Damn. Damn indeed. Kendrick Lamar, in my opinion, has one of the best discographies out there right now not only in hip hop but in music overall. Albums like Section 80, Good Kidd Madd City, To Pimp a Butterfly and untitled unmastered. I have always been a fan of his work since the days he was known as K.Dot and always thought this guy does have potential to be something great, well he did exceed my exceptions times a million. I was very curious where Kendrick was going to do next after To Pimp a Butterfly and untitled unmastered, was he going to continue with the jazzy, soul rap vibes, go totally mainstream with a pop-rap feel, or was he was gonna go back to his bullshit and give the old Kendrick that a few fan wanted to hear.
The Heart Pt 4 was dropped in March as a single that wasn't gonna be on the album but to something to hype fans up. The song had a beat switches with a jazz vibe to a more aggressive style with Kendrick taking shots at Trump and Big Sean or Drake or both. At the end of the track, he said "yall got till April 7th to get your shit together" and everyone speculated a new album was around the corner. A week he dropped his official single "HUMBLE" and this sound was totally different for new fans and of old of Kendrick. The production was handled by Mike Will Made It and had piano riffs and 808 bass line with the synths sounding from the bling era of hip hop. His rhyme pattern was quite different on the second verse with having the same flow of guys like Lil Uzi Vert and XXXTENTACION. The song continues with Kendrick taking more shots at Big Sean and Drake. April 7th was here and no album but the pre-order link was out and we were getting the album April 17th so all hope was well.
DAMN. is quite the most intriguing listen I have from Kendrick. With many theories coming out with some saying the album is an endless loop, his life flashing before his eyes what happens in the first song "BLOOD." of him getting shot by an old lady who many believe it could be Lucy or the old lady represents white America. even some suggesting to play track 14-1 to get the actual story and the album is playing backward, or I saw an article via DJBooth about breaking the curse of disobedience, its a really great read check it out for yourself. To me, this is Kendrick most minimalist project to date and him basically saying I am a social, conscious rapper but I can play this new game of hip hop and prove all the doubters wrong and he beat all these new artists and his contemporaries at their own game.
"DNA" is the most aggressive song I have heard from Kendrick in quite some time. At first, lyrically I don't he wasn't saying much at all but after many listen I was understanding the meaning of the song. Kendrick is not only celebrating but also critiquing his black heritage and the culture. The best highlight of the beat switch up and the 2nd verse of just Kendrick spazzing out on artists who profit from the culture by copying it for their own personal gains, struggles of his newfound fame and taking some shots at some artist who they thought they were his friends but turn out to be snakes. "YAH" comes up next and Kendrick flow and voice is pretty laid back and he talks he struggling with mental health and he feels he always trapped inside his own mind. He also addresses Fox News about the comments that were made about him and also touches on that the media portrays as this policy and a Christian rapper but he denies that is he isn't. He also he identifies himself as an Israelite, the definition of this according to the bible that they are one of god's chosen people, mostly African Americans and Latinos that they are descendants of Jacob and the lost tribes of Israel. Carl Duckworth is mention on this track and also on "FEAR" where he mentions to Kendrick about more information about his worth and the book of Deuteronomy as well too.
"ELEMENT" switches up the pace and Kendrick sounds angry and more aggressive and confident and asserts himself at the best rapper out right now and daring and challenge all rappers who dare to step up to him. I love the hook on here and the best switch from the chorus to each verse. I enjoy the line when he said "Last LP I tried to lift the black artists but it's a difference between black artists and wack artists" and he even takes a shot at his old work from back in the day. I love the Candyman metaphor which was a shot at Jay Electronica. "FEEL" give us more details and the wide range of his struggles with the fame and feels like no one is there for him and the industry is very toxic and he longers wants to be in it. Despite with all the success and the money he still feels empty at the end and is still look for guidance and also feels that it's nice that he praying to the people but who's praying for him. I love the production here, gives me a To Pimp A Butterfly vibe. "LOYALTY" was one song I was worried about because of the Rihanna feature but this track is great. With the sample from Bruno Mars smash single '24k Magic" and the chemistry with Rihanna, this track goes together great like peanut butter and jelly.
"PRIDE" returns with the strong religious themes with Steve Lacy handling the production. It also references Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom". Here is where Kendrick dives deep into his pride and being looked at being the greatest rapper right now cause tensions with his ideals and his actions. I love the vocal pitching where it underlines the contrast with his ideas and actions and I like that it blends well with "HUMBLE" where you think he's telling others to humble themselves but is that it is him that needs to be humble.
'LUST" gives some Andre 3000 "Vibrate" and "These Walls" vibes with the whole sexual theme but also like that Kendrick puts himself in other rapper's shoes and their lifestyle of lust in many forms. The 2nd verse he dives into more not only about sex but also money, the ability to get away with many sins and no consequences and the end of the day we have many vices. BADBADNOTGOOD did a wonderful job here on production and more collabs please and thank you. "LOVE" is one track if I had to pick to be my least favorite track here. The beat here is pretty smooth but Kendrick voice and flow is quite annoying and I'm not a huge fan of the guest appearance here who sounds like a great value Weeknd. I can see what Kendrick was trying to do and it's cute that it is about his fiance but I couldn't get into to be quite honest.
"XXX" with U2. U2. This scared not only me but many people when we saw u2 was featured on here but this track was awesome. I love the beat switches up here with the first verse and the switch up with the second and it is a complete mindfuck. First is Kendrick bragging being in the streets before a friend calls him about some advice dealing a death of his son and Kendrick gets angry and then 2nd verse comes in with him talking about gun control and continues where "PRIDE" left off. I love the bar about the America flag being wrapped with explosives and references about how our country deals with foreign politics and it's effort trying its be "the world's police". He questions with Trump being president and how everyone is having compulsive disorders with people obsession with immigration laws and helping the upper class and not the lower class.
"FEAR" explores with each verse in different times of his life with the first verse being at the age of 7 dealing with a strict upbringing as a child, which I do relate to this quite a bit cause I did have strict parents and always being a troublemaker. The second verse is Kendrick being 17 and dealing with the fear of dying in the streets of Compton and being harassed by the police and being shot. The third verse is when he is 27 and during the era of To Pimp A Butterfly and dealing with anxiety and the lack of confidence within himself of this album. I enjoy the cameo of his cousin Carl with his voicemails being played at the start and the end of the track talking about more about the Israelites and saying you may feel like no one is praying for you but he is. I also love the sample and Alchemist did a wonderful job on production. "GOD" is a pretty good track with the first with him talking about all his success and comparing himself to a god and this what he feel likes to be a god. The hook is a little goofy with the first few listens, reminds of a bit of that chief keef track, It's a smooth pretty smooth listen. The final track is an another mindfuck and great storytelling here about a story on how Top Dawg CEO almost shot and killed Kendrick father when Kenny's pops when he working at his day job at KFC. It's pretty an interesting "what if" story that there is a chance that Kendrick wouldn't be here if Top Dawg did pull the trigger and kill his dad and the narrative is wonderful and Kendrick's best song in my opinion. The track ends with another gunshot and the whole album playing in reverse and the song ending with Kendrick repeating the first line of the first track, which I do believe the theory that this whole album is basically Kendrick life flashing before eyes, I also listen to the album from track 14-1 and it connects to the theory in a way but some questions are still left unanswered.
My final thoughts are is that while to some this album may sound incomplete and questions about the story are very up in the air, I feel like this album is up there with some of Kendrick's best work, not better than Good Kidd Madd City but better than most. At first, listen it may sound different and left field to the new sound Kung Fu Kenny was doing but I feel like this was very digestible and dives more into a mind of an artist dealing with his inner demons and thoughts going on in his mind and him possibly going insane. While he may seem about happy about success with his craft but at the end of the day he isn't and you people can be preceded you of having a perfect life but sometimes the fame and money can't cure happiness. With this project, I feel like it's time for Kendrick to be discussed of not only top ten but also top five of the greatest rappers/storytellers in history.
Favorite Tracks: DUCKWORTH, FEAR, DNA, YAH, ELEMENT, FEEL, LOYALTY, PRIDE, HUMBLE, LUST, XXX, BLOOD, GOD
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