In examining Kendrick as a technician, there’s a couple of places he might not be as strong as others. It required most people multiple listens and plenty of discussion before they realized it was a sequel to another excellent storytelling example in “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst.” There’s something ethereal about the way TPAB track was written that sounded like a love song and ended as a revenge tale. It’s nearly impossible to name all of the songs where his narrative skills are best exemplified but, if there was contest for which song to pick, “These Walls” would be his best contribution.
In addition to his abilities to craft narratives and lyrically execute rappers, his storytelling abilities would make Slick Rick take off his eye patch as a sign of respect. Kendrick washed Jay Z up and put him out to pasture on “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix).” He committed multiple murders when he brutalized MMG’s “Power Circle.” His crowning feature on Drake’s sophomore album Take Care, an interlude after “Marvin’s Room” titled “Buried Alive,” was one of the best verses on the album. His list of bodies is longer than the lunchtime wait at Chic-Fil-A. When he’s not blowing minds and reaching for the stars on personal projects he loves to embarrass your favorite rappers during guest features. The 29-year-old rapper exhibits greatness when crafting albums, but his albums are composed of lyrics and he’s really good at writing those, too. Overly Dedicated (OD) feels every bit like someone who’s “overly dedicated” to being the best at his craft and his self-titled EP features some of his most personal work to date. S.80 - whether you believe this to be his true debut is irrelevant - was released in 2011 and has a level of polish his contemporaries still haven’t matched.
TPAB is an expert lesson in cohesion and how to hook a listener from the opening track to the LP’s closing moments.Įven his earlier efforts still exhibit a form of thematic direction.
GKMC feels like an audio crossover between Boyz N Da Hood and Menace 2 Society. We live in an age where people question if the “traditional” album is being replaced by “playlists.” But if albums are dead, Kendrick missed the memo.Īlbums are important to the Compton rapper and it’s clear by the work he puts into them. The current landscape of mainstream rap is filled with rappers who aren’t good at rapping. Kendrick Is Really, Really Good at Rapping 4” and “ Humble.” Even if he doesn’t, it still doesn’t take away from what he’s done thus far. He seems poised to meet, and possibly exceed, those expectations after lighting the internet on fire with “ The Heart Pt. On the eve of the release for his new album expectations have never been higher.
To Pimp a Butterfly (TPAB) won the sort of critical acclaim people were sure rappers who “strictly rapped” weren’t capable of winning. City (GKMC), was one of the best released rap albums of 2012. S.80 found the West Coast emcee playing the role of upstart rapper, breathing new life for an entire generation of artists. Dot, however, already has a tremendous body of work. Rap fans have seen plenty of emcees with potential crash down to Earth in a fiery blaze like the Hindenburg. being one of the lone exceptions - need long careers and chances to fuck up before they join these hallowed grounds. These examples can go on forever but rappers - Notorious B.I.G. What if Jay-Z gave the world Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime: Volume 1 (a fire album, btw), but retired before The Blueprint? Does A Tribe Called Quest still garner everlasting love if they dropped The Low End Theory and disbanded before they created Midnight Marauders? Imagine Nas starting off with Illmatic and It Was Written then dying after Nastradamus. Arguments become more solidified when rappers get a chance to shake back. list is how they’ve made music over the course of their careers. A common denominator of rappers on the G.O.A.T. Even though he’s been signed since 2005, he really didn’t come into conscious until the 2011 release of Section.80 (S.80). Some will cry it’s too soon to ask because Lamar’s career isn’t over yet. His newest LP is set for release on Friday so now’s the perfect time to look at his career thus far and ask a simple question: is Kendrick already one of the greatest rappers of all-time (G.O.A.T)? Kendrick’s Catalog Is Already Pretty Incredible
Since the 2009 release of The Kendrick Lamar EP (KLEP), the Compton emcee has built his legend one verse, song, and album at a time. Kendrick Lamar is undoubtedly one of the best rappers of his generation. Be sure to check out the introductory piece for more insight on this week’s offerings. This week, we’re taking a closer look at the path Kendrick Lamar’s traveled leading up to his new album release, from scrappy rookie to his current position as rap’s would-be king.