Kendrick Lamar's "HUMBLE." is one of the biggest rap hits of the past few years, especially coming from one of the most respected and acclaimed artists today. Its appeal is quite universal, with engaging and catchy refrains and melodies, plus some sharp bars. In fact, it's stretching beyond genre and national boundaries, as Italian rock superstars Måneskin covered the track at their Madison Square Garden show in New York on Friday (September 22). "We cannot be the last rock band," lead singer Damiano David remarked to the crowd before they went into their homage. "But maybe we can be the first rap band," he added, albeit incorrectly.
Jokes aside, the cover is about as energetic and electrifying as you'd expect from a rock-centered rendition of "HUMBLE." Driving guitars, hard-hitting drums, and anthemic vocals made Kendrick Lamar's track translate quite well. At the very least, this is a much more respectful and appropriate nod to the rapper than another European incident involving a blackface-laden Polish karaoke competition. Hopefully more bands of various genres keep seeing the magic in the Compton MC's music, and how it connects to any crowd.
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Maneskin's Kendrick Lamar Cover Has Them Feeling "HUMBLE."
Of course, this shouldn't come as much surprise to Måneskin fans, who know the group to be quite versatile. While speaking to Esquire for an interview, David explained how each member's wide influences contribute to their aesthetics and songwriting. "Not to brag, but for us, it comes easy,” he stated. “We have four different and very strong backgrounds. Ethan and Thomas are very into rock and roll, punk, more classical, so they bring that energy. I’m very, very into mainstream music, mainstream hooks, mainstream melodies. So I bring that kind of idea, and they put steroids in what I do."
Meanwhile, the Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist impacts his peers in much more meaningful ways than just artistic inspiration. His Black Hippy and former TDE partner ScHoolboy Q recently gave K.Dot credit for "saving his life." Surely, this will be far from the last cover of his music for generations to come. On that note, stay posted on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Kendrick Lamar.