Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. discussion

Thought I'd start a thread, just in case we want to talk about it. Don't know if there's any fans on here.

I just listened to it. It's pretty good.

@tommycallahan: I really want to listen to the leak but I'm going to wait until it's out for real. Can I ask...I subscribe to Apple Music but I also preordered a copy of the album, is that weird? I have no idea if that's a thing people do or not.

So it's good? I would expect nothing less.

It's not weird to support an album from an artist you like imo.

I would say DO NOT expect something like TPAB 2. Or even GKMC 2. This is a completely in the wild Kendrick.

Lol

@tommycallahan: tbh it would be more surprising if it was similar to his past albums, given how his projects have all been pretty different from each other

Either that or he said something outrageous. OP should edit the thread title to make everything much clearer.

EDIT: Unless "Damn" is the name of the album, in which case the problem is my ignorance and not the thread title.

Damn is the name of the album yes.

This thread is spectacular.

The album is pretty next level. Yeesh.

I guess that Humble track kinda made me think it's gonna be another MAAD City. You know he had his artsy album so maybe this was gonna be another light, typically bragadocious rap album. It's a weird mix and I'm not a fan of some of the production choices on it. I'll have to give it a few more listens but overall it's an Ehhhhh ok first impression. These days I'm more about catchy beats rather than deep lyrics simply because I work out a lot and want those "bangers" for running and such. Kendrick is capable of delivering on both fronts - great beats and good lyrics - but I feel like DAMN has one foot in Pimp and one toe in Maad and then a whole lot of soulful introspection in between. Not a fan of the gospel vibe on a lot of those tracks.

Absolute Banger!!!

That is all.

Not really feeling it first listen, DNA and Humble sticking out so far. Need to have another listen later today.

First listen threw me off, it's so different from Good Kid and TPAB. Have it on repeat and I am liking it more and more. DNA, Loyalty, Humble, Element I really like.

I don't think it's as good as TPAB, but I'm going back and forth between this and Good Kid for my 2nd favorite so far. Haven't had a chance to read into the lyrics and figure out what hes actually saying yet though

My problem with it is that while Kendrick is a great lyricist there aren't enough stand out tracks. A lot of it is solid rapping on top of repeating and somewhat forgettable loops. Humble was a banger and is the only track like that on the whole album maybe with the exception of that U2 feature.

@humanity: You don't think DNA is a banger? After two listens I think it's the best song on there by a mile.

@plop1920: I haven't heard it enough to rank it yet but I definitely really like it. I really loved TPAB in spite of it's jazz sound which was initially very off putting to me.

Kendrick is the only rapper where when I fist listen to his stuff, I sit with Genuis open on my phone following along with the lyrics.

imo "LOVE" is a made-for-the-radio song if I've ever heard of one, don't think there's really any cursing in it. album's pretty good btw, more than anything just showing off his skill as a rapper with a concept (all about that Deuteronomy!) over hot beats. Nothing overly game-changer like what his last two albums are hyped as, but nothing wrong with that either.

Also, "GOD" sounds Drake as hell (at least that chorus lol)

Also also**, "DUCKWORTH" is fucking amazing

DNA bangs so hard and XXX with the U2 feature is surprisingly excellent. I think I like every song on the album, YAH and LOYALTY are a couple of my other favorites.

Surprised no one here has mentioned the 2nd album on Sunday theory.

Just started listening as I type this. Very hyped, as GKMC and TPAB are some of my favorite rap albums ever.

Edit: 7 tracks in, and I'm really feeling it. Everybody's talking about DNA, but PRIDE is blowing me away right now.

Edit 2: Jesus, this album is shockingly mellow on the whole, for something called "DAMN.". I know Kendrick doesn't partake, but this feels like a stoner album through and through. I'm loving this.

@uninvincible: I read an article about it and I think it's quite convincing. It's hard to know if it's just people reading into everything though but I guess we'll know soon enough.

@pompouspizza: I don't think it's more of a "banger" than Humble. It has a harder sound than most tracks on Damn but it's still nowhere near "banger" territory as most songs from Maad City.

I like Kendrick and I think there is a lot to be said for having a diverse sound on each album, but at the same time when you can't really classify an artists it's hard to say you actually like their music as much as you like the idea of it. I mean I have no clue what his next album might be: folk? blues? reggae? That makes it both interesting and a little off putting,

@pompouspizza: I think the most convincing thing to me is that Kendrick having an album simply called "DAMN" seems out of character, whereas a double album called "DAMN NATION" seems right up his alley. The actual story of the album and some of the lyrics seem like pretty strong hints too, everything else just helps.

It's way better than To Pimp a Butterfly but it's no Good Kid Maad City. I really like it so far.

Good Kid Maad City is just one of those once in a decade albums that just can't be expected to be recreated or future albums to be made as good. The entire cohesiveness, the lyrics, the emotion, the fact that its a concept album that fits together perfectly and that the non music parts of it are interesting to listen to, especially loved how he ended it with him borrowing the van. That album is just amazing.

I enjoyed songs on To Pimp a Butterfly, some of it was really catchy and I liked his experimentation and the jazz influence. My problem with it was lyrically it felt way too preachy and like he was feeding into this persona that was being created of him. I certainly agreed with some of the stuff he said on the album, but some of it was ridiculous and just too far in one direction. And yeah it was cool that he pieced together that Tupac interview with himself, but people were acting like he was a god for it. I just felt like the project came across as preachy and pretentious rather than good kid maad city which was amazing story telling and emotion.

DAMN feels like a good in between of the two, there is some great production and lyrically hes impressive as usual. Its also a faster moving album, which is a good change for him. I just wish he didn't repeat himself so much, like on the track "Feel." but even then he does that type of rhyming better than most other rappers.

Element, Pride, and Duckworth are awesome songs.

Not sure if I like it more than Untitled yet.

My problem with DNA is he repeats "DNA" over and over. It's not his best rapping.

Edit: Just listened to it again. The final minute is pretty great.

@cjduke: Yeah, I know what you mean. The final minute is the best part of the song!

@humanity: I think that's a really good way to put it. I actually really disliked the Jazz sound of TPAB when I first heard it. I ended up really liking the album but it was far too jarring coming off GKMC.

I do think it's admirable that he hasn't just done the same thing over and over again but I completely see what you're saying.

Listening to it now and really enjoying it, I kinda expected I'd enjoy it though. Kendrick hasn't made anything that I can say I dislike.

Edit: nvm, that Rihanna track is definitely not doing it for me.

@voshinova: I think the only song he has made that I really dislike is Poetic Justice.

When I saw U2 was on XXX I thought it was a joke, but then it ended up being a really good song.

TPAB this is not, but it's still really good as it's own album yet it still feels like a "sequel" to TPAB with all the references to how that album was received.

I think it's an amazing album. It's a good in between of tpab and gkmc. The second album theory going on really has me hyped. At first I was like, why on earth is this album named damn? It makes no sense for him. So to hear that there is reason behind this, and a story from intro to the end is really cool. There's not a bad song on there imo, and can't wait until Sunday. Damnation.

Another solid album by Kendrick.

@shagge: Pride didn't click with me right away but now it's one of my favourites I think.

Like most albums i listen too, first time around it didn't click as much, im on my 4th listen and loving the shit outta it.

Not really clicking for me too much like his previous albums did.

I will say that DNA is a thrill ride if you have the speakers blasting out and will probably be the only song that sticks with me.

I didn't even know who Kendrick Lamar was until looking it up after seeing this thread. I'm old.

Skipped through it and nothing really grabbed me. Maybe DNA. Im kind of done with Kendrick if this is the stuff he keeps putting out.

@flasaltine: Skipped through it?

Anyway, I've listened to it once so far and definitely enjoyed it, even through cheap headphones. Can't wait to listen to it through real speakers.

Had it on all day, really like it after a couple of relistens

hmmmm

@pompouspizza: Yah it's weird because after Good Kid I could confidently say "I like Kendrick Lamar." Then after Butterfly I wasn't that convinced anymore because the album was such a strong departure from the musical style I began to associate with him, but I still enjoyed parts of that album. Much like yourself the jazzy vibes weren't really doing it for me (which is weird because I actually enjoy listening to jazz by itself). Now this third (technically 4th I know) album is shooting off in yet another direction and once again I'm finding pieces here and there that I like but the overall project isn't really grabbing me from top to bottom. So now I'm having this dilemma of whether I actually really like Kendrick or not? I mean one out of three isn't that great.

On top of all this Kendrick himself has said that Good Kid was him being too scared to make the music he actually wanted to make so he fell back on what was expected and Butterfly is the album he really wanted to make in the first place. That felt like this weird gut punch because here I thought "hey so this is what you're all about, awesome I dig it" but nah that's just some stuff he made because he thought it would be "safe" but this moody jazz stuff is what he's REALLY all about. DAMN is a lot more like Pimp in that it's very moody and slightly preachy whereas Maad City was very punchy and autobiographical. I know it's a real struggle for street rappers to continue writing about slinging dope and being trappers when they're riding around Beverly Hills in Benzs three albums deep, which is why a lot of big name artists become producers for up and coming kids trying to leave that life behind. Kendrick is pushing the envelope and carving out a niche for himself similar to Danny Brown, but just like with Brown they're both trying to leave behind the material that made them relevant to fans in the first place, and in the process they're leaving behind the fans themselves.

It's admirable and I get it, but if Jeff suddenly said that he's tired of writing about games and he wants to evolve past that, so GB is now going to be a site that writes exclusively about coding.. they'd lose a ton of fans in that process of self discovery.

The more I listen to it and think about it the more I incredible I think it is. The story it tells throughout goes some places that I did NOT expect, but in an understated way. In typical Kendrick fashion its one of those albums you really have to take a few listens to read it over. Lyrically its really damn dense even in comparison to his previous.

I don't see hear whatever one else hears in Kendrick. I find him very overrated. I can't deny his pen game and he can spit when he wants to but his voice annoys me to no end and he has a horrible ear for production. I actually own good kid, M.A.A.D City but I don't like it at all. The only song I like on there is M.A.A.D City but that's mainly because of the beat that comes in half way through and MC Eiht's verse. Kendrick gets a lot of respect from me for featuring an OG like Eiht on a modern mainstream album.

I have listened to To Pimp A Butterfly and that untitled unmastered thing but I only listened to both of them once so I can't really talk too much about them. I did listen to the new album yesterday on YouTube and I think it's mostly pretty horrible (Loyality is one of the worst tracks I have heard in a while, absolutely atrocious) but I do admit, there are like 2 maybe 3 songs on there that actually aren't that bad! Feel, XXX and Duckworth are not bad! As folks have mentioned the U2 feature on XXX is surprisingly excellent. I do like U2 but mainly stuff from their experimental period from the 90s. I know Bono gets a lot of hate for whatever reason but he's got a great voice and I thought he did a great job on the track.

Overall, I still think Kendrick is probably the most overrated MC in hip-hop... ever? But at least there are some tracks I enjoyed on the new album.

@humanity: Very well put again! I think Damn is clicking with me a lot more that it is for you but I do agree with you in spirit.

Like I said earlier, I ended up really liking TPAB but it took about four listens.

With the way that Kendrick is changing it up all the time I don't think it's a given that I will like everything he puts out. I didn't like Untitled all that much.

I think the reason why for me he will never top GKMC is because that album has such an incredible sense of place. I really felt as though he was taking me on a journey with him and his friends, and I felt like I was right there with them.

@pompouspizza: Yah I hear you with the multiple listens. I'm going running today so I'll pop this on and see it through from beginning to end with a lot of time to really pay attention to the lyrics and beats. Untitled I didn't enjoy either but it is just a collection of songs that weren't good enough to make the cut the first time around. I just feel it's so weird when people say this is his best album yet when I feel like in a way this is Kendricks third debut album and he can't decide on what type of artist he actually wants to be. His status also plays into it because there are a lot of songs from Kendrick that I dislike but I think "ok let me see where he goes with this" and I keep listening whereas if this was some artist I didn't know I'd probably just skip forward already.

I also completely agree that Good Kid can't be easily topped because it tells that great story from beginning to end while also serving up amazing production, great lyrics and a lot of variety in the set structure. The Recipe is probably one of my favorite tracks off the deluxe version because it has this awesome old school feel to it without being an oldschool song.