Reviews (page 10 of 13)
The style does stand out on its own, and there's more creative and complex decisions in the songs. But something about Kendrick's sound just never grabs me, I'm sitting through songs that I can get along with while waiting for a banger that never comes
Some alright songs that I recognize, but not someone I could listen to regularly. I understand why people enjoy him though.
Tiene su interés pero sin letras......
occasionally vivid storytelling from a gifted writer. i like his poetry when he lets his guard down. i like his voice best when it cracks and gets wacky, gets a little weird. but this isn't consistently clear, vulnerable, or weird enough for me. it also lacks anything that gets me out of my seat. not surprising: dr. dre was executive producer. "m.a.a.d. city" probably comes closest to something funky when it morphs into a different song at 2:35 (boom boom bap), even with the squiggly high chronic synth that worms its way in near the end. apparently "backseat freestyle" is supposed to be kendrick's teenage self showing off for his buddies after one of them hits record and prompts him to rap, providing the backdrop for the juvenile eiffel tower dick stuff. but i listened to it four times, and i don't know how i'm supposed to get all that context. i also don't give a shit for skits or songs about someone's dick or sexual prowess (dr. dre, repeat offender: doctor's office / pause 4 porno). tryhard shortcut stuff. you're a good writer. find a metaphor. maybe that makes me a puritan, or maybe i just like wordplay when i know the artist is more than capable of it (kendrick, not dre). make it clever, not obvious, not crass, not boring. god it's boring. on the other hand, a song like "the art of peer pressure" is great. drop the posturing, peel back the production, give us something honest and biographical and retrospective. full of little details -- backseats and his boys and super nintendos and close calls. his voice is right there, too. go figure it's one of the least-listened-to songs on the album on spotify. count "good kid" and the aforementioned "maad city" in the same boat. more of that. i like some things about kendrick lamar, mainly tearing drake a new asshole before, during, and after the super bowl halftime show, but this sounds made for the masses. it's an autobiographical album, but the plot isn't clear enough and the beats aren't infectious enough to hold my attention for long enough to tell its story.
Personally, I prefer older rap with samples, but I get the copyright dweebs put a stop to that. Kendrick Lamar has been growing on me since the Super Bowl. Bonus points for him hating Drake. Fuck that dude. 3.5⭐️
A chronicle of Kendrick Lamar's formative years in Compton. I appreciate the concept and execution of the album, even if I probably won't come back to listen again. Standout track: Compton
It's not without some high points. But overall I just can't get into modern hip hop. 3/5 #77
Not necessarily for me but I can appreciate it.
wel oke volede me te cool
Recognized way more songs than I expected. I can appreciate how good this album probably is for this genre, but just not my vibe. Don't think I could listen to it again.
Damn. Can the pun still be “not intended” if I realized it before I typed it? Whatever. I’ve definitely listened to this album once or twice to hear what all the fuss was about. Despite accusations of being a contrarian levied at me and Kendrick Lamar’s immense popularity, I can remember getting a ton out of this. I’m excited to revisit and I hope to glean even more from this effort. Good 29 year old MAAD suburbs is my working title of this review. Let’s start on a bad note. Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter - The Master Splinter requests an audience with the one they call Kendrick Lamar. Wait a minute. There’s no weird guy named Master Splinter? Whatever. As much as sex is an overused lyrical trope, this storytelling is out of this world. The musicality and lyricism blend so well. Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe - Catchy song but this has lost so much of its lustre for me. Very bright and exciting when I first heard it but I just don’t care about it anymore. Long live the 2020s attention span. The next generation will communicate in a series of bleeps and bloops. Not a horrible song, just doesn’t do anything for me these days. Backseat Freestyle - Man, this song is kinda bad. Repetition of really dumb lyrics in a very Kanye West fashion. Off-putting. The Art of Peer Pressure - More high quality storytelling. It’s nice to be rewarded for listening closely. As a song, this isn’t the greatest thing I’ve ever heard, but I’m certainly enthralled. A fascinating look at adolescent stresses, conflicting feelings, and morality. Money Trees - Another pop moment. However, The laid back yet highly infectious beat, the production, and the continuation of the narrative aspect of this album make this a true highlight. Poetic Justice - I hate this early 2010s club voice. I feel like it was used in so many radio songs. Do I have any source for that? Uhh. Look over there. Background vocals are pretty annoying in this case, but this isn’t abhorrent. Pretty catchy, fun. Oh NO. It’s Drake. Disgusting. He shouldn’t be allowed near any female without a Hannibal letter muzzle and a handler. good kid - This is the first song that I’ve kind of zoned out on. m.A.A.d city - Good lord. This is the kind of stuff that I gravitate towards. The old school aggression vibe with the brilliantly pointed lyrical criticism and acknowledgment of gang violence. A highly intelligent look at the emotions associated with a real issue while leaning heavily on best musical aspects of the genre. Greta feature from MC Eiht. Swimming Pools (Drank) - I feel like this song was the first meaningful song all the dumbest people I. High school listened to. I’ve heard so much discourse about this song for some reason. It’s great that such a popular artist can get that message to resonate, but “alcohol bad” is not exactly a revelation. Even in rap. We heard that excellent Public Enemy song a few weeks back. It is great to restate, especially considering the cultural connotations. Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst - Part deux of the average Lil Wayne listeners’ first experience of thought. I kid the lunkheads. This song this song is quite great. The rapping, the expert use of sound effects, and creation of in-depth emotion. The first beat is fairly boring to me, but everything else makes a very cool track. Real - Oh no. This chorus is awful. Really really really really real awful. Low energy nursery rhyme. I hate this. Compton - This sounds like a song that would appear in “Fight Night Champion.” I played a lot of that game. I think my expectations were too high here. I have certainly outgrown a lot of the feelings on this album. When Kendrick Lamar touches on something powerful that resonates with me, few modern rappers are as eloquent and impactful. There is also a lot of pop on this and frankly, not enough going on song-wise. Kendrick would improve on this formula in a couple years or so, but the songs here aren’t as good as we would hear on later projects. What a drab review. I’ll have to spice it up with something mean or something. I really have nothing. A highly literary rapper who crossed into the mainstream while not betraying one layer of himself. A complex look at street life with points of relation for every goofball in the suburbs make this an album that is ubiquitous in pop culture, and did a great deal to shape it as it is today. Like a MENSA meeting at a McDonald’s, this album is fascinating for its duality, if not slightly lacking in something to my ear. 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees, m.A.A.d city, Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst
There is a lot of talk about coming of age, but there was an entire generation of rappers saying the same things, violence and misogyny. That said, the beats were good. Perhaps not something I’d reach for, but not a bad album by any means.
Ok
It's a cool album but definitely doesn't grab me as much as To Pimp A Butterfly, I just love that jazz influence.
Well, you have to listen to everything I guess... I wasn´t convinced at the beginning but after all I finished and it wasn't that bad. it was good for 1h. 3/5
I'm old(ish), and love me some good late '90's and early '00's rap. Kendrick seems to be carrying the torch for that. Oddly enough though, I didn't get into him until his more recent shit. I think I like this, but it's going to take more listening for it to land.
Skillfully made but this album doesn't really vibe with me for the most part. The Art of Peer Pressure and Money Trees were chef's kiss, though!
It was OK but not for me.
This isn't my type of music nor does it speak to my life experiences, but I found it educational. Lyrically dense and smooth. I can see why he is so popular. He did ruin the Eiffel tower for me though... "We made a right, then made a left, then made a right Then made a left, we was just circlin' life"
Liked a few of the songs, but just not a big fan of the genre.
So first off, rap is definitely not really my genre. But I did like a lot of this. Some of the rhymes and flow were pretty good, and the music was excellent. A lot of this album felt like talking and was quite boring when I'm looking to listen to music. Overall I appreciated the talent that went into making this album, but I'm probably never listening to it again. Three stars.
A few catchy tracks. I can see the appeal but overall not for me
Didn’t listen. I will come back to it 😊. I think it’s going to be a 3
just not my thing at all. I realise it is important and all that, but it is not for everyone. I listened to it with this in mind but i just could not gel with it.. It was not unbearable though..so 3 stars
7/10
Not my jam at all. Quality production, to be sure, but this one’s a miss for me.
gostei. não ouvi todo.
With drake
I've never listened to Kendrick Lamar before. Although this is very much not my style, it is very well done.
Pet fav songs: Backseat Freestyle; m.A.A.d City; Swimming Pools; Compton. I don't know this a "masterpiece" but it is very good. Great production. Overstays its welcome a bit. Cut 'Sing About Me...' and 'Real' and I think this would be better. Albums hitting 40 to 45 mins or more start to drag. Just because technology lets you run up the play time doesn't mean you should. Forced restraint has helped more artists than anyone would like to admit. 30ish mins for an album is optimal just like 90ish mins for a movie. Make your point and keep it tight.
3.5
The elements are here that came to fruition brilliantly in damn but here it feels the subtlety and the pacing and the samples are not on the same level. This is good but not great.
Hmmm. Parts of this are brilliant. I believe many people have this as his best album. I can understand that. I prefer To Pimp, Mr Morale and GNX. This does not mean I don't like Good Kid. I do. It does start to drag towards the end though. It's a 3.5 really.
I'm not a big rap or hip hop guy so this will be a trip out of the norm for me, but with Kendrick being literally everywhere these days I'm excited to give this a listen. Standouts were "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe," "Backseat Freestyle" - absolutely loved this track for the beat and vocal style - "m.A.A.d. City" was powerful, "Swimming Pools." Also really enjoyed the Janet Jackson sample playing under "Poetic Justice," it complimented the song nicely. This is an album to be experienced as a whole and to really absorb the lyrics while you listen. Considering Kendricks upbringing, the whole package packs a punch. My only negatives are that the recordings interspersed into the songs were interesting snips of Kendrick's life, and I get that they help tell a story, but they kind of threw off the flow for me. Some of the songs switch styles/tempo partway through or after being divided with a recording like 2 songs mashed together, which I can't say I loved. Also I thought the album was on the longer side, 10-15 minutes shorter would have been perfect. This was a hard one to rate. I think you have to incorporate all the background and life experiences that were put into it because it's so personal. But, that can be said about a lot of albums. Musically, a lot of it is interesting, but probably not my favorite. It's a great origin story and piece of art, even if a little rough around the edges, and I'm glad to have listened and gotten a glimpse into Kendrick's life but I think this juuuust misses being a 4/5 for me.
Quite chilled, but better when you’re not listening to the effing and jeffing. Reminded me of the vibe of What’s Going On.
I don’t get Kendrick. I’m not a huge hip hop fan but I can appreciate it. I get why people like some rappers who might not be my personal favorite, but I don’t get Kendrick. I’ve listened to this album and to others and it’s just… mid. Ok rapper ok production. What’s all the hype about? How come this is the #6 most listened artist on Spotify? It’s not offensively bad just super generic. I don’t get it. I understand Kendrick is big so he can get his three stars but I don’t like the music.
Kind of enjoyed
I'm not a rap/hip hop fan. This album had some good tracks I know as classics. Other tracks I didn't like at all.
If I never hear another 16th note trap beat again it will be too soon
Obviously he's a great musician and storyteller. I'm not gonna repeat the same shit everyone else has, but I will say there's more to the lyrics than what's on the surface in the hope that those who dislike it for it's "misogyny" or whatever takes another look at it because that's not the point of this album. Story and meanings aside, he's made better stuff. I'm not a great fan of the downtempo, mellow hip hop stuff in general. The basslines are great though and the way he changes his voice to represent different characters and still maintain a high standard is really impressive. High 3
I get the Album. I get the lyrics. Funny hearing Drake on the album. Was decent
Not bad
Prefer his later albums but this is fine
Good album, everyone should hear it at least once 1001 album worthy: Yes - 60/109
Pretty good. not my personal jam, but I liked it. It wasn’t my closest listen, but I knew that it was sorta about escaping poverty and sjw stuff maybe idk
Muy interesante el uso de samples y audios al final de los temas, mucha coherencia en el disco. Producción 10/10. Las letras son ehhh mmmeh pero bueno. Nota: 3.4
Fine.
3,5
A simpler time - when Kendrick and Drake could exist in harmony. I'm too damn old to fully appreciate but the mic skills and thoughtful production are in arguable. The best truly rises to the top - not to me but I hope respect.
I was given very high expectations, which maybe it does deserve but as of two listens it’s not quite there for me. I like how he sounds honestly, I think some of the songs I could get into except that the amount of lyrics that use b**ch or just generally talk about women’s bodies as objects in a lot of the songs make it not very listenable for me. I get that apparently it’s like supposed to be not Kendrick’s thoughts but idk his impression of other people or culture or something but I don’t know where to make that distinction so that frustrated me. I appreciate what I’ve heard his commentary is supposed to be, I just don’t understand where to take his word at face value and where not to. I could see myself looking back on this and feeling completely different but this is where I’m at now.
For a small suburb of Los Angeles, Compton has produced a disproportionately large amount of Gangsta Rap albums. Ok, I get it, it’s one of the most deprived areas of the USA, and I can’t imagine how tough it must have been to grow up there as a young black man, but I really think I’ve listened to enough albums like this now. This one is probably one of the better ones, unusually featuring a Christian conversion prayer alongside the usual m— f—in n— words, but enough already.
At first this album didn't trigger anything particular for me; it's OK I guess, but no more. Then The Art of Peer Pressure started, and I really liked everything from this: the atmosphere, the flow, the storytelling... And it goes on: overall it's not memorable but here and there there are really interesting songs. More of this would have been better.
El disco es de los mejores que he escuchado de rap, pero escuchándolo con más atención es menos de la concepción que yo tenía. Los temas top top son 3 o 4.
No doubt he's a super talented lyricist with some very interesting ideas and collaborating here with some solid producers, but every time he says bitch or nigger my soul takes on more water. Great pacing to this album, but ultimately this music is inside baseball to the extreme, made for people other than me.
It seems somehow appropriate that we'd get a Kendrick Lamar album after his Super Bowl halftime show (not sure how I feel about having two Kendrick Lamar albums in this collection, though). Interesting that Drake coexists quite happily in this album (but not so interesting that I have any desire to understand the beef/diss between both of them). Also interesting that this album doesn't really hew to old-school West Coast style (aside from the unfortunately ubiquitous expletives and misogyny), and I liked it that there's plenty of ambiguity in the too-long and somewhat tedious coming-of-age story on this album. His singles seem like the highlights of the album, and the accompanying videos are compelling even while they're also uncomfortable and offensive at times (but why does the video for "B**ch, don't kill my vibe" end with a brief "Death to Molly" message?). Most of all, though, I enjoyed this album more than I expected to, largely because of the strong storytelling and how he sidesteps the seemingly required sledgehammer of bragging and glamorizing that characterizes so much of 21st century hip-hop (or at least my impression of it). I was really tempted to give it four stars, but the too-long runtime and the super-annoying chorus voice that was on too many of the tracks downgraded it by a star. Sorry, Kendrick!
enjoyed the music more than I enjoyed the lyrics or Lamar's voice.
Well this is where a lot of songs that I’ve heard but never listened to came from. Definitely grooves but I’ve had too much caffeine today for it
Не ми е дошъл още акълът за тоя явно
Started off ok but I soon got bored by the lack of any sort of tune or melody. I much prefer old skool hip hop which is actually fun to listen to!
I thought it was pretty good
Ok Kendrik, de brüder woni erst minimst gstreifft han. Aber au weiss dass de lill noah big up hömie vom bre kndrk isch. Da fallt mir ih, haarscharf isch de noah am ne täättoo verbigschlüderet in quito. Heiligsverdiene wär das öpis gsi. Da wäred d platzspitznadle fast iversüchtig wurde. Also ich ha na nie kendrik album glosst. Ersti track hed mi vor de tramhaltestell krass abgholt, es 4i, denn biz weniger und denn wieder uf es 4i zue und natürli mit money trees straight 5er banger track. Ha mich denn gfragt isch das es 4er oder 3er album und nach langem hani mi entschiede das set es 4i si. Aber bürstlis, Ich bin immer na am wiiterlose gsi, und denn isch e gfüllti 2minute jesus preach stell cho. Und aso bitte, was hed das uf dem album z sueche? Und rechtfertigt das denn na es 3.5er album uf es 4i z lüpfe mit so nöd muskalischem nöd inhalt? Und wett mir generell em ne album wo jesus so fest promoted 4 sternlis geh oder heds nöd mind 0.5pünkt abzug verdient? Dilema dilema Und witer führt min gedanke, curtis mayfield album (5sternlis) hed e jesus lovesong drinne gha. Heds mi gstört, nei nöd mega. Was isch de unterschied denn? Erstens in musik verpackt, und zweitens vu 1970, das sind na anderi ziite gsi. Und ez weissi nöd wasi sell mache. Cooli superbowl show btw.
I think this album is better than the last one. 3.
Not bad
I can see why he's so well thought of. I like the storytelling aspect but I'm too white and too woman to enjoy this very much.
Generally not keen on this style of rap, but some of the tracks I did enjoy (particularly the ones with a more 90s hip-hop beat). Kendrick’s voice is very annoying, would probably give an extra star if it was good. However, the concept and story of the album is interesting and well done.
The topics blended together (sex, gang life, poverty, etc.) and got redundant after a while. I did like the beats which helped bring up the rating.
#471. Not great, not terrible, not much. 3/5: fine
me when bitch don't kill my vibe comes on and i realize i'm accidentally listening to the clean version... thankfully it was only track 2! i fw Kendrick but same thing that i said about NWA, i do not rock with the misogyny. However, i like the style of this album better for sure I like his more recent stuff better but this was a good gym album
5/10 I don't get it. a me problem I'm sure. 1-13-2025
Interesting listen. I very much went into it expecting to hate it. However, there's a lot of interesting things happening in this album. It took me on a journey into a culture I know nothing about, and it's intriguing. Musically, it's very good. I'm not one to usually listen to lyrics, but with this I definitely listened some and I feel like it was an eye-opening experience. Saying that, I absolutely hate the mysogynist nature of a lot of the lyrics, and would be horrified if my children heard me listen to it or were listening themselves. So musically, really liked this, conceptually really liked this, but have to definitely take points off for making me feel uncomfortable listening to the language. 2,5 stars from me, rounded up because of the journey it took me on, but please don't make me listen to it again. Now where my dominos at?!
3.5
Kendrick's always been an interesting case for me. As someone who really loves a lot of hip hop, I appreciate his talent as a rapper, and I think he does do some kind of interesting stuff with the genre. However, it's never gonna be my favorite style of hip hop. He really relies on that laid back west coast sound most of the time (albeit with a modern twist), and I've always preferred the grittiness and energy of east coast hip-hop. I think he adds some funkier, more upbeat stuff on TPAB ("King Kunta" is the best example) that are kind of missing for me here. 3.5 stars.
There are good moments on this but not enough of them. Generous 3.
Enjoyed this a lot more that To Pimp A Butterfly. High 3*
Rap not really my thing. Certainly not gangsta rap. But this albums got a decent sound to it. Wonder how it would feel with different lyrics. Most of the stuff on this album sounds like the wild fantasies of a teenage boy. This will be a once and done album.
This wasn't completely for me, and that's fine. I hadn't really heard anything from Kendrick other than 'Humble' and 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' so this was interesting. I saved about half the songs to my library. Usually because of a combination of samples and production. The lyrics weren't always...an easy listen, I'll admit that. I'm not sure if this is THE most accessible rap album ever made, but it's worth a try, just once.
I think it is good. Just not my jam.
VERY solid album with a few bangers, will probably listen to it every once in a while.
Mumble rap takes centre stage and with that obtuse moralising.
Really good flow and production, but dubious content.
My first experience of Kendrick Lamar and I will be back for more - an aging rocker did not know what he was missing - top stuff
Belle découverte. C'est typiquement pas le genre d'album que j'écouterais par moi même, même si j'en avais pas mal entendu parler, et j'ai été agréablement surpris au cours de l'écoute. Maintenant, c'était un peu "ça passe ou ça casse" en terme de chansons. J'ai réussi à rentrer dans l'ambiance pour la plupart, mais certaines (Bith don't kill my vibe, m.A.A.d city) m'ont totalement sorti de l'ambiance. Clairement un album dont la note pourrait augmenter si je le réécoutais avec les paroles sous les yeux, ça s'entend que le texte est super bien pensé mais c'est impossible d'en voir toutes les subtilités en une écoute. Donc c'est un 3 pour l'instant, mais qui pourrait assez facilement se transformer en 4.
Un album assez difficile à juger dans son ensemble tant selon les différents titres mon avis change du tout au tout. Beaucoup d'entre eux ne me plaisent absolument pas, au point que j'ai eu du mal a écouter l'album en entier et a lutter contre mon envie de skip certaine des musiques. Et puis, il y a "The Art of Peer Pressure", ce titre a lui seul redore l'image que j'ai de l'album. Quelques chose en plus de singulier, d'indescriptible, d'adictif. Au global, un album qui le laisse une impression mitigée. De trop nombreuses musiques comme "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" auxquels je n'ai absolument pas pu accrocher pour seulement quelques musiques avec une vibe pas désagréable et une seule vraiment au dessus du lot. Ce sera donc une note de 2,5
I can see the appeal, but so much of this dragged on and on long after it was interesting. I got bored with about half of it
mid tbh
I half-enjoyed this as a story of drugs and guns and violence, but I struggle to relate to those themes, and I found it a bit repetitive after a while.
Better in second half
This made me sad. Respect for the conceptual thrust. Very intense, and (for my middle-class white ass) pretty rough. I see why people are praising Kendrick Lamar. Interesting.
The jazzy instrumentation is cool and influential for 2010s hip hop. Not a fan of his lyrics though
I find it hard to get into this genre, probably because I never got much exposure to it. That being said, I liked this and in particular, the song "Good Kid".
After all the talk about how genius these KL albums are I was so disappointed. Everything about it felt very generic. 2.5/5
First listen through. Solid outing.
Very solid
Another Hip-Hop album.
Liked the album overall, will probably listen to certain songs again, just didn't love it, not my favorite genre
mt bom, mas tem mts músicas que eu fico "que?" não é meu estilo favorito, então não tenho mt o que falar
Okay
Honest, raw, exposed, honest. I get the love for Kendrick Lamar, now.
Musically I like it, and kudos for being catchy. As long as I don't listen to all the lyrics. Comparing MLK's dream to having sex with the entire world with an Eiffel Tower-sized appendage? Sacrilegiously portraying baptism? Not sure it's as poignant as it's supposed to be.
Well that was a pleasant surprise. I read the reviews beforehand and thought we'd have another puerile doggystyle album on our hands. Alas no, while there is some of that, it's not gratuitous, it's less in your face and a lot of the music is beautifully crafted and enjoyable. The lyrics don't distract from the songwriting. Some of it is quite reflective (Art of peer pressure), although not the one about the penis being as big as the Eiffel tower so he can fuck the world. Wouldn't turn it off in future, even quite enjoyed it, might return in the future, though it really isn't music I tend to enjoy.
3.4 1x
This guy is talked about as one of the all time greats even being new/current but I found this quite generic. The content was pretty standard too, so while technically impressive it’s hardly unique and a bit of a disappointment. Picked up towards the end though.
Första hiphopen. Inte min favorit bland Kendrick Lamar men tjänligt vibe
I've tried this album in the past, and this was easily my favorite time listening to it. The skits feel additive in a way many don't for a bunch of rap albums. And there are some killer tracks. Even the ones that are pretty long still seem to justify their length. I didn't purely enjoy this in a bunch of moments, but I appreciated it a lot more than I have before.
I liked this much better than I thought I would. It won't go in my Tidal collection, as I'm no big fan of rap music, and I probably won't ever listen to it again, but my journey through the tracks was pleasant enough to warrant three stars, rather than the one or two I expected to give up before I listened to it.
always a fine time but i'm too close to my last listen to really enjoy 6/10
3.5/5. Could've been way bettter, But Kendrick had to go with the mainstream modern rap route. Could've hit SO hard. Maybe it's just my tastes. But it felt, tacky, or like, too polished and new for what it's about. But I liked the concept. Some songs I liked, most I didn't. Rap now seems almost too shallow, too much 'fucking bitches' and whatever, when this album had the potential to be heartbreaking. 'To Pimp A Butterfly' was good, along with 'Sherane', 'Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst' and 'The Art of Peer Pressure'. Maybe there were more but I can't remember them.
En ehkä aivan päässyt tähän sisään. Muutaman viisun olin kuullut aikaisemmin. Oon ehkä enemmän ysäriräpin ystävä niin tää yleisesti vaatii totuttelua. 3/5
This was good but not something I'd listen to again
good album, m.A.A.d. rapper. Kendrick has a very distinct flow. You can hear the influence of Outkast, not just his rhyming, the music too. I could do without the phone call sketches. Kendrick is super horny. This is going to date this review, but Kendrick and Drake on the same track is crazy. Poetic Justice is a great song. I know hip hop doesn't really do covers, but this about as close as you can come of a cover of Anytime, Anyplace by Janet Jackson as you're going to get from two MCs. His rhymes are amazing, I'm less thrilled with the beats. Several of these songs are made up of what seems like multiple songs, complete changes in beats. Swimming Pools (Drank) sounds like being drunk, good song. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst might be the longest rap song I've ever heard....a 12 minute song is not easy to pull off. He writes amazing lyrics but the beats leave something to be desired. I did not like this album as much as I thought I would.
I played the song with 1.5 Billion listens and although it's actually quite chilled and laid back it's really not that special? Surely I'm missing something? Not able to distinguish a truly momentous classic from a generic clone track? Giving this *** because I don't hate it.
Not really my thing, but I can see why he is popular.
Nerds love puddy too
Not at the link
Slightly better than his first album, still not my thing though
This was my first time listening to any Kendrick Lamar (to my knowledge). Honestly, I mildly dreaded listening to this album--I didn't think I would enjoy it and wasn't in the mood to take it on. I finally listened to it while working out/driving/sitting in my car. It was kind of a roller coaster of reactions. I know I'm far from the target demographic, and sure enough, there were plenty of moments early in the album where I was like, "Nah, not into this, not for me." I noticed that several songs I found the chorus annoying. So I started with thinking to give 3 stars, then dipped down to 2.5 for a while, then I started finding little things to appreciate, and I rose to 3.5. The last several songs of the album, I was able to sit and focus more while listening, and I found that it was slowly growing on me. I enjoyed the guests, I feel like overall he's a good lyricist with a good delivery (except for some of the choruses which sounded juvenile and repetitive at times), and the production was good. Some of the beats/production stood out as being pretty different from what I've heard before elsewhere, which I appreciated. The lyrical subject matter was kind of grim, but sometimes touching. Mathematically, I don't know whether to give this a three or four. I guess I'll go with three-point-something and round down, curmudgeon that I am.
I liked how this album sounded and I was glad to hear that Kendrick does not solely do the triplet note pattern rap and does not seem to overuse autotune on his voice. These things are so prevalent now in hip hop. So for a young guy I was glad to see him take a different direction from that. There's parts of this that sound like 'traditional' hip hop. At the same time though maybe my ears are just conditioned to associate hip hop with creative sampling from older music (Jay Z sampling the Doors's 5 to 1 for instance). A lot today's hip hop tends to have a glossy machine produced sound (like this album) that is ok, but I still think hip hop's golden era came between 1989 and 1997 or so. Kendrick is a talented guy with interesting things to say. I'll definitely revisit this album.
Not bad.
I get the point: the character in this concept album evolves/changes over each track. But Kendrick Lamar didn't quite manage to pull that off. I didn't see/hear enough change in the central character. "Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst" is great track, though.
Interesting contrast between this album (which is early in Kendrick's career, and talks a lot more about growing up in a rough neighborhood, with aspirations to be rich) versus the last one we heard (which is much later in his career and almost shows guilt for having succeeded as much as he did). The music and rapping is fine but it's still just not my thing.
Decent rap album. I was starting to feel it on the second go around, but it feels like a mixed bag.
I think I liked this a bit more than To Pimp a Butterfly.
Its ok....do we really need all of the answering machine messages?
Some catchy sounds and decent tracks but not a lot of standouts or gamechangers for me. I wanted to like this more...
Man, I had always heard good things about Kendrick Lamar. And I was interested in hearing this. But honestly I didn't care for it too much. Don't care for his voice. Lots of repetitiveness. Long drawn out.
The opener and all the religious interludes were blasts from my past. I'm the son of a Southern Baptist minister, so The Sinner's Prayer and all its variants was played more often than the radio during my childhood. Musically the album started a little weak. The first few tracks felt very haphazard and the vocal was weirdly out of time. Constantly missing the beat in the most awkward ways. A LOT of hiphop is written in the studio behind the microphone and then edited into something coherent after the fact, and the first couple of tracks had that feeling, like it was being improvised in the worst way, without ANY eye for going back and revising it into something more sizzling and precise. I usually have the same thought about Stephen King and Anne Rice novels. And yet, my strongest note about the album is that it felt constantly injected with humanity. It wasn't polished to perfection. I can't imagine there wasn't pitch correction, but even the vocal left room for "mistakes", and in the end, that was the most charming aspect of the album. The songwriting and performances got stronger and stronger until by the closing track I was in full on bop mode. The vocal delivery was precise, the lyrics were clever and concise, and every song on the last half (to my memory) contained a memorable chorus. This album didn't quite do it for me the way a Jay-Z album would, but I get the hype now about Kendrick and will be excited to listen to more from him.
Some really good tracks on here, but not as good of a whole album as D.A.M.N. Three and one-half stars. Extra half-star for the Jay-Z verse on the remix of "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe."
This was better than I expected it to be and I gave it a fair listen without skipping. Even though, going in I knew it was not for me since I believed it to be way outside of my cultural experience. I am completely unfamiliar with this genre and themes but I can see how it was so apparently influential. There were some rhythms and samples that were pretty good and included much more styles from RnB than I expected. I'm glad to have heard it but I know I'm not revisiting this.
I was looking forward to this one but just disappointed at how rappers instantly go for the cliche racist/misogynistic lyrics. I want a rap album that's just quality and not padded when there's nothing else to rap about. Hard to give a rap album 5* for this reason.
Not a big KL fan, but this was alright.
Ouain, là on revient sur Terre avec le genre de rap que j’aime le moins. Par contre, j’aime bien aimer les petits bouts narratifs et les enregistrements de conversations, ça rajoutait beaucoup, donc ça le sauve de justesse d’un 2
Not for me. I didn't like all of the interludes between songs.
To Pimp a Butterfly was a way better album by my estimation. This one was good....just didn't hit me the same way.
Solid. First Lamar stuff I heard was during the Drake Beef. Not like Us is pretty great, came to this album looking for more like that. Album was pretty good
Better than I expected. A concept album with a consistent atmosphere, for better and for worse. A lot of long tracks that feel very similar. Definitely some good lyrics here and there.
Definitely some cool things but not my type of album felt really disjointed I think I'm the wrong demographic
Too many damn skits
It’s brilliant but also deeply offensive and misogynistic in lyrics. So I just can’t listen to it.
This is one I need to listen to many times to get the full effect. There is artistry here that I don't think you can uncover in one casual listen
Not a huge Kendrick guy. Some bangers
That's not my taste in musik. But ok. Nice songs
Lyricism is on point, but I don't really like Kendricks rapping voice.
Really enjoyed but feel I need to listen to further to really appreciate. Will revisit for sure.
Really don't get the hype, but three stars due to some of the ambition shown here. The skits in-between tracks made me impatient for more music.
Bitch, don't kill my vibe. Oops - too late. "I pray my dick gets big as the Eiffel Tower" - seriously? Do we need this shite? ⭐ ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 56 🎧 LPs left to review: 945 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 12 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 17 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 15
Nice beats. Not sure about everything else.
Pense que me iba a gustar más.
I have listened before, but not as the only point of focus. This time I listened on the way to work, and I have to say nothing really wowed me.
Interesting and varied, though I’m not a fan of Kendrick
Not as good as To Pimp a Butterfly. And honestly I just don’t vibe with most of this. Overall I’m not much of a hip hop fan. I can recognize that many of these lyrics are good and I really enjoy some of the melodies and beats he raps over. But there’s just as many misogynistic verses. And I just don’t enjoy hearing the N-word this often. But that’s me. This isn’t made for me. And that’s ok. 3/5
Highlights: Sherane, The Art of Peer Pressure, Sing About Me I'm Dying of Thirst. In a nutshell: hip-hop just got a shake-up. I'm a sucker for world building and storytelling in music. Kendrick does that well. It was great to listen to a rap/hip hop album without skits! Whatever that brassy drum noise (high hat? Snare?) was on Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe has earned my deep hate. It gave me a headache and was annoying. But that song does have a new favourite line: "even a small lighter can burn a bridge". Not my thing, but GKMC helped me appreciate the genre more. Overall: 5/10
This is Outkast. The love below vibes, but not as good
reading the lyrics helped me appreciate this album
The music bored me. The lyrics had meaning, but the delivery left me flat. I prefer more energy in my hip hop.
Albums like this are weird for me. It's supposed to be great. Apples top 100 list just came out and this is sitting at 7. I don't hear it. Stevie Wonder is sitting at 6 and I hear that. I know these things are subjective, and his rap game is really good, but I don't get all the praise when so much of it is derogatory towards women. I won't invest the time it would take to find it's greatness because of that.
cool to have some context of why Kendrick is so celebrated. not something I will listen to a lot though
The best modern rap I have heard but still just not my cup of tea. The biggest difference I noticed was that of the instrumental production. Other modern rap artists simply do not have enjoyable background instrumentals and this album did. Take that away and I don’t think it would be much different from the other artists. He raps about pretty much the same stuff others do and his style does differ slightly but not enough to be that notable. The Kat Williams voice consistently made me chuckle, I was just waiting for a pimp named slick back reference. Overall decent listen and I can now see why people like him so much. 6/10
It wasn’t bad but it also did not convince me to become a huge fan of his music.
It first I thought this was just another gangsta rap album as they all follow a fairly similar recipe. After a couple of listens, this one grew on me. I do wonder what the Gangsta Rap scene would be without 'Bitches and Ho's'
"pray my dick get big as the eiffel tower so i can fuck the world for 72 hours" veeeeeery 2012, but 'art of peer pressure', 'money trees' and 'sing about me' are all super good. love the use of interludes.
I just don't get hip-hop.
Yeah, good, but I didn't personally enjoy it that much. Very dense, a lot going on lyrically and verbally, music not outstanding.
Good album. Wonder when we'll get the next Kendrick/Drake collab?
I already have so many songs from this album in my regularly played playlists, so I’m pretty familiar but have never listened to the album in its entirety. Kendrick always has deep and relevant lyrics, and I’m drawn into the beats and bass of most songs, but I’m dropping some stars because there’s just too much narration going on in between songs that I end up having to skip. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: maybe Favourite Song: backseat freestyle
Musically creative with lyrics that unflinchingly paint an entire universe. Gets to the heart of what it's like just trying to come of age in such a dangerous space, as well as the ambivalence that comes with every choice. Conceptually, one of the best executed hip hop albums I have heard. Fave Songs: Good Kid, The Art of Peer Pressure, Swimming Pools (Drank), Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst, Real
I listened to this with my Gen Z son who assured me that's it's high end stuff. Could be, but it's hard for me to get past the constant vulgarity.
People rave about this but I don't really get it. To pimp a butterfly is waaaaaay better
I have tried several times to get into Kendrick given how iconic he has become in recent years, but he's just not for me. This album is generally heralded, but for me it's just okay. Standouts include Sherane, Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe, Good Kid, Mad City, Real, and Compton.
Swimming pools good, otherwise pretty chill started bad got better
Beats and flow = 4* Lyrics = mostly 2*. To me, the power of a track like “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” is undercut by the total unseriousness of “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” and “Backseat Freestyle.”
A couple good songs a lot of language issues for me.
I will probably have to come back to this one. I think there is something more there but I don't know if I am in the mindset for it.
First album recommended that Tilly had heard of - she says it’s a 3* album.
The music was sick but lyrically it was pretty vulgar and misogynistic
He should try calling women ‘bitches’ less but the songs are good regardless
Great album , well produced, well done
Es gelingt dem Interpreten auf interessante Weise o-Töne von Anrufbeantwortern, Funksprüchen und anderen Aufnahmen in die Rap Stücke einzubringen. Darüberhinaus ist der Sänger verständlich und kombiniert Musik mit seinem Sprechgesang. Warum in Gottes Namer er ständig den Alltagsrassismus im kalifornischen Ghetto anprangert aber selber gefühlt über 100 x Bitch ruft wird wohl nur der Künstler selber wissen. Interessant ist das Stück „Bitch don‘t kill my vibes“.
Smooth, but the skits are irritating.
Not my favorite rapper
It would be impractical to have a dick the size of the Eiffel tower
Took the first half of the album to sink into but once I put on the headphones and made the transition the beats and lyrics were satisfying.
Kendrick Lamar is easily the best rapper of his generation, but enjoyment of music is so directly impacted by how you connect with it, and this white guy from the suburbs of the UK doesn't really relate to Kung-Fu Kenny, so I'm left a little cold by the objectively great album.
Kendrick Lamar is responsible for some of my favorite features, I’m a big fan of Dre and Aftermath, the production on this album is brilliant, the story telling is well done, but the vocals are atrocious.
This was better than I remembered but I cannot stand when he sounds like he’s crying/whining his verse
I don't get the hype.
good kid m.A.A.d city money tree poetic justice sing about me
Some amazing songs and some boring ones
Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
Not for me…
It was good. Lots of good songs. Some not quite as good. Overall quite good. I enjoyed it. Goof sats the same
good listen. my son has him in his rotation regularly.
Not a big rap fan so didn't get crazy into it. Fun to recognize songs that I knew but didn't realize where they came from
3/5
Quite a bit of what the golly gosh is going on here filler on this album.
I've heard lots of good stuff about Kendrick, in fact a colleague of mine teaches his lyrics as a poetry unit. I, however, remain largely unenthused.
not really my thing, but the guy is crazy talented.
It’s fine. Not my thing and I’m not listening to 1 1/2 hours of it, though.
Not my thing. But not terrible.
I expected to like this more than I did. Kendrick's style is unique and there are some good lyrics here but I wanted more hooks. His monotone rhythm still creates a compelling atmosphere, but it's not necessarily one I want to immediately revisit. Standouts: the title track.
Wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. good album, not much to say idk.
Good beats, rhythms. (no comments about Drake and Dr. Dre)
good album, m.A.A.d. lyrics. I prefer this album to "To Pimp a Butterfly," which I am not sure is a minority opinion or not. As usual with some rap albums, the skits are a bit long and stuck at the start/end of a song instead of as a separate track, which is a bit annoying for skipping capabilities. I have always liked "Compton" on this album and was surprised it has so few plays. "The Recipe" is a bonus track and not really "on" the album which I find to be interesting and I enjoyed the Beach House sample on "Money Trees."
3 of 5
interesting...will take more listens
not bad
bitch don't kill my vibe good kid compton
Buen álbum, rap con flow. Balancea bien melodías con rap para que no se sienta demasiado denso.
Long. Too many skits. Answering machines conversations etc… that was done in the 90s, move on. Hes good, I see why he is considered one of the best. Definitely better by miles than Kanye. Just shorten them up. Dont need the same lines repeated that much, and the 12 minute song? No. Best track was with Dre.
Half the tracks were really cool, and the other half I kind of hated. Maybe I'm missing context, not being a hip.hop fan, but I didn't see the concept really come through. This wasn't for me, but I can appreciate that it exists for people who its for
Not really my thing
kendrick lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city is arguably a concept album. lamar tells a story with purpose. he still manages to make the songs hella catchy ("bitch don't kill my vibe"). lamar's lyrics are a crucial part of why this album is so powerful, especially with a song like "sing about me, i'm dying of thirst". the closing track of "compton" was co-written and co-sung with dr. dre, who also grew up in compton, and this choice was so smart as lamar concludes his album and that period of his life. i couldn't help but compare this album to lamar's following album, to pimp a butterfly. butterfly felt like a more mature and realized album. more creativity, too. i did like it quite a lot, and i was disappointed to not like this one similarly.
Kendrick Lamar has left his signature on hip hop music by bringing a unique take and flavor all his own to the genre, and this album is what really kicked that off for him and got him the recognition he deserved. There is still an immaturity here where you see Kendrick following in the steps of others who came before him more than leading (the typical misogynistic bullshit, for instance). But on other tracks, you can see and hear what Kendrick is capable of in terms of changing and progressing the genre, especially in the beats. In my opinion, this album is an imperfect but very strong and notable step in Kendrick's path of greatness.
Solid 3/5
I want to like this album, and there are a couple songs I do like. I genuinely think "Swimming Pools" is an excellent song, and "Real" is very good, as well. However, most of the album didn't appeal to me, and "Backseat Freestyle" sounds like a joke song to me. I can recognize the flow Lamar has and some of his lyrics on the album are good, but I'm guessing this album doesn't truly reveal the content that won him the Pulitzer. I'd probably give this 2 stars based on my own enjoyment, but I can see the potential in his flow and music and also recognize how much he has meant to so many other people.
When this album came out, it totally went under the radar for me, I don’t think I really appreciated this as much as I should have. I think I found it to be just another rap album, and it even had skits; I had thought the hip-hop industry had done away with skits by 2012, ugh. But while there’s still parts of this album I don’t particularly like, I think the highs on this album are as high or higher than anything on any of Lamar’s other albums. “Money Trees” and “Swimming Pools (Drank)” are among his best. That said, overall this album is less consistent than To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN., or even Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. I wouldn’t say Mr. Morale is as good as Good Kid, but Mr. Morale is more consistently good, whereas Good Kid has lower moments. In any case, I’m glad this monumental album ended up on the 1001 albums list.
Not sure
Lamarr is great at what he does, but listening to this in one sitting was too hard.
I was fully prepared to hate this, given the number of 1 star reviews in this list, but I thought it was actually quite enjoyable and thoughtful. It went on a bit too long though.
Didn’t mind this, but the album is too long
Not my style of music, but had some catchy songs still and came to appreciate it more after learning it’s a concept album.
After reading some of the reviews here, I was expecting something awful. But I don’t hate this. I get that there’s a lot of strong language, and usually too much misery will turn me off, too. But this is actual music, with actual singing. There’s actually something interesting going on here. It’s good. Lots I can live without, but overall this is good.
definitely need to listen to this one more, hard to take it all in the first time through. wish i didn't have to star this
It was a great album; however, the new albums from Kendric also overcame it. Even being really good, it's not possible to give it more credit than "To pimp..."
Nice and unexpected.
I can hear why Kendrick Lamar is a highly critically acclaimed artist, and this is a fairly chilled and easy listen (at a surface level). Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Money Trees Date listened: 16/12/23
Nog steeds geen fan van die intermezzo's. Af en toe wel lekker maar een remix en het nummer op 1 album?
Cleaver beats.
I went into listening thinking I wouldn't enjoy this and I wouldn't choose it on my own but it wasn't horrible.
I'm really torn here. I like the narrative aspect of this album. I can appreciate the narrative persona within the context, but I don't *like* this guy -- not in an "unlikable narrative" way. It's an expression within a clear social context, but it's so damn juvenile. It feels like every time it tries to rise above and express a larger social message, it swaggers so hard the album ends up tripping on its shoelaces.
I listened to about half. It was too long and Im not super into rap so IDK. What I heard was good though
Ok-but I recognize the acclaim.
Pas écouté en entier mais ça va, ça s'écoute bien mais si j'ai l'impression que ce sont toujours les mêmes thèmes qui sont abordés dans les chansons...
4/12, 33%
57/100 Based on this scale 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 Full disclosure, I'm not a big fan of rap. I have nothing specifically against it, but when I listen to a song, the most important aspect of it to me is instrumentation and the least important aspect of it is its lyrics. Rap is mostly about lyrics, with little regard for instrumentation. That's tough for someone like me. However, this album explores enough sounds to grab my interest, for moments, here and there. I'm not into what he does, but he's pretty good at doing it.
Actually my least favorite album of K. But it gave him the mainstream acceptance, Section 80 is a much better album tho. His last ist great too
Sweet!
3,5
Its ok, but a bit Goddy
Didn't think I'd like it after the first couple of songs, but from 'The Art of Peer Pressure' it really kicks it. High 3, not quite a 4.
Rap
Han lägger bajs i maten. Hade kunnat vara 4
Stark öppning. Men fan, måste hip hop sabba musiken med strunt (telefonsvararen i slutet). Det sabba flower i albumet. Bitch counter: svinhög Älskar Kendricks röst #2 lite svagare. #3 ok, lite tjatigt #4 efter inledningen är det riktigt bra, svinnajs flow. Bäst hittills. Men då är det massa snack i slutet (genomgående i hela albumet, i princip på alla låtar). SLUTA MED DET! Bra efter nån minut, VARFÖR? #5 Money tree, mycket bra! #6 (poetic justice) inte så bra #7 good kid svinskön. Bra flow, skön hook. Rätt bra texter överlag, särskilt denna. #8 andra halvan bra, en del låtar som ändras efter halva - lite irri #9 inte bra, rätt dålig. #10 bättre än förra. Men håller ok nivå. Inte dåligt, men inte jättebra, mycket bra från 7 min. #13 Compton, skön Generellt är det igen låt som sticker ut och är svinbra. Men jämnbra.
Kendrick’s age shows on this one. There’s some bangers for sure but it’s mostly just your typical gangster rap themes - robberies, drive bys, getting drinks etc.
The skits killed my vibe. Too bad. Quality production overall. Best tracks: Backseat Freestyle, Don't Kill My Vibe, and Swimming Pools
Good for what it is, I can appreciate the vibe. Not my style at all but I didn't mind the storytelling aspects.
look, I’ve never been the biggest fan here, at least compared to everyone else my age. the impact of this record on millenials is undeniable, but at this point it all feels very played out. I think if I could listen with fresh ears I would score it higher, but sadly I cannot
Of course Ive heard how impactful and influential this album was, and definitely heard the singles before; but it was nice to really dig in. I love the mix of producers, jazz elements, cinematic style, and attention to detail. Standouts: All the vocal interludes, Sherane, Backseat Freestyle, Drakes verse on Poetic Justice,
Maad city fav track
I'm sure this is great, but I got it on a bad day.
Not my jam. He's a poet, though.
I really enjoyed a few songs on the album. It’s a great album to play while driving. I think I need to listen to this album a few more times to get it.
I guess OK, but too "new" for me or something
I might be shortchanging this a bit… Highlights: - Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe - m.A.A.d city - Sing For Me, I’m Dying of Thirst
einer seiner besten
Chill vibe, nothing musically exciting
fine but not really something I'm all that into from a genre standpoint
Some good stuff, mostly kinda boring though.
Meh
Music is super interesting, solid 5 stars for all the noises mixed into the music, but can't deal with ANY misogynistic lyrics which in almost any other case lead to NO STARS from me, so guess what: You get a three.
Fantastic singles and production, but a little long. And not as jazzy as TPAB
A talent. A blunt and hard-hitting narrative concept with some tight production (not one to listen to on the school run…)
His rapping is very good, fast rhymes while also enunciating the words so you can actually understand what he's saying takes skill. The beats are good, great production that you would expect from Dr. Dre. Guest appearances from JayZ and Pharrell also added to the albums. Lyrically, I'm not a fan of his objectifaction of women and descriptions of violence against them, but this album was a retrospective of his early life, talking about what he saw, and was taught. In that aspect it's an interesting piece of work, overall a decent album
Pretty good. Kendrick is a capable rapper, and the overall mood is decent. A few standouts, like Swimming Pools, cross the threshold into being unique. The main issue is that the production is largely pretty boilerplate. Whatever is borrowed from g-funk and dirty south is borrowed wholesale, unchanged. It's standard fare, with above average lyrical delivery. But Kendrick's flow can't elevate it enough to make it noteworthy. I know this album was hyped up and acclaimed to the moon. I assume that's for the storytelling, which I don't care about. I didn't grow up in Compton. I can't identify with that. I don't care about how he was materialistic and then grew into being a more thoughtful and spiritual person. I want an album of music, not a biography.
Well produced, surprisingly soathing sometimes, but not very disrupting, lacks overall punch. Includes some outstanding tracks tho, later albums are even better.
Some bangers but otherwise quite mid
There are moments here and there on this that I like, I just really can’t get into it. I’d probably give this 3.5 if I could.
It's OK. Doesn't have as much going on as To Pimp A Butterfly, which I really liked about that album. I don't see myself coming back to this album much if at all, where Butterfly has entered my regular rotation.
Thus was an interesting listen. It wasn't something I would listen to again as it's not my type of music, but I appreciated the story the album was telling.
Ihan kelpo kuunneltava, mutta ei sillein ekalla kuuntelulla iskenyt
Hay un par medio al principio que son excelentes.
If To Pimp a Butterfly is Kendrick’s Dark Side of the Moon then this is his Obscured by Clouds. Lots of themes and styles here that would be improved upon resulting in TPaB. Was initially disappointed by all the talking/skits early on but thankful they are few and far between.
It was very good!!! Hip Hop just isn’t my Jam!
Seeds of greatness in this one. Too many skits swells the runtime somewhat.
Obviously, some spectacular storytelling is going on here. I respect him and I understand why this album in particular was studied in a scholarly aspect as to what life is like for all of those who grew up in Kendrick's situation. Honestly, it's giving a bit of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Unfortunately, unlike most people my age, I was not immersed in this album growing up (save for the few sound bytes and songs that were put in the sports video games) and it holds no specific place in my heart. Therefore, from a purely listener standpoint, I'm pretty neutral about the album and don't want to overinflate the rating due to cultural impact. Sorry, but these ratings show what I like to listen to, not what everyone else likes.
mouais
Обычно. Скучновато. Некоторые мотивы интересны, но не более того.
Ok, quite good music, varied rap vocal styles. Very few aggressive, abrasive raps. I see the attraction and intelligence. Just not my style.
Not a fan of the entire album, but definitely a fan of a few specific songs!
Weird album. Enjoyable, but not memorable
Not into this music but it's not unpleasant to listen to.
3/5 some bangers but some songs I really wanted to skip
Banger. I was actually late on KDot. Only started seriously listening once DAMN dropped. Not a whole lot of filler on here. A lot of the production doesn’t stand the test of time for me, but there’s def a handful of classics on here.
I really like Kendrick Lamar, although I couldn't tell you why. It feels new and exciting (although this was released a while ago now), even though the lyrics don't speak directly to me. It feels like he has something to say and knows how to say it. I played this but wasn't giving it my full attention, and it doesn't really work as background. One to revisit.
Much respect to Kendrick. This album only cements how I feel about him. Great artist, some things I dig, but ultimately not for me.
Not bad per se, but it's not my thing. Seems like there could be a lot to explore here if, y'know, the music were better.
Regular "I am not a fan" regarding the genre. Meh. No reason to listen again
this might be my favorite rap album. i don't like the politics but it's easy to ignore. almost classy message on some songs. swimming pools, bitch don't kill my vibe for the lyrics, backseat freestyle, good kid instrumental
Some good tunes in here but half of it is bland and similar to others in the genre
he really relies on mock misogyny on this album. the things that are being criticized tend to sound like hes actually revering them. its not a good look. all of the found tape recordings get tiring. there are some strong tracks that really convey the “what its like to be black in LA, in america” but it strays and fails just as much. its a worthy attempt bit falls flat.
The first big Kendrick album and the last for me on the list. Walking back in order of maturity has been an interesting review of Lamar’s work - while I prefer the hyper-focused lyrics and interlocking beats of the DAMN era, this LP has a sense of sprawling chaos that feels much more raw and alive than anything that comes after it. Lacks some polish and gets way too loose/experimental at times, but has some killer consciousness /and/ instrumental combos that may be some of my fav Kendrick tracks I’ve heard.
Feel like it could go down or up with more listens but low 3 stars based on first listen
some tracks better than others
San Andreas vibes
Hmmm, this didn't grab me nearly as hard as "To Pimp a Butterfly". Appreciated the storytelling in some of the tracks, but others left me cold. Fave track - "The Art of Peer Pressure", probably, and maybe "Sing About Me / I'm Dying of Thirst"
Interesting. Not bad. Can see where Blackstar got inspo from.
Not really my jam but I still enjoyed it for the most part.
Ok. I enjoyed how story driven the songs were, but the music didn’t do much for me. Probably won’t listen to this again.
Kendrick Lamar está sobrevalorado ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
3.75/5
good album, b.A.A.d mixing