The CLog
The golden age of hip-hop has been over for a long time. Don't believe me? Turn on any hip-hop radio station and I dare you to find something even half as compelling as anything that was made before 1995. That's why Compton's Kendrick Lamar is so exciting. He sounds modern, but has an old-school vibe to his storytelling which Lil Wayne and Drake seem to be so lacking. He may be from the California city that put gangsta rap on the map, but he sounds like a classic N.Y.C. storyteller - an updated Nas or AZ. He could if he wanted to, but Lamar never goes too heavy on the gangsta. Instead, he chooses to be erudite and thoughtful, a shining star in a genre that too often chooses materialism and ignorance as topics of choice. Plus, Dr. Dre's got his back. What else do you need? $15-$22. April 10, 7 p.m. UNC Charlotte (held in Halton Arena), 9201 University City Blvd. 704-687-4949.
