THE KING KENDRICK KILLED IT.

I have now listened to DAMN. so many times, with the first listen being just to appreciate and enjoy the album. The second and many other times after to decipher the album and uncover all the symbolic and hidden messages within the tracks and the album as a whole. Lamar is smart and calculated all his tracks and albums have been thought-out and are thought provoking. Without a doubt he is the greatest rapper of our generation. In thirty years from now people will be looking back at his music and he will be the Tupac/Biggie or Rakim of our generation. Those are big claims, but I believe in what I say.

To Pimp A Butterfly, in my opinion was the album of 2015, an instant classic. It was a fierce and powerful album that covered social and political issues of America. It’s uses of characters such as Lucy (Devil), Uncle Sam (America) and Lamar’s own life were used to tell a story of a man who became institutionalized by his own environment and country, and managed to break free. He does the same with DAMN. where he uses his own life story, but in a different way, in DUCKWORTH. for example. We hear the story of Lamar’s father ‘Ducky’ and TDE founder ‘Anthony’ whom meet when Anthony goes to stick up the KFC joint Ducky works at, but because Ducky used to give Anthony extra biscuits whenever he used to order food from the joint, he “let him slide”. Lamar goes on to explain the triumph as a result of the choice made, but also tells of what could’ve been had Ducky been shot. This is next level narrative of life that was and that could have been. It is like a hood fairy tale. A true gritty and powerful story.

“Pay attention, that one decision changed both of they lives

One curse at a time

Reverse the manifest and good karma, and I'll tell you why

You take two strangers, and put 'em in random predicaments; give 'em a soul

So they can make their own choices and live with it

Twenty years later, them same strangers you make 'em meet again

Inside recording studios where they reapin' their benefits

Then you start remindin' them about that chicken incident

Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence?

Because if Anthony killed Ducky

Top Dawg could be servin' life

While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight”

With DAMN. people were expecting the same vibe with TPAB – an album that focused on socio-political issues of America. However, we see a difference in Lamar or more importantly hear a difference in him with this album. Firstly, the album doesn’t focus on the issues that Lamar’s TPAB did, but he does cover serious issues: America’s problems, Trump, this situation with FOX news, and Geraldo Rivera comments about rap music. This and many other issues are mentioned in the album. I feel that with this album though it was more of a showcase of what he could do. That he could make an album that is raw, endlessly listenable, and will compete with the heavy weights in the hip-hop/rap game. I personally, believe that Lamar is simultaneously taking rap back to its roots while finding new ways of expanding it and making it more than it is. By this I mean, he is not rapping about “bitches, money and hoes” in that flexin way we see with many rappers, but we are seeing him rap about real things, real life experiences. He to explores ways in which he can expand his craft and sound as you see with this album. Like you saw with TPAB and its jazzy backbone.

However, and my second point the jazz and soul vibe which was the backbone for TPAB has been swapped for a minimalistic solid production which is more trap vibed with beats from BADBADNOTGOOD, Sounwave, James Blake, Mike WiLL Made-It, and most surprisingly but not so surprising Steve Lacy the 18-year-old who adds his vocals to the track PRIDE. which he co-produced. This and the added help from Rick Ruben who has apparently overlooked some of the albums production and has supposedly helped Lamar connect and explore with rock. This could be the contributing reason to those guitar melodies that appear throughout the album. With tracks like PRIDE. and XXX. FEAT. U2. On this track, we hear this groovy psychedelic opening sound. After a 20 seconds or so of this the sound switches up to this banger of a beat from none other than Mike WiLL Made-It. This showcases the battle within the album as a whole, and its balance between the soft melodic groovy sounds and the trap head bangin beats. With PRIDE., you feel like you’re listening to this beautiful constructed track. The vocals are on point. The guitar combined with the synthesised vocals is just flawless and has a masterful flow. I feel you’d see this at the end of a Tarantino move. The song is without a doubt one the best on the album. Also try and listen to the second verse really carefully, doesn’t man sound like Andre 3000?

This album is where beats and bars effortlessly and perfectly operate in beautiful synchronicity. On the track FEEL. the first verse is cleverly-written and emotionally rich as you’d expect from Kendrick who is a true wordsmith. This combined with the soft funky beat produced by Sounwave just compliments the deep conversation Lamar has with the listener. We see Lamar catalogue the wide range of feelings, negative ones, where he feels he’s lost himself the world and feels the pressure, feels that nobody is looking out for him, but cites his desire for self-isolation. It is just fucking deep. When you read the lyrics and really think about them, the level at which he raps about and how open he is with his lyrics. They are raw and so thought-provoking. With every listen you peel back the track and uncover newer depths of meaning with the lyrics.

“I feel like a chip on my shoulders

I feel like I'm losin' my focus

I feel like I'm losin' my patience

I feel like my thoughts in the basement

Feel like, I feel like you're miseducated

Feel like I don't wanna be bothered

I feel like you may be the problem

I feel like it ain't no tomorrow, fuck the world

The world is endin', I'm done pretendin'

And fuck you if you get offended

I feel like friends been overrated

I feel like the family been fakin'

I feel like the feelings are changin'

Feel like my daughter compromised and jaded

Feel like you wanna scrutinize how I made it

Feel like I ain't feelin' you all

Feel like removin' myself, no feelings involved

I feel for you, I've been in the field for you

It's real for you, right? Shit, I feel like”

Some of the most notable tracks to listen to are: PRIDE., LOYALTY. FEAT. RIHANNA., LOVE. FEAT. ZACARI., and DUCKWORTH. The album overall is just bold, rich, and has that real replay value. For me it is without any shadow of a doubt a real 4.9 out of 5. A great album, and a real contender for album of the year. Final note, Bono sound really good in his feature on XXX.

Thank you Kendrick. Thank you Ducky. Thank you Anthony.