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Compton's lyrical prodigy Kendrick Lamar has been relatively quiet over the past couple of years, since his masterpiece, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, came out. In an age where constant presence keeps one's relevance alive, this would be less than beneficial if Kendrick was simply average, or above average. However, when Kendrick has popped up in between then and now, he continued to shock the world. Case in point, his earth-shattering verse on a song that was actually a leftover from arguably Big Sean's weakest album. When he followed it up on the BET Hip Hop Awards in the Top Dawg Entertainment cypher, it was essentially his "I came, I saw, I conquered" moment. The world was watching. And Kendrick knew it. The only question is, would he put out another album worthy of his self-proclaimed nickname "King Kendrick"?
Well... yes. But not in the way you'd expect.
After a year (including an infamous Grammys snub) of relative silence, Kendrick put out a new single, entitled "i." The song, while arguably the epitome of a "feel-good anthem," was surprisingly polarizing, and got somewhat mixed reviews, while not getting the radio play it deserved. (It did get him that Grammy though, so there's that.) As 2014 came to a close, Kendrick showed up to perform on TV shows like Saturday Night Live and The Colbert Report (where he was the final musical guest, performing a song he wrote SPECIFICALLY for that night. Pretty awesome, right?) With his new unkempt hairstyle and gritty-looking beard, you could tell that he was focused on this project. Coupled with adopting more of a funk influence in his live performances, including acting pretty James Brown-esque on SNL, you could see he was up to something.
In February 2015, he struck back more ferocious than ever with the in-your-face "The Blacker the Berry," proclaiming himself "the biggest hypocrite of 2015," with the same fuck-you attitude as on "Control," and fans ate it up. This is what they were waiting for.
But Kendrick wasn't here to give the people what they wanted. More what they needed. And when he dropped TPAB, that's what he gave.
Previously announced to drop on March 23rd, it instead showed up on iTunes a week earlier, with fans scrambling to hear what Kendrick would provide to the world.
From the beginning, it became evident that this album would have quite the vintage funk influence throughout, from the sample at the start of "Wesley's Theory," the intro, to when Kendrick screams "HIT ME!" and, with the help of P-funk pioneer George Clinton, made the hip hop world feel the FUNK.
The vintage feel continues on the next song, "For Free?", as he seems to channel Gil Scott-Heron in this spoken-word piece about how he sees racism in America now that he's a star. Personifying the country as a stuck-up woman, Kendrick repeatedly says, "This. Dick. Ain't. FREEEE!" This only elevates the message of the album as a whole, while making it clear that what should be expected here is simply the unexpected.
The next song is the extremely addictive "King Kunta," a song that makes you want to dance and riot at the same damn time. No other explanation is needed.
As the album continues, we get brought into the song "u," a song that was billed as the flip side to "i." Here, instead of self-love, Kendrick vents about some of the things that he has been stressing out about, as he eventually falls victim to the same vice (alcohol) that he shunned on his first commercial hit.
A few more songs in, the album comes to another turning point, the brutally honest "Hood Politics," in which he talks about the "Democrips and Rebloodicans" in Congress, showing them as what they are: the real American gangsters. He follows it up with the Ron Isley-featuring "How Much a Dollar Cost," in which he personifies God as a homeless man, and is shown exploring his own religious beliefs internally. The next song, and the final one before "The Blacker the Berry" kicks in, is "Complexion," a smooth jam with the message "complexion don't mean a thing." It's also the sole track with a rapper feature, in the form of underrated femcee Rapsody, who fits the song extremely well.
Later, we come to the Grammy-winning single "i." Only it's way different than the version we heard. This version is made to sound live, and as he is performing this, there is more of a sense of tension surrounding the song, as the people in the audience begin to break out into a fight mid-song. In response, Kendrick stops the song short and begins to speak directly to the people about the need for self-love. It's a powerful plot twist in the narrative of the album, and speaks volumes to the rest of the album. It's almost like the single was the trailer, and this was the movie.
The album's closer, "Mortal Man," is especially poignant not only in its message on its own, but how its epilogue brings the whole album full circle. He recites two poems, one of which he had been teasing throughout the album, and speaks to his main influence, Tupac Shakur, about various topics which were as relevant in Pac's time as they are in Kendrick's. With his explanation of the album's title at the end, Kendrick's message is made evident. He is no longer the kid living in Compton. He made it out of the hood, and he wants to show those still in there that there's another way to live than one of poor decisions. The message is clear, and it is beautiful. And with this song, the album finishes. There are no bonus tracks, nothing.
In short, this album is beyond phenomenal. It has Kendrick doing the impossible; not only surpassing GKMC, but building on the themes of that album. It's meaningful, but not preachy. It's happy and it's angry. And its perfection lies within these dichotomies. Kendrick could have easily made an album like his last, or one full of songs like "Fuckin' Problems" or "Control." We think that's what we would want, but in the end, we know it isn't. That wouldn't be anything close to what this is.
The one question that remains, like with his previous album, is, "What will Kendrick do next?" This time, we seem to know the answer. Whatever the hell he wants.
Score: 10/10 (duh)
