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GAF-Hop |OTXVI| Build a Wall (of Better Top 20 Albums)

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E

Exodust

Banned
HiResDes said:
The growth matter is pretty simple. Damn is a pretty surface level affair. It's like a lesser John Singleton flick, what you see is what you get. It's not Mulholland Drive. It's not enigmatic, it's not all too deep, it's doesn't contain much potential for growth. It's a sterilized petri dish.

Damn isn't long, but there's quite a few of bad tracks in my opinion, it makes the flaws glare more.
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To be fair, that describe most rap albums(including Kendrick's IMO). People are quick to jump and try to find something profound in Kendrick's albums mostly because he tends to delve into concept albums, which in turn bring out the insanity of something having so much LAYERS and THEMES. When, most of the time, it's pretty straight forward with some clever usage of narrative here and there.

Rock heads do the same thing when talking about Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Who's Tommy. It's just fans hyping up something beyond what it is. Add the internet's usual flavor of hyperbole and it gets tiresome.
 
M

MikeBreezy92

Member
enzo_gt said:
Album is okay. Just not really exciting or anything noteworthy about it, y'know? Sporadic thoughts after first listen, highlights are:

DNA
ELEMENT
HUMBLE
XXX
FEAR (although I swear this is the same beat as another Kendrick song that I can't name ATM.
DUCKWORTH.

None immediate keepers though, probably because the production is kind of whatever-to-good and I feel like Kendrick goes in and out of lyrics or rhyme schemes I care for. Doesn't always come together, I like the content on YAH but the song is kinda forgettable. I like the beat and message on FEEL but spare me starting every line with the same word for 3 minutes. ELEMENT, LOVE, and GOD sound like rejected Drake tracks, ESPECIALLY with GOD with that intro. Had a sensible chuckle when that song started, followed by cringe.

Nothing on here is even close to being as good as The Heart Pt.4 though. HUMBLE doesn't feel like it fits on the album, and like it's just a single he needed to drum up anticipation hype and conversation (omg is Kendrick trap now?!). It worked though, and I don't blame labels for putting those kinds of songs onto albums.

Speaking of The Heart Pt.4, that song is like a good version of what DAMN. attempts to do all over. A great, soulful beat with some punchy drums, some energy peppered throughout with an uptempo, harder beat and matching cadences, and a transition that doesn't suck (brings down the project as a whole, you would've thought rappers would have learned after the Rodeo masterclass on transitions in songs, SMH MCs continually falling years behind La Flame).

I expect my opinion of this to change as I dive into it deeper and kind of dissect the thematic elements, but so far all it does is give me the itch to listen to the latest Goldlink which may not have the same content (also, Kendrick's raps about people getting shot are all starting to sound the same) but stitches some of same styles Kendrick tries to much better.

I don't even fuck with TPAB like that, but none of these songs are as good as something like Wesley's Theory either.


palate cleanse whew
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I'm pretty much feeling the same way.
 
K

Koozek

Member
HiResDes said:
The growth matter is pretty simple. Damn is a pretty surface level affair. It's like a lesser John Singleton flick, what you see is what you get. It's not Mulholland Drive. It's not enigmatic, it's not all too deep, it's doesn't contain much potential for growth. It's a sterilized petri dish.

Damn isn't long, but there's quite a few of bad tracks in my opinion, it makes the flaws glare anymore.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I see what you mean - and honestly, this applies to pretty much all of Conscious Rap, including many of our favorite 90's classics -, but for me personally albums mostly grow sonically and not really lyrically/thematically.
 
Tokubetsu

Tokubetsu

Member
Psychological Intellect said:
someone get this man 150 ccs of anime gifs and suicide boys aesthetic stat!
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nSJdOcq.gif
 
H

Hitta93

Banned
Made it to Humble and on first listen, the album isn't what I was expecting from him. DNA, Element, and Loyalty only tracks that standout to me.
 
P

Psychological Intellect

Banned
Look, I feel like I can't sleep
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
Fill up the banks with dollars
Fill up the graves with fathers
Fill up the babies with bullshit
Internet blogs and pulpit, fill 'em with gossip
I feel like this gotta be the feelin' what 'Pac was
The feelin' of an apocalypse happenin'
But nothin' is awkward, the feelin' won't prosper
The feelin' is toxic, I feel like I'm boxin' demons
Monsters, false prophets schemin'
Sponsors, industry promises
Niggas, bitches, honkies, crackers, Compton
Church, religion, token blacks, and bondage
Lawsuit visits, subpoena served in concert
Fuck your feelings, I mean this for imposters
I can feel it, the phoenix sure to watch us
I can feel it, the dream is more than process
I can put a regime that forms a Loch Ness
I can feel it, the scream that haunts our logic
Click to expand...
giphy.gif
 
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