Kendrick Lamar - DAMN - Album Discussion

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 04-17-2017, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrs. Tristan Rosenstock

The only difference is there are like 4 poppy tracks this time around. And I didn't add them to my iPod with the rest of the album. Fear, XXX, and DNA are prime Kendrick listening. Even some of the pop tracks, like Love and Element are bangers. You're just lameeeeeee

ya i respect your opinion dude, even if Element and Love are horrendous. this is nothing like Kendrick at his best though. the tracks aren't poppy in an enjoyable melodic fashion, they're poppy in a "i'll just copy what's cool within hip-hop right now" kind of way. i really like XXX and DNA, but two great tracks don't make for a great album in general.

i think this lacks almost any trace of the same Kendrick who made his last 5 projects. there's nothing interesting in what he's saying, there's nothing special about the production, and it doesn't feel like this is some huge step in hip-hop like all of his other albums were. again, i'm not blaming the guy because everyone puts out a flop at some point, but i'm not gonna stand here and try to act like this album isn't a huge step down from him. if a rapper like drake or j.cole who were all hype and no substance put out a project like this and it got this kind of reception i would say alright, cool, i get it. but for kendrick i don't get it. i thought people liked him for what he was putting out, but seeing the way everyone reacts towards DAMN has me thinking that most people (not calling out anyone on here, just a statement in general) are only behind him because of the hype.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiiii

qwertyy comin' in with one of the worst arguments known to man.

right because when i came in with an actual argument you just ignored it even after asking for an argument.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiiii

I'm still waiting for a solid reason why this album is bad because so far I've not heard any. You guys are just stuck over analyzing it and forgetting it's just a hip hop album. And a damn good one. You don't have to hate Kendrick to keep your hipster cred (yes, Danny brown is nothing but hipster trash). You're allowed to like music yknow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qwertyy

lmao

so what you're saying is if we don't take the album serious and judge it on the scale we judge every other album, then it would be good.

na mate, i'll hold Kendrick to the standard i hold any other hip-hop artist. this is a disappointing album, it lacks most of if not all of the factors that led to everything from O.D to TPAB being phenomenal hip-hop releases.

this is the first Kendrick project that has had genuine skippable tracks that are just outright bad.

it's cool that you like the album, but that doesn't make everyone else wrong. and plugging your ears and saying na na na can't hear you won't make us change our side.

Mindfulness · 04-17-2017, 10:15 AM

my snapchat is called "furtherlight"

everyone add me

Justthefacts · 04-17-2017, 12:38 PM

I don't admit to defeat, but I'll say this.

This record is solid, front to back (minus Loyalty), this is my Section. 80, but I haven't listened to it in two days. Idk when I'll listen to it next. At the moment I'm in a punk rock fade.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 04-17-2017, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

I don't admit to defeat, but I'll say this.

This record is solid, front to back (minus Loyalty), this is my Section. 80, but I haven't listened to it in two days. Idk when I'll listen to it next. At the moment I'm in a punk rock fade.

gonna assume this means you're looking for recs, in which case:

some sick-ass anarcho hardcore d-beat punk

some gnarly crust-punk that heavily influence powerviolence and the like, these guys are amongst my fav bands around

and here's a very solid hardcore album from the late 2000s since i know you dig the more recent stuff

yeah, you're welcome.

Justthefacts · 04-17-2017, 12:53 PM

I'm listening to this right now, total throwback to UK punk, nothing reinventing the wheel but this gets my blood boiling.

Anyways Kendrick is great.

Tristan_Geoff · 04-17-2017, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qwertyy

ya i respect your opinion dude, even if Element and Love are horrendous. this is nothing like Kendrick at his best though. the tracks aren't poppy in an enjoyable melodic fashion, they're poppy in a "i'll just copy what's cool within hip-hop right now" kind of way. i really like XXX and DNA, but two great tracks don't make for a great album in general.

i think this lacks almost any trace of the same Kendrick who made his last 5 projects. there's nothing interesting in what he's saying, there's nothing special about the production, and it doesn't feel like this is some huge step in hip-hop like all of his other albums were. again, i'm not blaming the guy because everyone puts out a flop at some point, but i'm not gonna stand here and try to act like this album isn't a huge step down from him. if a rapper like drake or j.cole who were all hype and no substance put out a project like this and it got this kind of reception i would say alright, cool, i get it. but for kendrick i don't get it. i thought people liked him for what he was putting out, but seeing the way everyone reacts towards DAMN has me thinking that most people (not calling out anyone on here, just a statement in general) are only behind him because of the hype.

Honestly, I went into it with that mindset. That people were just going to like it because it was Kendrick and not for it's own merits, and that he was just doing what was popular with the poppier tracks. But, idk man I just find myself liking it anyways. I still think it's extremely flawed, and yeah I would like another UU or TPAB, but this is fine for me. It grew on my considerably from that first listen, where I thought it was way too barebones for my enjoyment too. You just like or you don't I guess. I still don't think it deserves the 3.78 rating it has on RYM right now, that I can attribute to K.dot dickriding. A 3.4/3.5 at best I think. I rated it 4 though after it rose from 3.5 (though broken down it's still teetering on 3.8 from track ratings).

djchameleon · 04-17-2017, 06:51 PM

I've gone from liking only one track to warming up to DNA but I just skip through most of this album and stop tracks in the middle. This is such a lukewarm album to me.

Key · 04-17-2017, 08:04 PM

Barely any tracks scratch anywhere below decent, but a good chunk of them are either good, great, or amazing.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 04-17-2017, 08:37 PM

no

**Frownland** · 04-17-2017, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiiii

Barely any tracks scratch anywhere below decent, but a good chunk of them are either good, great, or amazing.

DNA is certainly great but the rest of the album is way too heavy on the tepid and cringey pop hooks for me.

04-17-2017, 10:15 AM	#202 (permalink)
Mindfulness Be aware of the psyop Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Milky Way Galaxy Posts: 9,999	my snapchat is called "furtherlight" everyone add me

04-17-2017, 08:04 PM	#208 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Barely any tracks scratch anywhere below decent, but a good chunk of them are either good, great, or amazing.