The Evolution of Kendrick Lamar’s Cover Art From His First EP to "DAMN"
On Kendrick Lamars new single, The Heart Part 4, he fired off a rather ferocious warning:
Yall got till April 7 to get yall together.
Many assumed thats when the Compton rapper was dropping his next album. Turns out he was simply whetting our appetite for the album, which will be released on April 14.
Hours before the clock hit midnight on his April 7 deadline, the pre-order for Lamars new record appeared on iTunes.There arent many details about the project his first proper studio album since 2015s "To Pimp a Butterfly. Neither the title, cover art nor tracklist was revealed when the pre-order went live.
Currently bearing the placeholder title of ALBUM with a black album cover, the 14-track project includes the Mike WiLL Made-It-produced banger Humble, whose accompanying video sparked much celebration, and debate, about lamars representation of black women.
Humble is the only song title listed on the pre-order link. The Heart Part 4, his fourth entry in a career-spanning series of freestyles, isnt listed here.
Last year, Lamar issued "Untitled Unmastered, a collection of recordings pulled from the To Pimp a Butterfly sessions.
The arrival of Lamars new album is just in time for his gig at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival next weekend. Two days after its release, he will close out the festival with a headlining show that will see the live debut of his new material.
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gerrick.kennedy@latimes.com
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Kendrick Lamar’s “Damn.” Album Features Guest Appearances From Rihanna & U2
Kendrick Lamar a.k.a. The King of Rap is releasing his fourth studio album this Friday. So we here at TNJN thought that we would honor Kendricks divine status by providing you all with our scorching Kendrick Lamar takes. David Bradford, Quinn Pilkey and Robert Hughes will reveal their favorite Kendrick feature, verse, song and album.
BEST VERSE
Kendrick Lamar is a rapper who raps verses. Most of the time (read 100 percent of the time), he transports you to an alternate dimension. And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.
You get the point.
Bradford
First verse of HiiiPower. Shut up and dont @ me with another verse, peasants. This is early Kendrick its onSection.80 but this is the verse that catapulted his confidence so he could give the worldgood kid, m.A.A.d. cityandTo Pimp a Butterfly.
Lets take this line-by-line, word-by-word and syllable-by-syllable.
Visions of Martin Luther staring at me/Malcolm X put the hex on my future some catch me.
Immediately, we see Kendrick bringing up two prominent Civil Rights figures (MLK and Malcolm X), but whats interesting is his exclusion of MLKs last name, which makes me think this is a double entendre for Martin Luther King Jr. and Martin Luther. I could be wrong because my IQ resembles the plastic bag I just put over my head. I just thought it was interesting.
Im falling victim to a revolutionary song/The Serengetis Clone/Back to put you backstabbers back on your spinal bone.
Ive had plenty of backstabbers in my life. Two of my ex-girlfriends cheated on me. So I want to put them on their spinal bones. Haha jk i dont actually care.
You slipped your disc when I slid you my disc/You wanted to diss but jumped on my d***.
HOW. DOES. HE. DO. THIS.
Refer to the back on your spinal bone part in the previous line. Kendrick then says You slipped your disc when I slid you my disc, which refers to a spinal injury when listening to his music.
Then, of course, people want to diss Kendrick. But then they hear his verses, re-evaluate if they enjoy existing on this planet and become faux fans.
Grown men never should bite their tongue/Unless you eating p**** that smell like its a stale plum.
No comment.
I got my finger on the morthaf***** pistol/Aiming it at a pig, Charlottes web is going to miss you.
WHAT.
HOW.
OMG.
The first time I heard this line, I went repeated it at least a dozen times. ACharlottes Webreference in a song is so dope. Wow, Kendrick, please! I have a family!
My issue isnt televised and you aint gotta tell the wise/How to stay on beat because our lifes an instrumental.
This is getting ridiculous. The words beat and instrumental are obviously related, as instrumentals are usually centered around beats. Haha.
This is physical and mental, I wont sugar coat it/Youd die from diabetes if these other n***** wrote it.
My. Word.
This verse isnt even humanat this point. Kendrick wont sugar coat what hes saying, but if somebody else said it, there would be so much sugar coating or in LeBrons case, sugar coding that youll get diabetes and die.
Kendrick, not in front of my children!
And everything on TV just a figment of imagination/I dont want a plastic nation, dread that like a Haitian/While you mothaf***** waiting, I be off the slave ships/Building pyramids, writing my own hieroglyphs.
The perfect ending to this monstrous verse. Kendrick fears a plastic nation, but while everybody is sitting around, he started making moves.
Six years later, hes the King.
Bow.
Hughes
My personal favorite is one of his longest verses, but his rhythm, rhyme, storytelling and speed are just too good for me to overlook.
Spoiler: Its the first verse in m.A.A.d. city from the albumgood kid, m.A.A.d. city.
Strap on your seat belts and bring your inhaler; heck, bring an EpiPen, because this verse is a lot to handle. Here we go.
Like David did, were going to take this a few lines at a time.
Brace yourself
Dangit, I couldnt even make it past this line without stopping. Kendrick is literally telling all of us to brace ourselves because hes about to spit a verse so mind-boggling that we need to take some time to prepare ourselves, but then he keeps going and you are already playing catch-up, just trying to hang on for dear life the rest of the verse. Anyway, lets start back from the top
Brace yourself/Ill take you on a trip down memory lane/This is not a rap on how Im slinging crack or move cocaine/This is cul-de-sac and plenty Cognac and major pain/Not the drill sergeant but the stress that weighin on your brain.
Ok, Kendrick, chill out. Thats a lot for me to process. So youre going to tell me a a little about your past and how you werent a drug dealer, but you were still caught up with the pressures of substance abuse (all while making a reference to a pretty good movie). Thats cool, but just give me some t
Nope. He just keeps going.
It was me, L Boog, and Yan Yan/YG lucky ride down Rosecrans/It got ugly waving your hand out the windowCheck yourself, uh.
I assume all of those people are his friends, but the most important part of this verse is the uh. He gives us, if only for a moment, a split-second to (attempt to) catch up to what hes said and what hes about to say.
Warriors and Conans/Hope euphoria can slow dance/with society/the driver seat/the first one to get killed/Seen a light-skinned [expletive] with his brains blown out/At the same burger stand where *beep* [a gang] hang out/Now this is not a tape recorder saying that he did it/But ever since that day, I was looking at him different.
Stop. The. Match.
Kendrick, please, man, youve already told us enough. I dont want to be an accessory to the crime you are talking about or the crime you are currently committing by murdering this verse. Just stop, man. You win.
Nope, he continues.
That was back when I was nine/Joey packed the nine/Pakistan on every porch is fine/We adapt to crime/Pack a van with four guns at a time/With the sliding door.
You witnessed this when you were nine years old? NINE. YEARS. OLD?! And then he just keeps going, like its not a big deal. He was used to the violence and being around guns all the time already. Wow. But hes not done, not even close.
[Expletive] you shooting for if you aint walking up you [expletive] punk?/Picking up the [expletive] pump/Picking off you suckers/Suck a [expletive] or die or sucker punch/A wall of bullets coming from/AKs, ARs, Aye yall, duck,/Thats what momma said when we was eating that free lunch.
This portion is a blend of tragedies. Violence is so prevalent in his life that hes not afraid to tempt death, but then he hits you with more sadness when he says that his family has to be wary of gang violence, even while eating a lunch that his family cannot afford themselves.
Aw man, [expletive]/All h**l broke loose/You killed my cousin back in 94/[Expletive] your truce/Now crawl your head in that noose/You wind up dead on the news/Aint no peace treaty/Just pieces BGs up to pre-approve.
Now, its personal for him, so he goes even harder these last few lines.
Bodies on top of bodies/IVs on top of IVs/Obviously the coroner between the sheets like the Isleys/When you hop on the trolley/Make sure your colors correct/Make sure youre corporate or theyll be calling your mother collect/They say the governor collect/all of our taxes, except/when we in traffic and tragic happens/That [expletive] aint no threat/You moving backwards if you suggest that you sleep with a TEC/Go buy a chopper and have a doctor on speed dial, I guess/m.A.A.d. city.
How? How is he this good? Hes telling a story about gang violence and how nobody cares about it while absolutely destroying a verse at the same time. I dont understand.
Thats why hes the best, and thats why I cannot contain my excitement for his new album.
Pilkey
Theres no verse in Kendrick Lamars entire discography that evokes more emotion than the second verse on Sing About Me. The song comes near the end of good kid, m.A.A.d City, after the climax of the albums story. The entire song is gut-wrenching in the way it paints characters of Compton residents that Kendrick knew in his early life. The second and most powerful verse is sung from the perspective of a young prostitute, the sister of the titular character in Section.80s Keishas Song. The narrator berates Kendrick for using her sisters story to sell albums:
You wrote a song about my sister on your tape / And called it Section.80, the message resembled Brendas Got a Baby / Whats crazy was, I was hearing about it / But doubted your ignorance how could you ever just put her on blast and sh*t / Judging her past and sh*t, well, its completely my future
She feels that Kendrick has co-opted a deeply personal story for his own gain. It seems to be a sensitive subject for kendrick: he attempts to bring light to serious issues he faced in his youth without exploiting those around him. The emotion in his voice is palpable through this verse as he views things from the perspective of someone who feels used by him. Still, as the narrator says several bars later, she doesnt care about Kendricks intentions.
And Im exhausted, but f*ck that Sorry for your loss sh*t / My sister died in vain, but what point are you trying to gain / If you cant fit the pumps I walk in? Ill wait / Your rebuttal a little too late / And if you have an album date, just make sure Im not in the song / Cause I dont need the attention bring enough of that on my own
Kendrick shows empathy for the narrator and is able to see things from her perspective. Still, he knows that he wants to get her story out into the world and ultimately decides to do just that yet still show a different perspective by including this verse on the album.
And matter fact, did I mention I physically feel great? / A doctors approval is a waste of time, I know Im straight / Ill probably live longer than you and never fade away / Ill never fade away, Ill never fade away, I know my fate
There are inherent dangers in the narrators line of work, but she doesnt care. In fact, she feels immune from those dangers. She attacks Kendricks career as rap, implying that his fame will fade as she continues to thrive. She repeats that point several times. The verse continues, but the voice fades out. Just seconds after she announces she will never fade away, she literally fades away. The next verse is from Kendrick Lamars perspective.
Its not his most exciting verse or his most impressive technically. But if theres one verse that combines Kendricks natural rapping ability, the emotions that he can evoke and his social consciousness and empathy, its this one. And thats what makes it his best.
To Pimp A Butterfly,Kendrick Lamarsnew album, dropped on iTunes and Spotify overnight.
Not one week after his controversial Rolling Stone Cover, and following up hiscritically acclaimed2012 releasegood kid, m.A.A.d city,the 27-year-olds sophomore release has been one of the most highly anticipated rap albums in recent memory. 16 tracks long with features from George Clinton, Thundercat, Bilal, Anna Wise, Snoop Dogg, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, and Rapsody,To Pimp A Butterfly will undoubtedly represent one 2015 biggest musical moments.
Stay tuned for a detailed review from The Urban Daily later today.
