Renowned Nigerian hip-hop artist Reminisce has emphasized that true respect in the rap game is earned through raw talent, not wealth or streaming numbers.

Speaking during a recent appearance on the On The Record podcast alongside fellow rapper Vector, the veteran MC weighed in on the ongoing debate about who truly dominates Nigeria’s rap scene — referencing the buzz around Odumodublvck and Blaqbonez.

According to Reminisce, the core of hip-hop culture has always been about lyrical ability. He argued that no matter how commercially successful a rapper becomes, they can never buy genuine respect within the rap community without proving their skills on the mic.

He illustrated his point by highlighting the recent high-profile feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, noting that Lamar was widely seen as the victor — not because of fame or streaming power, but because of his superior lyricism.

In his words:

“Hip-hop is the only genre that doesn’t respect numbers or money. No matter how much money you make as a rapper, you can’t buy the respect of the hip-hop world. That’s one thing I love about hip-hop — you have to earn it. People have to say, ‘Vector is a good rapper, he’s a legend.’
If you like, get five trillion streams or name your album ‘the greatest.’ Nobody cares. Rap respects pure skills. That’s why Kendrick Lamar is widely adjudged the winner of his hip-hop battle with Canadian superstar Drake. If you look at the margin between Drake and Lamar in terms of commercial reach, it’s very wide. But because it’s about skill set, which is the primary thing in hip-hop, Lamar won.”

His statement has resonated with many fans who continue to debate whether the next generation of rappers will stay true to these core values in the age of viral hits and chart statistics.