in the category, favoring more furrow-browed, academic work. When the Pulitzer committee has honored non-classical work, it has most often done so by giving recipients what it calls "special awards and citations."

This year's finalists in the music category, selected by a five-person jury, were "Quartet" by Michael Gilbertson and "Sound From the Bench" by Ted Hearne.

"There's something to be said that a young man from Compton, who was raised in a low-income community, has been able to be true to his mode of expression," said Taj Frazier, an associate professor at USC and the director of the Institute for Diversity and Empowerment at Annenberg.

"The fact that his music is being listened to and valued among the Pulitzer members — that it's being thought of in relation to those award winners of generations prior to him — means he'll be a name and a creator who's also referred to for those who are assessed and valued in the future," Frazier said.

Lamar follows another non-classical Pulitzer winner, Coleman, the experimental jazz pioneer who won in 2007 for "Sound Grammar." There is, perhaps, a connection, as Lamar's albums have been frequently cited as spearheading a jazz revival in Los Angeles, elevating players like Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin and Robert Glasper to almost-pop stars, or at least crossover figures with wide, young audiences outside the traditional jazz market.

But Lamar is not merely the first rapper to earn the Pulitzer in music. He's the first honored musician who has landed a No. 1 album or gone platinum. To further illustrate the accomplishment, among those who haven't received the prize are Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, Bruce Springsteen and Carole King. (Dylan and Coltrane have been given special citations.)

In a social media post reacting to the news, Terrence "Punch" Henderson, president of Lamar's label, Top Dawg Entertainment, bragged, "Pulitzer Prize winner K-dot from Compton. I bet not ever hear one of you ... speak with anything less than respect in your mouth for Kendrick Lamar."

Lamar retweeted the above comment but has yet to make a statement of his own. The artist and representatives from Top Dawg were not available for comment.

"The award will also serve as an inspiration for creators who never would have imagined this for themselves," said USC's Frazier. "To now think, 'Oh, that's possible. It's feasible that I'll be valued in this kind of space, that my name will be mentioned alongside of other Pulitzer winners in other forms of the arts, whether it be fiction or journalism.' I think that's huge."

Lamar's Pulitzer accolade comes at a time when hip-hop culture has become mainstream culture. In 2017, for instance,the combined genres of R&B and hip-hop proved to be the most consumed music in the U.S. for the first time in history, according to Nielsen Music.

Hip-hop has gone on to inform many aspects of popular American art; it punctuates the film "Black Panther" and infuses acclaimed TV shows such as "Atlanta" and "The Chi," not to mention the Broadway sensation "Hamilton." This year's Grammys also focused heavily on hip-hop in its nominations, where "****" was up for, but lost, album of the year.

Lamar's lyrical hip-hop has long been uniquely focused on his home city. Whether on tracks including "Backseat Freestyle," "Keisha's Song (Her Pain)" or "Money Trees," or in the videos for songs such as "Compton State of Mind" (a riff on Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind"), "King Kunta" and "i," Lamar locates his creative world in the area in which he was raised.

Like the best writers, Lamar pinpoints small moments that illustrate larger points, in his case the kind that springboard into documentary narratives about home and history, about dangers lurking and the power of anger. Like classic L.A. chroniclers such as Iceberg Slim, John Fante, Joan Didion and James Ellroy, Lamar imbues a sense of place into his lines.

“Black Panther” director Coogler describes Lamar as possessing “an integrity to him that crosses demographics and it crosses different ages. When you hear him you feel like he’s being truthful. You feel like you’re scratching at a certain type of personal truth.”

The rapper's 2012 mixtape, "Compton State of Mind," locates Rosecrans Avenue by name as he describes being on the street chilling, eating "five dollar Little Caesar" and food from when "mama shopped at Food for Less." Centennial High School, he raps, "had me swimming with a pool of sharks — me I'm just a good kid trying to keep it neutral / But I'm well aware that a square can get shot too."

His "good kid, m.A.A.d. city," released in 2012 and nominated for a Grammy album of the year, went deeper into the city's psyche, and his own. He describes witnessing at age 9 a gangbanger "with his brains blown out at the same burger stand where beep hang out."

The 2015 album "To Pimp a Butterfly" brought him a whole new audience as it connected past, present and future. Experimenting with Afro-futurism and collaborating with such wide-ranging jazz-influenced artists including Martin and Washington, as well as the producer Thundercat, the album was an expansive look at the African American experience in California.

Lamar's success, however, has led him to bemoan his disconnect from the streets where his most crucial lyrics were born. He acknowledged this struggle in a July 2017 interview with comedian Dave Chappelle for Interview magazine.

"[E]verything was moving so fast. I didn't know how to digest it," Lamar said. "The best thing I did was go back to the city of Compton, to touch the people who I grew up with and tell them the stories of the people I met around the world."

That desire for familiarity, noted The Times' pop music critic Mikael Wood in a review of Lamar's appearance at Coachella in 2017, stands to reason: "A vivid through-line on '****' is Lamar's sense of being under attack, his stardom having made him a specific target for the media — early on the album he samples a bit of critical punditry from Fox News — and even for friends and family, as he observes in the anguished 'Feel.' 'Ain't nobody prayin' for me,' he mutters ..."

Another track, "DNA," sets part of its story at the western edge of Rosecrans near the beach. Lamar raps of having "loyalty, royalty inside my DNA" while "dodging paparazzi, freakin' through the cameras."

Those attempting to glean meaning from printed Lamar lyrics, however, are doing it wrong. Lamar earned his award for music, and to assess his words on their own — without his sublime musicality and rhythms that drive his thoughts — misses the point.

Only with focus and volume can one truly tap into Lamar’s vibrations, but even then, says Coogler, “You come away from it with more questions than answers somehow.”

Additional reporting by August Brown and Mikael Wood.

For tips, records, snapshots and stories on Los Angeles music culture, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter and Instagram: @liledit. Email: randall.roberts@latimes.com.

[GeneChing]

Actually, it wasn't the Kung Fu Kenny schtick. I saw Kendrick headline the Top Dawg Championship Tour with SZA. SZA was meh. She did perform the ***** song (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?36569-Kung-Fu-Music&p=1308409#post1308409), which just doesn't work for me. Most of the show didn't impress me at all.

But Kendrick was solid. I see what the fuss is all about. It was sold out crowd that had to move one night due to a Warriors game, mid-week no less, and everyone moved. Good show. Kendrick definitely has it going on.

[GeneChing]

http://thesource.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/nike-cortez-kenny-3-official-look-001.jpg

THE NIKE CORTEZ KENNY III PERFECTLY EMBODIES KENDRICK LAMAR’S KUNG FU PERSONA (http://thesource.com/2018/05/11/nike-cortez-kenny-iii-kendrick-lamar/)
KEENAN HIGGINS MAY 11, 2018
After weeks of waiting, Nike finally gave the world a look at the Nike Cortez Kenny III, the latest drop in their collaboration with Pulitzer-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar.


miyatola's profile picture (https://www.instagram.com/p/BiQYj7ihBQZ/?utm_source=ig_embed)
miyatola
Verified
•
Follow
Los Angeles, California
Like
Comment
Save
5,919 likes
miyatola"Friday. TDE x Nike"

The first glance we got at these was on the feet of Top Dawg Entertainment prez Dave Free (seen above). The shoe is considered to be the standout in that TDE x Nike capsule we saw not too long ago, arriving along stops of the Championship Tour. The black upper gives the silhouette a lowkey vibe, but a sleek combo of suede and nylon gives the shoe its head-turning appeal. Other features that stand out include a red “Bet It Back” ribbon across the tongue and a Chinese lettering design that brings back the “Kung Fu Kenny” we saw on The ****. Tour all last summer.

If you’re looking to cop the Nike Cortez Kenny III — currently available in the SNKRS app for Nike Plus members — your best bet is to go see The Championship Tour and try your luck at the pop-ups. Check out this link to tickets here (http://thechampionshiptour.com/).

http://thesource.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/nike-cortez-kenny-3-official-look-002.jpg
http://thesource.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/nike-cortez-kenny-3-official-look-003.jpg
http://thesource.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/nike-cortez-kenny-3-official-look-005.jpg
http://thesource.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/nike-cortez-kenny-3-official-look-004.jpg



That's the championship tour I was talking about above.