John Denver v. Lucki: A Battle of the Minds

Written by: Asher Mills

Edited by: Nikhil Krishnamurthy

Music intrinsically evolves. It is inexorably linked to the cultural conscience, it affects and warps our perceptions of the world as the world does in return, and as such the “main stream” of the music industry changes currents constantly. It is for this attribute that “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John and “Thrift Shop” by Grammy-award winning and creative genius duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis can both be #1 songs within a 2 decade span of each other. The people want new music. But as we continue to grow and our palettes begin to crave new flavors, we must look back on our musical history, and ask ourselves the question: does the old school still prevail over the new school? Or is the student finally the master?

Arguably no two artists encapsulate this generational conflict as well as American singer-songwriter John Denver and Chicago-based rapper and record producer Lucki Camel Jr. Both paragons of musical genius and ambassadors of their own creative eras, these two artists have had an unmistakable impact on not only the history of the arts, but of mankind itself. Within this debate, we must view challengers equally, and weigh not only their accolades, but their fumbles, against one another. But one thing is certain: only one titan may be victorious.

John Denver starring in film “Oh, God”

Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. first began to gain recognition as a solo artist through his debut album Rhymes & Reasons, in which he speaks on his experience catching butterflies and also Richard Nixon. This range of topics is what makes Henry such a great artist: who else has such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to both butterflies and Nixon? Johnny really opens up the water gate that is his genius in this album, however his record label RCA refused to actively promote it, forcing Denver to take matters into his own hands and promote it himself through free shows and venues, amassing a loyal fanbase in the process. You go girl! After John Denver’s first three albums in the span of only 1 year, he decided to go absolutely beast mode and lock in on one of the best pieces of work in his entire career with Poems, Prayers & Promises in 1971. This album included two beautiful covers in Let it Be and Fire and Rain, as well as some absolute bangers in Wooden Indian, Gospel Changes, Sunshine on My Shoulders, and of course, Take Me Home, Country Roads, a cornerstone in country folk music and an iconic song that has been carried through generations. In addition to this incredible musical discography, John starred in the iconic and legendary 1977 movie “Oh, God!”, which was essentially the predecessor to the greatest film of all time “Evan Almighty” in which John talks to God who is actually just George Burns and tells everyone about how chill he is. Talk your talk king 👏. As if that wasn’t enough, John was also a prolific philanthropist and environmentalist, funding various charities and starting some of his own. Lucki, despite his amazing discography, has seemingly not made any comments about the state of our world and the future of the planet’s climate (possibly anti-earth and/or pro climate change). All in all, John is one cool dude. Now let’s see our competitor.

Lucki

Many artists can get to the top, but few can stay there. For Lucki, he was born there. With albums like Days B4 II, Days B4 III, FLAWLESS LIKE ME, Freewave 2, and so many others, along with an entire mountain of unreleased gems like ice cold, Lucki is what others think about when they hear the word “awesome”, or dare I say “radiant”. What is truly striking, however, is Lucki’s way with words, and his inspirational quotes and messages to the people. When Lucki says “You know me, I’m for you, tell me anything” on the song 4everybody, it truly makes you, the listener, feel as though he is for you and that you can tell him anything. While John Denver is a generational artist worthy of respect, it should be noted that he has never said in his songs that he is for you, nor has he stated that you can tell him anything, meaning that it is fair to assume you cannot always tell John your secrets and his loyalty may fluctuate. 

Lucki moves in silence, disregarding the need to release new music if it doesn’t sit within his creative framework. This has not only contributed to Lucki’s almost mystical quality, but his discography as well, with Lucki having some of the best unreleased music of any artist in the modern generation, further adding to his mythos. Additionally, Lucki’s prolonged and consistent output of music is incredibly noteworthy. From 2013-2023 he has put out at least one album each year, and has recently come out with a new EP “2 Faced”. Lucki has been co-signed by other revered artists in the game, including the late Juice WRLD, Drake, Chance the Rapper (Wife-Lover), Playboi Carti, A$AP Rocky and the A$AP Collective as a whole, along with many others. Despite John Denver’s extensive career accolades, he has never been seen hanging out with Lil Yachty or Playboi Carti, and I feel that should be taken into consideration during this debate. 

In conclusion, the age-old debate between John Denver and Lucki is one that continues to rage on, for the simple fact that both artists are seemingly insurmountable in their accolades and achievements. It is akin to an unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object: the answer is subjective based on perspective and bias. However, one must account for the mystique of an artist. After all, isn’t that what we as humans desire? To idolize and revere another, in hopes that they be elevated to a status beyond us? To create a faux-religion around whatever artist speaks to us, so that we may in turn separate a part of ourselves and bestow it into their own character. And John Denver, despite starring in the classic 1977 film “Oh, God!” with George Burns, is too human. And no human can battle against the mountain that is Lucki Camel Jr. Stay flawless.