Coming into 2017, the expectation for what new Kendrick Lamar music would sound like was up in the air. After blowing up in 2012 with his classic "short-film" album good kid, m.A.A.d. city, he went out of his way to make the less mainstream-friendly, jazz-tinged odyssey To Pimp a Butterfly as a follow-up. Kendrick undoubtably proved with these projects that he has a special combination of conceptual ambition and artistic mastery that's unrivaled in hip-hop and beyond, while still being a down-to-earth voice of the people. But in what musical direction was he headed?
The politically-charged TPAB was notably acclaimed by every publication on Earth as a masterpiece and the best album of 2015, and I'm sure countless listeners certainly see it that way, too. However, if you're like me, part of you wonders whether all these people are blinded by Kendrick's ideas and are lying to themselves that the actual music on it sounds appealing (save for a few stellar outliers such as "King Kunta", "Alright", and "Wesley's Theory"). Look, it's impossible not to respect the lyricism and how one-of-a-kind the album is, but the fact is that trying to get through most of the spoken-word style rapping and weird production is a tedious chore to me. I guess I just don't like jazz, despite Ryan Gosling's best efforts. The question ever since TPAB for me and many others was, would Kendrick ever use those great creative forces of his again in a traditional hip-hop format? Would he ever make another exciting rap album, in the same vein as the beloved Section.80 or good kid, m.A.A.d. city? Well, I'll be damned- DAMN. is that album.
DAMN. is a dense, complex, thrilling listen, and it destroys any doubt that Kendrick is one of the best rappers alive, if not THE best. It's a return to a sound more suited to today's rap standards, but still sounds unique and like nothing else that's come before it. Conceptually, every all-caps song title is a different theme or emotion that Kendrick expands on lyrically, but it also works as an easy-going set of tracks with different vibes. In some parts he's rapping with a swagger and joyous energy not heard on his own work since the days of "Backseat Freestyle," while in other parts he's fearing for his life. There's something for everyone to appreciate, and it works as a terrific summary of Kendrick's career and who he is as an artist. Let's look at the different ways Kendrick dominates on DAMN.
The politically-charged TPAB was notably acclaimed by every publication on Earth as a masterpiece and the best album of 2015, and I'm sure countless listeners certainly see it that way, too. However, if you're like me, part of you wonders whether all these people are blinded by Kendrick's ideas and are lying to themselves that the actual music on it sounds appealing (save for a few stellar outliers such as "King Kunta", "Alright", and "Wesley's Theory"). Look, it's impossible not to respect the lyricism and how one-of-a-kind the album is, but the fact is that trying to get through most of the spoken-word style rapping and weird production is a tedious chore to me. I guess I just don't like jazz, despite Ryan Gosling's best efforts. The question ever since TPAB for me and many others was, would Kendrick ever use those great creative forces of his again in a traditional hip-hop format? Would he ever make another exciting rap album, in the same vein as the beloved Section.80 or good kid, m.A.A.d. city? Well, I'll be damned- DAMN. is that album.
DAMN. is a dense, complex, thrilling listen, and it destroys any doubt that Kendrick is one of the best rappers alive, if not THE best. It's a return to a sound more suited to today's rap standards, but still sounds unique and like nothing else that's come before it. Conceptually, every all-caps song title is a different theme or emotion that Kendrick expands on lyrically, but it also works as an easy-going set of tracks with different vibes. In some parts he's rapping with a swagger and joyous energy not heard on his own work since the days of "Backseat Freestyle," while in other parts he's fearing for his life. There's something for everyone to appreciate, and it works as a terrific summary of Kendrick's career and who he is as an artist. Let's look at the different ways Kendrick dominates on DAMN.
"I can rap circles around anyone else in hip-hop when i feel like it"
"HUMBLE." emphatically showed before the release of the album that Kendrick had returned to the world of chest-beating rap, over a punishing Mike WiLL Made-It beat no less. As satisfying as "HUMBLE." is, it doesn't even come close to touching "DNA.", another Mike WiLL-produced banger and the current Hardest Song of 2017 frontrunner. This is the Kendrick Lamar that the world has been missing for years since his "Control" verse- the guy that hops on a beat and just tears it to shreds with his manic flow and jarring lyricism, basically doing everything short of shouting "I AM THE GODDAMN G.O.A.T." It gets even better in the last minute of the song when the beat is stripped down to just ominous bass rolls, drums, and a deranged vocal sample, and he keeps on attacking the mic like his life depended on it. No other song on the album can match "DNA." in terms of visceral excitement, but that doesn't mean his rapping is any less astounding elsewhere. Take "FEEL.", in which he is scarily persuasive describing his struggle to grapple with everything in life his heightened status has brought upon him. "Look, I feel heartless, often off this / Feelin' of fallin', of fallin' apart with / Darkest hours, lost it / Fillin' the void of bein' employed with ballin' / Streets is talkin', fill in the blanks with coffins." He makes every word count.
"I'm still a master storyteller and conceptual genius"
There's not a clear concept that connects the tracks of DAMN. like good kid's theatrical skits or TPAB's political overtness, but Kendrick still provides plenty of genius ideas. The best example is "FEAR.", in which his three verses depict fears and anxieties felt by him at the ages of seven, 17, and 27 respectively. On "LUST.", he details a monotonous daily existence from multiple perspectives including his own, touching on how even the presidential election won't change the routine. And for pure storytelling mastery, you can't beat the closing track "DUCKWORTH." (Kendrick's last name), a true tale of how his own father coincidentally almost died at the hands of his current record label boss Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith back in the 80's when Kendrick was just a youngster. He remarks how easily street violence could have altered his life- "If Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servin' life / While I grow up without a father and die in a gunfight." Thought-provoking passages like these are what make Kendrick stand out from the rest of the pack.
"But I'm not above making a catchy song with Rihanna"
Thankfully, its not all just hard-hitting lyrical sermonizing on DAMN. Escapism is still the primary appeal of popular music; all that most people really want is that Ke$ha or Rae Sremmurd hit to jam to in the car (R.I.P. Ke$ha). After the jazz slog of TPAB, I was a bit worried that Kendrick would never want to hear his voice on radio airwaves ever again, so it's kind of a funny relief to hear him collaborate with Rihanna, the most cliche radio-bait artist he could possibly do a song with. Their delightful "LOYALTY." and the soothing "LOVE." might be the most shameless pop-crossover songs Kendrick has ever released, and they're a welcome presence on DAMN.; somehow he manages to make them his own and avoid sounding like he's pandering to the mainstream. There's even a Drake-y vibe to the way he sings the chorus of the groovy highlight "ELEMENT.", and it fits. These songs provide a nice balance to the vibe of the rest of the album, and it's good to see that Kendrick doesn't think he's too good for making thoughtlessly enjoyable tracks like this.
Rating
DAMN. is a prime showcase for all aspects of Kendrick's style of rap music, from intelligent social commentary to ferocious swagger rap to feel-good love songs. He excels and sounds natural in each of these different areas, yet still manages to combine them into a cohesive, consistent 14-track project. There's a depth of lyrical thoughts and ideas to chew on, but also gripping music to enjoy this time around (I thank the Gods he didn't decide to be a full-time experimental jazz-rapper). Does that mean this is an album to blast in the car if you're looking for something fun to vibe to? Not exactly, Kendrick is naturally just too dense and formal of a lyricist for that. But it's that precise skill set that's given him the reputation as the best rap artist of his generation. From the short-film GKMC to the political TPAB and now the rousing DAMN., it's clear that no one in hip-hop cares more about thoughtfully crafting an album into a powerful artistic statement than Kendrick Lamar. Music fans better appreciate him while he's here; guys like him don't come around often.