Yeah, it's layered. Good word. There's a bit of a psychedelic bent to it, really. I like how the vocals slow down toward the end of "ELEMENT." Still not sure if that's just "chopped and skrewed" Kendrick or someone else, but it's an excellent touch.
And "LOVE" is a really beautiful song.

Louder, you've gotta read this:

KENDRICK LAMAR'S PRAISE OF 'NATURAL' BEAUTY SPARKED MORE MISOGYNY BETWEEN WOMEN THAN HIS 'HUMBLE' LYRICS DID

Thoughts?

I don't get it.

Kendrick was just talking about his own preference. Rappers say they like thick, curvy girls with big asses all day and no one complains. Kendrick says he's into natural beauty and all of a sudden they're fuming.

Did you read the whole thing? This is so weird. It's indicative of a lager cultural issue where women seem determined to devalue and undermine one another. I can't speak to black culture specifically, but white bitches do the same thing. The way women lambasted Hillary Clinton for her "uppitiness" and supposed lack of authenticity while at the same time championing a known sexual predator... it's shocking.

I just thought that was interesting.

Also, "That's my Bitch" is less sexist than people think. Listen to the chorus. It's borderline feminist. Not saying I like the phrasing or whatever, but ... y'know... that's a weird song to pick. And since when is it "Kanye's" song? It's a WTT joint. Blah. People are stupid.

Just skimmed through it, but I was already familiar with the issue some black women on Twitter have with the song/video before you linked me to the article, I just preferred to ignore it. They already lashed at Kendrick before for being in a relationship with a lightskin woman, although he's been with her since his highschool days. They just come across as angry and bitter for no reason to me.

Of course, if they paid more attention to Kendrick's lyrics, they would've known he said:

Layered it is. Took me a few listens to really get into the album as well. Now I find myself vibing out to every song.

"DNA." is the hardest opener in forever, Kendrick's flow on it blows me away. The hook on "GOD." is catchy as hell and in the same vein as "ELEMENT.", that song is very similar to what trendy rappers like Drake, Young Thug and Future are doing. "PRIDE." reminds me of some really lush indie music.. maybe Yo La Tengo?

"FEEL." is another song where Kendrick's rapping performance is truly scary. That flow switch at the end is so intense. Might be my favorite right now. Either that or "XXX." which is such a weird song; similarly to Yeezus, takes me on a trip. Rihanna and Bono/U2 were executed well.

This album is better than GKMC. Maybe not better than TPAB. But right now it's my favorite Kendrick album.

DAMN. has been more immediately gripping to me than any other Kendrick album. Seriously. Listening to the whole thing just over and over and over again.

The ending of "DUCKWORTH" ties right back into "BLIND" like first/last sentence in "Finnegan's Wake." I didn't realize that at first, and I thought the album was just starting over. What a moment.

Didn't I compare TPAB to "Ulysses" at one point? In any case, the James Joyce comparison still stands.

Kendrick is even a pretty good singer now. I hear some D'Angelo-esque harmonies here and there.

"LOYALTY." is a very good duet, hopefully it's gonna kill the charts. I prefer it to Work. I also want Kendrick to write the next Rihanna album.

Sorry I didn't mean to insinuate that you hadn't read it, or that you weren't aware of the issue.. I hope it didn't sound like that's what I was saying :(

I was just very surprised to see that even the author of the article essentially comes out and labels Kendrick as a mysoginist, even if he implies that Kendrick is not the biggest offender. I found that pretty fucking shocking!

Anyway, I didn't know anyone lashed out at Kendrick for being with a "light-skinned" girl. Jesus. How is that any different from the conceptions of racial purity that the KKK and "Aryan Nation" and Third Reich championed? :confused: What the fuck is that all about?

I know people are mad at Kanye for dating "white girls," but that's a little different. Totally unacceptable still, but somewhat understandable. This is different. And gross. :(

Yeah, apparently there's also a form of racism inbetween black people inside the black community.

"Complexion" basically tackles this issue. Lightskin vs. darkskin, and the conception that lightksin is portrayed as more attractive by the media. I think some darkskin girls were offended that Kendrick chose to date a girl whose skin is lighter, and felt he was "fake" for that.

Who's doing the DJ drops on "DNA?" Is that Mike Will Made-It? Maybe I do like his ass after all.

Yeah, within-group racism. It's self-sabotaging nonsense. Not that all racism isn't that.

Re: "Conplexion"

Don't people realize that the point of that song is, essentiall, that everyone is the same, and that portraying one thing as better than another is fucking bonkers? Kendrick isn't saying "only dark-skinned black women should be dated by black men," and only an idiot would interpret his message that way. He wasn't declaring it his personal mission to only date one "tone." That would be racism on a macro and micro level.
Why are people so fucking stupid?

I think — just throwing this out there — that DAMN. might be Pitchfork's first 10.0 review of a non-classic album since MBDTF.

I know I'm helping to validate the website that I obviously have so many issues with by even thinking about this... but what can I say? I have a love/hate relationship with that fucking place. In an alternate timeline, I think I must have gone to work for them right out of college.

Anyhoo... TPAB obviously isn't a *perfect* album. Too much going on, too many interludes, a bit jumbled to be truly perfect. This one is a no-hitter though. Not a wasted moment.

I'm willing to offer a friendly wager (no $$, just bragging rights) that DAMN. gets a 10.0 on pitchfork.

Or that he gets above a 9.5. Anyone wanna take that action?

Or we could just throw out the scores we think it's going to get. Nobody's going to want to though, cuz nobody cares.

So there's a mash-up mixtape out there called Chance the Dropout on which Chance the Rapper verses are played over classic Kanye samples, beats and instrumentals.

Download Chance the Dropout on XXL

Man this place is deaaaad.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23147-damn/

Aww DAMN.

I thought they were going to give it a 9.5-10.0 as well.