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Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. |OT| Damn! Good Friday.
- Thread starter wenis
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The melon-head review was pretty good. Agree with him on a fair bit except everything he says about GOD, I'd say about YAH. I didn't really notice the emphasis on that self-depricating Israelite idea, although I haven't listented to album in front of Genius yet.
The rawness of some moments is definitely what I like most of the album.
The rawness of some moments is definitely what I like most of the album.
names2hard4you
Member
Not that it means much but this is at the moment the greatest album of all time according to Metacritic. I said DAMN.
SimpleGamer
Member
How sway!???
yea I agree with most of what he said. I did eye roll a little when I heard the voicemail at the end of Fear although I didn't read into it as much as he did.
I don't agree as strongly about Love or God. Maybe in comparing them to other Kendrick songs, but I don't think they are bad songs on their own. I actually really like God.
Pinko Marx
Banned
The Israelite preaching is something I just noticed myself.
Not a fan of it myself and kinda dampens the album for me. Not enough for me to stop listening to it, mind you.
I kinda agree with Theneedledrop's review as well. Except I don't mind Love or Yah that much.
Not a fan of it myself and kinda dampens the album for me. Not enough for me to stop listening to it, mind you.
I kinda agree with Theneedledrop's review as well. Except I don't mind Love or Yah that much.
Basically the idea that the reason Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans have suffered throughout history is that they have been damned by God because they have abandon the laws, commandments, and statutes of the bible.
Not really controversial, but Fantano said he just disagrees with it and that seems like extreme self flagellation
Dropped to 97 now.
It's also the fact that Kendrick presents this idea through the form of a voicemail from his cousin and then doesn't really denounce it and even takes the perspective of this ideology being correct in certain some songs and comes across as overly self-deprecating.
Needledrop says that his disagreement in the ideaology doesn't affect his enjoyment/critique of the album anyway.
Needledrop says that his disagreement in the ideaology doesn't affect his enjoyment/critique of the album anyway.
Not sure if you are referring to what I wrote, but it's not like he marked it down on that point alone.
He gave a pretty lengthy explanation why he didn't enjoy it as much. and since he felt it's not as good as at least 3 other albums and Section.80 got an 8 it makes sense that he rated this one a little lower.
Just a general sentiment to the conversation direction regarding the voicemail. I didn't listen to the Fantano review. I don't think he's necessarily a terrible reviewer, I just have no particular reason to give him my time.
yeah I feel like fantano missed the mark with that
it feels like kendrick is on some god lives inside you type stuff with this album. the story about top and ducky really feels like kendrick is saying that if you allow it you can channel the divine because we're all divine. you just have to make sure you're actively tapping into the good side of the coin and don't falter even when your own humanity gets in the way. the wickedness or weakness thing. we're all weak, that's a given, but wickedness is a choice.
so to me it doesn't sound like kendrick is looking up at the sky yelling at some imaginary figure sitting on a throne for everything bad that's happened in the world, he's taking a more personal approach and saying that each individual human being is responsible by caving to their own individual temptations. or maybe that's just my read on it.
Vicetrailia
Banned
The only song I don't like is LOVE. To tell you the truth I've only listened half way and skip it everytime. I'll probably take out off.
Fancy Clown
Member
LOVE is super chill, don't get the hate for it. Great cruising song.
Huh? I wasn't really on about who brings it up first (maybe I shouldn't have used the word 'present'), it was more about Kendrick's acceptance of the idea.
You got a link to the article BX?
Thornton Reed
Member
after he shit on blank face I started to discredit him but I think he pretty much nails this review. After spending the whole day with DAMN I've been turned off by several tracks such as YAH LOVE LOYALTY. Still think Kendrick nails the rapping but some of the beats are weak. It's a good album but after today it may be my least favourite. I must have listened to it 4 times in total over the easter break and thought it was another classic but after giving it at least 6 spins today I've started to see it's flaws
SomedayTheFire
Member
people still listen to fantano? lol
Ristifer
Member
I'm the opposite. I'm liking it more and more as I listen to it.
Needle Drop pretty much echoes my sentiments regarding the album. It's not a terrible album by any means, but it's not the quality I expect from Kendrick.
I almost feel like the album is deliberately trying to be ironic, with a whole 'Okay, you're going to talk shit about me despite my accomplishments? Fuck it, I'll just make a generic album like every other rap record' The album cover in itself looks like a man defeated and caving to mediocrity.
I almost feel like the album is deliberately trying to be ironic, with a whole 'Okay, you're going to talk shit about me despite my accomplishments? Fuck it, I'll just make a generic album like every other rap record' The album cover in itself looks like a man defeated and caving to mediocrity.
Seriously. Put me on, fam.
if this is what generic rap sounded like we'd be living in the golden age of hip hop
We kinda are though. Plenty of amazing and varied hip hop coming out right now.
CopperPuppy
Member
Angelus Errare
Banned
Bless The Cheadle. Shame about his hairline tho.
Lifejumper
Member
Is this a trailer for a new war machine movie?
herbchamberz
Member
Mid-90s will always be the golden age of rap. But we're definitely living in something close to it right now. Not only in quality, but in rap's popularity as well.
Dreams-Visions
Member
DNA, FAMILY.
THAT VIDEO GOT ME ABOUT TO SPIN THIS FUCKIN ALBUM FOR THE 3OTH TIME
THAT VIDEO GOT ME ABOUT TO SPIN THIS FUCKIN ALBUM FOR THE 3OTH TIME
As far as the Black Israelite stuff, I don't take Kendrick literally. He touches on many different theological motifs throughout his discography. I don't interpret it as him preaching: he's using it as a motif because it speaks to the themes of damnation that he is covering with album.
Kendrick seems to be a person who will find meaning in a belief, something about it that resonates with him, and use that resonance in his art. He used language and imagery evocative of Liberation Theology all throughout TPaB in a similar way.
He samples philosophies and theological ideas the same way he would a drum or piano track. The question isn't if you agree with Black Israelite theology. Rather, what does it make you feel to imagine if that were the truth? He seems, to me at least, to be using this startling belief as a way to make the listener feel something.
Inferno313
Banned
Oh man, I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, but I actually love LOVE (heh..). It's got such a different, and catchy, vibe from the rest of the album. Maybe more radio-friendly than the rest of the album, sure, but by no means does it feel weaker to me.
psh...30th... step your game up.
Yup
Lifejumper
Member
That kung fu kenny outfit is dope tho.
theignoramus
Member
I dont need that goofy hipster Fantano ever validating my taste in hip hop. Period. Point Blank. He doesnt understand the genre, he's a window watcher, an outsider looking in and he always will be.
I havnt listened to one of his reviews in the past year. Him & Pitchfork have about much authority on rap as any of yall that post here.
I havnt listened to one of his reviews in the past year. Him & Pitchfork have about much authority on rap as any of yall that post here.
Also something I feel is important re: the Israelite analogy that Kendrick brings up in this album.
The entirety of DAMN. feels like it's more or less Kendrick deconstructing his self worth in the current society, and to me that extends to his beliefs which has kept him empowered for the many years he's been in this business. Fantano is right, the belief that these races have damned themselves is incredibly self flagellating - but I think that's ultimately the point.
The start of the album ends with him being killed (or rather "punished") because of him wanting to do a good deed, and the Fox News voice clip is supposed to represent the relevance that has in real life - he made a song called "Alright" which is all about positive reinforcement, a message to his community that we're all going to be okay, and yet these shmucks managed to take that positive message and twist it as a declaration of violence that does more damage than good. So when you have people twisting these intentions and when the world has deteriorated, despite the fact that Kendrick released one of the most celebrated hip hop records of all time that used it's platform to convey love and unity, it's no wonder that Kendrick feels shattered in the face of the adversity, and it's making him do all these uncharacteristic proclamations on this record - such as remotely entertaining the fact that his God has damned him by default, and that he's part of everything wrong in the world. It's why GOD is such a pathetic lamentation where he wants to be his own god.
And I think DUCKWORTH is there to represent a sort of quaint second wind, even if it isn't necessarily the end of an "arc". It opens up admitting "it was always me vs. me", as a sort of realization that he's responsible for this punishment he endures, but more importantly in the context of the album it's worth considering: if God is committed to punishing Kendrick how come God let Ducky live, and allow for this incredible chance encounter that would end with the world being blessed with one of the greatest hip hop artists of all time?
I don't know if anyone here's watched Scrubs but I think a little bit about that one scene where Dr. Cox has a confrontation with Laverne about the latter's faith in God and how she believes "everything bad happens for a reason", especially since it's clear she uses that particular way of thinking as a coping mechanism. I actually think that reminds me a little bit of the album as a whole, considering I don't think it's any secret that Kendrick goes into self-destructive territory.
Granted, it's one thing to mix messaging like that within a lot of actually lines that are very much meant to be digested as a message, most notably XXX, but Kendrick has always been good at ambiguity - he doesn't spit statistics as much as he wants to consider the situation we are in the world, and much like Fantano said, even if he DOES believe that God is out to punish him, his race and the world, it doesn't make the music any worse.
The entirety of DAMN. feels like it's more or less Kendrick deconstructing his self worth in the current society, and to me that extends to his beliefs which has kept him empowered for the many years he's been in this business. Fantano is right, the belief that these races have damned themselves is incredibly self flagellating - but I think that's ultimately the point.
The start of the album ends with him being killed (or rather "punished") because of him wanting to do a good deed, and the Fox News voice clip is supposed to represent the relevance that has in real life - he made a song called "Alright" which is all about positive reinforcement, a message to his community that we're all going to be okay, and yet these shmucks managed to take that positive message and twist it as a declaration of violence that does more damage than good. So when you have people twisting these intentions and when the world has deteriorated, despite the fact that Kendrick released one of the most celebrated hip hop records of all time that used it's platform to convey love and unity, it's no wonder that Kendrick feels shattered in the face of the adversity, and it's making him do all these uncharacteristic proclamations on this record - such as remotely entertaining the fact that his God has damned him by default, and that he's part of everything wrong in the world. It's why GOD is such a pathetic lamentation where he wants to be his own god.
And I think DUCKWORTH is there to represent a sort of quaint second wind, even if it isn't necessarily the end of an "arc". It opens up admitting "it was always me vs. me", as a sort of realization that he's responsible for this punishment he endures, but more importantly in the context of the album it's worth considering: if God is committed to punishing Kendrick how come God let Ducky live, and allow for this incredible chance encounter that would end with the world being blessed with one of the greatest hip hop artists of all time?
I don't know if anyone here's watched Scrubs but I think a little bit about that one scene where Dr. Cox has a confrontation with Laverne about the latter's faith in God and how she believes "everything bad happens for a reason", especially since it's clear she uses that particular way of thinking as a coping mechanism. I actually think that reminds me a little bit of the album as a whole, considering I don't think it's any secret that Kendrick goes into self-destructive territory.
Granted, it's one thing to mix messaging like that within a lot of actually lines that are very much meant to be digested as a message, most notably XXX, but Kendrick has always been good at ambiguity - he doesn't spit statistics as much as he wants to consider the situation we are in the world, and much like Fantano said, even if he DOES believe that God is out to punish him, his race and the world, it doesn't make the music any worse.
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