I think after the complexity of TPAB, he needed to challenge himself with DAMN. to make music as contemporary, catchy, and popular as his nemesis, Drake. He succeeded. DAMN. outperformed Drake’s More Life in sales in 2017.
There are a number of artists of all genres that have four classic albums, but not in the manner and vision that Kendrick approaches albums.
Imma have to disagree with you there - namely Miles, Beatles, Velvet Underground, Kraftwerk etc - but it’s definitely rare, even for the greats. He’s up there.
I’m not saying that I think Kendrick Lamar has an overall better or grander discography than the artists you mentioned. I’m just saying that his vision and approach make his discography unique and unparalleled. The same could be said for the four artists you mentioned. I think he’s up there with them in his own way.
There comes a time in every middle aged guy’s life when he just realizes that he’s lost the edge. That he does not understand the world of twenty-somethings anymore and should just give up, buy a station wagon and a dog and move to the suburbs.
For me that moment came when Drake became the biggest rapper on the planet. I realized that I no longer understand anything about music. Around the same time people started to wear sea captain hats as a fashion statement and that gave me confirmation, my youth had abruptly ended. I was out.
Yeah Drake is weird.
But then so is 4 barely talented, gyrating dudes with extremely boring music. And frosted tips.
That’s interesting. I dont it’s about losing edge? I think it’s about progression through the phase, of being told what you’re meant to like, and having the self knowledge and confidence, to dive deeper into the stuff, that really resonates. What’s edgy about liking the mainstream?
Ok. Edited.
Thank you - and big respect from me.
I had the exact same reaction when DAMN came out.
Musically, with both Section 80, GKMC and TPAB, I felt like Kendrick introduced a new, kind of hybrid old school/new school sound which fitted his style very well and made those albums feel like statements on how good hiphop should sound. The sound also progressed in a logical way from the first album to the next ones, relying more on live instrumentation and diving deeper into the experimental things he seems to like.
DAMN kind of felt like he finally succumbed to the pressure of needing a hit record. Even though the production fits the overall concept of the album, to me it lacks a kind of soul, the album musically feels very sparse/empty to me.
I don’t really know how to feel about the production on this new one yet. There’s a lot of ‘emotional sounding’ piano and strings, but there’s few songs that really grab me musically. The big exception being ‘father time’. I wish the entire album sounded like that one.
I literally cannot stop listening to it. Like a spell…
My partner - who is spiritually and astrologically inclined - doesn’t think it was an accident it was released on a Friday the 13th between a solar and lunar eclipse (or, eclipse portal)
For me it starts with the words and how how he spits them out, and I only listen to the production elements in that context. I can appreciate the skill and originality of some of the beats but only the rapping gives it full meaning for me. The production is just a means to an end. Through that lens, Kendrick is a category unto his own. I only heard this album twice so far, but I already can’t wait for my next long drive so I can listen to it again.
Although I am middle aged, living in the suburbs and driving a station wagon, Kendrick Lamar has surpassed my personal twin-towers of hip-hop (Public Enemy and the Wu) by a country mile and I think he’s the only artist of any genre that can get me so psyched over his/her new music.