This is the first Kendrick album that’s truly clicked with me since To Pimp a Butterfly. My view comes from the fact that I’ve been making hip-hop beats since I was a teen, I really care about the beatwork and overall sound of an album. I am not capable of listening to lyrics and sound at the same time, I usually do my initial listen for sound then go back through while reading the lyrics.
Personally, I feel like the sound of Kendrick started to become a bit directionless after DAMN. I love a lot of the beats of that album individually, and I love his personal insight, but it felt like he was just making songs and stitching them together to an album. I didn’t really know what Damn. or Mr. Morales were going for stylistically, they both just felt kind of generic but good. GNX on the other hand is a hard west coast rap album. The beats can be a bit samey sometimes, but this is the first time since To Pimp a Butterfly I genuinely think Kendrick has an actual sonic vision
I also like how instead of being super conceptual like on his old albums, he stays more personal and up to date than he did on those concept albums. The lyrics are what I like about Mr. Morales, but it has a lot more aggression. Kendrick sounds hungry as fuck on this album.
It’s a super good work album, I listened to it the first time at work. I still haven’t done my lyrical readthrough so I’ve only caught a few lines, but I really like the lines I do pick up are really good. The beats and vocal deliveries make for a great starter album in my day currently.
This is the first Kendrick album that’s truly clicked with me since To Pimp a Butterfly. My view comes from the fact that I’ve been making hip-hop beats since I was a teen, I really care about the beatwork and overall sound of an album. I am not capable of listening to lyrics and sound at the same time, I usually do my initial listen for sound then go back through while reading the lyrics.
Personally, I feel like the sound of Kendrick started to become a bit directionless after DAMN. I love a lot of the beats of that album individually, and I love his personal insight, but it felt like he was just making songs and stitching them together to an album. I didn’t really know what Damn. or Mr. Morales were going for stylistically, they both just felt kind of generic but good. GNX on the other hand is a hard west coast rap album. The beats can be a bit samey sometimes, but this is the first time since To Pimp a Butterfly I genuinely think Kendrick has an actual sonic vision
I also like how instead of being super conceptual like on his old albums, he stays more personal and up to date than he did on those concept albums. The lyrics are what I like about Mr. Morales, but it has a lot more aggression. Kendrick sounds hungry as fuck on this album.
Is this a common thing? Because I struggle with this also
King Kunta was the first song of his I ever heard. That track blew my mind!
you make it sound really interesting, i’m gonna give it a listen tomorrow at work
It’s a super good work album, I listened to it the first time at work. I still haven’t done my lyrical readthrough so I’ve only caught a few lines, but I really like the lines I do pick up are really good. The beats and vocal deliveries make for a great starter album in my day currently.