Is Kendrick Lamar the End of Hip Hop?

[Legal Dollaz]

Nothing compares to Aquemini...

Wow @ you people.

THANK YOU. Lets not get crazy folks, I listened to this album 2 times straight through and its solid and I think dude can actually grow to make some shit in the future that will blow this project out the water but its not something that took me there if you get what I'm saying. I think its a lack of content diversity in the current marketplace that makes this standout more than it would if this was dropped back in the mid 90's. And for the record I love the TDE movement but I have more anticipation for the Ab-Soul dude than Kendrick Lamar.

I'm suddenly in the mood to listen to Ras Kass "Soul On Ice"....

 

[Focused]

Absolutely not. Stubborness in coming to an understanding everyone doesn't like the same thing is clouding if anything.

You guys are trying to tell me i'm WRONG for not liking something. I'm trying to figure out why y'all do. The only thing y'all came up with was "kendrick told a life story". SO DOES 90% of rappers on their debuts. I get it, you guys don't know why you like it, but want me to do the same because you said to?

But trying to compare this to ATLiens and Aquemni? Lyrically? Productionwise? Mixwise? Consistancy? I'm sure even Kendrick fans will think you're stretching a bit unless THEY JUST HEARD THOSE OUTKAST ALBUMS TO COMPARE. I'm not saying which is BETTER. IAll i'm saying is these albums don't share much of a common ground(IMO).

I would compare GKMC to Drake's "Take Care" funny people evaded that comment. You guys really don't see a comparison? What about the "So Far Gone" mixtape?

Sidenote, I was never even the biggest Outkast fan. For the same reason's I don't like Drake and Kendrick, but Outkast went waaaayyyyyyy harder. If you compared that to Andre's solo album, I wouldn't be able to argue, I wasn't a fan, but Aquemni and ATLiens were a different level IMO.

The main things that make this album great in short:

1.) Authenticity of the story being told. You really feel like you understand the characters in the movie and the songs give us a deeper look into the main character's perspective and feelings in each scene.

2.) The Message- We haven't had a modern LA based rapper talk about the perils of city life and the challenges that this current generation faces from a conscious point of view. This album provides an update on the LA city culture and climate without glorifying the lifestyle.

3.) Music- The music taps into modern sound aesthetics while incorporating Jazz and Soul sensibilities and phrasing. As a Jazz and Soul fan, I could appreciate his usage of those elements in his album.

4.) Cohesiveness- The album sticks to the concept and doesn't make any strange turns just to appease different music tastes. The album leaves me with the impression that it was meant to be enjoyed as a complete work. The movie scene dialog connects well with the music.

 

[dev vision]

Best Hip Hop album since MBDTF.

 

[deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup]

@Focused, I can respect those views. I'm by far not a fan of Game, but would put his R.E.D. album ahead of this one by far. Especially from an L.A./Hip "real hop"(respect the quotes) perspective. I feel like it was a better look into L.A. and he stayed "true to himself". I'm just giving examples of other albums because I'm lost to what makes this one stick out. I'm prolly from a different era or L.A. Music. I was into stuff like Mitchy Slick, Jay Rock(ironically), Nipsey, G shyt, but when it came to "real hip hop" stuff like Planet Asia and Dilated kinda outdoes this Kendrick stuff IMO.

Why put it ahead of Game - R.E.D. or 2 Chainz, or MGK, Drake, or G.O.O.D. Music? Wale - Ambition? J. Cole? Even Waka's 1st joint? Maybe it wasn't you, but I'm asking that to the guys commenting like there was nothing for years before this. I'm not telling, genuinely ASKING.

 

[EnigmaticHipster]

Sorry I understand the strategic "underground/underdog/average guy who made it" marketing being put in place here. I have yet to hear a car riding down the street bumping this guy, that says alot for how far his fans even go with him.

lol it all depends where you live. since i live in the northeast people like this kind of shit and bump kendrick heavily just like j. cole and big krit.

for this year and this year alone GKMC is the album. i heard better albums last year though

 

[dev vision]

@Focused, I can respect those views. I'm by far not a fan of Game, but would put his R.E.D. album ahead of this one by far. I feel like it was a better look into L.A. and he stayed "true to himself". I'm just giving examples of other albums because I'm lost to what makes this one stick out.

Why put it ahead of Game - R.E.D. or 2 Chainz, or MGK, Drake, or G.O.O.D. Music? Wale - Ambition? J. Cole? Even Waka's 1ast joint? Maybe it wasn't you, but I'm asking that to the guys commenting like there was nothing for years before this. I'm not telling, genuinely ASKING.

Because Kendrick knows how tell a motherf*cking story.

Me and my niggas four deep in a white Toyota
A quarter tank of gas, one pistol, and orange soda
Janky stash box when the Federales will roll up
Basketball shorts with the Gonzales Park odor
We on the mission for bad ******* in trouble
I hope the universe love you today
cause the energy we bringing sure to carry away
a flock of positive activists and fill their body with hate, if it's necessary
Bumping Jeezy' first album, looking distracted
Speaking language only we know, you think it's an accent
The windows roll down, all I see is a hand pass it
Hot-boxing like George Foreman grilling the masses
of the working world, we pulled up on a bunch of working girls
and asked them what they working with, look at me
I got the blunt in my mouth, usually I'm drug-free
But shit, I'm with the homies

 

[MrWonderful]

he was describing his life growing up in the hood and the trials and tribulations that came with it. is your comprehension that poor or is your attention span that short


@derange i've been ****ing with kendrick since '09 when he dropped his EP. so none of the bullshit you said applies to me

Nah I just couldn't hear what the nigga was saying. Talking about his dick being the size of the effile tower and some ***** he talks for 3 songs straight. I don't like that shit. He never painted a real picture though out the album .. . I like the song swimming pools dope concept but this albums very overrated. I don't listen to major releases like some of y'all . It's a lot of garbage to me man . I 'd rather listen to something that is motivational or makes you think, not him talking about ****ing some nasty ass skank .. sorry

 

[F00T]

I'll add a story to this post. The dat 50 Cent's get rich or die trying was released, my son was born, I still went to the record store for the CD/DVD combo, I got the last one. While in line, a white girl took it from me, a valley girl in Universal City, CA. She says "I'm sorry biut I need this". I wanted to beat her with the display and stomp her out until her eyes rolled to the back of her head, but she was a white girl in the subburns, I had been punked. I did nothing. #Bichnikaswag

Man....I am crying picturing that. I woulda made sure nobody saw then just slowly backed away into the shadows lol

 

[stokeI]

3.) Music- The music taps into modern sound aesthetics while incorporating Jazz and Soul sensibilities and phrasing. As a Jazz and Soul fan, I could appreciate his usage of those elements in his album.

how is that different than any other major label release? rick ross,wale,lil wayne,jay,kanye,j cole,the game,drake ...they all do it.

4.) Cohesiveness- The album sticks to the concept and doesn't make any strange turns just to appease different music tastes. The album leaves me with the impression that it was meant to be enjoyed as a complete work. The movie scene dialog connects well with the music.

lyrically-yeah,but it lacks musical cohesiveness, and it being a concept album i think that's where it fails. when it comes to the beats its no different than any other album/mixtape out there,a couple of soulful/jazzy joints,some trapish joints,t minus single etc... when it comes to cohesiveness saigon's album is killing GKMC.

so how does that make it a great album when everybody else is doing the same thing?

 

[Focused]

Nah I just couldn't hear what the nigga was saying. Talking about his dick being the size of the effile tower and some ***** he talks for 3 songs straight. I don't like that shit. He never painted a real picture though out the album .. . I like the song swimming pools dope concept but this albums very overrated. I don't listen to major releases like some of y'all . It's a lot of garbage to me man . I 'd rather listen to something that is motivational or makes you think, not him talking about ****ing some nasty ass skank .. sorry

This reminds me of a joke Eddie Murphy told on RAW


Sounds like you only caught the curse words and missed the rest of the story.

---------- Post added at 05:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:33 PM ----------

how is that different than any other major label release? rick ross,wale,lil wayne,jay,kanye,j cole,the game,drake ...they all do it.




lyrically-yeah,but it lacks musical cohesiveness, and it being a concept album i think that's where it fails. when it comes to the beats its no different than any other album/mixtape out there,a couple of soulful/jazzy joints,some trapish joints,t minus single etc... when it comes to cohesiveness saigon's album is killing GKMC.

so how does that make it a great album when everybody else is doing the same thing?

Notice I had 4 reasons that the album is great and not 2? Most albums have only those 2 elements you quoted, its the combination of the 4 elements that made it a great album for me bro.

Peace.

 

[j.troup]

People are comparing. Comparing Kendrick to his early works. Comparing him to other works. Im judging it based on its own merrit.

Maybe it is because I related more because I WAS this kid. The good kid doing bad shit because of peer pressure. Got good grades and was still robbing the Hostess store after hours because of peer pressure. Caught up with some Yamp that I couldn't stop fcuking with even though she was the neighborhood hoe.

I'm judging this work based on itself. Not based on a business positioning. Not based on the current music climate. Not based on what's gonna sell or what viable singles he has.

Kendrick has got a project that's gonna stand the test of time.


Truth be told, my first listen of Doggystyle, I thought it was weak as fcuk. I was disappointed. The Source even gave it 3 mics.


I have been spinning this entire album for 2 days straight. With the exception of the Freestyle track, and the Janet Jackson track (cuz I just broke up with my LTR I can't listen to booty music).

Other than that, whew...


Promise that you'll sing about me forever...


The 3 stories he told in that song...wow!

 

[deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup]

Man....I am crying picturing that. I woulda made sure nobody saw then just slowly backed away into the shadows lol

I got jacked for my CD/DVD combo by a suburban valley girl. lol.

I've tried to make every excuse in the world to why I did nothing. If it had been 3-4 gangbangers I wouldn't have backed down(woulda prolly lost, but still, lol) but the look she gave me was like "I need this, I'm getting it nomatter what!". I knew she wasn't playin' I didn't want to see O.G. Lil' Becky. And she said "sorry". SMH.

And this is back when I used to dress like an idiot. Pants hangin off my azz, couple big azz chains on, Du Rag underneath a fitted, she didn't give a f**k. Lol. That girl was the truth.

 

[dev vision]

Nah I just couldn't hear what the nigga was saying. Talking about his dick being the size of the effile tower and some ***** he talks for 3 songs straight. I don't like that shit. He never painted a real picture though out the album .. . I like the song swimming pools dope concept but this albums very overrated. I don't listen to major releases like some of y'all . It's a lot of garbage to me man . I 'd rather listen to something that is motivational or makes you think, not him talking about ****ing some nasty ass skank .. sorry

You are taking that line out of context. If you actually listened to it closely you would know it is from the perspective of him being young and in the backseat of a car with his friends. That's why hes rapping about his dick being the size of the effile tower. You need to listen closer.

 

[EnigmaticHipster]

Nah I just couldn't hear what the nigga was saying. Talking about his dick being the size of the effile tower and some ***** he talks for 3 songs straight. I don't like that shit. He never painted a real picture though out the album .. . I like the song swimming pools dope concept but this albums very overrated. I don't listen to major releases like some of y'all . It's a lot of garbage to me man . I 'd rather listen to something that is motivational or makes you think, not him talking about ****ing some nasty ass skank .. sorry

it flew right over your head huh :/

sorry to say you have a short attention span.

 

[Vote Jai]

Shyne said he didn't like GKMC and everyone on Twitter attacked him. I'm really starting to believe you can't be open about what you don't like anymore. lol

 

[stokeI]

he said the album is trash the beats are trash. huge difference

 

[Vote Jai]

Saying it's "trash" my seem a little harsh, but I don't really see the difference. He said he was expecting much more, since the album was so hyped; he felt it didn't deliver. I think he's entitled to that. Hell, he probably would've left it at that, had everyone not exploded.

 

[maxgertler]

noooooooo

 

[Beat Off]

People going in on Shyne because he's been doing nothing but talking shit about people. Obama, Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar. He seems angry and jealous, he needs to be called out for acting like a jealous female.

 

[rexl12]

Just curious, do the guys digging Kendrick think his beats/album/lyrics are better than the stuff on Drake "Take Care". I ask because I liked neither album much, but they seem like you'd be into both if you like 1 or the other? Just trying to gauge what impresses you guys, seems to me like Drake had the more polished better sounding of the 2, lyrically, beatwise, mixwise, all kendrick wins for is skits(IMO)...but again, i'm not a fan of this type music, just trying to figure out what you guys are digging about this guy.

way better than Take Care imo. take care sounded like some shit made to get pussy. it didnt speak to me, it really didnt draw me in. All of my favorite albums, from Outkast to Boys Noize records, took 2 listens to truely take in, straight through. i had that same experience with this, the same feeling i got listening to Black Star for the first time or listening to Common's resurrection or those old Kanye albums. I like how this all feels like a story, but not just a story, a believable and emotionally evocative one. idk if Take Care was more 'polished', definitly felt more safe, and way more lame to me, but thats my opinion. Sideline Story was nowhere near close to anywhere near close to this album imo. That nas album looks pretty dope from what ive heard tho...

i can easily see how you don't like it that much though. i love that heavier hip hop, from Phat Kat to Freddie Gibbs, and this album doesnt have much of that. its more introspective, definitly great for smoking and reflecting on life haha, i think this'll go down as a classic, and i don't say that lightly, this will stand the test of time for me. i just hope kid doesnt become as inactive as some of the artists i used to listen to...