Music: New Kendrick Lamar Album

[Turtleneck Plek]

Sounds like Kendrick wanted to make a pop album, which I can understand since there was no way he could push things any further in terms of musicality after TPAB and he didn't want to box himself in a set of expectations on his sound. He's switched it up on every album and he's done it again.

Sound-wise, it's probably not my favorite Kendrick album but I appreciate the effort and still like the album a lot. He wanted to prove he could play with some of the current rap/pop sounds and still keep the content intelligent and relevant, which he did. Will need to listen to it a lot more to catch the intricacies in the lyrics but this is a big album.

 

[void]

After 1 listen it's probably his worst studio release imo. Gonna give it lots of time to simmer though obviously

I have the same opinion but it wasn't a bad album by any means. GKMC and TPAB were masterpieces, then Section 80 was close to perfect, and then you have DAMN. that's "just" a great (even excellent) album.

You're not including untitled unmastered when you say studio release, right?

I see it like this:

1. Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City - 10/10
2. To Pimp A Butterfly - 10/10
3. Section 80 - 9/10
4. DAMN. - 8 or 8.5/10 (my first listen score)

 

[Peasy]

Some people are going to HATE this album. Some serious Life of Pablo vibes from it.

Several people hated TPAB.

 

[void]

Some people are speculating that a second album will be released on Sunday.

Here's a thread on it: https://www.reddit.com/r/KendrickLa...cond_album_coming_on_easter_this_is_actually/

It makes sense but I don't believe it.

 

[Hope Of Glory]

Damn, that's pretty good. Will have to listen to it a few more times to pass a judgement, though.

The song with BBNG is insane.

Some people are speculating that a second album will be released on Sunday.

Here's a thread on it: https://www.reddit.com/r/KendrickLa...cond_album_coming_on_easter_this_is_actually/

It makes sense but I don't believe it.

Yeah, got a good chuckle out of that. But how crazy would that be, "dying" on Good Friday and then coming back on Easter with another album

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Google Play Music is the most useless piece of **** ever for not having this up.

 

[Peasy]

Man they make a lot of good points in that thread. Kendrick said his next project was focused on God, and in DAMN it does look like hes been hung (dead).

If anyone can pull it off, its Kendrick.

 

[void]

Man they make a lot of good points in that thread. Kendrick said his next project was focused on God, and in DAMN it does look like hes been hung (dead).

If anyone can pull it off, its Kendrick.

Yeah he actually gets shot and dies in the first track and the album ends with it rewinding back to the first track. Interesting theory for sure maybe too good to be true? Hopefully not!

 

[Bee Sheriff]

Some people are going to HATE this album. Some serious Life of Pablo vibes from it.

Reminds me more of Blonde.

But if it was Kendrick's rap album

 

[Bob Richards]

I like it. Some parts I feel are a bit weak (Lust/Love) but perhaps that will change with a few more listens.

Really feeling tracks like XXX and I LOVE DNA. What an awesome ****ing song.

 

[Bee Sheriff]

DNA definitely the best track on the album.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

DNA is ****ing crazy, god damn. I'm on PRIDE right now... this album is going to take a while for me to digest. I really like it.


I'd like to believe that Easter Sunday theory with another album, but I'm not holding my breath. I already took the L for April 7th, I'm not taking another one for Easter Sunday.

 

[Mikeaveli]

I have the same opinion but it wasn't a bad album by any means. GKMC and TPAB were masterpieces, then Section 80 was close to perfect, and then you have DAMN. that's "just" a great (even excellent) album.

You're not including untitled unmastered when you say studio release, right?

I see it like this:

1. Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City - 10/10
2. To Pimp A Butterfly - 10/10
3. Section 80 - 9/10
4. DAMN. - 8 or 8.5/10 (my first listen score)

Yeah I wasn't including UU in that, I would say I enjoyed this album marginally more than UU after one listen.

Kendrick Lamar Discog:

9/10:
To Pimp a Butterfly
good kid, m.A.A.d city

8/10
Section.80
DAMN.
untitled unmastered.

 

[Bob Richards]

I'm going to have:

This what God feel like, yeah

Laughing to the bank like AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Stuck in my head for the rest of the month.

 

[Bee Sheriff]

Fear is 2nd to DNA

 

[M.C.G. 31]

FEAR is unreal. Jesus Christ.


I went from trying not to buy into the Easter Sunday hype to being 100% on the train and willing to take the loss if i'm wrong.

 

[Bee Sheriff]

I'm going to have:



Stuck in my head for the rest of the month.

When that direct deposit hit

 

[Bee Sheriff]

God is such a good track!!

 

[Bee Sheriff]

I feel like "God" is Kendrick seeing Chance the Rapper's bet and raising him

 

[Chandrashekhar Limit]

I liked it. Agree that it's not on par with the other 2 albums, but still a great one. DNA is ****ing nasty.

 

[Mikeaveli]

I hate Kendrick's vocals on GOD. lol

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I'm putting this just a tad below that TPAB and GKMC level on first listen... but if we get a second album on Sunday to round out this concept he had in mind it instantly goes over those two titles, IMO.

There's a lot to digest here, and while I still want to be super skeptical about these Sunday theories, a lot of it also makes sense from his Spotify picture having the blue, brighter background now, to some services listing the release date as 4/16 instead of 4/14, and the tone and various lyrics and sounds of this album. I wouldn't say it feels incomplete... but it feels like there's more to a bigger picture here. This is Kendrick after all.

 

[Bob Richards]

I hate Kendrick's vocals on GOD. lol

I find parts of it to be so catchy though.

I'm a huge Kendrick stan so I'm being far from objective.

 

[Peasy]

I'm putting this just a tad below that TPAB and GKMC level on first listen... but if we get a second album on Sunday to round out this concept he had in mind it instantly goes over those two titles, IMO.

There's a lot to digest here, and while I still want to be super skeptical about these Sunday theories, a lot of it also makes sense from his Spotify picture having the blue, brighter background now, to some services listing the release date as 4/16 instead of 4/14, and the tone and various lyrics and sounds of this album. I wouldn't say it feels incomplete... but it feels like there's more to a bigger picture here. This is Kendrick after all.

Theres 4 different beats in The Heart part 4. Only 2 were used on this album.

 

[Moskau]

Reminds me more of Blonde.

But if it was Kendrick's rap album

I didn't mean in the sense it had a Kanye vibe to necessarily but more so people were so used to the GKMC/TBAP conceptual type of album that an album like this feels very chaotic and all over the place. The same thing happened with Pablo which felt like a mess.

He's so far ahead of anyone else though it's not even close. Vince Staples may be the 2nd best rapper behind him currently and the gap is still gigantic.