Who I am thinking about, mainly, is Daniel Day-Lewis and Kendrick Lamar. Many, many people are saying that Kendrick has potential to have his name right up there with Biggie and Tupac as the greatest ever, and you won’t hear me disagree. He has impeccable flow, amazing lyrics, and good album concepts, all of which are readily on display on Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. However, I have no idea if Kendrick himself, who also spends a lot of time with good rappers like Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and A$AP Rocky, ever think that he might be the greatest ever and needs to keep living up to that hype. Is he just creating music, or does he realize that he need to hunker down and really focus on making masterpieces.
Same goes for Day-Lewis. I know he doesn’t like to spend time in the Hollywood limelight, but does he honestly realize how insane his method acting is? I’m sure he knows he’s a good actor, but does he honestly realize that he is, most like, the greatest actor ever? If not the greatest, at least top 5?
No, Prince - he changed his name back after he finally got out of his contract with Warner Bros. That’s all the name change was - an attempt to be difficult to get out of his contract.
And yes, Prince knows.
As does Jeff Beck, the guitarist. I read a joint interview with him and Clapton a few years ago. The interviewer asked Clapton if there were things Beck could play that Clapton could not - Clapton very graciously hemmed and hawed and acknowledged that Beck did things with a whammy bar, with jazzier material, use of harmonics, etc. that Clapton could not. The interviewer turned to Beck and started “So, Jeff, is there anything that Eric can…”
Beck blurted out “No!” before the sentence was finished. He’s never lacked ego, but when you can do what he does, who’s going to argue? Certainly not Clapton.
I’m watching The Men Who Built America. I would say that Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie and Morgan knew they were hot shit and acted like it. Haven’t gotten to Ford yet but I suspect I know what’s coming
Well, it’s been widely reported that, when Ted Williams was in the on-deck circle, he’d growl to himself, “I’m Ted Fucking Williams, and I’m the best fucking hitter who ever played.”
I read somewhere that when Bernard Montgomery was asked who the three greatest generals of all time were, he replied that the other two were Alexander and Hannibal.
Tons of people think they’re great. A few of them actually deserve the acclaim.
I think it’s difficult to make any kind of decent art if you’re busy thinking crap like “I need to live up to the hype!” and “Everything I do must be a masterpiece!”
Pablo Picasso
Mohammed Ali
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Howard Hughes
Frank Sinatra
Michael Jackson
Michael Jordan
Joe Namath
Elvis Presley, probably
Babe Ruth
Lennon/McCartney
The Beatles
William Randolph Hurst
I’ll probably think of more later tonight or tomorrow.
That’s not the the topic. The question was – do the people at the top know they’re the best? So far, the most common answer is – yes.
Just read a lengthy NYT feature on Jerry Seinfeld. I don’t think he would claim to be the best comedian, but he certainly understands he is among the best comedians.
Also… a chance to tell my only Frank Lloyd Wright joke. Wright is called to testify in a trial. When asked to identify himself an list his credentials. he said, “I am America’s greatest ever architect.” Later his wife tells him it was unseemly to make such a grand claim. He responded, “But darling, I was under oath!”
