I think it depends on what we're considering. Drake has held hip hop down the most from a commercial and pop like prespective. Kendricks discography the best by far out of the 3 and his albums are very well put. Cole is alot of ppls favourite cos of how relatable he can be and he lyrically holds it down most of the time.
My personal answer would be kendrick cos artistically I just think his albums have a much bigger impact on the genre than the other 2.
I would also say Cole has made a big impact with influence and being a guider in the rap game, and a good example would probably be Dreamville. He easily has the most successful and impactful label out of the 3.
Dreamville is definitely a better hip hop label. Pglang definitely wants to work outside of the sphere somewhat with their productions. It’s as much Dave frees label as Kendrick’s.
Can’t even argue with that. TDE has some talent for sure but PgLang is kinda just Kendrick and Keem rn, no? Dreamville has JID and Bas and before even going deeper that’s a huge fucking W
He disappeared for 5 years once dawg 😪
The run between GKMC, TPAB and DAMN is like 4 years ( 2013-2017). Those are 3 very successful albums, 2 of them definitely going down as classics with the 3rd one having huge commercial success with songs like humble and dna. Damn even beat more life numbers wise first week sales. There is no way you don't think he's impactful just because he went on a hiatus after that run lmao
The average public has a short attention span? What a new and novel concept.
You like McDonald’s? Go ahead. McDonald’s makes a ton of money, too. But don’t act like it’s a restaurant with Michelin stars.
When we are talking about influence and impact, I personally don't think anyone can compete with kanye in the last 20 years. A mentally stable kanye would have definitely still been running the game rn. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Drake and it not even close lol. The other two have literally said out their own mouths that So far gone was an influence to how they approach mixtapes.
I don't really listen to Drake - but I can acknowledge his influence in general. He's brought a ton of attention, commercial interests, etc. to the genre and has put a lot of other artists out there as well, in ways that not many have.
And I listen to J Cole heavily (only JID gets more plays from me) but to me it seems like rather than doing anything new or unique, he's perfecting the craft laid down by others before him 'I copied your cadence, I mirrored your style - I studied the greats, I'm the greatest right now'. And all-around, I'd say he's the most solid of the 'big 3'. You know what you're getting with him (excluding grippy wtf) and its going to be fire.
But if we're being honest, and we're specifically talking about overall impact on hip hop (genre, culture, etc.) then its gotta be Kendrick. He's the most artful in his approach. Definitely takes the unique angles and produces really impactful work. For fans and for other artists, I feel like his output has reached the most people in a way that changes the way they think or execute their own projects.
*tl;dr - Cole is a master at his craft, but didn't change the art. Drake brought a lot of people in (fans and artists) but didn't change the art (cept maybe pushing it more towards pop). Dot is maybe the least approachable for most listeners, but has had a huge influence on the art/culture.*
Other artists are not influenced by kendrick. The only time he's had influence on the game was during the control era and the drake beef, otherwise he stays out of the game entirely. Nobody save for jid got influenced by kendricks approach to music. You don't hear people rapping about the same shit kendrick does, and nobody is out here trying to compete with him other than Drake. He might have the classic albums, but he's had a hard time being an influence to the younger generation and even the current generation. I remember when swimming pools dropped and people were drinking liquor to it, that's like the opposite of influence. Damn and steppers had no cultural impact at all, save for the pulitzer that could've been given to 100 different rap albums before it. His influence is moreso his title of being like the modern day rap poet.
Influence doesn't mean copy his style or cover the same topics. When everyone complained about mumble/SoundCloud rappers he was an exception. He's one of the few artists that is consistent with putting out quality music with something of substance in every track. Swimming pools wasn't a don't drink alcohol song. That was a track describing the influence liquor had on him during his upbringing. The beat sounds like a track you hear wasted at a house party; putting the listener in the same headspace. If it was supposed to convince listeners to stop drinking it wouldn't go as hard. Ntm he uses alcohol themes in other tracks like 'U'.
MMATBS and DAMN definitely had cultural impacts. Being the only rapper to get a Pulitzer is impactful. It stirred enough controversy getting Fox news to bitch about him.
And no generational impact!? He got kids calling OVO pfiles lmao NLU definitely impactful and it's a barely month old single
I don't know if you're a certified drake hater because you're giving him more credit than he deserves.
Cole:
I'd argue 'In The Morning' was the weakest track on Sideline Story and I doubt it pulled too much attention (esp compared to Work Out). Jodeci Freestyle wasn't some major hit that did anything for Cole either. Cole's moment in the spot light came with Born Sinner IMO, and he locked it in with 2014 FHD.
And its not like Cole needed FPS to 'reach the heights' he's at. The whole point of him being on the song is that he's already GOATED and sees Drake as competition/equal.
**As for Kendrick:**
I'll admit Poetic Justice is solid - but again, not the reason that project did as well as it did. That album is one of the few I'll call a classic. He followed it with TPAB and then **DAMN**.
Drake had him on tour which probably got him a fair amount of attention so early in his career, but again - Kendrick was already going to blow up when GKMC dropped, regardless.
Blahblahblah, I'm saying a lot but my point is that both of these dudes were going to be where they are now with or without Drake.
Point out which Cole or Kendrick project would have been way different without Drake's involvement?
Side note - I don't think that this discussion has any relevance to what I said about their influence on hiphop either. Even if they somehow owe their whole careers to drake, what I said above is still true.
>I don't think that this discussion has any relevance to what I said about their influence on hiphop either
It did until you babbled all this 😂
>Cole:
I'd argue 'In The Morning' was the weakest track on Sideline Story and I doubt it pulled too much attention (esp compared to Work Out). Jodeci Freestyle wasn't some major hit that did anything for Cole either. Cole's moment in the spot light came with Born Sinner IMO, and he locked it in with 2014 FHD.
>And its not like Cole needed FPS to 'reach the heights' he's at. The whole point of him being on the song is that he's already GOATED and sees Drake as competition/equal.
>As for Kendrick:
I'll admit Poetic Justice is solid - but again, not the reason that project did as well as it did. That album is one of the few I'll call a classic. He followed it with TPAB and then DAMN.
Drake had him on tour which probably got him a fair amount of attention so early in his career, but again - Kendrick was already going to blow up when GKMC dropped, regardless.
>Blahblahblah, I'm saying a lot but my point is that both of these dudes were going to be where they are now with or without Drake.
You're missing the bigger picture. Drake had people who "hated rap&hip hop" bumping his shit. The only other person to capture *that audience* was Eminem . . . Who much like Drake has done for this Era of hip hop by increasing the number of eyes on the culture in general.
Which inevitably leads people to explore and discover other artists.
It's got nothing to do with skill or talent or numbers. It's about how his presence has increased the influence of hip hop.
Dude is just marketable as fuck. It's partly why j hate him
I hate to say it but Drake single handedly carried the rap game when, tbh, not many people where listening to it. Now if we look at influence in the hiphop world alone the it is Kendrick.
At what point since the 90s has rap not been a popular genre? And when, during that period was Drake carrying the rap game? I remember when his first few albums came out, and I can't recall a time when he was the only major artist releasing projects.
I personally feel like there is always a big three we can look to in terms of output and sales. During different eras there is a evolving big three. Now considering Kendrick’s massive 4-5 year absence I can confidently say that for that period Drake and Cole had hip hop in a choke hold. I disagree with the sentiment that it was only drake but drake was one of the 2 for 4-5 years
al lthe comments talkin about "it depends" lol like no it doesnt. Drake has the larger scope of influence and impact. you dont have to like him to even recognize this.
People like to be different and on the new wave. I get not liking the man (now, btw. I'm sure they have one or two drake hits they loved) but straight up rewriting history to be right?
Weenies. All of them.
It's Drake and it isn't close. How many careers basically started because of a drake feature? Cole has had influence too for sure, especially because of Dreamville. Kendrick is the outlier, there aren't many rappers that go for a sound similar to his and he never really elevated anyone in TDE
Facts like I’m laughing reading replies, each post trying to tell you why he DIDNT impact, while failing to even make close to an argument for the other two. Shit is really bizarre
Well it's clearly because his lack of connection to the music of the culture. (Pls ignore the fact his uncle is a bass legend and that he's been curating the music of the culture for 15 years) surely every dude from the hood bumps kendrick right.... right?
I think the most ironic part of this beef was Kendrick’s whole culture vulture angle whilst he rapped over a sample of drakes uncle on 6:16, not sure if that was intentional or not but very funny.
It's not even a question, the answer is Drake and it's not close
One of the most common criticism is the idea of him being a "culture vulture", the reality is that he's drawn together different cultures of rap music around the world. Hip hop has grown massively with him at the head of the table
He's made wayyyyyyyyyyyy more songs that people fuck with. In a versus he could probably beat Cole and Kendrick together if you include features. Numbers wise it's not close
People have been told there supposed to like Kendrick's albums the best. But even so, it doesn't mean he had the biggest impact.
I think J Cole has had just as big an impact and Kendrick honestly. I really like both their music and what they brought to the game.
But certainly Drake had the largest impact on rap for sure. His style and raise to dominance fuels to most competition. But also he personally pushed the most amount of people forward. Brought in the most new fans. Bridged the gaps with other genres and formed a lot of artists and careers. Put it this way. His presence over the past 15 years has been fuel for this genre and culture more than anyone.
Hip hop: Kendrick
Rap: Drake
Big difference imo.
But honestly, most young rappers coming up that are actually MC's, sound like Cole
They all made their impacts in several different ways
As much as I love all of these artists it's very much Drake and it's not even close. Cole is my favorite and I hate how underrated he is but I know he's likely unbothered by it. Drake as put on so many different artists and used his massive platform to signal boost them as well. Love him or hate him he's the reason rap became some popular in the modern era
It’s a difficult question to answer only because it crucially matters how you prioritize your values. To me, hip hop at its essence is an attempt to speak for people that didn’t have a voice and/or speak on more general issues over a rhythm that helps make it more palatable.
I’m sure from that explanation you can see why my answer is Kendrick, Cole, then Drake.
Drake despite his obvious undeniable talent has had a minimal effect on new sounds, speaking about things. If his discography disappeared tomorrow there would just be some other of the 1000 people to fill his entertaining void.
Someone like Kendrick or even to a slightly lesser extent Cole are much more difficult to replace and that impression has much more depth.
Unbiased, that impact Dot’s impact is shown with how little promotion has to do, the fact he can go away, come back, drop an album like Mr. Morale which is filled with things most people want to avoid and have the highest selling tour (until Drake)
Look at how major his control verse was or the Like that verse, the longevity of Good Kidd still charting, and winning a Pulitzer.
I’ll end by saying, the ones trying hardest to be trendy are the ones who age the worst. Like a 80’s haircut which looked in style at the time will be washed away when the trends change. Drake’s music will age rapidly while Kendrick’s subject matter will keep him afloat for a much longer time.
Drake had minimal effect on sound? Bro had so many artists trying to emulate his sound for a decade. Bryson tiller, Jack Harlow etc. even Cole takes influence from Drake on a song like Fever. Come on
Drake changed rap and brought on a whole new generation of rappers. A minimal effect on new sounds is a crazy take. I would say Kendrick and Cole are traditional rap the same way it’s been since the 90s. Drake brought on a whole new sound. It’s has to be bias to say the most listened to artist of all time now could be replaced. Wild, it’s funny how you have to start off saying unbiased when you talk about Kendrick. There’s been conscious rappers from the beginning.
I really think the fact Drake being a half Jew from Canada doesn’t fit the narrative people want. They definitely want the dude from Compton to be the most impactful when even though he isn’t.
Agreed with the last statement, I really think it rubs people the wrong way that a lightskin Jew doesn’t fit the rep like we are at a point where people are denying drake’s IMPACT of all things. There is literally the phrase “stimulus package” when it comes to drake features.
There was even the “drake the type of guy” back when he made “soft” shit like take care which at most you can say was influenced my 808 but to say that didn’t influence hip hop?
Idk how you can say “ehh I mean it depends”, hating to the point of looking idiotic lmao.
>Drake despite his obvious undeniable talent has had a minimal effect on new sounds, speaking about things. If his discography disappeared tomorrow there would just be some other of the 1000 people to fill his entertaining void.
This is a crazy take and I'm a certified Drake hater.
Well stop hating him and see clearly for what he is. He is an actor who amplifies, but doesn’t create. He hears a sound he likes and platforms it and rides waves. I haven’t liked Drake in 10 years.
Hate to say it on this sub but for better or worse the least impact of the 3 is Cole. Both Kdot and Drake are pushing the envelope in different directions, for better or worse is a matter of subjectiveness. I prefer Kendrick’s direction, I prefer Drake’s exposure.
JCole is squarely in the center. He does not advance the genre much imo. It’s more true to what’s been tried before. But his team will push the envelope more than either when all is said and done. That’s my belief, it’s not rooted in facts not yet, but JID is insane and the rest of the team is massively talented.
With Dreamville Cole put together a label that will play out in a positive direction in the future that I believe will incorporate something from both of these other unique schools of hip-hop, as well as continuing to develop their own sound.
Aligns a lot with the thoughts I shared above as well. I think Drake had a huge influence on the industry, Kendrick had a bigger impact on the culture and artform, and Cole 'just' completely locked in on the artform that was built by his elders.
I didn't speak on Dreamville but I agree 100% with this. That label is pure talent at this point and will only get bigger/better over time. JID is a beast and I'm excited to see where he takes his work as well.
In terms of direct stylistic influence it’s gotta be Drake. K-Dot and Cole have set higher standards for album quality and concepts but I don’t see as many direct attempts to mimic them as the canadian
Even tho I think Kendrick is massively better, Drake is prolly the most influential. He’s brought up a lot of big artists and helped them get their footing. And even tho Kanye started the sing rapping trend with 808’s, I feel there’s a HUGE swath of artists who have gone a more melodic direction after seeing Drake’s continued success.
Drake by far tbh, he came in the game with his own sound, something neither of the other two did despite their brilliant discographies. There’s even an interview of kendrick saying he shifted the way he makes music because of drake, not to mention the amount of people he’s given a huge boost, kendrick again being one of them. If we’re talking strictly impact? Drake takes it for sure.
Answering the question straight forward, Drake. He has the most sons of in the game than the others. More rappers , up and coming and current stars alike, are going to say they were influenced by, grew up on, always listened to Drake than the others.
How is it not Drake, the biggest artist, put more people on, made more rappers vastly more popular. Even with “cultural events” this rap beef wouldn’t be as big if it was just Kdot and cole. Has multiple artist that he inspired. Biggest rap moments in last 10 years he’s included in most of them out of the 3. Kendrick easily the best lyrically, tho I think Drake makes the best music and Cole is between the 2
Drake. Versatile on any genre, has been holding down commercial hip-hop for over a decade, has a label with signed artists, and has introduced or helped others gain popularity as well.
After that I'd say it's a tie between cole and dot but I personally think Cole has a better discography and delivery and also much more versatile than dot. Dot knows how to craft a thought provoking track but cole has better lyricism but marginally.
This is not a who is your favourite rapper question, or who has the most classics or unique voice in hip hop. The answer is objectively Drake because he turned hip hop into a singing/rapping hybrid artform.
Cole and Kendrick haven't changed the game, just perfected it.
Bias aside the answer is 100% Drake and it's not even close. Even ignoring his commercial success, I'd said mainly because of how many people in the industry he has launched into super stardom... Even taking into account he likely does it for his own relevancy, there aren't many people in the industry Drake didn't do something with early in their career that got them big notoriety.
Honestly, can't say. As much as I dont like Drake he did have a huge impact on keeping rap commercial, and therefore mainstream, for better and for worse. I don't feel like Drake's music is what is influential to people, its the way that he moves. That being said, he is still extremely impactful in hip hop because of how huge his brand is. You can throw him on anything, and it will probably get a lot of plays. One of the initial reasons I liked Drake before the Views era was BECAUSE he wasn't a street dude and everyone knew it, including him, but he embraced it. Wayne always told him to just be himself. You're Drake with the melodies, you're good at that, do that. He IS very pop though. Yes, he has songs with fire bars, but a lot of his top streamed songs are not known for bars... they are club hits like One Dance.
Cole and Kendrick on the other hand have both put out music and albums that are very hard to emulate. Their impact is harder to quantify because you can't really just say "well what about sales/streams". People don't try to imitate Cole or Kendrick, because it's just not as easy. Both are very successful commercially, which is very hard to do being conscious rappers, but they both pull it off without being corny. Cole has gone platinum without features. A Kendrick release, regardless of whether or not the message hits everyone the same, causes huge hype that can only come from limited releases combined with the fact that you genuinely do not know wtf the next album will be about. Some people hate Mr. Morale... others say it changed their lives or saved them. People say the same about Cole.
I think all three of them will leave a lasting impact on hip hop for various reasons. I think Kendrick and Cole have more staying power in hip hop because they fit the traditional hip hop style better. I think Cole and Dot are more technically and lyrically advanced than Drake, but what Drake does isn't just something anyone can do either. It's easy to mimic his sound, but everyone would know who the real Drake is. It's just how he operates. Drake will be remembered as an overall artist and for his brand more than anything.
It's easy for me to say Kendrick would be the most impactful, because he's my favorite of the 3, but honestly they all are where they are for a reason.
It depends what you're considering. Coz as a rapper it's Kendrick but as an artist it's probably Drake. Coz Drake as annoying as he can be was basically able to keep himself at the top for so long albeit he danced in and out of hip hop leaning more into the pop world for a large majority of that era. Then for me Cole has always been the happy medium coz I listen to Cole more than the other 2 purely coz his music resonated with me the most just on a vibe level.
I think there’s some Kendrick bias here tbh, and he’s my favorite. It’s Drake, no question.
Go onto SoundCloud or Voloco and listen to small time artists with like a few thousand followers or less, true underground rappers. It is *insane* how many Drake copycats there are.
No one is biting Kendrick because his style is difficult to copy - only people born with a natural affinity toward writing can even approach it AND that is with a lot of practice, and by that point those people would rather be themselves.
Drakes style is far easier to copy.
Honestly, its neck and neck between Drake and Kendrick and its only cause their individual impact has been massive but the opposite of one another.
I love Cole and I think hes the pound for pound better rapper between the 3, but when it just comes to straight up music and impact, it just doesnt have the same reach and influence that Kendricks and Drakes music has had on the world.
I personally give Kendrick the advantage as the one thats made the biggest impact on hip hop only because his albums will go down into the history books and be brought up forever but I can 100% understand why people would say Drake cause he went on an unheard of run and never took a break for the past decade. I might not be a big fan of his recent music but dominating a genre for this long has to be recognized and respected.
So, Drake had the bigger impact on rap music because he pretty much got rid of the gatekeepers and was a huge part of the creator-driven landscape of the last decade in rap. But… in terms of hip hop as a culture, it would be Kendrick. Hip hop is more than a genre of music. It’s a culture, which Kendrick has had more an impact of, reestablishing older traditions while pushing the boundaries of the culture. J. Cole is more so reactive than proactive in terms of impact admittedly, which is not a bad thing by any means. His music to me is more of others influencing him rather than vice versa. But because of that, he’s been able to transcend many different styles and does it without sounding forced
How many big rappers on videos do u need telling u Drake made the biggest impact and run the game for over 10 years? J Cole double lapped Kendrick in all aspects even in platinum record sales/streams on conscious rap, I’m not even gonna bother with Drake numbers. I love how ppl pretend the number of ppl listen to rapper music don’t matter lol do we discount numbers for sports or movies when measuring impact 😂
Drake: formulaic song structure and repeatative flows make bank and he showed that.
Kendrick: inspires everyone from politics to Compton graduates to pullitzer people to artists like smino, baby keem, JID, rapsody, and little simz. He has introduced and maintained a level of artistry that make the OGs proud and inspires others to do the same. And I don't think he's ever acted a way or said anything to put on a front. He's a real voice for real people that often go unheard, and his rawness and vulnerability have been unmatched imo. irreplaceable in his legacy.
J cole brings in a level of authenticity and inspires people to just be themselves more than anyone. Kendrick does this too, but jcole has no mystique, rides around all day on a bike, no machismo shit, and keeps it consistent too. Dude just loves raps and has a big heart and wants to be a real person. And has major accolades solo no features wirh a lot of self production, AND has supported artists through consistent quality features and signing a bunch of awesome people. Brings the energy we need in artists
Edit: definitely Kendrick, but I love the energy j cole brings to the grandma. Drake is a legacy I don't think hip hop would be a whole lot worse without, but idk if it's better worse or the same with it.
There will always be bias. Cole could be the winner in the long run but now he is clearly 3rd. Drake has been the most popular for an extremely long time now. And who just took down the most popular artist? The Boogeyman
Its between Drake and Kendrick. Kendrick helped the culture grow in the same route tupac tried to. Drake had the game in a chokehold and everyone had to basically work with him or fall under him.
Hits - Drake
Impact - K Dot
Ability - Cole
Drake is the Taylor Swift of Hip Hop, not the best singer, not the best writer, just makes hits with a lot of following.
Kendrick has only 4 albums out and has been in discussion of top 10 rappers of all time. Can’t be more clearer than that.
Cole is a student who has crafted the ability to do the job, and do it well.
Kanye’s influence is crazy rn coz he’s talented but also coz debuted in the 2000s, give the big 3 5-10 more years but I’ll say their influence rn.
Disclaimer:: I’m only gonna use rappers who’ve publicly mentioned the rapper they’re influenced by.
Drake influence: Trippie Redd, Lil Yachty, Tory Lanez, Rod Wave, SoFaygo, Jack Harlow, Don Toliver, a boogie with da hoodie…
JCole influence: JID, Bas…
Kendrick Lamar influence: Logic, JID, Saba, Anderson Paak, YG…
Drake didn’t create melodic rap but he def inspired a lot of artists to take that direction. What’s crazy about Drake’s influence on rap is that he has influence huge figures in modern rnb (Brent faiyaz, Bryson tiller, Partynextdoor, Jhene Aiko…).
It’s kind of a no brainer. Biggest overall “impact” is definitely drake. OP’s questions is very vague but simple.
Now we can ask more specific questions which will definitely result in Kendrick or Cole being the answer.
Drake gave us the 20 track filler album and the incentive under streaming to do that kind of high volume garbage. Plenty of rappers putting out diluted albums in their prime, might have been better served by a tight 5 tracks every year pace. He's a bigger bad influence than either cole or kdot are a good influence
Drake.
Any other answer is a reach.
I’m tired of letting you bums try to ruin this man’s legacy.
He’s done more for music than damn there any other artist across all genres.
I’m beyond over this weird ass hate festival y’all have started.
Both of the other artists are great in their own right too.
But this question specifically is not up for debate.
drake has mainstream influence, kendrick has cultural influence and cole has a personal influence. if im at a party or driving at night im bumping drake, if i really want to listen to pure hip hop im bumping dot, if i want both im bumping cole.
Kendrick as an artist definitely had more to impact, but Cole as industry person did more to build and uplift future talent. Drake is the best at biting style and translating it to sales, but I don't think that's actual influence.
Drake is not a contender. He is not a hip hop artist, he’s a pop star.
Kendrick has the greater impact on the art form and the wha music is headed. He’s the one other artists want to be.
I’m only leaning towards Drake because of the attention he brings to hip hop from people who wouldn’t normally tune in. I don’t think a person who mostly listens to country music is going to really get into j Cole or Kendrick, but they might pay more attention to drake because he’s more pop like.
Hmm... I dunno actually... probably Drake right? While I do think Cole and Kendrick has huge influence... They are similar to rappers we have heard before on some level.
Drake is the most "different" and kind of made it cool to do the soft boi shit. I dunno if that means he has the biggest overall impact tho.
It just depends on how you look at it.
It’s Drake, everytime a new style of rap comes he has his hand in it and everyone is trying to add at least two songs in there. Afro beats, to drill music, to other styles of rap. So it’s clearly Drake.
Kendrick before DAMN, including DAMN, was good, but then it got weird. His old stuff felt like stories. His new stuff feel random.
JCole may be relatable to some people. I don't really relate to anything he has, but I love his music, the flow, etc..
Overall, I think Drake has had more of an impact than the others, with Drake right behind him. You don't hear anyone trying to sound like Kendrick. People don't tend to try to sound like Cole, neither, but a lot of flow could be very similar, and it may or may not be his fault / influence.
Anyone who says Kendrick is delulu. The man is a great artist, but to say he had the overall impact is just flat out lying. It’s drake by far. Not only does he have the most #1 hits, but he’s contributed the most #1 hits to other artists collection. Yes Kendrick is a great artist but his contribution to hip hop doesn’t go much beyond his bars. He hasn’t really elevated anything. If you can disappear for however long you want and people don’t go asking for you, you’re really not that difference maker.
If a bunch of people were talking in a room, and people kept looking to one person in particular to either listen to their input or to lead the conversation. THAT person is the relevant discussion leader. The guy who chimes in and has some really good things to say, but overall doesn’t speak much and isn’t really asked to speak on anything is not the overall discussion leader or have any impact on the discussion.
Drake by far lol. Kendrick made the biggest impact outside of hip-hop. Jcole… what is his impact on hip-hop. If he and his work were erased, hip hop wouldn’t suffer. He didn’t pioneer anything and he also didn’t perfect anything. He didn’t improve any aspects of hip-hop either. Hes just a strong student of hip-hop and his value comes from the continued decline in popularity for his style. But he’s just so textbook “hip-hop”. At least Drake presented us with new refined molds of hip hop that shaped the future of the landscape. Today we still these effects.
Kendrick also perfected the art of album making as a cohesive listening experience in hip-hop. Many artists might have arguably better albums than him, but none have better concept execution.
Kendrick Lamar has kept the art and spirit of Hip Hop alive. J Cole is much the same making his own art with the technical aspect of being lyrical a major part of his work. Drake is a culture vulture pop artist. He sells more than the other 2 more because of being pop and jumping on what’s on the chart waves and less on being an emcee. If you compare Kendrick and Cole to Taylor Swift you’d see she sells more too because she’s pop
Gotta say Drake. There's so many people copying his sound over the decades. There's a bunch of mini mees now. There are not many Kendrick and Cole copy cats
I’ve never been a Drake / Cole fan , I’ve been listening to Kendrick since overly dedicated came out. But it’s obvious Drake has had the biggest impact on the masses. He has influenced more kids than Cole and kung fu Kenny combined.
Let's be VERY VERY CLEAR I like all three, all three are great. I prefer Cole and can listen to him for hours with Drake being last on my list here of these three. In reality, Drake has held it down for years regardless of what anyone wants to say, out of the three he is the better. Doesn't matter if he has ghost writers or this is bad or that. Man is the better in terms of being able to hold down the industry. I still give it to J cole to being a better artist imo, but Drake as a package is better. Also not saying this because I'm on j Cole sub reddit, I listen to alot of Kendrick too but I connect more with Cole.
I would have to say Drake, because he has more children and offsprings in the game. I wish it was Kenny or Cole believe me I wish it was. I wish the young rappers now would be trying to emulate what Kenny and Cole do but sadly most young rappers try to emulate Drake.
On the world as a whole: Drake has been the most influential as along with people like Kanye he helped hip hop and rap rise to today's level of popularity
On music in the hip hop industry: Kendrick has come up with the most new music ideas and done some really great and completely unique things
J Cole as much as I love the guy has released some banners, but nothing that massively changed the industry as his music is somewhat inspired by the likes of Kendrick
Drake has had the commercial impact, drawing in people who normally wouldn't listen to or attempt to become rappers. I think Cole has had the most impact by the actual work he's put in putting people on and also honing their skills (between the 3). I personally think hes the best MC of the 3. I think he's also produced too, I'm assuming with newer upcoming artists so he's involved throughout the process. Kendrick has moreso influenced the way people think, showing conscious rap can be as commercial if your talent can push it, similar to the effect Tupac had. One specialized on the supply and demand (drake commercializing rap on a whole other level), the other on quality (cole finding and mentoring quality rappers), and the other on the purpose (Kendrick bringing in a new wave of spiritual/religious, social, political and civil right activism). Not to take away from the others, Kendrick doing well with consistency and marketability, and j Cole doing better with those in most regards, drake just doing the best. Same with the conscious aspect; drake having introspective work and cole doing very well in that field, Kendrick just being the best of the 3 (in my opinion). Lyrically, all 3 are very good, regardless of if you like their music
Haven’t read most other comments cuz lazy, but these aren’t really fair comparisons tbh. Drake already was pretty hugely influential on the current game when cole and Kendrick came up, and it’s evident in both of their work work… Kendrick and cole influenced a whole new generation that’s still somewhat finding building toward its own apogee. That said, if we ignore/acknowledge that, id say drake did indeed influence hip hop more rather undoubtedly just by really (re?)introducing some focus / near need for melody into (popular) hip hop, as well as really further opening the way for more “emotional” or “vulnerable” themes in it.
I’m just gonna say the new generation sounds more like Drake than Kendrick or Cole. No one is adopting Cole or Kdots sound. They pushed the limits of conscious rap/ lyricism but it’s kinda already been done before them. Drake pushed the singing agenda heavy in rap obviously influenced by Kanye but even Kanye doesn’t sing as much. The overall sound of hip hop to me has been more swayed by Drake but by no means is he the better artist.
Drake's impact: pushing hip hop into pop culture, rap singing
Ken's impact: pushing hip hop into high art culture, expressing profound vulnerability and confession
Cole's impact: keeping consciousness alive in the hip hop mainstream
The answer is Ken or Drake depending on what you see as more valuable to hip hop culture. For me, it's Mr. Duckworth.
Cole has done more for to grow hip hop and up and coming artists with Dreamville. Kendrick is indisputable as the best rapper of the three and what he’s done for the craft cant be compared. And Drake sells records, that’s my opinion.
You are all lying to yourself if you don’t think it’s drake - the guy took Kendrick on tour with him - put countless people on the map - longevity at the top - album after album - hit after hit - cross genre , stadium tour sellout - don’t try and be edgy and say Kendrick -
Im so tired of this comparison, idk how people can put Kendrick or Cole up there with Drake, all three are major artists with major backing, Cole & Kendrick actually came up under two O.Gs in Jay z & Dr Dre, so what is the excuse when it comes to output & consistency, its an insult to even try to compare, you can’t deny Drakes consistency. Also, I don’t see people riding around listening to Kendrick or Cole like that. You may not like every Drake song or project but you can’t deny his talent & work ethic,he shoots enough shots that the misses can’t discredit the buckets. When i was comin up the Goat debate was, Jay-Z vs Jadakiss mostly, some would make an argument for Nas or X. But song for song, album for album Jay blew the others outta the water. We didn’t have to question who was the best even if ya personal favorite was different. Drake is the only one to go on a Jay like run, 10 plus summers, i say Cole is number 2. Kendrick 3. Im sorry i don’t hear what everyone hears in Kendrick, the animated voice jus don’t do it for me. Only reason i even say they the big 3 is cause they the 3 that always had major deals & backing & are looked at as lyrical/universal . There is a list of artist better than Cole & Kendrick, some are underground. Even jus on sum westcoast shitt, Kendrick is not better than Nipsey, line for line, song for song
I'm one of the biggest Drake haters out there. But I gotta admit that he had the biggest impact in general. For the past ten years he's been single handedly pushing the culture into mainstream music (which some would see as a bad thing but at the end of the day it don't matter)
Fame is the ugly part of this conversation no one wants to acknowledge. But it's what it comes down to for the most part. You are either famous yourself and therefore directly influential on the culture, or you are highly respected by those who are famous and therefore indirectly influential on the culture.
Cole? Sorry but no. Not nearly as famous as either Drake or Kendrick and no where near more respected than Kendrick even if he is more respected than Drake.
Kendrick? Not as famous as Drake, but highly respected.
Drake? Not highly respected, but very famous.
If I'm just looking out at the world and thinking who do I think left a bigger stamp on the pop culture I see around me. It's CLEARLY Drake, despite him being one of those guys its "cool" to dislike. Drake is what "normies" listen to. He's what plays in bars and shit when you go out. Kendrick is the kind of guy who the rap world will always respect more, but impact on the greater culture at large? I don't see it.
When I think impact on hip hop I think Dr Dre helping Kendrick put out GKMC, signing Eminem, his work in NWA and with Ice Cube, Eminem in return signing 50 due to Em’s career, Dre signing The Game which got us The Documentary, producing Doggystyle with Snoop, The Chronic, and work with Tupac too I think.
So as for impact, I’d say Cole has to take it with Dreamville, and Cole produces too. In fact Cole told Dre about Kendrick. He gave us the Dreamville crew, JID being the biggest one. Lot of talent on Dreamville with Bas, Ari Lennox, EARTHGANG, and Lute. I may be missing someone. Lots of talent and he put them on the map. I think if they keep a consistent grind up they’ll be almost as or as successful and mainstream as JID.
Kendrick just made it hard to compete tho lol (no disrespect), but he did get hip hop a much deserved Pulitzer Prize, he himself even said that the award is not just for him but Pac, Eminem, Snoop and all the other mean pen wielding rappers. So that’s a huge thing too for hip hop.
Drake is more of an impact than the person impacting hip hop, the impact of Wayne.
I think it depends on what we're considering. Drake has held hip hop down the most from a commercial and pop like prespective. Kendricks discography the best by far out of the 3 and his albums are very well put. Cole is alot of ppls favourite cos of how relatable he can be and he lyrically holds it down most of the time. My personal answer would be kendrick cos artistically I just think his albums have a much bigger impact on the genre than the other 2.
I would also say Cole has made a big impact with influence and being a guider in the rap game, and a good example would probably be Dreamville. He easily has the most successful and impactful label out of the 3.
Yh fr dreamville miles ahead of ovo and Pglang rn
To be fair Pglang is fairly new, but OVO has no standouts lol (besides Partynextdoor). Dreamville on the another hand is STACKED
PND should be way bigger than he is rn sadly he hasn’t made a great coherent album
No,he like being a writer than the star of the show,he said it on an old interview somewhere
>besides Partynextdoor He's always just playing with his nose, though.
Correct me if I’m wrong but pglang is Kendrick’s new label he just made right? Does he even have any artist signed?
i know about keem and tanna leone but idk if there are more.
That’s it rn
Pretty sure tanna leone isn’t even on it anymore, he took it out of his ig bio and last I checked doesn’t follow the pgLang account
Dreamville is definitely a better hip hop label. Pglang definitely wants to work outside of the sphere somewhat with their productions. It’s as much Dave frees label as Kendrick’s.
Not miles ahead of TDE tho - and that’s what you need to compare, as that was KDot’s home and passion for over a decade.
Can’t even argue with that. TDE has some talent for sure but PgLang is kinda just Kendrick and Keem rn, no? Dreamville has JID and Bas and before even going deeper that’s a huge fucking W
Yea if we’re talking about impact we gotta bring up these labels they all got a j Cole has stacked dream like with some demons this last decade
I agree. Cole really seems to pride himself on being big brother to other rappers.
How can Kendrick have a bigger impact if he can dissappear for 5 years and no one notices? How do you define impact ?
He disappeared for 5 years once dawg 😪 The run between GKMC, TPAB and DAMN is like 4 years ( 2013-2017). Those are 3 very successful albums, 2 of them definitely going down as classics with the 3rd one having huge commercial success with songs like humble and dna. Damn even beat more life numbers wise first week sales. There is no way you don't think he's impactful just because he went on a hiatus after that run lmao
The average public has a short attention span? What a new and novel concept. You like McDonald’s? Go ahead. McDonald’s makes a ton of money, too. But don’t act like it’s a restaurant with Michelin stars.
Big had one album while he was alive…
It’s between Kendrick and drake
I think this is the best non biased perspective. I would add that Kanye really helped Drake in creating his overall sound imo.
When we are talking about influence and impact, I personally don't think anyone can compete with kanye in the last 20 years. A mentally stable kanye would have definitely still been running the game rn. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Kanye would've been Dre 2.0 *now bigger and better* Sadly, he got fucked over by Kanye.
Kanye and and lil Wayne for better or for worse were hugely influential to rap over the past decade
Wayne? Maybe the last 2 decades but not rly since 2014
Lmao what you said about Kendrick has nothing to do with influence, even tho I agree with saying got best quality
Drake and it not even close lol. The other two have literally said out their own mouths that So far gone was an influence to how they approach mixtapes.
I don't really listen to Drake - but I can acknowledge his influence in general. He's brought a ton of attention, commercial interests, etc. to the genre and has put a lot of other artists out there as well, in ways that not many have. And I listen to J Cole heavily (only JID gets more plays from me) but to me it seems like rather than doing anything new or unique, he's perfecting the craft laid down by others before him 'I copied your cadence, I mirrored your style - I studied the greats, I'm the greatest right now'. And all-around, I'd say he's the most solid of the 'big 3'. You know what you're getting with him (excluding grippy wtf) and its going to be fire. But if we're being honest, and we're specifically talking about overall impact on hip hop (genre, culture, etc.) then its gotta be Kendrick. He's the most artful in his approach. Definitely takes the unique angles and produces really impactful work. For fans and for other artists, I feel like his output has reached the most people in a way that changes the way they think or execute their own projects. *tl;dr - Cole is a master at his craft, but didn't change the art. Drake brought a lot of people in (fans and artists) but didn't change the art (cept maybe pushing it more towards pop). Dot is maybe the least approachable for most listeners, but has had a huge influence on the art/culture.*
Other artists are not influenced by kendrick. The only time he's had influence on the game was during the control era and the drake beef, otherwise he stays out of the game entirely. Nobody save for jid got influenced by kendricks approach to music. You don't hear people rapping about the same shit kendrick does, and nobody is out here trying to compete with him other than Drake. He might have the classic albums, but he's had a hard time being an influence to the younger generation and even the current generation. I remember when swimming pools dropped and people were drinking liquor to it, that's like the opposite of influence. Damn and steppers had no cultural impact at all, save for the pulitzer that could've been given to 100 different rap albums before it. His influence is moreso his title of being like the modern day rap poet.
Influence doesn't mean copy his style or cover the same topics. When everyone complained about mumble/SoundCloud rappers he was an exception. He's one of the few artists that is consistent with putting out quality music with something of substance in every track. Swimming pools wasn't a don't drink alcohol song. That was a track describing the influence liquor had on him during his upbringing. The beat sounds like a track you hear wasted at a house party; putting the listener in the same headspace. If it was supposed to convince listeners to stop drinking it wouldn't go as hard. Ntm he uses alcohol themes in other tracks like 'U'. MMATBS and DAMN definitely had cultural impacts. Being the only rapper to get a Pulitzer is impactful. It stirred enough controversy getting Fox news to bitch about him. And no generational impact!? He got kids calling OVO pfiles lmao NLU definitely impactful and it's a barely month old single
Why are you mentioning NLU when he already mentioned the drake beef era and control era as an exception?
I'm a certified drake hater, but without Drake, Cole and Kendrick do not reach the heights that they have reached.
I don't know if you're a certified drake hater because you're giving him more credit than he deserves. Cole: I'd argue 'In The Morning' was the weakest track on Sideline Story and I doubt it pulled too much attention (esp compared to Work Out). Jodeci Freestyle wasn't some major hit that did anything for Cole either. Cole's moment in the spot light came with Born Sinner IMO, and he locked it in with 2014 FHD. And its not like Cole needed FPS to 'reach the heights' he's at. The whole point of him being on the song is that he's already GOATED and sees Drake as competition/equal. **As for Kendrick:** I'll admit Poetic Justice is solid - but again, not the reason that project did as well as it did. That album is one of the few I'll call a classic. He followed it with TPAB and then **DAMN**. Drake had him on tour which probably got him a fair amount of attention so early in his career, but again - Kendrick was already going to blow up when GKMC dropped, regardless. Blahblahblah, I'm saying a lot but my point is that both of these dudes were going to be where they are now with or without Drake. Point out which Cole or Kendrick project would have been way different without Drake's involvement? Side note - I don't think that this discussion has any relevance to what I said about their influence on hiphop either. Even if they somehow owe their whole careers to drake, what I said above is still true.
>I don't think that this discussion has any relevance to what I said about their influence on hiphop either It did until you babbled all this 😂 >Cole: I'd argue 'In The Morning' was the weakest track on Sideline Story and I doubt it pulled too much attention (esp compared to Work Out). Jodeci Freestyle wasn't some major hit that did anything for Cole either. Cole's moment in the spot light came with Born Sinner IMO, and he locked it in with 2014 FHD. >And its not like Cole needed FPS to 'reach the heights' he's at. The whole point of him being on the song is that he's already GOATED and sees Drake as competition/equal. >As for Kendrick: I'll admit Poetic Justice is solid - but again, not the reason that project did as well as it did. That album is one of the few I'll call a classic. He followed it with TPAB and then DAMN. Drake had him on tour which probably got him a fair amount of attention so early in his career, but again - Kendrick was already going to blow up when GKMC dropped, regardless. >Blahblahblah, I'm saying a lot but my point is that both of these dudes were going to be where they are now with or without Drake. You're missing the bigger picture. Drake had people who "hated rap&hip hop" bumping his shit. The only other person to capture *that audience* was Eminem . . . Who much like Drake has done for this Era of hip hop by increasing the number of eyes on the culture in general. Which inevitably leads people to explore and discover other artists. It's got nothing to do with skill or talent or numbers. It's about how his presence has increased the influence of hip hop. Dude is just marketable as fuck. It's partly why j hate him
This definitely the best take I seen so far
I hate to say it but Drake single handedly carried the rap game when, tbh, not many people where listening to it. Now if we look at influence in the hiphop world alone the it is Kendrick.
At what point since the 90s has rap not been a popular genre? And when, during that period was Drake carrying the rap game? I remember when his first few albums came out, and I can't recall a time when he was the only major artist releasing projects.
I personally feel like there is always a big three we can look to in terms of output and sales. During different eras there is a evolving big three. Now considering Kendrick’s massive 4-5 year absence I can confidently say that for that period Drake and Cole had hip hop in a choke hold. I disagree with the sentiment that it was only drake but drake was one of the 2 for 4-5 years
That's a fair take. Others were coming and going in terms of numbers and popularity, but drake and cole were def holding it down.
When was this? Rap has been popular as fuck since the 90s. Jesus man this is incredible to read.
Drake. It’s not even close tbh
You gotta be biased AF to not agree with this
Lol
al lthe comments talkin about "it depends" lol like no it doesnt. Drake has the larger scope of influence and impact. you dont have to like him to even recognize this.
People like to be different and on the new wave. I get not liking the man (now, btw. I'm sure they have one or two drake hits they loved) but straight up rewriting history to be right? Weenies. All of them.
It's Drake and it isn't close. How many careers basically started because of a drake feature? Cole has had influence too for sure, especially because of Dreamville. Kendrick is the outlier, there aren't many rappers that go for a sound similar to his and he never really elevated anyone in TDE
[удалено]
Took the words out of my mouth. Who else has a reputation for stimulus checks lol.
Drake or you're lying. Facts. Zero 👒
Facts like I’m laughing reading replies, each post trying to tell you why he DIDNT impact, while failing to even make close to an argument for the other two. Shit is really bizarre
Exactly
Drake, yall don't want to admit it tho
on reddit he'll never get his flowers but in real life it's clear he's had the biggest impact
It's crazy how much hate he gets despite what he's contributed to music
Well it's clearly because his lack of connection to the music of the culture. (Pls ignore the fact his uncle is a bass legend and that he's been curating the music of the culture for 15 years) surely every dude from the hood bumps kendrick right.... right?
I think the most ironic part of this beef was Kendrick’s whole culture vulture angle whilst he rapped over a sample of drakes uncle on 6:16, not sure if that was intentional or not but very funny.
Kendrick is a very intentional man, I’d find it hard to believe he didn’t realize what he was doing there
Drake
Drake.
Drake by a long shot
It's Drake and it's not really close tbh.
It's not even a question, the answer is Drake and it's not close One of the most common criticism is the idea of him being a "culture vulture", the reality is that he's drawn together different cultures of rap music around the world. Hip hop has grown massively with him at the head of the table He's made wayyyyyyyyyyyy more songs that people fuck with. In a versus he could probably beat Cole and Kendrick together if you include features. Numbers wise it's not close
Solid take 👌🏾
People have been told there supposed to like Kendrick's albums the best. But even so, it doesn't mean he had the biggest impact. I think J Cole has had just as big an impact and Kendrick honestly. I really like both their music and what they brought to the game. But certainly Drake had the largest impact on rap for sure. His style and raise to dominance fuels to most competition. But also he personally pushed the most amount of people forward. Brought in the most new fans. Bridged the gaps with other genres and formed a lot of artists and careers. Put it this way. His presence over the past 15 years has been fuel for this genre and culture more than anyone.
Hip hop: Kendrick Rap: Drake Big difference imo. But honestly, most young rappers coming up that are actually MC's, sound like Cole They all made their impacts in several different ways
Drake is definitely pop, he’s like R&B turned pop, Kendrick is rap to the core.
Yea I’d say it’s the other way around. But I think he was trying to say culture/hip hop. I can see kendrick being that too
Hip hop: drake Rap: Kendrick
As much as I love all of these artists it's very much Drake and it's not even close. Cole is my favorite and I hate how underrated he is but I know he's likely unbothered by it. Drake as put on so many different artists and used his massive platform to signal boost them as well. Love him or hate him he's the reason rap became some popular in the modern era
Drake
It’s a difficult question to answer only because it crucially matters how you prioritize your values. To me, hip hop at its essence is an attempt to speak for people that didn’t have a voice and/or speak on more general issues over a rhythm that helps make it more palatable. I’m sure from that explanation you can see why my answer is Kendrick, Cole, then Drake. Drake despite his obvious undeniable talent has had a minimal effect on new sounds, speaking about things. If his discography disappeared tomorrow there would just be some other of the 1000 people to fill his entertaining void. Someone like Kendrick or even to a slightly lesser extent Cole are much more difficult to replace and that impression has much more depth. Unbiased, that impact Dot’s impact is shown with how little promotion has to do, the fact he can go away, come back, drop an album like Mr. Morale which is filled with things most people want to avoid and have the highest selling tour (until Drake) Look at how major his control verse was or the Like that verse, the longevity of Good Kidd still charting, and winning a Pulitzer. I’ll end by saying, the ones trying hardest to be trendy are the ones who age the worst. Like a 80’s haircut which looked in style at the time will be washed away when the trends change. Drake’s music will age rapidly while Kendrick’s subject matter will keep him afloat for a much longer time.
Drake had minimal effect on sound? Bro had so many artists trying to emulate his sound for a decade. Bryson tiller, Jack Harlow etc. even Cole takes influence from Drake on a song like Fever. Come on
Drake changed rap and brought on a whole new generation of rappers. A minimal effect on new sounds is a crazy take. I would say Kendrick and Cole are traditional rap the same way it’s been since the 90s. Drake brought on a whole new sound. It’s has to be bias to say the most listened to artist of all time now could be replaced. Wild, it’s funny how you have to start off saying unbiased when you talk about Kendrick. There’s been conscious rappers from the beginning. I really think the fact Drake being a half Jew from Canada doesn’t fit the narrative people want. They definitely want the dude from Compton to be the most impactful when even though he isn’t.
Agreed with the last statement, I really think it rubs people the wrong way that a lightskin Jew doesn’t fit the rep like we are at a point where people are denying drake’s IMPACT of all things. There is literally the phrase “stimulus package” when it comes to drake features. There was even the “drake the type of guy” back when he made “soft” shit like take care which at most you can say was influenced my 808 but to say that didn’t influence hip hop? Idk how you can say “ehh I mean it depends”, hating to the point of looking idiotic lmao.
Agreed
>Drake despite his obvious undeniable talent has had a minimal effect on new sounds, speaking about things. If his discography disappeared tomorrow there would just be some other of the 1000 people to fill his entertaining void. This is a crazy take and I'm a certified Drake hater.
Well stop hating him and see clearly for what he is. He is an actor who amplifies, but doesn’t create. He hears a sound he likes and platforms it and rides waves. I haven’t liked Drake in 10 years.
Drake, Kendrick, Cole. In that order. I don't see how it can be debated.
I’d have kendrick and Cole tied for impact, Cole could even be higher if you’re talking dreamville.
Drake 100% Let’s be honest for once
Drake for better and for worse
Drake easy.
Drake obviously not a question that don’t make him the better artist or bigger on nothing but his fan base alone is proof
J cole
From industry stand point it’s Drake and it’s not even close
Drake, he's a better artist whose consistently dropping music
Prob logic
Hate to say it on this sub but for better or worse the least impact of the 3 is Cole. Both Kdot and Drake are pushing the envelope in different directions, for better or worse is a matter of subjectiveness. I prefer Kendrick’s direction, I prefer Drake’s exposure. JCole is squarely in the center. He does not advance the genre much imo. It’s more true to what’s been tried before. But his team will push the envelope more than either when all is said and done. That’s my belief, it’s not rooted in facts not yet, but JID is insane and the rest of the team is massively talented. With Dreamville Cole put together a label that will play out in a positive direction in the future that I believe will incorporate something from both of these other unique schools of hip-hop, as well as continuing to develop their own sound.
Aligns a lot with the thoughts I shared above as well. I think Drake had a huge influence on the industry, Kendrick had a bigger impact on the culture and artform, and Cole 'just' completely locked in on the artform that was built by his elders. I didn't speak on Dreamville but I agree 100% with this. That label is pure talent at this point and will only get bigger/better over time. JID is a beast and I'm excited to see where he takes his work as well.
When did this become a big 3 sub guys
The middle ground for drake & Kendrick fans lol
In terms of direct stylistic influence it’s gotta be Drake. K-Dot and Cole have set higher standards for album quality and concepts but I don’t see as many direct attempts to mimic them as the canadian
Even tho I think Kendrick is massively better, Drake is prolly the most influential. He’s brought up a lot of big artists and helped them get their footing. And even tho Kanye started the sing rapping trend with 808’s, I feel there’s a HUGE swath of artists who have gone a more melodic direction after seeing Drake’s continued success.
Drake by far tbh, he came in the game with his own sound, something neither of the other two did despite their brilliant discographies. There’s even an interview of kendrick saying he shifted the way he makes music because of drake, not to mention the amount of people he’s given a huge boost, kendrick again being one of them. If we’re talking strictly impact? Drake takes it for sure.
Drake. Stop trying to sound different and profound.
There’s 3 goats left and I see two of em kissing and hugging on stage
There’s
Answering the question straight forward, Drake. He has the most sons of in the game than the others. More rappers , up and coming and current stars alike, are going to say they were influenced by, grew up on, always listened to Drake than the others.
Jermaine lifer-fan here and if we’re answering this honestly, it’s gotta be Drake, no?
I think Drake just in the overall commercial mainstream sense
Imo Drake is the biggest commercially, Cole is the best rapper, & Kendrick is the most artistic. All 3 have pushed the genre in much different ways.
I’d say Drake has had the biggest overall impact on the sound of mainstream hip hop today.
How is it not Drake, the biggest artist, put more people on, made more rappers vastly more popular. Even with “cultural events” this rap beef wouldn’t be as big if it was just Kdot and cole. Has multiple artist that he inspired. Biggest rap moments in last 10 years he’s included in most of them out of the 3. Kendrick easily the best lyrically, tho I think Drake makes the best music and Cole is between the 2
Drake
drake helped both those artist significantly you have no idea
Drake. Versatile on any genre, has been holding down commercial hip-hop for over a decade, has a label with signed artists, and has introduced or helped others gain popularity as well. After that I'd say it's a tie between cole and dot but I personally think Cole has a better discography and delivery and also much more versatile than dot. Dot knows how to craft a thought provoking track but cole has better lyricism but marginally.
This is not a who is your favourite rapper question, or who has the most classics or unique voice in hip hop. The answer is objectively Drake because he turned hip hop into a singing/rapping hybrid artform. Cole and Kendrick haven't changed the game, just perfected it.
Bias aside the answer is 100% Drake and it's not even close. Even ignoring his commercial success, I'd said mainly because of how many people in the industry he has launched into super stardom... Even taking into account he likely does it for his own relevancy, there aren't many people in the industry Drake didn't do something with early in their career that got them big notoriety.
Drake tbh
Drake and its not even fucking close.
To me imma say Drake, especially coming from the YMCMB line and almost 20 years in like Wayne I gotta give it to him.
Drake definitely, him and his team changed how Hip-Hop sounded. Cole and Kendrick work because they're the antithesis to his dominant sound.
Honestly, can't say. As much as I dont like Drake he did have a huge impact on keeping rap commercial, and therefore mainstream, for better and for worse. I don't feel like Drake's music is what is influential to people, its the way that he moves. That being said, he is still extremely impactful in hip hop because of how huge his brand is. You can throw him on anything, and it will probably get a lot of plays. One of the initial reasons I liked Drake before the Views era was BECAUSE he wasn't a street dude and everyone knew it, including him, but he embraced it. Wayne always told him to just be himself. You're Drake with the melodies, you're good at that, do that. He IS very pop though. Yes, he has songs with fire bars, but a lot of his top streamed songs are not known for bars... they are club hits like One Dance. Cole and Kendrick on the other hand have both put out music and albums that are very hard to emulate. Their impact is harder to quantify because you can't really just say "well what about sales/streams". People don't try to imitate Cole or Kendrick, because it's just not as easy. Both are very successful commercially, which is very hard to do being conscious rappers, but they both pull it off without being corny. Cole has gone platinum without features. A Kendrick release, regardless of whether or not the message hits everyone the same, causes huge hype that can only come from limited releases combined with the fact that you genuinely do not know wtf the next album will be about. Some people hate Mr. Morale... others say it changed their lives or saved them. People say the same about Cole. I think all three of them will leave a lasting impact on hip hop for various reasons. I think Kendrick and Cole have more staying power in hip hop because they fit the traditional hip hop style better. I think Cole and Dot are more technically and lyrically advanced than Drake, but what Drake does isn't just something anyone can do either. It's easy to mimic his sound, but everyone would know who the real Drake is. It's just how he operates. Drake will be remembered as an overall artist and for his brand more than anything. It's easy for me to say Kendrick would be the most impactful, because he's my favorite of the 3, but honestly they all are where they are for a reason.
Am I the only one who never liked drakes voice? I just find it annoying and irritating to listen to.
I think that but about Kendrick’s tbh. Drakes can get irritating sometimes too tho
I didn't used to like kendrick, but idk something clicked and I'm not sure what, was a bit ago when I started to listen to him frequently.
Kendrick
Kendrick artistically Drake commercially
Future
Future
It depends what you're considering. Coz as a rapper it's Kendrick but as an artist it's probably Drake. Coz Drake as annoying as he can be was basically able to keep himself at the top for so long albeit he danced in and out of hip hop leaning more into the pop world for a large majority of that era. Then for me Cole has always been the happy medium coz I listen to Cole more than the other 2 purely coz his music resonated with me the most just on a vibe level.
Drake has influenced future rappers, but Kendrick influenced the listeners.
Jermaine
I fucking hate drakes music BUT ngl he has been commercially on top for the past decade.
I think there’s some Kendrick bias here tbh, and he’s my favorite. It’s Drake, no question. Go onto SoundCloud or Voloco and listen to small time artists with like a few thousand followers or less, true underground rappers. It is *insane* how many Drake copycats there are. No one is biting Kendrick because his style is difficult to copy - only people born with a natural affinity toward writing can even approach it AND that is with a lot of practice, and by that point those people would rather be themselves. Drakes style is far easier to copy.
Is it even a question
Drake Kendrick Cole That order.
Not cole
Honestly, its neck and neck between Drake and Kendrick and its only cause their individual impact has been massive but the opposite of one another. I love Cole and I think hes the pound for pound better rapper between the 3, but when it just comes to straight up music and impact, it just doesnt have the same reach and influence that Kendricks and Drakes music has had on the world. I personally give Kendrick the advantage as the one thats made the biggest impact on hip hop only because his albums will go down into the history books and be brought up forever but I can 100% understand why people would say Drake cause he went on an unheard of run and never took a break for the past decade. I might not be a big fan of his recent music but dominating a genre for this long has to be recognized and respected.
Depends on the criteria. Commercially, obviously Drake. Quality wise, absolutely Kendrick.
So, Drake had the bigger impact on rap music because he pretty much got rid of the gatekeepers and was a huge part of the creator-driven landscape of the last decade in rap. But… in terms of hip hop as a culture, it would be Kendrick. Hip hop is more than a genre of music. It’s a culture, which Kendrick has had more an impact of, reestablishing older traditions while pushing the boundaries of the culture. J. Cole is more so reactive than proactive in terms of impact admittedly, which is not a bad thing by any means. His music to me is more of others influencing him rather than vice versa. But because of that, he’s been able to transcend many different styles and does it without sounding forced
How many big rappers on videos do u need telling u Drake made the biggest impact and run the game for over 10 years? J Cole double lapped Kendrick in all aspects even in platinum record sales/streams on conscious rap, I’m not even gonna bother with Drake numbers. I love how ppl pretend the number of ppl listen to rapper music don’t matter lol do we discount numbers for sports or movies when measuring impact 😂
Lil B
Drakes the gateway,Coles the comfort and kendricks the obsession [not in a bad way but in a way that it's essentially all you listen to]
"Bias aside"
Kdot
Drake: formulaic song structure and repeatative flows make bank and he showed that. Kendrick: inspires everyone from politics to Compton graduates to pullitzer people to artists like smino, baby keem, JID, rapsody, and little simz. He has introduced and maintained a level of artistry that make the OGs proud and inspires others to do the same. And I don't think he's ever acted a way or said anything to put on a front. He's a real voice for real people that often go unheard, and his rawness and vulnerability have been unmatched imo. irreplaceable in his legacy. J cole brings in a level of authenticity and inspires people to just be themselves more than anyone. Kendrick does this too, but jcole has no mystique, rides around all day on a bike, no machismo shit, and keeps it consistent too. Dude just loves raps and has a big heart and wants to be a real person. And has major accolades solo no features wirh a lot of self production, AND has supported artists through consistent quality features and signing a bunch of awesome people. Brings the energy we need in artists Edit: definitely Kendrick, but I love the energy j cole brings to the grandma. Drake is a legacy I don't think hip hop would be a whole lot worse without, but idk if it's better worse or the same with it.
There will always be bias. Cole could be the winner in the long run but now he is clearly 3rd. Drake has been the most popular for an extremely long time now. And who just took down the most popular artist? The Boogeyman
Its between Drake and Kendrick. Kendrick helped the culture grow in the same route tupac tried to. Drake had the game in a chokehold and everyone had to basically work with him or fall under him.
Hits - Drake Impact - K Dot Ability - Cole Drake is the Taylor Swift of Hip Hop, not the best singer, not the best writer, just makes hits with a lot of following. Kendrick has only 4 albums out and has been in discussion of top 10 rappers of all time. Can’t be more clearer than that. Cole is a student who has crafted the ability to do the job, and do it well.
Probably Kendrick TBH
Kanye’s influence is crazy rn coz he’s talented but also coz debuted in the 2000s, give the big 3 5-10 more years but I’ll say their influence rn. Disclaimer:: I’m only gonna use rappers who’ve publicly mentioned the rapper they’re influenced by. Drake influence: Trippie Redd, Lil Yachty, Tory Lanez, Rod Wave, SoFaygo, Jack Harlow, Don Toliver, a boogie with da hoodie… JCole influence: JID, Bas… Kendrick Lamar influence: Logic, JID, Saba, Anderson Paak, YG… Drake didn’t create melodic rap but he def inspired a lot of artists to take that direction. What’s crazy about Drake’s influence on rap is that he has influence huge figures in modern rnb (Brent faiyaz, Bryson tiller, Partynextdoor, Jhene Aiko…).
More people have tried to copy drakes style than the other two, to the detriment of the genre.
Ight but anyone saying Cole is lying to themselves. I’d like to hear the reason why they think so tho
drake, this really isn’t even up for debate.
It’s kind of a no brainer. Biggest overall “impact” is definitely drake. OP’s questions is very vague but simple. Now we can ask more specific questions which will definitely result in Kendrick or Cole being the answer.
gotta be drizzy
Drake no questions asked
kdot. classics, all of them.
How can this even be in question after what happened
One of these people is the first and only rapper to have ever won a pulitzer prize. Any arguments against him can only really come from personal bias.
Certified pedophile aside, Drake got that.
Drake.
kanye
Drake gave us the 20 track filler album and the incentive under streaming to do that kind of high volume garbage. Plenty of rappers putting out diluted albums in their prime, might have been better served by a tight 5 tracks every year pace. He's a bigger bad influence than either cole or kdot are a good influence
Be humble
Drake. Any other answer is a reach. I’m tired of letting you bums try to ruin this man’s legacy. He’s done more for music than damn there any other artist across all genres. I’m beyond over this weird ass hate festival y’all have started. Both of the other artists are great in their own right too. But this question specifically is not up for debate.
drake has mainstream influence, kendrick has cultural influence and cole has a personal influence. if im at a party or driving at night im bumping drake, if i really want to listen to pure hip hop im bumping dot, if i want both im bumping cole.
Kendrick as an artist definitely had more to impact, but Cole as industry person did more to build and uplift future talent. Drake is the best at biting style and translating it to sales, but I don't think that's actual influence.
Drake is not a contender. He is not a hip hop artist, he’s a pop star. Kendrick has the greater impact on the art form and the wha music is headed. He’s the one other artists want to be.
I’m only leaning towards Drake because of the attention he brings to hip hop from people who wouldn’t normally tune in. I don’t think a person who mostly listens to country music is going to really get into j Cole or Kendrick, but they might pay more attention to drake because he’s more pop like.
Hmm... I dunno actually... probably Drake right? While I do think Cole and Kendrick has huge influence... They are similar to rappers we have heard before on some level. Drake is the most "different" and kind of made it cool to do the soft boi shit. I dunno if that means he has the biggest overall impact tho. It just depends on how you look at it.
They all fictional rappers so it don’t matter, they just brainwashing us 😜
It’s Drake, everytime a new style of rap comes he has his hand in it and everyone is trying to add at least two songs in there. Afro beats, to drill music, to other styles of rap. So it’s clearly Drake.
dr*ke has made 0 positive impact on any music genre.
Kendrick before DAMN, including DAMN, was good, but then it got weird. His old stuff felt like stories. His new stuff feel random. JCole may be relatable to some people. I don't really relate to anything he has, but I love his music, the flow, etc.. Overall, I think Drake has had more of an impact than the others, with Drake right behind him. You don't hear anyone trying to sound like Kendrick. People don't tend to try to sound like Cole, neither, but a lot of flow could be very similar, and it may or may not be his fault / influence.
Dot
Anyone who says Kendrick is delulu. The man is a great artist, but to say he had the overall impact is just flat out lying. It’s drake by far. Not only does he have the most #1 hits, but he’s contributed the most #1 hits to other artists collection. Yes Kendrick is a great artist but his contribution to hip hop doesn’t go much beyond his bars. He hasn’t really elevated anything. If you can disappear for however long you want and people don’t go asking for you, you’re really not that difference maker. If a bunch of people were talking in a room, and people kept looking to one person in particular to either listen to their input or to lead the conversation. THAT person is the relevant discussion leader. The guy who chimes in and has some really good things to say, but overall doesn’t speak much and isn’t really asked to speak on anything is not the overall discussion leader or have any impact on the discussion.
Drake by far lol. Kendrick made the biggest impact outside of hip-hop. Jcole… what is his impact on hip-hop. If he and his work were erased, hip hop wouldn’t suffer. He didn’t pioneer anything and he also didn’t perfect anything. He didn’t improve any aspects of hip-hop either. Hes just a strong student of hip-hop and his value comes from the continued decline in popularity for his style. But he’s just so textbook “hip-hop”. At least Drake presented us with new refined molds of hip hop that shaped the future of the landscape. Today we still these effects. Kendrick also perfected the art of album making as a cohesive listening experience in hip-hop. Many artists might have arguably better albums than him, but none have better concept execution.
Kendrick Lamar has kept the art and spirit of Hip Hop alive. J Cole is much the same making his own art with the technical aspect of being lyrical a major part of his work. Drake is a culture vulture pop artist. He sells more than the other 2 more because of being pop and jumping on what’s on the chart waves and less on being an emcee. If you compare Kendrick and Cole to Taylor Swift you’d see she sells more too because she’s pop
Gotta say Drake. There's so many people copying his sound over the decades. There's a bunch of mini mees now. There are not many Kendrick and Cole copy cats
Drake hands down. 💯🤷🏿
I’ve never been a Drake / Cole fan , I’ve been listening to Kendrick since overly dedicated came out. But it’s obvious Drake has had the biggest impact on the masses. He has influenced more kids than Cole and kung fu Kenny combined.
Not J Cole
Let's be VERY VERY CLEAR I like all three, all three are great. I prefer Cole and can listen to him for hours with Drake being last on my list here of these three. In reality, Drake has held it down for years regardless of what anyone wants to say, out of the three he is the better. Doesn't matter if he has ghost writers or this is bad or that. Man is the better in terms of being able to hold down the industry. I still give it to J cole to being a better artist imo, but Drake as a package is better. Also not saying this because I'm on j Cole sub reddit, I listen to alot of Kendrick too but I connect more with Cole.
I can probably name more people influenced by Drake, then the other 2 combined, if we wanna be completely honest.
I would have to say Drake, because he has more children and offsprings in the game. I wish it was Kenny or Cole believe me I wish it was. I wish the young rappers now would be trying to emulate what Kenny and Cole do but sadly most young rappers try to emulate Drake.
On the world as a whole: Drake has been the most influential as along with people like Kanye he helped hip hop and rap rise to today's level of popularity On music in the hip hop industry: Kendrick has come up with the most new music ideas and done some really great and completely unique things J Cole as much as I love the guy has released some banners, but nothing that massively changed the industry as his music is somewhat inspired by the likes of Kendrick
Drake is Taylor Swift for men so obviously the answer is Drake
Drake honestly
Drake has had the commercial impact, drawing in people who normally wouldn't listen to or attempt to become rappers. I think Cole has had the most impact by the actual work he's put in putting people on and also honing their skills (between the 3). I personally think hes the best MC of the 3. I think he's also produced too, I'm assuming with newer upcoming artists so he's involved throughout the process. Kendrick has moreso influenced the way people think, showing conscious rap can be as commercial if your talent can push it, similar to the effect Tupac had. One specialized on the supply and demand (drake commercializing rap on a whole other level), the other on quality (cole finding and mentoring quality rappers), and the other on the purpose (Kendrick bringing in a new wave of spiritual/religious, social, political and civil right activism). Not to take away from the others, Kendrick doing well with consistency and marketability, and j Cole doing better with those in most regards, drake just doing the best. Same with the conscious aspect; drake having introspective work and cole doing very well in that field, Kendrick just being the best of the 3 (in my opinion). Lyrically, all 3 are very good, regardless of if you like their music
Haven’t read most other comments cuz lazy, but these aren’t really fair comparisons tbh. Drake already was pretty hugely influential on the current game when cole and Kendrick came up, and it’s evident in both of their work work… Kendrick and cole influenced a whole new generation that’s still somewhat finding building toward its own apogee. That said, if we ignore/acknowledge that, id say drake did indeed influence hip hop more rather undoubtedly just by really (re?)introducing some focus / near need for melody into (popular) hip hop, as well as really further opening the way for more “emotional” or “vulnerable” themes in it.
I’m just gonna say the new generation sounds more like Drake than Kendrick or Cole. No one is adopting Cole or Kdots sound. They pushed the limits of conscious rap/ lyricism but it’s kinda already been done before them. Drake pushed the singing agenda heavy in rap obviously influenced by Kanye but even Kanye doesn’t sing as much. The overall sound of hip hop to me has been more swayed by Drake but by no means is he the better artist.
Kanye and playboy carti clear all 3 in terms of impacting the genre
Drake's impact: pushing hip hop into pop culture, rap singing Ken's impact: pushing hip hop into high art culture, expressing profound vulnerability and confession Cole's impact: keeping consciousness alive in the hip hop mainstream The answer is Ken or Drake depending on what you see as more valuable to hip hop culture. For me, it's Mr. Duckworth.
DJ Khaled obviously. 
Cole has done more for to grow hip hop and up and coming artists with Dreamville. Kendrick is indisputable as the best rapper of the three and what he’s done for the craft cant be compared. And Drake sells records, that’s my opinion.
This is suppose to be a Jcole subreddit lmao
You are all lying to yourself if you don’t think it’s drake - the guy took Kendrick on tour with him - put countless people on the map - longevity at the top - album after album - hit after hit - cross genre , stadium tour sellout - don’t try and be edgy and say Kendrick -
Im so tired of this comparison, idk how people can put Kendrick or Cole up there with Drake, all three are major artists with major backing, Cole & Kendrick actually came up under two O.Gs in Jay z & Dr Dre, so what is the excuse when it comes to output & consistency, its an insult to even try to compare, you can’t deny Drakes consistency. Also, I don’t see people riding around listening to Kendrick or Cole like that. You may not like every Drake song or project but you can’t deny his talent & work ethic,he shoots enough shots that the misses can’t discredit the buckets. When i was comin up the Goat debate was, Jay-Z vs Jadakiss mostly, some would make an argument for Nas or X. But song for song, album for album Jay blew the others outta the water. We didn’t have to question who was the best even if ya personal favorite was different. Drake is the only one to go on a Jay like run, 10 plus summers, i say Cole is number 2. Kendrick 3. Im sorry i don’t hear what everyone hears in Kendrick, the animated voice jus don’t do it for me. Only reason i even say they the big 3 is cause they the 3 that always had major deals & backing & are looked at as lyrical/universal . There is a list of artist better than Cole & Kendrick, some are underground. Even jus on sum westcoast shitt, Kendrick is not better than Nipsey, line for line, song for song
I'm one of the biggest Drake haters out there. But I gotta admit that he had the biggest impact in general. For the past ten years he's been single handedly pushing the culture into mainstream music (which some would see as a bad thing but at the end of the day it don't matter)
Drake. I think people find J. Cole and Kendrick more relatable, though.
Hey isn’t that the guy from Degrassi. Also isn’t this about hip hop? Why’s everyone talking about dragons?
Fame is the ugly part of this conversation no one wants to acknowledge. But it's what it comes down to for the most part. You are either famous yourself and therefore directly influential on the culture, or you are highly respected by those who are famous and therefore indirectly influential on the culture. Cole? Sorry but no. Not nearly as famous as either Drake or Kendrick and no where near more respected than Kendrick even if he is more respected than Drake. Kendrick? Not as famous as Drake, but highly respected. Drake? Not highly respected, but very famous. If I'm just looking out at the world and thinking who do I think left a bigger stamp on the pop culture I see around me. It's CLEARLY Drake, despite him being one of those guys its "cool" to dislike. Drake is what "normies" listen to. He's what plays in bars and shit when you go out. Kendrick is the kind of guy who the rap world will always respect more, but impact on the greater culture at large? I don't see it.
When I think impact on hip hop I think Dr Dre helping Kendrick put out GKMC, signing Eminem, his work in NWA and with Ice Cube, Eminem in return signing 50 due to Em’s career, Dre signing The Game which got us The Documentary, producing Doggystyle with Snoop, The Chronic, and work with Tupac too I think. So as for impact, I’d say Cole has to take it with Dreamville, and Cole produces too. In fact Cole told Dre about Kendrick. He gave us the Dreamville crew, JID being the biggest one. Lot of talent on Dreamville with Bas, Ari Lennox, EARTHGANG, and Lute. I may be missing someone. Lots of talent and he put them on the map. I think if they keep a consistent grind up they’ll be almost as or as successful and mainstream as JID. Kendrick just made it hard to compete tho lol (no disrespect), but he did get hip hop a much deserved Pulitzer Prize, he himself even said that the award is not just for him but Pac, Eminem, Snoop and all the other mean pen wielding rappers. So that’s a huge thing too for hip hop. Drake is more of an impact than the person impacting hip hop, the impact of Wayne.