NEWS
Kendrick Lamar has never been more beloved. He was already considered the best lyricist of his generation, but the Drake battle, and subsequent "Pop Out" show have vaunted him into the GOAT conversation. "Not Like Us" is a number one single, and the music video, which is being shot in Dot's hometown, is currently in production. It's one of the biggest songs of the year. It's also, according to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr., eligible for the Grammys.
Mason discussed "Not Like Us" on June 24. TMZ reporters inquired about the song's chances of getting a Grammy nomination, and the CEO was hopeful. "Obviously, it's a hot record, it's amazing artistry," he asserted. "Great writing... Incredible." Mason also pointed out that Kendrick Lamar is a favorite among Grammy voters. "You got an artist that's been nominated before," the CEO said. "He's been successful with the organization. I don't see any reason why it couldn't be." Mason insisted that the quality of the song is what matters at the end of the day, and "Not Like Us" checks all the boxes.
TMZ asked Harvey Mason, Jr. whether the song's accusations and verbal attacks would be too much for Grammy voters. The CEO remained steadfast. He told the outlet that Grammy voters vote for "greatness" at the end of the day, and Kendrick Lamar radiates greatness. "That's a relevant record," he added. "It's impactful on so many levels. I like to believe the Academy members recognize that. Mason then gave his thoughts on a possible "diss" category being introduced at the Grammys. He laughed, but didn't refute the idea entirely. "Anything is possible," he quipped.
To say Kendrick Lamar has had success with Grammy voters is an understatement. He has 50 Grammy nominations under his belt, along with 17 wins. He cleaned up during the 2018 ceremony, in particular, winning five Grammys for the album DAMN. and four for the single "HUMBLE." There's also the Drake layer to consider. Drake tried to mock Lamar's faux-artistic persona on the song "Family Matters" with the lines: "Kendrick just opened his mouth. Someone go hand him a Grammy right now." It was a meant as a dig, but is now looking more like a reality.
NEWS
ScHoolboy Q has weighed in on Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s presidential debate, which took an unexpected detour into his favorite sport.
The two presidential opponents faced off the first time in Atlanta on Thursday (June 27) ahead of the 2024 election, with CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash serving as moderators.
The 90-minute affair, which didn’t feature a studio audience, was defined by rambling answers by the current president and lies and misstatements by his predecessor.
At one point, the topic of golf came up when Trump used his prowess on the links in an attempt to prove he’s fit to take office for a second term.
“I just won two club championships, not even senior. Two regular club championships,” he claimed. “To do that, you have to be quite smart and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way, and I do it.
“He [Biden] doesn’t do it. He can’t even hit a ball 50 yards. He challenged me to a golf match; he can’t hit a ball 50 yards.”
Biden responded by saying: “Look, I’d be happy to have a driving contest with him. I got my handicap, which when I was vice president, down to a six. And by the way, I told you before, I’m happy to play golf — if you carry your own bag. Think you can do it?”
Trump hit back: “That’s the biggest lie that he’s a six handicap — of all,” before adding: “I’ve seen your swing. I know your swing.”
Biden then stumbled over his words while clarifying that he’s actually an eight handicap.
The bizarre interaction didn’t go unnoticed by golf aficionado ScHoolboy Q, who was unconvinced by both men’s statements.
“THey talking bout golf im crying braH [crying face emoji],” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “biden ain’t no 6 Handicap dawg. trump definitely cHeated during tHe club cHampionsHip [USA flag].”
In a separate post, he added: “THis sHit Hilarious [USA flag],” while also getting a laugh out of Trump’s comment about Biden’s “swing.”
The TDE rapper is something of a golf pro himself having competed in competitions such as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He even starred alongside Tiger Woods in the trailer for the video game PGA Tour 2K23.
Q took up the sport around 2018 and has credited it with helping him improve his life.
“Coming from where I come from, the life that I had, I never thought about playing golf,” he explained in 2022. “I got into it, and it changed my mental, it let me learn myself as a person.
“Like, this is why certain things in my life are going bad or certain things are going good, because of the attitude thing. It fixed my attitude in life. It fixed a whole lot of things about me in life.”
He added: “Life is a golf game. Some good shots, some bad shots. But most importantly, keep going because you never know. Don’t give up because you’re in the sand on your fourth shot, you might chip it in. It just taught me a lot about life, you feel me?”
