Glasses Malone on Kendrick, Culture and the Cost of Clout

On the Curtiss King Podcast, Glasses Malone didn’t mince words when describing where hip-hop stands in 2025. For the West Coast artist and cultural commentator, the genre is facing a rare opportunity: a return to its roots.

“We got the reset Kurt, that rock and jazz didn’t get,” Malone said, referencing the industry’s cooling relationship with corporate interests. “This next phase we going into… you going to have to really know how to articulate yourself and said culture if you want corporate America to back it. Outside of that, it’s going to have to truly be the love.”

In Malone’s view, the commercialization of hip-hop may be slowing, but the soul of the culture is poised to reemerge stronger than ever — provided artists and fans alike are willing to reconnect with the genre’s essence.

Falling in Love with the Art, Late

Despite a career that includes a deal with Cash Money Records and early commercial success, Malone shared that he didn’t truly fall in love with hip-hop until years after the fame and checks started rolling in.

“I probably made two or three million dollars before I even fell in love with hip-hop,” he admitted. “I didn’t fall in love with hip-hop till about 2015. I had did a lot already… but even when I started rapping, I never felt like I knew what hip-hop was.”

That shift came through study — not just of records, but of the culture’s physical geography. Malone traveled to New York boroughs, spoke with pioneers like Eric Sermon, and stood outside Roger Troutman’s childhood home in Dayton. He immersed himself in the lived experience behind the music. By 2019, he said, he fully understood it — and vowed to defend it.

Kendrick Lamar: From Little Homie to the Man

One of the podcast’s most powerful stretches focused on Kendrick Lamar’s recent run — a streak Malone described as the most dominant in modern rap history.

“This last 12 months, I’ve never seen anything quite like this ever in hip-hop,” Malone said. “I ain’t never saw no [expletive] like this in my life.”

The former mentor-turned-peer reflected on how Lamar’s evolution from hungry lyricist to genre-defining powerhouse had shifted even his own perspective. What began as pride in a protégé became outright awe.

“He just got No Vaseline. He just got Dre Day. He just got Ether. He just got Takeover,” Malone said. “He trumped these records.”

Malone detailed how Kendrick’s cultural dominance, from explosive verses to his GNX album rollout, elevated him beyond generational acclaim. “He’s no longer just the man of his generation,” Malone said. “He’s that. He’s spectacular.”

The OGs and the Echoes of Insecurity

But not everyone in hip-hop’s upper ranks has embraced Kendrick’s rise with the same enthusiasm. Malone addressed some of the tension from older artists — what he called a mix of confusion, pride, and sometimes misplaced criticism.

“Dog is always Dog… Cam and Mase, they from the East Coast,” he said, speaking on Snoop Dogg and others. “Wayne just didn’t know. I told everybody right when that tweet happened, I tweeted it: he didn’t hear the song.”

Malone gave insight into Lil Wayne’s detachment from the current moment — not as a slight, but as part of what makes him great. “That’s why he’s so fantastic… He don’t be knowing who the [expletive] I’m talking about.”

When it came to Kanye West, Malone didn’t hesitate. “Kanye obviously is threatened… He’s just starved for attention. Which is almost unbelievable,” he said. “The grace he’s received from God — and he’s still insecure?”

Culture Over Streams: The Battle with Drake

When the topic of Kendrick and Drake’s rivalry came up, Malone made it clear: the battle wasn’t won through Billboard placements — it was won through cultural command.

“He lost cultural cache,” Malone said bluntly. “That don’t matter when it comes to selling records… but he’s still going to stream the same amount.”

Drake’s decision to take the battle into court didn’t impress Malone either. “Even if you won a lawsuit, you’re not going to win the battle. You’re just going to look corny.”

According to Malone, what ultimately separated the two artists was their relationship to the culture. Kendrick, he said, is “probably the greatest student that I ever met in my lifetime… He pays attention to everything.” In contrast, Drake “started believing the hype.”

What Is Hip-Hop Really?

Throughout the conversation, Malone returned to a recurring idea: that hip-hop isn’t just about music, but about the lived experience of a community.

“Being a [expletive] is not hip-hop,” he explained. “But [expletive] walking can be hip-hop. Artistic expression of the way we live — that’s what makes it hip-hop.”

He challenged the idea that making a great rap record automatically grants someone cultural status. “Making a great rap record don’t make you this. It don’t mean you understand quite what’s happening.”

West Coast Media: A Work in Progress

On the topic of hip-hop media, and particularly the West Coast’s presence in the space, Malone pushed for more accountability — and more creativity.

“Of course not. No. Hell no, we could do more,” he said when asked if the West Coast had done enough to capitalize on current momentum.

Still, he acknowledged the complexity of the media label itself. “Most people don’t want that responsibility. They want just to be themselves. That’s not what media really, really does.”

To Malone, platforms like Curtiss King’s are important, but distinct from traditional media. “Curtiss King is Curtiss King… he may talk about other people. But the Source couldn’t have put an article together about writing articles.”

Still a Full-Time Rapper

Despite Malone’s growing presence in cultural commentary and podcast appearances, don’t mistake him for an ex-rapper. “I haven’t even conceded possibly media,” he said. “I'm making records every day. I’m about to put out 40 rap songs this year.”

His hunger hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s sharpened. “My love is at the greatest high… I'm at my creative apex right now.”