Kendrick Lamar - Damn

Fear obviously

gotta go with duckworth. brilliant storytelling and i'm a sucker for a good origin tale.

if i gotta vote in an impossible poll i'ma make it look sexxy

Was there any discussion on the black panther soundtrack?
Cuz it’s dope

"Pride"

This is all one long song imo. Duckworth i guess.

"Pride" for me too

Fear obviously

― Incline/decline (Ross), Thursday, May 17, 2018 9:47 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

At various points last year I would have voted for DNA, HUMBLE, LUST, LOVE, YAH, and DUCKWORTH, yet I voted for FEAR as it has sustained a lasting emotional impact in both its beat as well as its lyrical delivery and message. LUST is a very close 2nd, but its beat is not my favorite.

I liked this album less than TPAB when it came out but it’s overall grown on my bc every time a track comes on the radio it’s like the best thing ever

Yeah, I wouldn’t say it’s as brilliant as TPAB in a high-concept sense, but it’s still plenty brilliant, and furthermore designed in a way where that brilliance is appropriate in way more contexts than some of the more outré stuff on its predecessor. It’s big and pop-friendly but still really distinctive and knotty when you get under the hood.
Which is I think why I voted for “XXX”. On paper the shift from siren-blaring Mike-Will-Does-Bomb-Squad abrasion to a timestretched jazzy Bono cameo should be a disaster, but I don’t know, it’s like Disneyworld, all the wires holding it together are invisible but it feels so structurally appropriate.

Fear

DNA, ELEMENT, LOYALTY, LUST, and, FEAR could all easily get my vote. Probably will go with LOYALTY because Rihanna.

Love

LUST. Its beat is completely astonishing, for a start

I'm gonna rep for FEEL because it gives me the chills every time. Especially the outburst in the middle and the overlapping lines that float through afterward.

I actually think it's more brilliant than 2PAB high-concept wise, since the narrative concept, while just as strong, doesn't interfere with the individual songs in a "and THEN what happened was..." sort of way, while simultaneously working as a sort of argument. Also love the subtle dialectics of stuff like Pride sounding subdued, followed up by Humble being noisy as hell. His best album, imo.

ELEMENT

2. DNA.

DNA is undeniable.

ELEMENT

― devvvine, Friday, May 18, 2018 8:57 AM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

OTM.

Still prefer To Pimp a Butterfly.

Could’ve went for lust or xxx tbh

FEEL has one of the greatest build up/release I've heard in hip-hop. Also, there is something so hurtful when he sings 'ain't nobody praying for me'.

Duckworth

DNA was the first time in a long time I felt compelled to memorize rap lyrics so DNA

could also easily vote Duckworth or Fear though

DNA with consideration for XXX

Element and lust would be my runner ups

No surprise that the rym comments on this are caca
Claiming it’s a sell out album or step down seems really weird and tone deaf for me. Each record should be judged for its own universe and not against some canon trajectory

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Voted for “XXX.” but I’m surprised by the low turnout for “LUST.”.

Surprised YAH got no votes

Element is too low.

no love for god either. god. damn.

The low placings for 'GOD.' and 'YAH.' don't surprise me at all. The low placings for 'ELEMENT.' and 'LUST.' do, though.

God is melodically similar to element

Great track

I don't get howanyone could look on the tracklist for this album and vote for the one featuring U2 .

You mean not for it ?

Anyone play this in reverse? Lamar confirmed it back then that it’s another way to hear the story and the vibe is different. Duckworth makes sense as an opener too

He actually released a version in reverse, too -
https://i1.wp.com/hardyscloset.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IMG_3045.png

That’s the collectors edition yeah :)
My understanding is the reverse version is a life where lamar’s father dies and in the end at “blood” Kendrick dies too? Interesting when artists do things like this, it’s two ways to listen to it - neither is the definitive one

The final verse in FEAR. about potentially losing everything has always stuck with me

that's the one

i held the CD version of this my hands for quite a while yesterday at the record store and then ultimately put it down. i kinda want it, though.

“I’ve been hungry all my life”

CD version omits parts from the digital, probably worth buying as a piece of the puzzle