Kendrick Lamar is quite possibly the biggest name in rap music today. Not only does he pull in the mainstream with hits like "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" and "Alright", but he's the go to when it comes to proving that rap is just a lyrical and important as it was in the 90's. In my opinion, I think Kendrick is a genius, and that's not hyperbole. Since his project Section .80, every move made by Kendrick in terms of promotion and concept has been calculated and precise to the point when you hear that a new Kendrick album is coming, you just know that he's going to bring something new and exciting to the table, whether it was the deep dive into his past on good kid M.a.a.d city or his rejection of mainstream rap norms and reflection on the state of the black community in America on To Pimp A Butterfly; Kendrick has proven that he is a true artist who creates music to express himself, and that hasn't changed on his latest offering, DAMN.
However, I won't lie and say that I was able to glean the concept on my first listen of this project, as Kendrick seems, at first, to be simply be musing on various facets of life, such as love, lust, or pride. But, after the track "FEAR." I realized that DAMN. was trying to do something much, much deeper. In fact, I'd say that the track alone is the point where Kendrick shows his hand, seeming to unveil the fact that every track leading up to, and after it, are all things that he is afraid of losing, or embracing, such as losing his humbleness due to his pride, or forgetting how to love when lust takes over. In a way, this album is even more personal and telling than even good kid was because it dissects the Kendrick of the present. This is especially true on the lyrics of "FEEL." where Kendrick shows some resentment to being regarded as a "rap savior" or pillar of the black community, because it almost dehumanizes him, because he is seen as a man who has it all figured out, and as Kendrick illustrates on this album, he is just as flawed and in need of help as the next man.
Another aspect that jumped out to me on this album was the pairing of the tracks, this is a little obvious, especially with tracks like "LUST." and "LOVE." being paired together, but still, Kendrick really takes advantage of this by showing that sometimes the lines between the two are a lot more blurry than people choose to believe. This is even illustrated through the instrumentals on the album, whereas the instrumental of "PRIDE." is somber and reserved, the instrumental on the following track "HUMBLE." is boisterous and loud; however, lyrically, they fit their concepts perfectly.
DAMN. from start to finish takes the public and personal versions of Kendrick Lamar and pulls them apart, to the point where the two become indistinguishable. So, you get to see the Kendrick who just wants what's best for his family and people, but you also get the Kendrick who would kill anyone who would seek to harm those he loves, this is illustrated in grim detail on the track "XXX.". We even get a TDE origin story which wraps the entire album up in the form of "DUCKWORTH."; this track then rewinds quite literally to the opening lines of the album where Kendrick is asking a frustrated blind woman if she needs help, only to be shot dead.
Honestly, the themes and overall concept of this record could be dissected in a 20 page essay and I still feel like it would feel like a rushed explanation. So, for those of you who just want to know if this is a good ALBUM, that is, good flows, lyrics and instrumentals, then my answer to you is, yes. In fact, while there are more mainstream sounding tracks than were featured on TPAB, this album still pulls off these sounds with the same finesse and craftsmanship as any track off that LP. In fact, during my two dozen or so listens of this album at this point, I always came away thinking, "It's over already?" despite it being an hour long, and that has a lot to do with just how good this album is musically.
But, I feel like I've said enough about this album at this point. So I will leave this review by simply stating: if you care about great, artistic music of any kind, than you should at least try DAMN., it, like it's predecessor shows just how talented an artist Kendrick Lamar is and that even after arguably three of raps best releases in the past two decades, still somehow manages to impress.
9.5/10
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