Kendrick Lamar is the greatest rapper of all time.
Music Kendrick Lamar
- Thread starter ArmchairCritic
- Start date
I genuinely think he’d have thrived in any era. He’s an incredible talent and you’re being harsh here, but I agree about that performance being sub-par
Oh man We Cry Together is something 
What absolute nonsense. He's an incredible lyricist and is never standing still with regards to his music.
True but its about more than just that, and Snoop was genuinely groundbreaking at the beginning with Dre. He has influenced hip hop culture as much as anybody.
Every time i listen to his music, and its not just him in the current era, it always feels like its mostly written to sell records and climb the charts. That was never the case with 90s hip hop, and when those guys got famous and started writing for record sales they often fell flat.
Very confused by this. So much of his stuff just isn't easily accessible catchy stuff. Did TPAB have a song that even charted apart from Alright? DAMN was probably the one that could be accused of appealing to the masses and even then it was only really Humble and Loyalty (two of his worst imo). His albums have always had one or two that charted but apart from that?
Even on a first listen through this album, it isn't exactly packed with obvious chart hits.
Auntie Diaries is superb.
I'm happy to shit on the current era as much as the next man, 90s hip hop is unquestionably the best in my mind and I'd happily join you in championing it over and above what followed but if anything Kendrick is the outlier here, it's absolutely why I love his work so much. He has that 90s sensibility and despite his huge success I wouldn't call anything he's done as strictly commercial - swimming pools and the recipe maybe at a push
You've got an odd view of the guy tbh - makes me wonder if you've listened to his stuff with any level of interest
Seems like his main crime is not existing as a rapper in the 90s when he would've been about 13.
Had to be the worse take on Kendrick I've ever seen.
On first listen, his lyricism is still very good, but I don’t like this as much as his previous albums.
Finished it now and it's definitely going to take a few more listens. A lot to take in.
It's a lot more stripped back than anything he's done before. No obvious bangers but so much to digest. The themes are heavy and permeate the whole thing.
Feels very personal and introspective. More than he's ever looked at himself before with the mentioning of his infidelity and also seeing a therapist to help try and break a generational cycle of trauma for the sake of his kids. He's been dancing around the hard conversations.
Then you've got the suppression of sexual abuse in black culture, how he's struggled with the expectation of being a saviour, etc.. A lot to unpack, and also Auntie Diaries is brave and brilliant.
It's a lot more stripped back than anything he's done before. No obvious bangers but so much to digest. The themes are heavy and permeate the whole thing.
Feels very personal and introspective. More than he's ever looked at himself before with the mentioning of his infidelity and also seeing a therapist to help try and break a generational cycle of trauma for the sake of his kids. He's been dancing around the hard conversations.
Then you've got the suppression of sexual abuse in black culture, how he's struggled with the expectation of being a saviour, etc.. A lot to unpack, and also Auntie Diaries is brave and brilliant.
On first listen, it's just not for me.
I liked some of his work on section 80 and GKMC, but not so much since then.
I liked some of his work on section 80 and GKMC, but not so much since then.
Kendrick and Roc Marci are top two right now for me
First time through - I'm not blown away, but there's enough there for me to listen to it a few more times through. Auntie Diaries and We Cry Together are the two that stood out the most on first listen - the former cause it was great, the latter cause it was different.
I understand what he's going for and its definitely more artistic and poetic than your traditional rap album (bit similar to TPAB which i felt had a similar artistic/poetic vibe).
All in all though, as a section 80/GKMC kendrick style fan, I don't really like this album. Maybe it will grown on me a bit how TPAB grew on me, but first impression is that its not that great. The other thing with Kendrick (which may be heretic to say) is sometimes his lyrics and delivery are next level and other times its kinda annoying.
All in all though, as a section 80/GKMC kendrick style fan, I don't really like this album. Maybe it will grown on me a bit how TPAB grew on me, but first impression is that its not that great. The other thing with Kendrick (which may be heretic to say) is sometimes his lyrics and delivery are next level and other times its kinda annoying.
Think it is amazing.
Might not survive multiple listens but I am taking it for another spin on my walk later, I initially found DAMN and TPAB difficult to penetrate so I imagine my feelings may become warmer to it still.
It is a massive departure from DAMN though. It sounds like the beginning of a new stage in his career.
Might not survive multiple listens but I am taking it for another spin on my walk later, I initially found DAMN and TPAB difficult to penetrate so I imagine my feelings may become warmer to it still.
It is a massive departure from DAMN though. It sounds like the beginning of a new stage in his career.
Yep, such a beautiful song.
Listened to the album and not feeling it. No doubt the lyricism is top notch but I need more, I need some bangers in there at least and there doesn't seem to be any. Disappointing.
Yeah I'm with you on that. I am underwhelmed. I understand his appeal and his talent but it doesn't do an awful lot for me. Its why I struggle to have him in my top 15 or so.
I do like Auntie Dairies though, didn't expect a song like that.
I've listened to it all the way through 3 times now. It's alright.
More accessible than either TPAB or Damn. But like those two albums, it'll play better as a source for literary analysis rather than the quality of its music.
I don't dislike it, by any stretch. But I'm not finding it very entertaining either. It's one of those where you'll get just as much out of reading about it on Genius as actually listening to it.
GKMC is still my favourite Kendrick album. It's still on semi-regular rotation for me after 10 years. I don't think MM&TBS will be.
More accessible than either TPAB or Damn. But like those two albums, it'll play better as a source for literary analysis rather than the quality of its music.
I don't dislike it, by any stretch. But I'm not finding it very entertaining either. It's one of those where you'll get just as much out of reading about it on Genius as actually listening to it.
GKMC is still my favourite Kendrick album. It's still on semi-regular rotation for me after 10 years. I don't think MM&TBS will be.
Really milking this fame thing now isn't he
Let's be clear, I'm not saying he's no good. He's probably the best of the modern era. His music doesn't stand up to the greats of the 90s though. Much of it feels like paint by numbers.
OK boomer.
Just finished listening through it… as usual with Kendrick, I loved it. He’s great.
I really enjoyed it, but it seems like he will never again combine production with lyrics/stories to the degree that he did in GKMC. It's probably unfair to expect it to happen, but also hard not to judge anything he does to that level. He also probably doesn't even want to make that sort of hip hop anymore either, to be fair.
Can't get past his voice no matter how great the content is.
It's not easy to consume, probably more so than TPAB and DAMN.
I can see why people prefer GKMC or S.80 - they hit you immediately, and can be listened to in various situations. This isn't that, it's not an album filled with bangers or singles and even listening to singular songs in isolation doesn't do it justice.
There's no doubt that he's one of the best lyricists of any generation, the production, meaning, continuity & concept are all there - the rest just comes down to how do you like to consume your music and what is important for you when it comes to replay value.
For me personally, the songs I value the most are what I listen to in the car/travelling, in the gym, while working/on a walk, while cleaning the house etc. And after the first 3 listens there's about 5/6 of these (Purple Hearts, Count Me Out, Silent Hill, Mirror, N95, Die Hard, Rich Spirit) and a couple of maybes.
I can't say enough that the production is great, political commentary is obviously thought-provoking - I definitely don't agree with everything especially since he gets in his hotep bag, but he's also openly admitting that he's ignorant and isn't perfect which you can't argue with.
Definitely not my favourite Kendrick album, but it's still a great album - probably in a similar standing with DAMN, but it didn't satiate my 5 year wait.
I think i've said it before, but Untitled, Remastered is a very underrated Kendrick album, and battles s.80 for top 3 in my list.
I can see why people prefer GKMC or S.80 - they hit you immediately, and can be listened to in various situations. This isn't that, it's not an album filled with bangers or singles and even listening to singular songs in isolation doesn't do it justice.
There's no doubt that he's one of the best lyricists of any generation, the production, meaning, continuity & concept are all there - the rest just comes down to how do you like to consume your music and what is important for you when it comes to replay value.
For me personally, the songs I value the most are what I listen to in the car/travelling, in the gym, while working/on a walk, while cleaning the house etc. And after the first 3 listens there's about 5/6 of these (Purple Hearts, Count Me Out, Silent Hill, Mirror, N95, Die Hard, Rich Spirit) and a couple of maybes.
I can't say enough that the production is great, political commentary is obviously thought-provoking - I definitely don't agree with everything especially since he gets in his hotep bag, but he's also openly admitting that he's ignorant and isn't perfect which you can't argue with.
Definitely not my favourite Kendrick album, but it's still a great album - probably in a similar standing with DAMN, but it didn't satiate my 5 year wait.
I think i've said it before, but Untitled, Remastered is a very underrated Kendrick album, and battles s.80 for top 3 in my list.
I've listened to Die Hard 10 times already
such a beautiful song
such a beautiful song
What's this?
Eh, the simple answer is a hotep is a black supremacist, conspiracy theorist who's closely aligned with conservative values & morals.
My comment was a little more nuanced considering it's something that has been an undercurrent of Kendrick's writing for the better part of a decade now.
After finishing the first listen, it’s a very uncomfortable album, both in terms of the content and the way it’s delivered. Feels very groundbreaking for that reason alone and I get the why, even if the album isn’t as enjoyable on a superficial level. There are some tracks like Aunty Diaries that really take you for a deeper introspection.
Paint by numbers? It's totally unlike 95% of what's out there at the moment. It couldn't be any LESS paint by numbers.
Just listened through once. As everyone's said it's not an easy listen at all. Way more introspective than his previous work and utterly unflinching. Stripped back production often gives quite an isolating, unnerving feel (intentionally obvs) and, as usual, he's lyrically fantastic. Definitely the most interesting rapper out there - I don't know of anyone else that grapples with such serious themes so sensitively but thoroughly. It's a record about trauma for me...personal and intergenerational. About running down blind alleys and about ways out.
there are so many layers going on here
it just doesn't let you settle
but it's undeniably brilliant in certain moments
it just doesn't let you settle
but it's undeniably brilliant in certain moments
World tour announced too. Playing Dublin in November. Finishes the European tour in Manchester.
4 tracks in - 2 were okay and 2 were very good. Will continue listening tonight. I tried listening to it this morning while I was working but I can't really divide my focus like that and expect to take it all in.
I think the biggest surprise for me is that he's not anti-vax
Tickets out now?