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[GravityMan]

I think TBAP is a great album, but Lupe Fiasco's Tetsuo & Youth is slightly better (and T&Y is Lupe's 3rd-best album).

Kendrick Lamar is very talented and makes consistently good stuff, but he hasn't yet released an album that's truly outstanding. He does not yet deserve a seat at the table of the all-time great rap artists. He's more 2nd-tier at this time.

His voice isn't as annoying as Eminem's, but it isn't exactly his strong suit either.

Kendrick is far better than Drake or Kanye West, though.

TBAP probably isn't the kind of album that you'd want to play at a party. The average rap fan doesn't give a shit about themes or the serious "message" or anything like that...they just want to bop their heads to the beat.

 

[Robot Pants]

Yea I didn't really like the new one either *shrug*
I think GKMC is a 10/10 though

 

[RP912]

I seriously doubt that dudes going to be bumping TPAB in the clubs compared to GKMC. It's a different type of beast.

 

[sonicmj1]

I'm convinced that if Kendrick Lamar released an album at this point that consisted of him doing fart noises, rapping with his chipmunk voice and terrible accents, and added random long ass skits every other song with parts of the Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a dream" speech, people would try to over analyze things and say the album is a thematic masterpiece that empowers black people, black culture and/or some other bullshit.

I wonder if the Dr. Dre protege / Aftermath association bullshit has had a huge influence in people's perception of him.

Lol at people trying to diss Tetsuo and Youth. If Lupe released TPAB and Kendrick T&Y, people would say Lupe's album suck and T&Y is GOAT.

You've cracked the code. Clearly nobody actually likes the things they say they like; they just pick Kendrick's albums to seem cool.

I'm sure there are better ways you can use your internet mind-reading powers.

 

[PG2G]

Most of my friends and I aren't fans of the new album. I feel like he is the best technical rapper out there but he produced an album full of music that I dont want to listen to. I wont knock it but aside from "The Blacker the Berry" there aren't many songs I can just turn on and enjoy.

Kendrick is far better than Drake or Kanye West, though.

Far better at what? He's a better rapper but they both put out better music than Kendrick. Drake's mistake is garbage though

 

[Majestad]

Majestad, you were so cool, laying down the smack over at gaming, but here you are repping corny shit like MBDTF.

how the mighty have fallen

Since when did GAF start hating mbdtf? Hate yeezus all you want, but the former is actually quality.

 

[IcyStorm]

Nothing wrong with replaying an album that's considered good to the person. My mom used to play the living hell out of her Deniece Williams album.

There's nothing wrong with replaying the same album and enjoying it. But that's how most people view music, as if music NEEDS to constantly replayable and digestible in order for it to be good. Why can't something be kinda heavy in its content and be appreciated for being good without parts of it needing to be catchy or whatever and just leave it at that?

And many people seem to have arbitrary "rules" for genres. "Needs more bangers" is sometimes a joke complaint of TPAB, but a lot of people do mean it. Why does this album need to have bangers? Why does ANY hip hop album need to have bangers?

 

[Floridian]

Since when did GAF start hating mbdtf? Hate yeezus all you want, but the former is actually quality.

The hate for MBDTF is there like how the hate for TPAB is there.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

I was listening to "Black on Both Sides" recently, and I marveled a bit at how a 15.5 year old album could so outdo modern stuff in intelligence and depth. Mos wasn't quite the fire spitter that Kendrick is, couldn't produce like Kanye, but if we're looking at it in terms of "having something to say", he blows the top dogs of today out of the water.

 

[RP912]

There's nothing wrong with replaying the same album and enjoying it. But that's how most people view music, as if music NEEDS to constantly replayable and digestible in order for it to be good. Why can't something be kinda heavy in its content and be appreciated for being good without parts of it needing to be catchy or whatever and just leave it at that?

And many people seem to have arbitrary "rules" for genres. "Needs more bangers" is sometimes a joke complaint of TPAB, but a lot of people do mean it. Why does this album need to have bangers? Why does ANY hip hop album need to have bangers?

I agree. Nowadays it's all about lawn chair executive producing with music fans instead of them just listening and digesting the music. People like to cherry pick records to their own likening and provide assumptions on how to make a record sound perfect instead of allowing the artist to provide the vision. Imagine fans trying to suggest to Stevie Wonder that he needs more Marvin Gaye type of songs on his albums or even suggest to Queen to sound like Kiss.

It's sad that this mindstate is common in music today especially Hip Hop. It reminds me of what Jay Z said on the Fade to Black documentary, " rappers are afraid to be themselves ". The fans always try to dictate instead of appreciate and accepting something new.

 

[Cagey]

Most of my friends and I aren't fans of the new album. I feel like he is the best technical rapper out there but he produced an album full of music that I dont want to listen to. I wont knock it but aside from "The Blacker the Berry" there aren't many songs I can just turn on and enjoy.

I feel the same way about this album. Feel the same about Yeezus too. "This is good, time to never listen again"

There's nothing wrong with replaying the same album and enjoying it. But that's how most people view music, as if music NEEDS to constantly replayable and digestible in order for it to be good. Why can't something be kinda heavy in its content and be appreciated for being good without parts of it needing to be catchy or whatever and just leave it at that?

And many people seem to have arbitrary "rules" for genres. "Needs more bangers" is sometimes a joke complaint of TPAB, but a lot of people do mean it. Why does this album need to have bangers? Why does ANY hip hop album need to have bangers?

I personally don't care for music that I don't want to listen to on loop on blast anymore. The musical equivalent of Kings Speech, to me, isn't enjoyable. Enjoyment is what I want most from music. Whatever it is about a song that makes me want to listen on repeat in my car, it needs that "it". If a song has some heavy content and after one listen I think damn nice, never again, it's subjectively not something I can care about. If I don't enjoy actually listening to the song, I don't care for the technical shit: it failed as a song. Isn't that a big problem with modern Eminem?

I have that rule for the genres I listen to. If I listened to rock, which I almost never do, I'd have the same thought.

 

[Majestad]

No Cadillactica though :/

Fucking amazing. RAP Music is also one of my favorite albums of all time.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Majestad, you made a thread asking for explanations, but in the OP you've pretty much boxed yourself out of possibly receiving any of these explanations. You claim that Kendrick could put anything out and critics would praise it. Then you say that people only force themselves to like Kendrick because critics do.

It seems like you believe these (to me, ridiculous) postulates. If you do, there's no way anyone will ever change your mind, so in effect you're just here to antagonize people.

And, yes, RAP Music is a fantastic album.

 

[toastyToast]

I was listening to "Black on Both Sides" recently, and I marveled a bit at how a 15.5 year old album could so outdo modern stuff in intelligence and depth. Mos wasn't quite the fire spitter that Kendrick is, couldn't produce like Kanye, but if we're looking at it in terms of "having something to say", he blows the top dogs of today out of the water.

Mos eats Kendrick. I mean, Kenny is pretty good but right now he's a big fish in a small pond. People compare him to Drake who isn't even trying to do the same shit that's how narrow the field is.

 

[Kusagari]

I personally find King Kunta, Wesley's Theory, I (once you cut out the skit that interrupts it), Blacker the Berry and Hood Politics all heavily repayable.

I think the album works best as a whole, but there's definitely repayable stuff on there imo.

 

[RP912]

This thread really made me want to listen to T and Y again and I have no regrets. Body of Work...goddamn what a track.

 

[tycoonheart]

Kendrick is far better than Drake or Kanye West, though.

HAH!

1. He isn't even in the same vicinity as Kanye. Kanye is a borderline genius when it comes to music. Say what you will about his personality, but the guy consistently puts out amazing music. The guy knows music in ways Kendrick only wished he did.

2. lol @ using Drake and Kanye in the same sentence.

 

[poopninjamvc3mk]

King Kunta corny? Whhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaat?!

I had my mom, grandma, great grandma, gf, and gf's dad bumping it in the whip

like real talk I feel Lord Feefo would've been proud

And the production was boring?! Wut

Imma need you to go into details on why you disliked the production. What did you particularly want out of the production that was missing because the production imo was amazing. Especially the g-funk style Wesley's Theory and King Kunta

Is this you, OP?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQvL6yliwEo

Can't forget the follow up rant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XyaOIPR3sE

 

[RP912]

Mos eats Kendrick. I mean, Kenny is pretty good but right now he's a big fish in a small pond. People compare him to Drake who isn't even trying to do the same shit that's how narrow the field is.

Not with albums like The New Danger and True Magic :/. Dude gumming hard on the crown of King Kendrick...just saying.

 

[GamerSoul]

no one likes body of work off t&y? that's like my favorite track lol

I love the whole album. Still trying to figure out most of the lyrics hah

 

[Kurt Angle]

he's no kanye

 

[Battersea Power Station]

TPaB explores the issue of insecurity and survivor's guilt more thoroughly than Kanye's whole life does. Yeah, Kanye makes dope beats. Like really dope beats. But lyrically he can't match Kendrick; Kanye's raps consist mostly of puns and rich people anecdotes.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Sorry you didn't like it, OP.

Many of us can't get enough.

 

[IcyStorm]

I personally don't care for music that I don't want to listen to on loop on blast anymore. The musical equivalent of Kings Speech, to me, isn't enjoyable. Enjoyment is what I want most from music. Whatever it is about a song that makes me want to listen on repeat in my car, it needs that "it". If a song has some heavy content and after one listen I think damn nice, never again, it's subjectively not something I can care about. If I don't enjoy actually listening to the song, I don't care for the technical shit: it failed as a song. Isn't that a big problem with modern Eminem?

I have that rule for the genres I listen to. If I listened to rock, which I almost never do, I'd have the same thought.

Nah, I mean, if that's your thing, that's your thing. I don't got a problem with people who just prefer stuff that is catchy or relistenable. But that's different from saying something is bad because it's not something you can listen to all the time.

 

[BadAss2961]

A portion of rap fans always need a new young dick to ride and anoint as the second coming. The last few that come to mind are Wayne, Lupe, Drake, and now Kendrick. I think i'm missing a couple, but it's always been the same shit.

Not saying Kendrick is bad, just that people need to chill out on these bandwagons.

 

[NervousXtian]

OP, it's okay that you can't appreciate Kendrick's greatness.. we can't all be awesome.

Seriously though, the album is great.

 

[tycoonheart]

A portion of rap fans always need a new young dick to ride and anoint as the second coming. The last few that come to mind are Wayne, Lupe, Drake, and now Kendrick. I think i'm missing a couple, but it's always been the same shit.

Not saying Kendrick is bad, just that people need to chill out on these bandwagons.

I agree with some of this. And the Lupe Kendrick comparison is apt. But to Wayne's credit, he's put out some entertaining shit. Can't say the same for Kendrick.

 

[Servbot24]

Ken is great, not amazing. The people decide what's classic and he probably will be.

 

[RP912]

A portion of rap fans always need a new young dick to ride and anoint as the second coming. The last few that come to mind are Wayne, Lupe, Drake, and now Kendrick. I think i'm missing a couple, but it's always been the same shit.

Not saying Kendrick is bad, just that people need to chill out on these bandwagons.

Hence why Kendrick said on Mortal Man "when shit hits the fan, is you still a fan?"

 

[Cagey]

Nah, I mean, if that's your thing, that's your thing. I don't got a problem with people who just prefer stuff that is catchy or relistenable. But that's different from saying something is bad because it's not something you can listen to all the time.

I agree that the latter is bad. I may not like this album as much as others because it's not begging me to hit replay, but I can't in good faith deny the album is very good because of that.

 

[PhoenixDark]

edit: wrong thread

 

[dafinezt]

I've listened to TPAB twice. I thought it was good, but I wasn't blown away.

The album has some awesome moments, though. The second half of "u" is something special.

I also see a lot of people talking about Tetsuo and Youth. I forgot that album existed lol. Gotta listen to it soon.

 

[inked_illusion]

OP, I feel bad for you, but then again opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one.

I've been listening to it all week and to be honest the biggest draw for me is how Kendrick keeps it grounded, whereas most artists become hot headed once they hit it big.

Hell, he even spells it out in Wesley's Theory and contradicts it in Mortal Man, just a worthwhile album though I can see it polarizing everybody, fans and non-fans alike.

 

[NervousXtian]

Since when did GAF start hating mbdtf? Hate yeezus all you want, but the former is actually quality.

Not a fan, and everything your OP says about Kendrick I feel about Kanye. Hasn't been an album that he's dropped that I want to ever put on.. yet I still pop in GKMC all the time. I haven't felt the want to listen to mbdtf again at all.

 

[Majestad]

I've listened to TPAB twice. I thought it was good, but I wasn't blown away.

The album has some awesome moments, though. The second half of "u" is something special.

I also see a lot of people talking about Tetsuo and Youth. I forgot that album existed lol. Gotta listen to it soon.

T&Y is great. Go listen to it.

 

[BaltimoreLarry]

I thought the album was good, but a little pretentious. I think Joey Bada$$'s new album was better than both Kendrick and Lupe's, though.

 

[IrishNinja]

OP your avatar's fucking me up, are you one of those dudes that rides for eminem in the year of our lord 2015 or am i wrong here

Fucking amazing. RAP Music is also one of my favorite albums of all time.

...shit now im all kinds've confused

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I've listened to TPAB twice. I thought it was good, but I wasn't blown away.

Perhaps listen with good ol' Rap Genius open to help keep up with the lyrics and themes.

http://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-to-pimp-a-butterfly-album-art-track-list-lyrics?

 

[theignoramus]

OP, I can sort of relate... Ive never really been on onboard the Outkast hype train, so in the late 90s and early 2000s when their shit was getting raved about I sort of rolled my eyes at it. 15 years on, I dont feel any different than I did back then, but I can appreciate the talent and musicianship that went into their albums and I certainly dont think everyone who felt their shit was "brainwashed" or a bandwagoner. Thats a childish opinion to have.

 

[RBK]

Joey Bada$$'s new album was better than both Kendrick and Lupe's, though.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

OP, I can sort of relate... Ive never really been on onboard the Outkast hype train, so in the late 90s and early 2000s when their shit was getting raved about I sort of rolled my eyes at it. 15 years on, I dont feel any different than I did back then, but I can appreciate the talent and musicianship that went into their albums and I certainly dont think everyone who felt their shit was "brainwashed" or a bandwagoner. Thats a childish opinion to have.

Damn you couldn't feel OutKast? ATLiens? Aquemini? Stankonia?

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[mreddie]

Good Kid is better than Butterfly though.

 

[theignoramus]

Lol at people trying to diss Tetsuo and Youth. If Lupe released TPAB and Kendrick T&Y, people would say Lupe's album suck and T&Y is GOAT.

No, Lupe's album is preachy, forgettable shit.
edit: Ye stans or Em stans, which group is more annoying on internet forums?

 

[Aselith]

Not really a fan myself

 

[Jaxter09]

This shit is transcendent, no album has come close to hitting this hard since.. Probably Kid A. Albums like this justify being alone listening to music a lot of the time, make it worth sitting through a sea of impressionless BNMd albums. Makes it worth spending hours pouring over critic and user lists trying to discover all the quality shit that there isn't enough time in one human life to hear. It's a testament to the power of music, what we need, the opposite of bullshit.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I love Kendrick and thing he is the shit but I did not enjoy Butterfly...well that's not entirely true. I enjoyed it but it won't be an album I continue to listen to for years to come save a song or two max.

Just not feeling the overall sound. Not sure what he's trying to do with his flow and some of the production but I'm not really feeling it so much. S80 and Good Kid are still the bomb though.

He's a genuine/sincere rapper, and I think that's where the vast majority of his appeal comes from.

 

[Besthelboy]

I agree, K Rino is better.

 

[Dr.Acula]

Weird post considering TPAB is the most album-y album in terms of cohesive overall experience in a while.

This is it for me. I could be perfectly happy just putting on TPAB and chilling. It's not the kind of thing you see a lot of nowadays, and really rare in hip-hop. There's a reason Dark Side of the Moon is still popular.

 

[Hieberrr]

I'm not particularly a big fan of Kendrick Lamar. Sure he has a lot to say, but his music sounds decent at best in my opinion.

 

[Toparaman]

I agree with OP. Whenever I read interviews with Kendrick, he comes off as exactly the kind of guy I would like hanging out with, which I can't say for most mainstream rappers. But then I listen to his music and it's just meh. Lots of millennial introspection and shoe-gazing. Plenty of corny metaphors. Honestly it sounds like the kind of thing I would put out if I was a rapper, which is why I don't rap.

Whereas I listen to Run the Jewels, Nas, pre-retirement Jay-Z, or Rakim, and they almost immediately click for me. It's just a personal taste thing I guess, but I don't even find Kendrick impressive on an objective level. Maybe it's because I'm too close to him in terms of age, personality, and mentality, and it's hard to be impressed by yourself.