Kendrick Lamar is better than Soundgarden

[Dev]

Can someone explain the appeal? Like what is unique about him?

[Dev]

I saw the lyric about stretch marks and thought it was pretty stupid.

[Dev]

The album should have been called stretch marks.

[LoathedVermin72]

Like Kanye, his albums are conceptual. The songs (and albums) build off each other thematically. You can't really just pick out individual lines or verses to understand or criticize what he's doing. It's like people bringing up Kanye's bleached asshole line as an example of bad lyrics when they don't understand the context for it or why it's there.

[Kevin Davis]

Can someone explain the appeal?

Only about a million writers on the internet over the past five years

[Dev]

But Kanye atleast has a unique flow.

[Dev]

What is the essential concept of the latest album, LV?

[Kaius]

But Kanye atleast has a unique flow.

Uhhhhhhhh

You're not actually listening, are you?

[LoathedVermin72]

What is the essential concept of the latest album, LV?

It's hard to boil down to one simple concept, but it's, essentially, about Kendrick himself, and the space he currently occupies in the culture. It builds off the ending of To Pimp a Butterfly, when he realized he had outgrown his previous idols (such as 2Pac) and that they don't have the answers to the kinds of complex social, spiritual, and personal conflicts he is going through right now. He has no leader. Somewhat similar to the end of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, where Kanye admits he is "lost in the world." Though I think this album isn't quite as tragic; Lamar is a bit more cerebral, keeping the listener at arm's length, while Ye is all unfiltered, sweeping emotion.

[tragabigzanda]

What is the essential concept of the latest album, LV?

It's hard to boil down to one simple concept, but it's, essentially, about Kendrick himself, and the space he currently occupies in the culture. It builds off the ending of To Pimp a Butterfly, when he realized he had outgrown his previous idols (such as 2Pac) and that they don't have the answers to the kinds of complex social, spiritual, and personal conflicts he is going through right now. He has no leader. Somewhat similar to the end of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, where Kanye admits he is "lost in the world." Though I think this album isn't quite as tragic; Lamar is a bit more cerebral, keeping the listener at arm's length, while Ye is all unfiltered, sweeping emotion.

I'd agree with most of this, except for the bold part. I'll argue that Kanye's lyrics are more personal -- he's often the center of his stories; but Kendrick tends to tell stories about other people in his community, real or imagined. Take FEAR for example, a song about someone who was beaten regularly as a child by his impoverished guardian, and now smokes weed regularly to escape the constant anxiety that has lingered.

I'd also say that Kanye's magnifying glass tends to look at the paradoxes of fame, power, and social justice from the vantage point of one who's ascending to a very affluent quality of life and embraced that position, while Kendrick looks at the same issues from the vantage point of one who is attempting to eschew the trappings of fame in an effort to remain true to his roots.

[LoathedVermin72]

What is the essential concept of the latest album, LV?

It's hard to boil down to one simple concept, but it's, essentially, about Kendrick himself, and the space he currently occupies in the culture. It builds off the ending of To Pimp a Butterfly, when he realized he had outgrown his previous idols (such as 2Pac) and that they don't have the answers to the kinds of complex social, spiritual, and personal conflicts he is going through right now. He has no leader. Somewhat similar to the end of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, where Kanye admits he is "lost in the world." Though I think this album isn't quite as tragic; Lamar is a bit more cerebral, keeping the listener at arm's length, while Ye is all unfiltered, sweeping emotion.

I'd agree with most of this, except for the bold part. I'll argue that Kanye's lyrics are more personal -- he's often the center of his stories; but Kendrick tends to tell stories about other people in his community, real or imagined. Take FEAR for example, a song about someone who was beaten regularly as a child by his impoverished guardian, and now smokes weed regularly to escape the constant anxiety that has lingered.

I'd also say that Kanye's magnifying glass tends to look at the paradoxes of fame, power, and social justice from the vantage point of one who's ascending to a very affluent quality of life and embraced that position, while Kendrick looks at the same issues from the vantage point of one who is attempting to eschew the trappings of fame in an effort to remain true to his roots.

I don't disagree with any of that. Not sure how it contradicts what I said?

[tragabigzanda]

What is the essential concept of the latest album, LV?

It's hard to boil down to one simple concept, but it's, essentially, about Kendrick himself, and the space he currently occupies in the culture. It builds off the ending of To Pimp a Butterfly, when he realized he had outgrown his previous idols (such as 2Pac) and that they don't have the answers to the kinds of complex social, spiritual, and personal conflicts he is going through right now. He has no leader. Somewhat similar to the end of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, where Kanye admits he is "lost in the world." Though I think this album isn't quite as tragic; Lamar is a bit more cerebral, keeping the listener at arm's length, while Ye is all unfiltered, sweeping emotion.

I'd agree with most of this, except for the bold part. I'll argue that Kanye's lyrics are more personal -- he's often the center of his stories; but Kendrick tends to tell stories about other people in his community, real or imagined. Take FEAR for example, a song about someone who was beaten regularly as a child by his impoverished guardian, and now smokes weed regularly to escape the constant anxiety that has lingered.

I'd also say that Kanye's magnifying glass tends to look at the paradoxes of fame, power, and social justice from the vantage point of one who's ascending to a very affluent quality of life and embraced that position, while Kendrick looks at the same issues from the vantage point of one who is attempting to eschew the trappings of fame in an effort to remain true to his roots.

I don't disagree with any of that. Not sure how it contradicts what I said?

I guess just that I don't feel like Kendrick is keeping me at arms' length; I feel like he's pulling me in close and telling me stories about people he knows intimately. Not a big deal.

[LoathedVermin72]

What is the essential concept of the latest album, LV?

It's hard to boil down to one simple concept, but it's, essentially, about Kendrick himself, and the space he currently occupies in the culture. It builds off the ending of To Pimp a Butterfly, when he realized he had outgrown his previous idols (such as 2Pac) and that they don't have the answers to the kinds of complex social, spiritual, and personal conflicts he is going through right now. He has no leader. Somewhat similar to the end of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, where Kanye admits he is "lost in the world." Though I think this album isn't quite as tragic; Lamar is a bit more cerebral, keeping the listener at arm's length, while Ye is all unfiltered, sweeping emotion.

I'd agree with most of this, except for the bold part. I'll argue that Kanye's lyrics are more personal -- he's often the center of his stories; but Kendrick tends to tell stories about other people in his community, real or imagined. Take FEAR for example, a song about someone who was beaten regularly as a child by his impoverished guardian, and now smokes weed regularly to escape the constant anxiety that has lingered.

I'd also say that Kanye's magnifying glass tends to look at the paradoxes of fame, power, and social justice from the vantage point of one who's ascending to a very affluent quality of life and embraced that position, while Kendrick looks at the same issues from the vantage point of one who is attempting to eschew the trappings of fame in an effort to remain true to his roots.

I don't disagree with any of that. Not sure how it contradicts what I said?

I guess just that I don't feel like Kendrick is keeping me at arms' length; I feel like he's pulling me in close and telling me stories about people he knows intimately. Not a big deal.

Ah, gotcha. That's fair.

[tragabigzanda]

What is the essential concept of the latest album, LV?

It's hard to boil down to one simple concept, but it's, essentially, about Kendrick himself, and the space he currently occupies in the culture. It builds off the ending of To Pimp a Butterfly, when he realized he had outgrown his previous idols (such as 2Pac) and that they don't have the answers to the kinds of complex social, spiritual, and personal conflicts he is going through right now. He has no leader. Somewhat similar to the end of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, where Kanye admits he is "lost in the world." Though I think this album isn't quite as tragic; Lamar is a bit more cerebral, keeping the listener at arm's length, while Ye is all unfiltered, sweeping emotion.

I'd agree with most of this, except for the bold part. I'll argue that Kanye's lyrics are more personal -- he's often the center of his stories; but Kendrick tends to tell stories about other people in his community, real or imagined. Take FEAR for example, a song about someone who was beaten regularly as a child by his impoverished guardian, and now smokes weed regularly to escape the constant anxiety that has lingered.

I'd also say that Kanye's magnifying glass tends to look at the paradoxes of fame, power, and social justice from the vantage point of one who's ascending to a very affluent quality of life and embraced that position, while Kendrick looks at the same issues from the vantage point of one who is attempting to eschew the trappings of fame in an effort to remain true to his roots.

I don't disagree with any of that. Not sure how it contradicts what I said?

I guess just that I don't feel like Kendrick is keeping me at arms' length; I feel like he's pulling me in close and telling me stories about people he knows intimately. Not a big deal.

Ah, gotcha. That's fair.

[Teeeeeekay]

This album is so DAMN. addictive.



Really doe, Kendrick at the height of his game.

[bodysnatcher]

Man, when the song breaks and Bono comes in on "XXX", it sounds like something right off UNKLE's "Psyence Fiction". So good.

[tragabigzanda]

Man, when the song breaks and Bono comes in on "XXX", it sounds like something right off UNKLE's "Psyence Fiction". So good.

Yes! I was also thinking this sounded like a Shadow/UNKLE track.

[tragabigzanda]

That bridge on DNA is sublime.

[LoathedVermin72]

It's kind of hilarious that he essentially used U2 as the sound of white ignorance

[tragabigzanda]

It's kind of hilarious that he essentially used U2 as the sound of white ignorance