I spent a majority of my weekend contemplating Kendrick Lamar’s fourth and newest album “DAMN” after its release on Friday. I also spent a lot of my time wondering if the fan theory about Kendrick releasing another album on Sunday would prove true (it did not), which led me to consider Kendrick’s deep, complicated thoughts and just how he operates on a different level than many of us.
“DAMN” is a return to the Kendrick much of the hip-hop community grew to love in the early 2010’s. While “To Pimp A Butterfly” was a solid performance, it was a deviation from “Section.80” and “GOOD KID, maad city” in that it felt more poetic and jazzy. This was intentional by K-Dot, mostly due to the subject matter he was discussing in the album. Kendrick focused on racial injustice in America, while the first two albums were about the struggles of growing up in Compton. “DAMN” discusses the struggles of Kendrick growing up, the political struggle currently facing America and his newfound struggles sitting atop the hip-hop totem poll.
The second track on “DAMN” is DNA, a song that features standard, modern hip-hop qualities while Kendrick provides an emotionally brooding stanza at the end that discusses the corrupt moral standing of our society. This song captures the essence of “DAMN.” It is a return to the standard sound of hip-hop, while Kendrick remains the lyrical genius of our time. Lamar talks about how he cuts off much of the world, while still holding himself accountable to making it a better place. Now we see the complicated mind of Kendrick. He is fully in-tune while, simultaneously, filtering through the mainstream trends that further corrupt our society. Lamar has tried, and mostly succeeded, in staying out of the spotlight when it comes to typical paparazzi media. At the same time, he is at the forefront of the hip-hop industry while every rapper chases him.
“DAMN” also shows-off more funk-based samples and beats. A Canadian funk jazz group, BadBadNotGood, helped Kendrick with some of the tones in the album. BadBadNotGood’s influence is seen throughout the album, but mostly on the track “LUST.” This indicates how deep Kendrick is willing to reach to achieve the right sound for his product. Kendrick also continues to show off his lyrical genius, all coming to a head at the end of the album. The final two tracks seem to show K-Dot’s death (where the conspiracy theories came in about Kendrick releasing a new album Sunday), and the album is filled with subtle hints into Lamar’s complex psyche.
Kendrick has yet to disappoint, and “DAMN” is part of the grand K-Dot experience. While Kendrick’s first two albums catapulted him into stardom, and “To Pimp A Butterfly” showed the depth to his work, “DAMN” brought together all of these aspects together in one album. Kendrick remains King, while every one else is playing for second.
