Music Kendrick Lamar

Meow The Jewels is a joke record that El-P is doing in his spare time using samples that someone has sent him. It won't take long.

RTJ3 was mentioned late last year, but it's not been officially announced. I'd be surprised if it's not on the way.

El-P is quite a prolific producer, all things considered:

2012 RAP Music and Cancer For The Cure
2013 RTJ
2014 RTJ2

I don't see any reason why he can't squeeze in another album.



I think he backtracked a bit after the tweet, but he's probably just covering his back.
 
Dante said:
I'm beginning to warm to it a bit more now, but I'm still not a huge fan.

It's more beat-poetry, spoken-word narrative than hip hop album. Ironically, I think Kendrick owes a bigger debt to Gil-Scott Heron than 2-Pac... that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it means there's not a lot of replay value once you've listened through it a couple of times. The production is nice, but the music is mostly bland. I'm not suggesting that every song should be a club banger, but it should at least be as memorable as an average D'Angelo track.

This feels like a vanity project with Kendrick trying to prove how clever and original he is. It's his Yeezus.
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Man oh man, I couldn't disagree more with this post, especially the last bit. Good call on Gil-Scott Heron though.
 
I have to say man I'm honestly shocked by the career progression of Kendrick. If you told me back in 2010 when I first listened to Overly Dedicated or in 2009 when I first heard him on one of Jay Rock's West Coast Wednesday tracks that he'd release albums of the calibre of good Kid and this....I wouldn't have believed it at all. What makes his growth as an artist and individual enjoyable too is that he's always that same Kendrick you first heard. The way he structures his songs (the twist at end of These Walls for example) and the way he cross references concepts in previous projects ('Boo Boo' on Hood Politics is just him rehashing the end of Cut You Off) are almost signatures to his style now. I think one of the reasons I enjoy Kendrick so much is that he's kind of the first rap artist that I've grown up with. Most rappers I end up outgrowing.
 
I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I prefer this album to good kid. Gets better with every listen, Section.80 was quite similar a listening experience for me. I instantly took to good kid tho. Just listen to How Much a Dollar Cost, Christ almighty.
 
KiD MoYeS said:
I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I prefer this album to good kid. Gets better with every listen, Section.80 was quite similar a listening experience for me. I instantly took to good kid tho. Just listen to How Much a Dollar Cost, Christ almighty.
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Ron Isley snatches my soul clean out of me at the end of that.
 
KiD MoYeS said:
I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I prefer this album to good kid. Gets better with every listen, Section.80 was quite similar a listening experience for me. I instantly took to good kid tho. Just listen to How Much a Dollar Cost, Christ almighty.
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I have the album on constant repeat. Powerful stuff. Mortal man had me close to tears.
 
ArmchairCritic said:
I have to say man I'm honestly shocked by the career progression of Kendrick. If you told me back in 2010 when I first listened to Overly Dedicated or in 2009 when I first heard him on one of Jay Rock's West Coast Wednesday tracks that he'd release albums of the calibre of good Kid and this....I wouldn't have believed it at all. What makes his growth as an artist and individual enjoyable too is that he's always that same Kendrick you first heard. The way he structures his songs (the twist at end of These Walls for example) and the way he cross references concepts in previous projects ('Boo Boo' on Hood Politics is just him rehashing the end of Cut You Off) are almost signatures to his style now. I think one of the reasons I enjoy Kendrick so much is that he's kind of the first rap artist that I've grown up with. Most rappers I end up outgrowing.
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Well said. Blew my mind when I realized "These Walls" were a continuation of the death in "Sing about me". Also, I think the production in this album is not far off from Section 80, I clearly recall abstract production, jazz riffs and funky shit in different crevices of that album. This album is more pronounced, but it's not a 180 for him; his production has always been left field. Kind of like Outkast after their debut album.

Nice to see an artist in hiphop who takes his craft seriously and pushes the limits of the genre. I can't count the amount of artists who had similar potential but failed to maintain the standards of their debut.
 
Check the variation in flow structure. He switched between so many flow schemes, multiple times within one song. He kept up with that abstract jazz on the second track, had that drunk depressed flow in "U", and just blazed the beat in "Hood Politics". Then again he knows when to stay within the pocket and not go all Papoose on you
 
adexkola said:
Well said. Blew my mind when I realized "These Walls" were a continuation of the death in "Sing about me". Also, I think the production in this album is not far off from Section 80, I clearly recall abstract production, jazz riffs and funky shit in different crevices of that album. This album is more pronounced, but it's not a 180 for him; his production has always been left field. Kind of like Outkast after their debut album.

Nice to see an artist in hiphop who takes his craft seriously and pushes the limits of the genre. I can't count the amount of artists who had similar potential but failed to maintain the standards of their debut.
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This album feels more of a 180 because of good Kid, but I think Kendrick is clearly shunning the opportunity to fall into the mainstream and he's gone back to his roots almost. As I said before this is Section.80's big brother that finally left the hood, thinking they had some answers, only to find out that really the life he thought he wanted only brought him another set of questions that needed answering. It harkens back to Ab-Soul's Outro, this album, he says on there:

See I've spent twenty three years on the earth searching for answers
'Til one day I realized I had to come up with my own
I'm not on the outside looking in,
I'm not on the inside looking out,
I'm in the dead fecking center, looking around

And that's pretty much what he's doing again with the backdrop of his new found fame and fortune.
 
The more I listen to it, the more I like the album. TBTB, How Much a Dollar Cost, King Kunta & Hood Politics are my favourites from the album. Still think they should've included the untitled track on the album.

I would still put GKMC slightly higher in my list, but this is definitely an album which grows the more you listen to it.
 
ArmchairCritic said:
I have to say man I'm honestly shocked by the career progression of Kendrick. If you told me back in 2010 when I first listened to Overly Dedicated or in 2009 when I first heard him on one of Jay Rock's West Coast Wednesday tracks that he'd release albums of the calibre of good Kid and this....I wouldn't have believed it at all. What makes his growth as an artist and individual enjoyable too is that he's always that same Kendrick you first heard. The way he structures his songs (the twist at end of These Walls for example) and the way he cross references concepts in previous projects ('Boo Boo' on Hood Politics is just him rehashing the end of Cut You Off) are almost signatures to his style now. I think one of the reasons I enjoy Kendrick so much is that he's kind of the first rap artist that I've grown up with. Most rappers I end up outgrowing.
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Well said, Cut You Off is one of my favourite songs by him also.

Kendrick's discography is incredibly impressive on so many levels - going from this album to Drake's and J. Cole's most recent releases and there's such a difference lyrically. All three are great albums for different reasons however.
 
Dante said:
RTJ3 will beat it.

Chance The Rapper's album won't be as clever TPAB, but I'd expect to give it more listens over the next few months.
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I'd be shocked to see RTJ3 even come close, Kendrick is producing stuff on a completely different level to everybody out there, legit classics that will stand the test of time. Been saying it for years, he's just an absolute clear distance in front of everybody.
 
ArmchairCritic said:
This album feels more of a 180 because of good Kid, but I think Kendrick is clearly shunning the opportunity to fall into the mainstream and he's gone back to his roots almost. As I said before this is Section.80's big brother that finally left the hood, thinking they had some answers, only to find out that really the life he thought he wanted only brought him another set of questions that needed answering. It harkens back to Ab-Soul's Outro, this album, he says on there:

See I've spent twenty three years on the earth searching for answers
'Til one day I realized I had to come up with my own
I'm not on the outside looking in,
I'm not on the inside looking out,
I'm in the dead fecking center, looking around

And that's pretty much what he's doing again with the backdrop of his new found fame and fortune.
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That was the track I was referencing.

I am a human motherfecking being over dope ass instrumentation.

 
JP77 said:
I'd be shocked to see RTJ3 even come close, Kendrick is producing stuff on a completely different level to everybody out there, legit classics that will stand the test of time. Been saying it for years, he's just an absolute clear distance in front of everybody.
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Feels like we're in the Messi thread.
 
Kendrick needs to do a Lost Tapes a la Nas. He did 4/5 songs with George Clinton and has a full folder of Flying Lotus beats that he's rapped on that probably won't see the light of day, also there's tracks like Untitled. I would love a Kendrick project where he just chucks out a bunch of great rap songs that are just a bunch of great rap songs with no underlying theme or message.
 
adexkola said:
Feels like we're in the Messi thread.
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Nah, I love Kendrick. And if you read my posts before the leak, you'll see I was desperate to love this. I'm disappointed I don't.

I've given TPAB about 5-6 listens all the way through, but I doubt I'll still be coming back to it 5 years from now. By contrast, I still listen to GKMC every now and then.
 
TPAB will go down as one of the most monumental albums ever released. Rappers are tweaking their upcoming releases because of this album. No one will top this.
 
Review I wrote for this album, cause I'd rather not do my laundry...

I've listened to this album three times. First time was in a dark room with headphones, just one take. Second time was in the same dark room with headphones, and rap Genius opened in front of me, reading every lyric. The third time I gave it the car test. Rewinding songs back several times cause I loved several segments. Lasted me for a 3 hr trip.

This album is DENSE. So much stuff packed into one hour and twenty minutes. I'm still not sure whether this is a good thing or bad thing. The layers of sophistication in a song like "Institutionalized" is insane. Anyone who gives a definite review on this album after a few days... is either jobless, or full of shit. It's going to take months, if not years, for every detail and intent to become clear.

Which is a characteristic of Section 80 actually. This album is a huge leap from Good Kid Maad City, but it is Section 80 2.0, in concept, production and lyricism. A lot of people are surprised and blown away by the funk and jazz sounds here... I was at the beginning, but now I know it was a natural progression from what I think is his best album (at the moment, that opinion may change). The music is outstanding. Outkast had the ability to transcend the popular music scene and incorporate extraterrestial (pun intended) sounds into their music, from ATLiens onwards. I think Kendrick has the same ability. Does he do any work on the boards? He is involved with the overall sound of the album, which is a credit to him... this soundscape is his vision.

Technical lyricism of Kendrick on this album is amazing. Throw any beat at him and he flows like water on it. Alliteration, complex rhyme schemes, double/triple/quad entendres for that ass. And it rarely feels forced. Which makes the denseness of this album so outstanding. Rappers usually get killed for cramming too much shit into albums. Let's ask everyone's favorite punching bag, Talib. *runs for the bushes*...

The album is BLACK. No apologies. Deal with it or swerve. Is he rejecting the embraces of the mainstream, standing with the field niggas? Maybe? Whatever. This quality distinguishes the album for good.

The album centers around Mr Lamar's experience with the rise to stardom, and him dealing with the newfound fame and responsibility. This aspect of the music he nails perfectly. He simultaneously plants his flag on rap's Mt. Rushmore, while admitting to "survivor's guilt", questioning his worthiness of being in his position, questioning his ability to resist the temptations that come with being at the top, temptations that have resulted in the demise of several predecessors. Through the self doubt and battling personal demons, he understands the responsibility he owes to his peers, race, Compton, and hip-hop.

What he doesn't execute perfectly is the tying of his personal experience to the wider struggle faced by most of his fellow black Americans. The wider social commentary is patchy, and sloppy in several portions of the album. If you're going to name call the Zulu tribe in South Africa, come correct with the research and education, not on some Hotep shit, like Nas cringingly did on "I Can" years ago. I don't fault his effort and ambition, but this is the shortcoming of the album that sticks out to me. Thank goodness it wasn't all over the album, and to be honest, it didn't prevent me from enjoying the listening experience, which is good.

The perceived quality of this album has been slightly inflated by the turbulent social and political times we live in. Like D'Angelo's "Black Messiah".. this needs to be analyzed in isolation, ignoring the times it was released in. The general belief is that this album is somewhat of a "Great American Novel" of Black America; a synopsis of the black experience in this country. I think that belief applies to the production, which is a savory melting pot of black music... hip-hop, jazz, funk, soul... I believe Kendrick tried to match that bar with the lyrical concept and storytelling. I believe that he missed the mark.

Which is not a bad thing. Cause he didn't miss it by much. And just falling short of having an album which is a Great American Novel for black America places TPAB way ahead of current competition, and in the short running for one of the best albums of this generation and of hip-hop. And I've not even digested the entire album. Holy shit.

1 > Rating > 0.95
 
adexkola said:
Review I wrote for this album, cause I'd rather not do my laundry...

I've listened to this album three times. First time was in a dark room with headphones, just one take. Second time was in the same dark room with headphones, and rap Genius opened in front of me, reading every lyric. The third time I gave it the car test. Rewinding songs back several times cause I loved several segments. Lasted me for a 3 hr trip.

This album is DENSE. So much stuff packed into one hour and twenty minutes. I'm still not sure whether this is a good thing or bad thing. The layers of sophistication in a song like "Institutionalized" is insane. Anyone who gives a definite review on this album after a few days... is either jobless, or full of shit. It's going to take months, if not years, for every detail and intent to become clear.

Which is a characteristic of Section 80 actually. This album is a huge leap from Good Kid Maad City, but it is Section 80 2.0, in concept, production and lyricism. A lot of people are surprised and blown away by the funk and jazz sounds here... I was at the beginning, but now I know it was a natural progression from what I think is his best album (at the moment, that opinion may change). The music is outstanding. Outkast had the ability to transcend the popular music scene and incorporate extraterrestial (pun intended) sounds into their music, from ATLiens onwards. I think Kendrick has the same ability. Does he do any work on the boards? He is involved with the overall sound of the album, which is a credit to him... this soundscape is his vision.

Technical lyricism of Kendrick on this album is amazing. Throw any beat at him and he flows like water on it. Alliteration, complex rhyme schemes, double/triple/quad entendres for that ass. And it rarely feels forced. Which makes the denseness of this album so outstanding. Rappers usually get killed for cramming too much shit into albums. Let's ask everyone's favorite punching bag, Talib. *runs for the bushes*...

The album is BLACK. No apologies. Deal with it or swerve. Is he rejecting the embraces of the mainstream, standing with the field niggas? Maybe? Whatever. This quality distinguishes the album for good.

The album centers around Mr Lamar's experience with the rise to stardom, and him dealing with the newfound fame and responsibility. This aspect of the music he nails perfectly. He simultaneously plants his flag on rap's Mt. Rushmore, while admitting to "survivor's guilt", questioning his worthiness of being in his position, questioning his ability to resist the temptations that come with being at the top, temptations that have resulted in the demise of several predecessors. Through the self doubt and battling personal demons, he understands the responsibility he owes to his peers, race, Compton, and hip-hop.

What he doesn't execute perfectly is the tying of his personal experience to the wider struggle faced by most of his fellow black Americans. The wider social commentary is patchy, and sloppy in several portions of the album. If you're going to name call the Zulu tribe in South Africa, come correct with the research and education, not on some Hotep shit, like Nas cringingly did on "I Can" years ago. I don't fault his effort and ambition, but this is the shortcoming of the album that sticks out to me. Thank goodness it wasn't all over the album, and to be honest, it didn't prevent me from enjoying the listening experience, which is good.

The perceived quality of this album has been slightly inflated by the turbulent social and political times we live in. Like D'Angelo's "Black Messiah".. this needs to be analyzed in isolation, ignoring the times it was released in. The general belief is that this album is somewhat of a "Great American Novel" of Black America; a synopsis of the black experience in this country. I think that belief applies to the production, which is a savory melting pot of black music... hip-hop, jazz, funk, soul... I believe Kendrick tried to match that bar with the lyrical concept and storytelling. I believe that he missed the mark.

Which is not a bad thing. Cause he didn't miss it by much. And just falling short of having an album which is a Great American Novel for black America places TPAB way ahead of current competition, and in the short running for one of the best albums of this generation and of hip-hop. And I've not even digested the entire album. Holy shit.

1 > Rating > 0.95
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I don't think he actually touches on that in depth really, it's in maybe 2-3 songs, you sense it always in the backdrop of the album but the album focuses more on his personal journey and inner turmoil. It's a very personal project, I think from 'Complexion' onwards he touches on what you've highlighted but 'i' and 'You Ain't Gotta Lie' are more set in the context of returning to Compton to help his brothers and sisters break free and spread their wings. To me he seems to be setting himself up for the next part of his career where he becomes more political, hence the final song 'Mortal Man' where he is asking his fans how much do they believe in him and even then he has the caveat 'As I lead this army make room for mistakes and depression'.

I don't think it's fair to analyse an album in isolation to the times it is released in either, I think in the context of modern hip hop and the sounds kids are exposed to makes this album is critical. Kendrick has a vulnerability and honesty that's nearly extinct in modern day rappers, throughout this album he's asking himself questions which make the listener ask himself questions about the world and reality he lives in. Stuff like 'u' is important in the context of today's society where mental health is starting to be treated as a serious issue.

I also think there is a huge tendency to overanalyse raps albums by certain artists, I've listened to this album like 20 times now and I haven't read Rap Genius. At first I thought it was dense but that to me was only because with each listen I was absorbing different textures within the album. First the production, as always, then lyrics in isolation, then lyrics on the production, then what the actual message is. In reality Kendrick is holding your hand and leading you through the album, the only parts where you need to draw any conclusions by yourself are at the start of the album and the bit when he goes to Africa. There are parts of the album which are nuanced but not in an especially complicated manner. Once you put it all together it doesn't seem too dense at all. Also from watching Nas explain his lyrics on RapGenius once (he might have been high) I resolved that rappers aren't actually as smart as we give them credit for. If you look at something long enough you will see what you want to see.

The biggest compliment I can pay Kendrick is that he makes us want to type all this shit up about the album, this doesn't happen with any other rap album. Also WTF rating system is that? :lol: (I take it as a 9.5/10 right?). I'd give it an 8.5 if I had to rate it, but I hate rating albums.
 
I was looking forward to listening to this album after reading all the hype in this thread. Needless to say I was bitterly disappointed. I like Kendrick and love Section 80 but both of his albums haven't came close to that.

I was expecting Kendrick to bring bars but the album is really lacking in any with any substance. I don't recall a great verse until Hood Politics which is 8 tracks in. Maybe I was just lucky to grow up in the golden era of hip hop and am getting too old now.

People calling this a classic album are crazy and are probably the same people who think Yeezus is anything other than garbage. This isn't even the best album to come out recently. Joell Ortiz's House Slippers is twice as good as this and Ortiz wasn't even at his best.
 
Big red123 said:
I was looking forward to listening to this album after reading all the hype in this thread. Needless to say I was bitterly disappointed. I like Kendrick and love Section 80 but both of his albums haven't came close to that.

I was expecting Kendrick to bring bars but the album is really lacking in any with any substance. I don't recall a great verse until Hood Politics which is 8 tracks in. Maybe I was just lucky to grow up in the golden era of hip hop and am getting too old now.

People calling this a classic album are crazy and are probably the same people who think Yeezus is anything other than garbage. This isn't even the best album to come out recently. Joell Ortiz's House Slippers is twice as good as this and Ortiz wasn't even at his best.
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Michael-Jordan-GIF.gif
 
Big red123 said:
I was looking forward to listening to this album after reading all the hype in this thread. Needless to say I was bitterly disappointed. I like Kendrick and love Section 80 but both of his albums haven't came close to that.

I was expecting Kendrick to bring bars but the album is really lacking in any with any substance. I don't recall a great verse until Hood Politics which is 8 tracks in. Maybe I was just lucky to grow up in the golden era of hip hop and am getting too old now.

People calling this a classic album are crazy and are probably the same people who think Yeezus is anything other than garbage. This isn't even the best album to come out recently. Joell Ortiz's House Slippers is twice as good as this and Ortiz wasn't even at his best.
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Seriously? This album is lacking in substance?

What constitutes good 'bars' to you? Someone spitting as fast and loud as they can over a sick beat?
 
Bubz27 said:
Seriously? This album is lacking in substance?

What constitutes good 'bars' to you? Someone spitting as fast and loud as they can over a sick beat?
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Where did I day that. Don't make presumptions. Bars are something Joell Ortiz has in abundance. Kendrick has plenty himself. This album just isn't what it's made out to be.
 
Big red123 said:
Where did I day that. Don't make presumptions. Bars are something Joell Ortiz has in abundance. Kendrick has plenty himself. This album just isn't what it's made out to be.
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Where did I make presumptions? I asked you a question.
I think you're in a tiny minority. But obviously entitled to your own opinion and taste.

Don't make assumptions of your own.
 
I'm sorry but I've watched this thread and the rest of the hip hop threads in the mains for the last year and seen nonsense after nonsense been written about artists like Drake, Kanye and any of these ASAP clowns. Now Kendrick I actually like and Section 80 is some of my favourite work but this album is a disappointment. It's tried to do something different and failed.
 
To Pimp a Butterfly is really, really good but, I still will take Good Kid Maad City and Section 80 over this album.
 
Big red123 said:
I'm sorry but I've watched this thread and the rest of the hip hop threads in the mains for the last year and seen nonsense after nonsense been written about artists like Drake, Kanye and any of these ASAP clowns. Now Kendrick I actually like and Section 80 is some of my favourite work but this album is a disappointment. It's tried to do something different and failed.
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Man it's Saturday night, listen to whatever you want and stop telling other people how they should feel about something.
 
I can't stop listening to it, I was a bit underwhelmed but those feelings have dissipated, If I was rating It I couldn't give it anything less than a 9/10.
 
Big red123 said:
Isn't a discussion board for having a discussion?
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It is but telling everyone who really like the album that "people calling this a classic album are crazy and are probably the same people who think Yeezus is anything other than garbage," and that "Joell Ortiz's House Slippers is twice as good as this and Ortiz wasn't even at his best," isn't going to invite any reasonable discourse. Not to mention the fact you haven't reasonably qualified anything you've said other than whinge and moan and tell everyone that they're wrong and all new rap sucks (effectively) and that you grew up in the golden era of hip hop.

I am now going to go listen to this new Future mixtape and enjoy the rest of my Saturday evening, peace out breh.
 
ArmchairCritic said:
It is but telling everyone who really like the album that "people calling this a classic album are crazy and are probably the same people who think Yeezus is anything other than garbage," and that "Joell Ortiz's House Slippers is twice as good as this and Ortiz wasn't even at his best," isn't going to invite any reasonable discourse. Not to mention the fact you haven't reasonably qualified anything you've said other than whinge and moan and tell everyone that they're wrong and all new rap sucks (effectively) and that you grew up in the golden era of hip hop.

I am now going to go listen to this new Future mixtape and enjoy the rest of my Saturday evening, peace out breh.
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The word Future told me everything I need to know. Have a good night.
 
Solius said:
You didn't leave anything open for a discussion, you just said it wasn't very good and criticised people who thought it was.
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Just giving my opinion and people are free to counter that opinion as I will do.
 
That's some serious bullshit spouting here alright.

Anyway, listening to Hood Politics, track's fine but it's a shame they didn't continue it on the beat that opens it with the intro to this track, shit's so cash.
 
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