Honestly, it didn’t take much. One verse from Kendrick Lamar, one guest feature to be exact, and hip-hop heads of yesteryear rejoiced in unison. “That’s what I’m talking about” was probably said more times last week in reaction to a single hip-hop verse than in the previous five years. The last time I remember this reaction to a hip-hop verse was back in 2013 when another guest feature had the hip-hop world shook on its axis.
The irony about 2013 and last week is that the same dart thrower penned both verses. Can I have K-Dot for 500, Alex? That’s right, Motherf*** the big three, n****, it’s just big me. And just like that, our culture teleported back to when HOV battled Nas, Jada battled Beans, 50 destroyed Ja, and Dip Set battled everyone. What a time to be alive.
The fascinating thing about Kendrick’s “Like That” verse is that it got casual—even faded hip-hop fans to go out of their way to hear a verse. That is a sign of genuine musical and cultural influence in this climate. Can you remember the last time somebody called you about a baseball play? Anthony Edwards has that magic with his air-defining dunks, but it doesn’t happen much nowadays. It’s difficult in today’s climate to motivate people to do anything out of their routine, even if they are fans.
In his “Like That” verse, Kendrick fired direct shots at Drake and J. Cole. And, let’s keep it thoro: Kendrick, Drake, and J. Cole are the Big 3 of hip-hop right now. Please save your what-about-artist-X arguments for another hip-hop column; they are a moot point for this discussion. Feel free to debate who is the best among these three, but Kendrick, Drake, and Cole are the Big 3.
All this talk about the Big 3 got me thinking and debating: Who are Black baseball’s Kendrick, Drake, and Cole? Does Black baseball even have a Big 3? Who are the three best Black baseball players in the game right now? And if they were to battle, who would win?
Some questions were easy to answer, and others were a stretch. Nonetheless, I am dedicated to testing myself and challenging us to look at Black baseball differently. So, let the debate begin: Who are Black baseball’s Kendrick, Drake, and Cole?
THE EASY ONE: AARON JUDGE IS DRAKE
Drake is the biggest hip-hop star on the planet. The 37-year-old from the 6ix is the highest-certified digital single artist ever. He has won 193 awards, including 5 Grammy Awards from 51 nominations. Drake was Spotify’s most streamed artist of the 2010s. He plays on the biggest stages and delivers the biggest spectacles in the industry. Who is Black baseball’s equivalent to that? You guessed it, All Rise! Aaron Judge is the current face of the most historic franchise in the game. Aaron Judge is the man who patrols center field in the Bronx. Aaron Judge is the man who broke the AL single-season HR record and then cashed in to the tune of 9-years, $360 M. He is a 5x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, 2022 AL MVP: Aaron Judge is the Drake of baseball.
Many people will perceive this comparison as a knock-on Judge, but it’s not. The Yankees, if not Judge himself, are beloved by their hardcore fans and panned by everyone else, much like Drizzy. Drake has a reputation for putting perception over his actual reality. The same could be said about Judge, even though most people will tell you that Aaron is pretty boring off the field. We know that Drake is the Jerry West logo of light-skinned sensitivity, and he reminds us of it on every album. Still, during the 2022 contract year and especially during the 2021 offseason contract negotiations, Aaron was also going through all the feelings. It was a rare chink in his emotional armor.
No one can carry the sport like him when Judge is on his game. Others can try, but they don’t have NYC, the allure of Yankees Stadium, or every media outlet hanging on his every word. He is very much the Pied Piper of baseball. The media and culture follow him first.
ANOTHER EASY ONE: MOOKIE BETTS IS KENDRICK LAMAR
While Kendrick’s recent “Like That” verse has all the barber shops talking, I want to take you back to “Control” circ. 2013.
And I’m gonna get it even if you’re in the way
And if you’re in it, better run for Pete’s sake
Further…
I’m usually homeboys with the same n***** I’m rhymin’ wit
But this is hip hop and them n***** should know what time it is
And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale
Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake
Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller
I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you n*****
Kendrick told us a long time ago this was coming. He put the game on notice and declared himself the best in the game. (Come at me, bro.)
It’s fitting that Mookie Betts landed in the backyard of the Section 80 artist. Betts is an MVP, 2x World Series Champ, 7x All-Star, 6x Gold Glove, 6x Silver Slugger, and universally known as one of the most respected players in the league.
Ayy-ayy, let’s get it, bro
D-O-T, the money, power, respect
The last one is better
The last one is better; not only does Mookie carry on-field accomplishments, but he also carries the respect of his peers within the game and the fans watching from the stands. That is a rare combination that I can only compare to having the utmost respect in the streets of Compton and winning the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music from the most uppity social-elite voting snobs. That is universal respect. Mookie and Kendrick have it.
Baseball fans who hate the Dodgers respect Mookie. Boston Red Sox fans, who shall I say, have a checkered past with Black baseball stars; they love Mookie. Kendrick Lamar is the same way in music and culture. You may not be a TPAB fan. It’s not exactly party music, but you accept the artist for who he is — one of the greatest of all time. And let me be clear: when all of this “Big 3” madness shakes out on the mic, it will probably be K-Dot who stands tall over the ruins.
THE HARD ONE: WHO IS BLACK BASEBALL’S J. COLE?
I’m namin’ the album The Fall Off, it’s pretty ironic ’cause it ain’t no fall off for me – J. Cole “First Person Shooter.”
There is no fair equivalent in Black baseball to J. Cole. The falloff from Judge and Betts to whoever is determined to be the next qualified Black position player is immense. But there is one player who may fit the description: Marcus Semien of the Texas Rangers.
Now hear me out: the Dreamville architect (Cole) is one of the most respected pens in hip-hop. Semien is one of the most respected players in the game. Cole World is undervalued in commercial accolades; he has only won 11 awards out of 120 nominations—only 2 Grammys out of 17. Semien is wholly undervalued, with only two All-Star appearances in 11 seasons. In 2019, Semien finished 3rd in MVP voting and didn’t make the All-Star team. Semien has a Gold Glove, 2 Silver Sluggers, and has won the World Series. And he is completely overlooked in most conversations.
This comp is a reach because Cole is in every “Big 3” rap conversation involving contemporary MCs. Semien is not in the discussion with Betts and Judge about the best Black players in the game. Cole has managed to be an excellent artist, a public presence, and an extremely private person, all at the same time. Semien is obscure, but that is because he plays for the Rangers, and most people don’t know how good he is.
Semien, like Cole, was not an instant success. He worked his way from being a 34th-round draft pick of the White Sox in 2008 to a 6th-round draft pick in 2011. He worked through several years playing for Oakland to a prove it year with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021—where he made his first All-Star game at 30. He ultimately inked a seven-year, $175M guaranteed contract with the Rangers that offseason. Since then, Semien has made another All-Star team and won a World Series.
In comparison, Cole, 39, talks openly about signing with Roc Nation in 2009 but being a late bloomer in creating the music that has propelled him to stardom. He admits to having the talent, but it took him a while to understand that nothing would be handed to him. Cole, like Semien, responded with vigor and shot off a run that included six #1 albums since 2011.
More critical than commercial success, Cole has stayed authentic and avoided nearly all of the scrutiny surrounding his current tour partner, Drake. He doesn’t do this by avoiding the public. Cole went on a whole professional basketball journey before our eyes. (Trust me, we have the memes of his jumper to prove it.) No, Cole avoids drama because he stays out of the mess. So far, Semien has done the same. They both have earned the ground they walk on now. And they’re both in that revered category of people you don’t want to play with.
I don’t know who will ultimately win the lyrical dual between Kendrick and Cole (Drake can sit this one out; he doesn’t belong in this war). If I were a handicapper, I’d lay the odds slightly in K-Dot’s favor at -125. Everyone wins as long as they keep the heat to lyrics over beats. And that is how I feel about the upcoming 2024 MLB season. I want chart-topping albums from Betts, Semien, and Judge. If we get that, we all win.
