Kendrick Lamar - MR MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS FINAL Review
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- Опубликовано: 11 июн 2024
- Kendrick Lamar released Mr Morale & The Big Steppers a few weeks ago & after sitting with it for awhile, here are my final thoughts.
0:00 Intro
2:24 Reexamining Kendrick's Past 3 Albums
5:27 Father Time Thoughts
6:47 Kendrick's Self View
9:10 Kendrick's View of Cancel Culture
14:53 The Beauty of Mother I Sober
20:05 Challenging Kendrick's Perspective
22:00 Auntie Diaries
24:30 My Own Confusion/Kendrick's Hypocrisies
29:39 What Will This Album Do?
30:34 Kendrick is Far Removed
32:51 My Respect for Kendrick
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Full Tracklist
Kendrick Lamar - MR MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS Full Album Tracklist
DISC 1: BIG STEPPERS
01 “In Grief”
02 “N95”
03 “Worldwide Steppers”
04 “Die Hard” Feat. Blxst & Amanda Reifer
05 “Father Time” Feat. Sampha
06 “Rich” (Interlude)
07 “Rich Spirit”
08 “We Cry Together” Feat. Taylour Paige
09 “Purple Hearts” Feat. Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah
DISC 2: MR. MORALE
01 “Count Me Out”
02 “Crown”
03 “Silent Hill” Feat. Kodak Black
04 “Savior” (Interlude)
05 “Savior” Feat. Baby Keem & Sam Dew
06 “Auntie Diaries”
07 “Mr. Morale” Feat. Tanna Leone
08 “Mother I Sober” Feat. Beth Gibbons Of Portishead
09 “Mirror” 
Видеоклипы
I think Kendrick didn’t drop the album everyone was expecting, but he made the project that he needed to. He could’ve easily made something more mainstream with a bunch of TDE features, but instead he went for a more grounded and vulnerable approach. He needed a divisive album for his artistic/personal growth. Not the biggest fan of it sonically, but the narrative was interesting.
But that's the thing, nobody knows what they were expecting. I'm assuming a DAMN. 2 or a GKMC 2
@@thedon0516 yeah and they didn’t get that and call this shit because it’s not what they wanted. Same shit happened with carti (not the best comparison). They wanted die lit part 2 but got WLR. Everyone called it shit @ first now a lot haggle come around to realize they werent open minded n we’re just upset they didn’t get what they wanted, but instead what the artist wanted
I'll never understand that argument, that tape has many mainstream heavy, baby keem throaway sounding songs, people act like Kendrick is Billy Woods or something, there were clearly some radio appealing songs
@@dfredankey Yeah this happens with every contemporary artist today, it's not what people expect, or want, or think they like, but you manage to get those group of people hating on something immediately after it drops. Mfs don't give music time to breathe, and so you have everyone claiming it's bad when it's attempting to break new boundaries, this happened with WLR, Dawn FM, MMBS, DONDA, literally the past like 4-5 years of music dropping has been overhyped and then brought down to a realistic expectation, then giving immense praise after letting the music have a chance to stand on it's own, it's just how people react to new music. People gotta give music multiple listens before giving an opinion, over the course of multiple days.
@@thedon0516 what does that even mean, though? more of the same style of production? an album with a narrative theme woven throughout? as far as I'm concerned those subjects were discussed and dealt with. who would want more of the same?
Shoutout to the “No stream, tap to retry” crew 💯
I’ve never seen this before
real
😭😭😭
We the best out here
Gang
I love Shawn’s reviews but I can tell that this particular album makes him very uncomfortable. Which could be a good thing. His own review is saying more about himself than Kendrick. That’s the kind of effect this album should have. I personally believe that this is Lamar’s best work. I can’t necessarily rate it song for song because the album in it’s entirety is like a movie.
FACTS!
It makes a lot of people uncomfortable. That’s why the replay value is low for people who are not Kendrick stans.
@@juliuslansiquot6717 Im a Kendrick fan, and it made me uncomfortable. I think him speaking for his unconscious darkness, resonates and matches that same frequency in people's subconscious, which makes it come to the surface. An album like this is rare.
For sure, I feel the exact same way. This may in fact be my favorite album from him personally.
It makes people uncomfortable because they are not ready to face their own inner issues themselves, so it makes sense why they don’t like it. Maybe a little more growth from people in let’s say 5-10 years and maybe they will. Maybe not 🤷🏻♂️
Shawn seems to have thought on this album a lot. His opinions are more developed than they were a few weeks ago. Not many albums these days are as thought provoking as this one, I think we should acknowledge that. Great video
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Facts 🤞🏾
That conclusion makes a lot of sense Shawn. If it’s uncomfortable for you, it’s uncomfortable. I respect you saying that
shawn
@@bigboiiy lol thanks
It just shows this album is not for everyone cuz not everyone can face sides of themselves like kendrick did 🤷🏽♀️
@@Storm-qt2jb Loll people like you are annoying why does not liking the album or feeling uncomfortable about it mean they can’t face w.e Kdot faced lmao
@@Storm-qt2jb it’s mid I don’t care what y’all say
I love that there are a few artists, such as Kendrick, that are putting out music that opens up engaging conversations on important ideas
This I haven’t had so much fun just talking about everything on the album in while.
Its ironic how you’re missing the whole point of the album my making this comment
@@ismaelhernandez5045 how is he missing the point please fucking elaborate
@@subzu2733 Kendrick stans always contradict themselves
@@opaz3530 how did he contradict himself oh wait you don't actually have a fucking answer stop that shit just because someone appreciates something that you don't like don't make them a stan
“Damn” is a spiritual album. It’s his journey to find salvation. Not no survivors guilt. Choosing Wickedness or weakness.
i think what’s most interesting about kendricks discog is the perfect transition from literal to introspection. section.80 is so detached from himself, gkmc is a literal retelling of a day in his life, tpab is an emotional journey of how fame affected him, DAMN is a journey of his self worth and humanity, which perfectly leads into MMatBS. the new album is a reflection of kendrick’s psyche through his therapy and stories, and completes his discography’s gradual transition to solely introspection
YB better 🥱
@@vizualwarrior129 mid
@@vizualwarrior129 yo find something to do better in your life and stop commenting this unwanted, unfunny, and repetitive comments.
@@YAGLMS6083 yo find something to do better in your life. Possible getting some bitches (ps Shawn steady makes these types of jokes on stream bro, have a sense of humor or sum, or shit at least don’t take it that serious. It’s not that deep 💀)
I can't find anything wrong with this album. Its got everything I needed its a vibe, its catchy but still really creative and unforgettable.
I can
def forgettable idkwtf u on has no replay value
@@custom9669 forgettable to YOU, it’s okay if you don’t like it. but clearly some people like it
@@custom9669 how lol there are several very catchy tracks that come up in my head right now as i'm typing this. United, N95, Rich Spirit, Father time, Silent Hill. How are those not good?
mid
Beyond all the discourse about this album, 2 things I appreciate about this album is;
1 - The love for, and heavy reliance on, the piano [which people forget is a percussion instrument] and
2 - How dynamic his voice is, with it at times litteraly becoming 75% of the beat itself
That was the whole point of the album his presence on a the song is what he wanted to get across the most and what he was sayin rathet than the beats itself .. this is his 4:44
Great points, a slight correction: Piano is not a percussion instrument, it's an acoustic string instrument.
@@PalhacoCapitalista It uses strings, but theyre struck not plucked, no?
@@joshuasummers7554 That is true! Then it's both a stringed and percusion instrument, thanks!
@@PalhacoCapitalista actually it is categorized as a percussion, since the strings are struck with hammers
I think shawn is getting lost on the whole point of the album. It's to stop tap dancing around the conversation and to stop performing and putting on an act. And that includes Kendrick telling himself he has to do the same. It's about finally trying to fix the leak as opposed to putting a bucket down to stop the water from spilling on the floor. He's attempting to get to the roots of his own issues and issues he sees around himself. That's why he references cancel culture or has kodak on there or made the song auntie diaries. You say he doesn't give justice to the victim''s side of the story, that's exactly his point. He's done that countless times, from Section 80 Keisha's song, to Sing About me, I'm dying of thirst, ...etc. He's taking a different approach with this album and discussing what lead to all this, and to say you and I are not as far removed from committing these traumas as we'd like to believe. I'm not pretending I think this is a perfect album or anything, sonically or conceptually, but you seem to have missed the point.
What Shawn is saying is that Kendrick is not just speaking for himself. "I brought Kodak because I'm not as far removed from him as y'all think" isn't just a point about Kendrick, it's also a point about how we should feel about Kodak. Him railing against cancel culture and putting out Auntie Diaries isn't just saying "here's where I was and here's where I am now," it's also saying "here's where I'm judging that y'all are, and here's where I think you should go.
And Shawn is right that he gets a lot of it wrong. Because Kendrick might have been concerned with victims, but Kodak has not been putting out Keisha's Songs. He's happy to take the cosign and the pardon without doing anything to work on himself or make things right, which is supremely fucked up. It's essentially forcing your fans to listen to abusers in order to get to the victim advocacy.
And Shawn's also right that if you're gonna have songs about trans advocacy and cancel culture then you need to know what the pulse is, not just on "what does the average person I know think" but "what do I need to say to push things forward." What he put out just ended up being a mess because the average transphobe isn't gonna reconsider and the average trans person isn't gonna feel supported and the average person in general is just hearing him rail against progressives while supposedly "supporting" all the people who would benefit from genuine progressivism.
@@JamMastaJeremy you are the only comment I’ve seen that mad some sense. Thank you for breaking this down properly
@@saturnsorbit698 word, this comment section is a mess :/
@@JamMastaJeremy I think you missed the point too. He isn’t saying this is how you should feel. It’s basically how he feels about it. That’s why the lyric is I’m more Kodak black than pro black. He’s relates to some of these struggles. I think that because Kendrick has played the savior before that everyone is used to him preaching. I think one this album he isn’t preaching, he’s detailing what he feels and finally saying that he’s chooses himself.
Insteed of getting the point of the album shawn just talks about left wing nonsense. Its like he is uncomfortable with listening to music that isnt like his left leaning ideology. Its like if he doesnt policticly agree with the album he just hates on it. He needs to open his eyes to more perspectives
No matter what you think of this album, we can all agree Kendricks diversity in his albums are unmatced.
Ye?
If we are throwing quality out the window, MGK easily has the most diverse catalogue
ye
Unmatched? Nah, they are surpassed by folks like Kanye and Andre 3k!! Stop DickRidng this BS
@@jayy2423 kendrick has both quality and diversity aka: unmatched
Mr Morale & The Big Steppers is his most personal album. It’s his examination of his relationships with his parents, relatives, his partner, with women in general, and his coping skills that he developed. The first disc seems like he’s just talking about the issues(to his therapist or something), and the second disc is him reaching acceptance and making an effort to become a better person who prioritizes himself and his family. I don’t think this is his most creative album, it’s not his best storytelling, and all of the best songs on this album are no where even close to the best songs from GKMC and TPAB. However, this album is more risky and complete than DAMN, and I think has better songs than Section 80. This is my third favorite album of his.
There is no songs on this album better than Poe Man Dreams, Keisha’s Song, HiiiPower, etc. Section 80 blows this album out the water.
I’m tired of this “his most personal album” narrative. That has nothing to do with letting his fans down
@@jaydee9355 exactly lol. Like I get the album is very personal but that doesn’t mean the music is good.
@@MrASAPAB good thing about music is its all subjective friend.
Section.80 & damn were way better concepts imo, MMATBS is at the very last for me, section.80 & damn were deeper concepts
as Shawn said repeatedly, musically, this is not the project i'd listen to just to vibe as opposed to let's say GKMC or DAMN, but that's why it's my favourite of Kendrick's albums so far. GKMC sounds good, but i can't connect to it on a personal level because I didn't go through all that in my childhood. TPAB is the same. beautiful storytelling and deep insight but, i don't connect with it personally because I don't live in America. DAMN was the same. but with MMBS, songs like Father Time, We Cry Together, Saviour, Mother I Sober, Mirror, etc all hit home on a personal level, because I've been there. this album may not be everyone's favourite Kendrick album, but it is for me, because for the first time, I feel like he made an album for me, I get what he's saying and I feel what he's feeling.
Same here man... Easily my favorite. Damn near perfect album imo
I genuinely feel like this is the perfect time for this to be releases. Cause this is just..... a lesson. A hard lesson to choose you. Like mirror "I choose me I'm sorry." I been feeling that so much... I feel just as vulnerable as he does..
I listen to it pretty consistently, it just wasn’t a sound he liked i guess. Although i personally love slower, more vibe heavy and atmospheric music. There are some tracks i camt fuck with tho like the 3rd track, aunty diaries, mother i sober(because of how fucking depressing and triggering it is for me), and idk rich spirit interlude? Thats about it tho, i fuck with everything else on shuffle.
knitpicking but you spelled his song savior wrong
@@jevislife5675 not everyone is American
IMO: Kendrick at his most vulnerable and honest. Not his best, but the concept is commendable.
His best conceptually
@@zimdollar3229 I'd disagree to a certain extent. To me, TPAB's themes are much more well-rounded and brilliantly presented (ex: overlapping snippets of poetry that come together at the end of the album, summarizing the album and the concept of the butterfly). Mr Morale doesn't have as strong of a narrative structure, especially with the album being a bit less stylistically focused than TPAB.
However, the strength of Mr Morale's themes lies in the fact that they come from Kendrick's own personal struggles with mental health. It feels like we're witnessing his own internal debates and thoughts, so it definitely feels more intimate and heavy.
So yeah, one of his best conceptually IMO, but TPAB feels like the most well-rounded concept. Not saying your opinion is invalid, just wanted to go more in depth with my perspective on it.
mid
@@beaualIoevv It's not mid, but it definitely doesn't have the strongest bangers and the production misses sometimes.
@@thisisnoma yeat’s album had more replay value
4:48 yea nah this take is bullshit
Kendrick pushed modern hip hop out it’s comfort zone with this album
Kendrick is a different person, in a different place in his life than most of us remember. He’s a man with wealth, two kids and a wife. The rappers we listened to in our youth won’t be the same and that’s fine. I didn’t like this album after first listen, but once I started delving more deep into the concepts and the meanings for myself without other people’s opinions and voices. I started to like it more, I felt like I was a fly on the wall for his therapy session and I learned a lot about myself and him through this album. It’s not my favorite, but it’s definitely something important in his discography and it’s an album he needed to put out for himself.
Spot on take. Pretty much exactly how I feel. He's a grown man in his 30s now, just like me. So I relate to his changing and becoming a different man. Not my favorite MUSIC from him, not by a long shot... but I feel like it might be his most important album.
🎯
This album is amazing! It’s an album for Grown Ups. To know that Kendrick had writers block then to come make this.
I compeltely understand people not enjoying this music sonically. For me it's like my own therapy session. Projecting kendricks voice as my own, helping me process the own things i was through. I remeber listening to Mother I Sober the first time and sobbing aggressively. For me this is MY #1 album.
The idea of something being “too personal” from Kendrick is a little far fetched to me. In all of his albums all he did was tell the most personal and raw truths of people in his community. Keisha’s song is a perfect example, who’s story was that? That wasn’t too personal? It’s like we pull up every week for story time but, don’t want to hear an autobiography
typical kendrick -d rider, only listens to mid
@@beaualIoevv white people don’t get opinions on rap
@@MiguelRamirez-nm5kw he really though he was saying something
@@MiguelRamirez-nm5kw sorry that we have more rights…
@@MiguelRamirez-nm5kw is the waII build yet?
What I've grown to love more about this album is how Kendrick is the biggest musical instrument here, overshadowing the production on numerous records. On songs like "United in Grief" and "Mr. Morale" he shines harder than both of those amazing beats, and it just makes the lyrics hit even harder or repeat listens. Another timeless record from Kenny.
United in grief is competing with Wesley's Theory for me
Swear to god it's just sooo. THE NEW MERCEDE WITH BLACK G WAGON THE WAY YOU FRONT
My favourites are: auntie diaries, savior, worldwide Steppers, die hard, n95,
@@zesty6006 Facts bro, that part is great
Lmao wtf does that even mean???
@@joebidenjr5902 idek Kendrick fans just say whatever in hopes to damage control this albums poor production
I feel kendrick barely dropping for years had a noticeable effect on how people were able to listen & Digest this album.
Naaa it wasnt , after damn and hearing songs like humble , people thought the album would be similar to that sound ,however greatness about kendrick is every album is a chapter in a book its all different albums ... the demographic that kendrick has appeals to younger fans too so they hence why its not being recieved the best because of that ... its nothing to do with the quality of the project
@@nasa5700 you gotta re type that response my boi 🤣 I'm confused.
@@thelowroad216 lollll, im basically sayin that kendrick has many types of fanbases , and after DAMN people may have had a slight idea what it would sound like but kendrick always makes albums completely different to his last..
So this album may not appeal to everyone but its still a great album
@@nasa5700 It was definitely good.
He just needs to drop a lil more so more casual listeners won't meet this album with suprise or disappointment.
@@thelowroad216 i feel u but the thing is with this album its a classic in my opinion because the younger fanbase maybe like wtf is this shit ,they may know the concepts he talkin about but wont be able to grasp it , i feel emotional maturity is the key to get this album and everyone reaches that at arohnd 30s or so , someone in their teens wont get this
We growing along side kendrick , so either we understand where he comin from ,certain things may resonate or tbh theres always something a person can take away from this album but that 1 thing would be a big thing
The fact that your were so thorough with this review means that it accomplished exactly what Kendrick wanted it to accomplish. Someone you don’t always like what you need.
Kodack is someone's son, and could be someone's father. If your son or father were a shitty person, it's harder for you to call them irredeemable. Kendrick is asking people to have more faith in the people we would normally dismiss, as well as to put less faith in those we're quick to elevate, as a way to humanize people on both ends of the spectrum. Treat everyone like family but we should still hold family accountable, and learn from their mistakes. He's no better than us and we're not better than anyone, and that empathy is key to helping people be better. It was the people in his family that culture told him to demonize that he was able to see the humanity in. Most victims of SA were assaulted by family members, and the first people to make excuses for them are usually the victims themselves. How do you tell an abuse victim that the person they love and the person they know better than you is actually just a monster? The point of therapy, the point he's making, is that people have to come to these realizations themselves and they can learn best from people they love and trust and from their own experience. I don't think he's seeing it from a detached perspective, I think he's hyper aware of the feelings of victims and it speaks to the album's message: that there is no clear answer: that love and hate both cloud your judgement. This album asks more questions than explains things or makes statements because Kendrick knows now that it's not that simple. He can't just write an album that will solve everything; he's a man of faith, and I think he wants us to have faith in humanity. That his faith in humanity and empathy is how he worked through these issues himself.
"I know everything... until I realized I didn't know shit, the day I came home"
Execution does not equal intent though. It's art, speculation is what it's all about.
Bruh Kodak rape case was dismissed he plead guilty to assault battery that’s whole other charges
This is bafflingly well written.
🗣️🗣️🗣️ u got the point, he's a humanist!! thanks for this comment 🙏🏾
Absolutely this. I think a lot of it is your perspective and where you're at in life as well. This album has become not just my favorite Kendrick album, but my favorite album ever, and one that has had a profound impact on my life and perspective. As a 32 year old man, a father of a 7 year old son and an infant daughter, a man who grew up without a father because he chose drugs, 2 younger brothers who are currently struggling with addiction, growing up in the 90s and 2000s with 2 gay cousins who I always ever saw as just my cousins that liked boys, and my first 2 adult relationships being toxic as hell... it honestly feels like this entire album was written for me to hear at a point in my life when I really needed to hear it. Sorry for the rambling.
Beautifully written.
I dont often make comments on the internet but I want to say this. I relate to this album. I think this album was a therapy session made to inspire people to dig into themselves. Introspection. I don't believe the album was made to drive conversation. This album made me, a black man, want to go to therapy and work on me. It's something I've been afraid to do for a long time. I am a big fan of Kendrick's and was expecting him to try to shake the music industry, but this took a lot of bravery. Thanks for your review, Shawn.
💯👊🏼
Well put.
😂 this mf a clown
Great comment. I agree, but I felt the album was also about highlighting that nowadays people don't seem to be able to have healthy and honest debate. I hope that everyone listening will reflect on that and be able to have healthy conversations including healthy disagreements. I definitely don't have that mastered and people have their opinions about cancel culture, but we live in such a divided world that it's hard for people to actually talk to each other these days.
you nailed the root of why he made it.. He wanted to create an album that would break the stereotypes men have about therapy. I promise you that if he were to read your comment he would feel very accomplished.
The album was nothing like what I expected, but everything I needed from a Kendrick album. I love it so much it's genuinely my favorite record in years
Best record in 5 years
My favorite hip hop album since…maybe Aquemini.
typical kendrick -d rider, only listens to mid
@@zimdollar3229 😂
@@beaualIoevv name a better album in the last 5 years then
Shawn, hear me out bout Auntie Diaries...
The track is for fringe people on trans acceptance, which i would argue is most of Kendricks audience. Its not like we are transphobes but the trans concept may be a lil foreign to us, so its difficult to get behind for many.
The song humanizes trans people through kendricks masterful storytelling, hence showing us trans people are no different than any of us. Not that that wasn't obvious before, but many need to be reminded that just bc someone is different doesn't make them wrong.
It can only do positive for the trans community. And can we all admit we use to use the F slur back in grade school like it was nothing? I know I did.. The track will allow kendricks fan base to ally with the trans community much stronger than before. The track will age like fine wine I promise
There’s a vid this trans person made about the song supporting it and I thought it was pretty good. Not saying they are the holy god of trans but they had a good perspective
The video is by conure and is called is auntie diaries problematic or something along those lines
I'm trans and i said it too cause i didnt know better / what it meant
Why would you make a song about that? Bullshit from the self proclaimed GOAT.
The only thing I can't forgive about that track is the misgendering. The slurs are obviously there to make a point, and I can excuse the deadnaming even, but I just don't see why the misgendering was necessary, especially since it confuses things and makes it hard to tell who he's talking about at times.
This albums so good man
Eh
@@opaz3530 you didn’t like it?
@@liamoreilly6706 I don’t like at all bro
yes its really great!!!
@@liamoreilly6706 It’s boring and corny, why do we have to sacrifice music quality for lyrics? Every other ken album knocks out both but with this one we can only get one? Most of what Kendrick is talking about isn’t even that deep and the same topics have been addressed in countless other rappers/musicians music many of which paint the better picture. Not to mention the lame beats, corny ad-libs and vocal cues, off putting features, and unnecessary length of some tracks make it hard to really care or sympathize with what ken is talking about.
Most the beats suck or are just boring, N95, Father Time, Purple Hearts, savior, auntie diaries, we cry together and crown are decent tracks at best but don’t have much replay value. None of them are “club music” but none of them are bang in your car music either.
After you understand the topic of the song and take a few good bars and concepts away theirs no reason to return because the tracks don’t sonically sound good. After countless replays with this album I’ve come to the same conclusion every time. It’s mid.
As a fan of Kendrick, I am also incredibly grateful that he has begun to shed his savior complex. That alone made me love this album. That’s a huge change for him if you’ve been following his lyrics over the years.
FR we all could hear it in "u", man's been struggling for a minute, glad for him
We gave Kendrick that Savior complex. He tried to live up to it but had to realize it’s too damn hard because he has issues himself.
@@avashirley2912 too DAMN. Because he has issues himself 😉
@@testing_somethingwho doesn’t have issues.
I often don't put my opinions on internet because I hate have to carry the weight of some people that may not agree, but is important to have an opinion and share, same as understanding opinions from others, as I completely understand and see what Shawn Cee is saying. Here I am, almost 2 years after that album was released and tbh it was a time when I didn't payed much attention to the sense of music and all the story aside. In my opinion, on this time, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is an experience that we feel invading Kendrick's space, is a personal album that I completely don't know most of his thoughts because I'm young or I just haven't experienced anything and don't know about it, but I see that is important going deeper into these records because after all is ART, I love art, any kind of art but especially music (producer tho). I haven't listened deeper to Kendrick's others records or know about his life experiences (another reason to search about it), but we can't forget that he is a human like us. My opinion may change because of time, we change all the time and there is no choice to be the same all the time, and tbh I hated to be the same my whole life.
I really respect your review, and your criticisms. I will say when you say "Kendrick doesn't give the victims enough perspective, enough balance", I have a few thoughts
1. He does this in both "auntie diaries" and "mother I sober", even in "father time" if we count him a victim. In the first he is lectured by someone first hand for his ignorance, in the second he is reflecting on the traumas effect on him. In father time, he clearly has some resentment for his father but in the same song acknowledges his father was in a cycle too, so Kendrick humanizes him. Of course it is hard to forgive people who cause you suffering, and sometimes it's not possible or realistic to expect that from the victim themselves. But that doesn't mean that it isn't something noble to do whenever possible, and for society to share that.
2. I get that you think it's not "on balance" but I don't think art needs to be balanced at all in terms of messaging. That is feeding into this "you NEED to say X" mentality. It's okay to say "I think what you said is wrong", but saying "you didn't say what i wanted you to say" is adding that expectation where it doesn't need to be, IMO Leading me into number 3:
3. Your criticism would make more sense if Kendrick outright SHAMES or DENIES people who are physical victims, first and foremost. But he doesn't. Saying "look at someone else" does not mean "look away from someone". He's asking the audience to widen their perspective, not to the detriment of the other
4. I think this is a truly boundary pushing album in how it is about radical love. It means forgiving sins, and that is uncomfortable. That is radical. You say "it's good to want accountability", but don't mention what that accountability is. His point is if our demand for accountability leaves no room for forgiveness or growth, then we are doomed to repeat our cycles of abuse. Victims will always have advocates, and that's a good thing. I think making the less accepted, uncomfortable point of saying victimhood applies to everyone, even bad people, needs the focus it gets. Comforting the "true" victim is implicit in our culture, in our system, and natural from the empathetic perspective (being his mother's son). But he wants to add an extra step that isn't intuitive, and hurts to admit.
In closing, I want to point to a similar piece of art that makes a similar radical point and was similarly controversial. "Native Son" by Richard Wright is a book about a black man who commits a horrible rape and murder and is punished to the ultimate extent by society. At no point is it excused what the perpetrator has done. But the book makes it clear that the perpetrator had the game rigged against him from the start. The society and the culture made him a monster. We can lock them up, give victims closure. But that does not make less monsters. That requires the radical step of rehabilitation, of forgiveness, of acknowledging that monsters are made, not born.
tl;dr - I share some criticism when it comes to *how* he said things, but I want to be careful saying he's implying something he didn't say ("giving men scapegoats") and want to note the actual message in here shouldn't be underestimated for how genuine, human, and radical his vision for love and forgiveness is.
Goated 💯💯
Great great points right here
based ass comment
This is one of if not the best RUclips comments I've ever read, thank you for commenting this :)
-😎💖
People dont realize he sets the precedent for what will be said in the album and the stories.
The Heart Part 5 is a declaration that what may be said. May not rub you the right way, because its am assault on "The Culture".
United in Grief is like an invitation to the table. Its like his turn in the intervention or recovery group. Its literally in the title. United-In-Grief.
N95 is where the album actually begins. We start back where Damn. left us off at with God as Duckworth was about his father. God was about laughing to the bank, N95 starts with removing all that materialistic stuff. To see the ugliness behind what the album will dub "mask"(refer to Purple Hearts and Count Me Out). To find the ugliness of the pain within.
It gets even deeper.
But imma leave it at this. The last song on the album is called Mirror. Which actually brings us full circle with TPAB's "I".
"Infront of a double dirty *Mirror* they found me/and I love myself"
In Mother I Sober he reveals who found him was his wife Whitney. If you remember the music video to U. "God is Gangster", he is drinking liquor straight out the bottle and a version of him is trapped in the mirror. And in Mother I Sober, Whitney asks does he have a drinking addiction. He reframes from telling her, he has a sex addiction.
This album ended the GKMC saga. People dont like this album, cause it isn't a horny club album like Damn. which was bigger than GKMC. This album is on par with TPAB.
29:55 for me personally the discourse around Auntie Diaries taught me alot. Growing up in a country where trans identities are very rare i learnt alot of terminology based on the critiques of the song, and the relatability of how kendrick has grown as a black man is also comforting. Also I think music cannot cause any real change, all it can do is start conversations like these ones.
Crown is my favourite track. You hear his struggle to find a state of grace with his position, others expectations and his own needs and desires. Surprisingly relatable too.
Tbh after hearing the same type of beat for almost a decade now, the sonic palette of this album felt like a breath of fresh air. Worldwide Steppers’ muffled piano chord loop with the intense kick drum feels cerebral. The synth bass on N95 bumps as hard as any 808, and Rich Spirit puts the west coast bounce under the shade with subtler drums.
I feel like Shawn keeps getting disappointed within artist these days cause he can see there potential but like Shawn once said don’t listen to people to form your opinion on music
No its because he has expectations. You cant have expectations for art, you will always be disappointed and dissatisfied. Artists like kendrick and frank are known for breaking the box.
Except if it's future
@@lilbatty that’s a value rebuttal, I guess When people have years to wait for a project and the hype behind it can kill the artistic value because the artist have a hard time satisfying the fans cause you can never do it.
@@perplexed1783 haha of course
True, I seen NFR loved Vince and Kendricks projects and Shawn was not feeling em as much...I appreciate the perspectives though.i loved this project it was a great listened and I do feel it will grow on many over time
i think every single review citing kodak’s inclusion on the album actually proves his point. for example, shawn has done how many reviews in the last year alone for albums featuring a kodak verse? yet, along with all the other critics of his inclusion, it wasn’t a problem on any of these other albums because it wasn’t a kendrick album.
kendrick relates to kodaks past and struggles, and sees an overarching theme in that, but most likely just sees him as a good artist to feature on his project. yet, in nearly every review of MMATBS, Kodak’s inclusion on a few songs is a main talking point. like kendrick said, he is not your savior. he’s done with being looked at as such, and a simple feature being blown to such proportions because it’s kendrick himself featuring him, directly proved his point.
Thanks for pointing this out. No one cared about all these Kodak features and liked Super Gremlin, but Kendrick puts him on the album, and everyone complains? Come on now. I don't even like Kodak that much, but this feels like something people are trying to pick apart.
😐.
Y'all understand that Kendrick put him on to make a point, but not that Shawn is saying the point was bad. That's why Shawn didn't go into it that much before -- these other artists just had him as a regular feature, they weren't making a point. Try actually listening to the video. Shawn is right.
Just because a woman says something happened doesn't mean it did. I'm not going to judge Kodak Black
@@JamMastaJeremy So what if they weren't trying to prove at point? I still find people hypocritical for this. Alot of these people have been singing along to his songs and his features for years now. Alleged sexual assault is now an issue for them due to a 3rd party making a point. That's ridiculous and selective virtual signaling bs.
Can't get enough of N95 & Worldwide Steppers, THIS SHIT HARD
That shit really was hard 😭
Same bro. Some many people shitting on worldwide steppers that song is so good
Shawn Cee is outta pocket
It’s Father Time, N95 and mr morale for me
I like the whole album tho
We sleeping on savior & we cry together shit hard
"one protest for you, 365 for me."
For me I don't see why featuring Kodak or mentioning R Kelly is a cosign to everything theyve done, specifically the assaults and what they've done to their victims. I agree that it would be nice for Kendrick to feature someone who is taking more accountability for their actions or to talk more about the vicitms because they are more Important, but I don't see the issue in focusing on them as individuals. A racist, a murder, a rapist, an abuser are more than just their crimes. You can have discussion or rap lyrics about that without adding caveats regarding things that society already generally expects. To me Kendrick prioritized language and arguments that challenged the average ideology in our community over protecting it.
Although the personal aspects are my favorite part of it, I think musically it’s amazing as well, and it has a diverse range of sounds that Kendrick tackles well
Kendrick made you think about it, but he is not your savior
I can’t help but love this album, 9/10 for me. I keep coming back to it daily
Kendrick simp. Bruh there are songs in the album where my dude doesn't even try to rhyme. Its like u guys aren't even listening to this musically. Its still a music album and needs to b dissected as such.
@@thobanizitho to each their own, musically I liked it better than DAMN on first listen
@@thobanizitho that's the thing tho, i actually do love this album sonically, like i love mirror, count me out, united in grief, rich spirit, and basically every song except purple hearts. Like i love the simplicity of the instrumental a lot in this record, and the flows and voices he uses as well. I'm not even talking about loving in a narrative perspective, I'm talking about loving how it actually sounds, musically fr (of course i love the narrative too but i can put a lot of these songs whenever i want to chill/vibe/workout/drive or whatever the mood/situation is ya feel).
@@farrelbram227 I promise you if you don't skip Purple Hearts it will grow on you and become just as good as the other ones. I had the same problem. This album is a 9/10
@@whyisthomyorke better than damn? Lmfao never not even close
Kendrick could have put out an album with all hits of he wanted to, but he didn’t do what we wanted from him he did what he wanted. This album is greatly executed just like every other. He wants us to stop idolizing him and treating him as a savior. He wants us to know he go thru shit just like me and you and we all human with many flaws. Beautiful album
Gotta love “No Stream Tap to Retry”
Fax
I think this album was incredible personally. You got disc 1 which was The Big Steppers where Kendrick's Stepper Persona is fully present and he's tap dancing around all of the tough convos (hence the trappier sound) with a few moments of clarity, though nothing gets resolved. Then, disc 2 starts (Mr. Morale) and Kendrick kills Kendrick Lamar the famous rapper & savior and finally chooses to deal with his unresolved traumas and suffering. He finally chooses to be Kendrick Lamar Duckworth. This was by far one of the most introspective albums I've ever heard and a fitting climax to Kendrick's discog so far. I really don't understand some of the slander tbh.
This album grew on me exponentially. I’m still in disbelief of how I came around to liking damn near every song. I do think it is musically his least impressive album, however I find myself listening to it everyday since it’s release.
i agree. its an album
garbage take, Dat.
We Cry Together isn't about a "BLACK RELATIONSHIP" . It's about toxic relationships. The two people in the relationships happen to be black. !!STOP SPREADING ANTI BLACK RHETORIC!! Be better bruh
Shawn Cee is from a generation with no Black Guidance in how to differentiate between what is Black characteristic and human characteristic. He's a college boy, schooled by white folk. But he's a Black man without a doubt.
Love the album honestly. Been listening too it all fortnight
😂😂😂 facts it doesn't have what I look for in Hip Hop music but gosh darn it I find myself bobbing my head to it
😂😂😂 facts it doesn't have what I look for in Hip Hop music but gosh darn it I find myself bobbing my head to it
This is what its all about man.. love your honest opinion. It made me think different just like album did. And i noticed that your way of judging this album changed after fully dissecting it. Keep the reviews coming!
It’s definitely his best sounding album
THATS WHAT IM SAYIN!!!!
WTF SAME HERE!!!!!
Hell no most the songs in here are just boring or corny with only 5 or 6 of the songs being actually decent
W video, really enjoyed it. I think the best part is when it said, “No stream, tap to retry.” That had me in tears
typical kendrick -d rider, only listens to mid
@@beaualIoevv wut lol
Kendrick’s monologue in the beginning of The Heart part 5 almost felt like he knew he was gonna lose some fans with the whole perspective talk.
He for sure knew. That monologue is super dope to me now the album been out
@@givenchymamajama3859 yeah I was speculating with my friend that it felt like a goodbye, especially with the beat being all celebratory yet somber
Personally, Auntie Diaries was the last straw that broke my flawed views of trans people. I felt like he was talking to me, I made a lot of jokes, did not tooked them seroiusly and did not respected them. Seeing comments on social media about trans people, supporting them and some hating them, it made me question my beliefs and when I heard the song, a song made by one of my favorite artists, it made me empathetic to them and it really changed how I viewed and felt about them. Everyone deserves happiness, I simply could not understand that they are people too at the end of the day. I feel really ashamed of one day feeling this way, but I have changed and it is in a small part thanks to this song and this album, I am still trying to become a better person everyday and grow in each way that I can
What i love about this review is what I hate about fans, not showing accountability
If we are discussing the message more then the music, means that Kendrick has achieved what I believe he wanted to do with this album
ALL of Kendrick’s previous albums are conceptual & balance a great sound with a great cadence & flows.
This album is boring.
I found it ironic that you mentioned the nation expects rap or a tv show to do more change than the senate and it brought me back to Damn where the sample said “Rap music has done more damage than racism in recent years”
Shawn rating this album a 10 just cuz kodack black is on it isn’t fair
The vid just came out bro
Please keep these unfunny jokes in Fantano's comment section
i feel like this project does a great job at being THE anticipated album in a way that you can enjoy the music for how enjoyable and catchy it is, and also focus on the subject matter when you feel like it. For a project everyone waited on for about 4 years, its really well done.
It was worth the wait, people expected a continuation of the Sonics/ subjects, energy of the last 2 projects. Instead he’s given us a more personal, introspective album. Stringing ideas together w lyrics. Nice buildups, concepts and song structures. Each song has a clear message n focus love this one
@@dfredankey 100% agree. I feel like people are mainly disappointed due to the the long waiting period it had, given that his last 3 albums before MMATBS had about a 2 year gap between each of em. 2 years gave the audience not a lot to expect to, removing a lot of the pressure to express artistic visions for each LP as compared to this album.
All anyone ever says is this album is personal, vulnerable or introspective which makes really no sense at all since all of Kendrick’s music has these aspects as well as being lyrically and sonically superb. Those critiques just sound like damage control for a lackluster product. This album falls short on both lyricism and production and most the topics talked about have been addressed in countless other rappers/musicians music.
I’m a Kendrick Stan so my comment will probably come off biased, but fuck it. I love this album. I honestly Listen to it everyday & my best experience with this album is wearing headphones & playing it on shuffle. I honestly think it’s his 3 best body of work behind TPAB & GKMC of course & if I had to rate it on a number scale I would give it a 9/10.
Weaknesses in this album to me are the multiple Kodak Black inclusions which to me weren’t necessary, however I do enjoy the record “Silent Hill”. Also, the song “We Cry Together”. While at the first listen, I was amazed at the track, it’s a track I don’t find myself listening to at all anymore & even when I Listen to the album all the way through now, I skip it. And lastly, The “Pop records” on MMATBS show that “Poppier” records aren’t Kendrick’s strong suit.
Strengths on this album : Kendrick’s storytelling on tracks such as WorldWide Steppers, Auntie Diaries & Mother I Sober is absolutely amazing. This album has some of Kendrick’s best tracks EVER (Father Time, Mother I Sober, Count Me Out) His lyricism throughout this record is strong, the production I find very experimental & very well thought out for me personally. To not have every track sound the same which to me is an amazing feat in it’s own right & the features. I throughly enjoyed the features on this album specifically (Sampha, Taylour Paige (even though I’m not a big fan of that record she did her thing!, Baby Keem, Kodak Black on Silent Hill, Ghostface Killah, Summer Walker, Sam Dew & Beth Gibbons)
I keep seeing people saying “how can he perform this album?!” “There’s no replay value” & to me those aren’t well thought out, very premature thoughts. There are plenty tracks on this album that Kendrick can perform on stage : N95, Worldwide Steppers, Die Hard, Rich Spirit, Purple Hearts, Count Me Out, Silent Hill, Savior, Mr.Morale & Mirror. And these same songs have replay value on the album or even on your very own playlist. You can play Silent Hill, Purple Hearts, Die Hard and even Rich Spirit at a kick back or even as background music. So again, I’m not saying the whole album has replay value, but to say it doesn’t have any at all is wild to me. Lastly, I think this album will age very well & it will be later known as a masterpiece, a classic, an album ahead of it’s time, people will pretty much say things like that.
The album is a fucking masterpiece, don’t listen to Shawn, he wrong
I also agree with this take. Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about the album.
I'd give it 8/10. The bass is muddy on some songs like silent hill. That's my only complaint
@@FumbDuck99 it’s mid cry about it
@@beaualIoevv you prolly bump Jack Harlow and Nav on the regular
I love how even though Shawn doesn’t love the album, he still accurately articulates all of the things that I love about it.
Thank you, Shawn Cree. You’re up there with the Kendrick Lamars and the TJ Kirks in my opinion. Godspeed Pilgrim.
I wouldn't go as far as referring to 'We Cry Together' as something from a "typical" Black relationship.
That statement confused me 😂
@@kauswekazilimani3736 Right? Seems as if Shawn's the one who's confused. Lol To place that sweeping, ignorant generalization out there, like that. 😬💆🏽♀️ Whoa.
I respect AND enjoy this album because although I don't appear as a black individual, I am mixed and I do have a black father and grandfather. I've delt with father issues with how I was brought up but at the sametime I appreciate some of the good he taught me. As well as the therapeutic theme with diving deep and trying to understand trauma for himself and others that cause havoc in their later years due to their up-bringing. And the emotions I felt in this album made me cry, smile, and have hope for not only my own growth. But others. Kodak, I do agree is a bad example in terms of putting things into perspective of how young black men being brought up wrong do these negative things because of trauma. And referencing R Kelly aswell. BUT, for the smart listeners they can sit back and understand why they were referenced. Because of their trauma, and not knowing how to deal with certain things because of how they were brought up and where they spent most of their time. Kendrick uses these people to force you to try and see the good in them because of how they are perceived by the public eye. Obviously they aren't the best people, but at one point they had innocence.. at one point they probably were good people. But something made them go off the rails and were left unchecked, and untreated. Blaming mental illness on why they did what they did. I understand the average listener that wants bangers will be offended by this project for the sonics, and message that they won't understand first listen. But it doesn't take away from how GREAT this album is. It's another classic for me, Kendrick is a legend for eternity! And no, I am not pedestalizing him for no reason. He just deserves it
One thing Shawn misses on is that we don't know the conversations Kendrick has with Kodak. Sure, it would have been great to hear Kodak include some empathetic bars about the harm he caused, but that goes to far against his current persona and his way of relating to the world and media.
We don't know if k.dot had long conversations about Kodak's trauma or if kendrick is really trying to cause some personal transformation within Kodak in the process of making this album.
Like Shawn acknowledged, kendrick understands the masses are closer to Kodak than social justice advocates on twitter, and is putting out music to impact culture to impact the people. Regardless of how successful kendrick is, Shawn is right this album deserves deep respect. Can't fault him for not feeling the trauma tho.
What harm did you cause?
This album is essential I am thankful it exists
the best vid i seen on the album 👍👍👍
Album grew allot on me. The first listen I was like man this album kinda weak but on my second and third listen I started to realize where he was going with it. The only thing I wish it had was more energy and up beat songs. The concepts in each song I understand and even the songs I didn’t relate to it almost felt like I did because I how he delivered it. Mother I sober is a great example of how you can feel it even if it didn’t happen to you.
yup the album is ageing very well for me
I’m the opposite it gets worse every listen for me
I think Kendrick’s intent for the album had little to do with the potential impact or the affect it has for the average listener. This album was about HIM and HIS personal revelations. To me, that was the overarching narrative of the album: not worrying about the public’s expectations or the reactions and instead worrying about himself and his growth
Kendrick isn't a rapper at this point, he's an artist who happens to use hip-hop as the medium to spread his message.
For me it feels like with this album he feels like he's accomplished everything he wanted in the music industry, now he wants to start addressing deeper stuff, and not be seen as just an entertainer.
Which I think it's ironic because he keeps saying h s not a Savior but he's also the only one who keeps talking about what pretty much nobody else is...
I don't think we should be expecting Kendrick to speak on the behalf of the victims. Yes, he has a large and impressionable audience, and that sort of stuff needs to be said, but Kendrick himself isn't a victim, and with this album being a very personally focused album, I personally can't blame him for not putting out that sort of message. Yes, there is a frightening imbalance of power and agency in the message of the album, just on the basis of the fact that, like you said, he doesn't have the breadth of experience to cover that "victimhood" aspect in good conscience. But I think that's something we need to come to accept, because I think at the end of the day, his experiences are valuable and worth sharing to his audience, and saying "perpetrator" without "victim," to me, is still a respectable move.
And I don't want to depersonalize the negative impacts that this record can and will have on culture- namely, using this line of thinking as moral justification for the crimes of a perpetrator; in fact, given the audience he's built up with DAMN, we can expect a wave of edgelords to misconstrue this album's message to reinforce their own worldview. And along with this, you could see how the whole critique of cancel culture is sort of just an addition to the arsenal of arguments of those redditors. The thing is, I see an opposite and equally powerful argument that this will have a great impact on our cultural spaces. His hyper-fixation on the perpetrator, I think, WILL reach people who don't appreciate Kendrick's messages. This whole thing about reaching across the isle, I think WILL actually open up conversation. If you're looking at Twitter for data collection, you're looking at the wrong place, because nobody is open or honest there. In any case, without any evidence, I'm going to posit that: for every redditor that defends Kendrick Lamar for their own selfish reasons, there will be a person who relates deeply to the message and confronts their past in order to better their own selves. Yeah, the latter requires a lot more effort, but the people who are willing to dig into the lyrics even a little bit, I think are somewhat likely to already have the critical thinking skills to recognize that he's not necessarily belittling the experience of victims, just shedding light on the experience of the perpetrator. "Oh, that's a 50/50 split, that's not very optimistic-" Shut up, Trevor. I'm trying to shift the goalpost here.
So although he chalks the album up to be a purely personal endeavor with the song Mirror, obviously the album will inevitably have a large impact on culture, BUT I don't think the societal implications of this record will be as detrimental as you think. And yeah, I do think most people "don't base their opinions off music," but for the 1% that do, I honestly don't see it going that badly. But to blatantly lampshade, maybe this is the product of my overextended mental gymnastics to defend an artist that I really like. (Ok yeah I know shawn doesn't look at comments so ignore the "you's")
I'm not saying you're all the way wrong about this, but..... Twitter is real life. It's just shorter and uglier. All the defense for Kodak and Auntie Diaries is happening at the barbershop and the lunchroom and wherever else. And worse than that, it's happening in people's minds too. Folks who barely talk about music online get their opinions and perspectives shaped by these songs. Most trans people I've seen talking about it feel like it's a burden, not an asset to any conversation. Not all, but most.
@@JamMastaJeremy all of this is true
Amazing review. The nuances of your points are really impressive.
Ultimately, is the way Kendrick feels and the way he wanted to portrait it. You worried about a critic? That aint protocol.
Here we go…
This album came at the perfect time for me. I related to every song, my favorite album this year, and might now be my favorite/2nd favorite album next to TPAB.
You’re wrong about the music, but I respect your opinion lol I think 5 years from now it’ll hold
Not even 5 years
It’s not favorite album from him but I love the songwriting. This is his best writing yet. He completely showed who he is as he had to confront thing during the pandemic. Many of us were affected mentally in 2020 and 2021 socially, spiritually, and emotionally.
His new age philosophy is not for me but he wasn’t completely preachy.
New age philosophy?
@@buunyyhopp Eckhart Tolle’s influence is all over this album. On the last track he states he’s adopted some of his teaching.
There isn’t a lot of songs I’d put into my playlist, there’s a few but not a lot, but listening to the album itself is amazing from front to back. As a piece of work by itself as a whole the album is amazing.
EXACTLY - i honestly dont listen to anything apart from N95 but whenever I do listen to the album I listen to it front to back
thats crazy to me cause i got like 12 songs off it in my playlist
I got the feeling Kendrick is primarily addressing the cycle of trauma that plagues black boys/men. And that to heal, he (and everyone else) must acknowledge, understand, and let go of the trauma they hold. It’s a beautiful message. Their are only 3 rappers on this album: Kendrick (broke free of the cycle of trauma), Keem (currently struggling to cope with his trauma), and Kodak (Perpetuated the cycle by creating more trauma for another person). Eckhart gives Kendrick the insight to heal himself and in healing himself Kendrick breaks the cycle thus “freeing everyone” because it doesn’t exist in him, it has been “defeated”. This part of the message is understandably confusing. In a way it’s like the saying “The first step is the last step”, Trauma is done for because it only takes one crack to bring down the house. Pretty interesting stuff, and another ambitious addition to Kendrick’s discography. After hearing Shawn’s grievances I think he’s being too critical.. Considering it’s only a album, this is impressive.
You could put The Heart Pt5 in the description on Disc 3. I think that would make your perception of the album better.
Man, it takes you 5 minutes to say something that in the end, always aligns with the popular opinion.
Shawn is missing the point of world wide steppers. There nobody on this earth who doesn’t hurt others. Kendrick’s also not asking for forgiveness but asking us to see every human as a victim of the cycle of hurt.
More or less every assailant was a victim first. Some don’t even know what they are doing some don’t know how to stop ect. So consequences exist for actions sure but there’s a trauma that’s causing the person to cause more and we should seek to heal that.
For your sake, I hope you listen to this album again once you're in your mid 30s.
cool, what did you think about the music tho? In my opinion, this album has some of his most lush, and fine-tuned production he's ever had (yes I understand TPAB exists, and for how complex and jazzy that album is I still think the ideas (sonically) on MM&TBS are perfectly done.) In terms of progression and song structure within the songs, they move perfectly introducing new instruments and sounds that build into a cathartic release in every track. Now for album structure, I think it even tops some of his best albums. For structure, this first disk jumps around in sound so much but does not feel jarring or unpredictable, because of how most of the songs tie up and finalize. You go from a theatrical orchestral opener with beautiful string arrangements to a rap anthem then to like a weird unorthodox song about retaliation, and then to a beautiful lush new wave dance tune about love. The second disk is no different in terms of structure, and in my opinion some of his best material sonically. Count Me Out could be played as the opener to his set at a festival and you feel it because of the progression leads you into a place of vulnerability, soft at first, but then goes into a fucking BOP when that 808 comes in. His repetitious flow and somber cadence matched with the backing vocals in the first half of the song feels so fucking euphoric. I've said this since Damn, but his harmonizing skills and just his ear for harmony, in general, are unmatched by any top artists releasing new music. I remember seeing someone on Twitter say that if you did not like GOD on DAMN, then you were not about to like the music on this album, and I can kinda see that because GOD is top 2 songs on DAMN for me. I can go on and on about the second disc, especially about the music on Auntie Diaries, but ill cut it short.
I know you went at lengths about the content on this album, and you only said in a few words on this video that you really did not feel the music on this record, but in my honest opinion, it is some of the most beautiful, warm and open feeling songs in his entire discography, especially tying it with the subject matter on it.
To me, kdot made a j cole album (kod 4yeo) - production on a smaller scale to focus on lyrics and the concept and theme of the album. Lol it’s just wild kdot made a cole album better than cole! Imo and I love cole most of y’all say he sleepy tho. Either way i love it that’s just my thoughts
dope
I think kendrick is an alien
Look Shawn. Musically this album is watertight, as with other Kendrick records. Your problem is that some of the sonic decisions taken didn't meet your ear well, and that's fine. I love Carti's inflections, but I don't like Danny Brown's. I get that.
The problem lies where you're trying to see this album from Kendrick's perspective, and you can't do that. You don't know what his intent may have been with this, and that's kind of the point. It ticks every record of what makes a great Kendrick album.
Exactly, I’m not really sure what music he was listening to because these instrumentals were gorgeous.
The album is a classic and Shawn is a young man and sometimes the brothers intelligence outweighs his experience. But everything is perspective.
Or maybe he just didn't love it. Just as I didn't love it.
@@JG-qp9dl that's cool, but the criticism should be "I didn't like it's sonic direction" not that extra shit Shawn said
@@zarrowivyson4590 the criticism could be anything. You say it's musically watertight. But, I didn't think so. And neither does he. And I don't think it's wrong to say the lyrics are from his perspective. That is one way to interpret it. And many interpret it that way, 🤷🏽♂️
this is easily his top 3 so far, alongside GKMC and TPAB. DAMN was such a safe and inoffensive album compared to this that it almost made DAMN a more commercial album, sonically as well
and speaking of how this record sounds, it is by far the most inconsistent one so far, but not in the sense that some songs bang and others are bad. every single song here is exceptional, but they compliment such specific topics that you wouldn't bump them as you would DAMN because you would have to listen what he's saying.
also a fact, savior has got THE HARDEST drop in kendrick's career so far. literally no debate
@@uswatunalwiyatin9404 SAVIOR IS AMAZING!!!
I’m gonna come clean and say that most of the people who are saying this is his best compared to TPAB, GKMC or even DAMN. is coming from the newer fans (2016 onwards) so ofc his very next album will sound good to you when all you heard or can compare it to is DAMN. If we are honest with ourselves, this definitely doesn’t hold up to his past works, it doesn’t matter how long it will take to see the “message” which by the way isn’t all that nuanced to me and I feel he did better on these topics and even musically better on TPAB & GKMC. Him being abstract and not really coming to an answer I feel is where he shines to me. I don’t see this album as anything more than a soundtrack album to a movie he hasn’t released yet. Been a fan of Kendrick since 2012 so it has nothing to do with me being a retro-f** or a contrarian but i can’t ever take someone seriously when they say Mr. Morale is better than anything he’s made prior to it. If the beats knocked harder and he was more raw & abstract and if it was released a lil sooner like 2019 since the stuff he’s talking about was more relevant at the time, it would’ve been better received. As it stands I think this album is falling into the same traps that TPAB did, where it’s only given credit in its messages but musically it’s not being considered. If the music behind your message is not memorable or even enjoyable? you failed. It’s not even a secret why these new leaks have been dropping since Last Friday, he knows that this album wasn’t praised to the level his past works has. Search your feelings, you know it to be the truth.
This is my list as of December 21st, 2022
1.) GKMC
2.)Section 80
3.) TPAB
4.) DAMN. (CD version only)
5.) Untitled Unmastered
6.) Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers
Yup. Still my favorite Kendrick album.
I really appreciate that you broke down this album in context of Kendrick’s prior discography up to GKMC, because this album has elements of those other albums embedded within it. Overall, I love the record and I know that United in grief, n95, die hard, silent hill, and surprisingly Auntie Diaries will still be on repeat for both pleasure and ‘pain’.
I like this album alot cause im going through the same emotions that are put into this album and songs like "Count me out" and "Father time" because i grew up without a father for the bigger part of my life, my father figure was my gramps who i admire the most.
👌
You don’t get it.
i really like the album musically, but i also fully agree with your point about the danger of abusive people claiming victimhood to a point where the victims are forgotten tbh
i think people who don't like this haven't been to therapy for more than a few months. only people who put themselves through the arduous task of bettering yourself through therapy will understand what's going on. nobody will understand the weight of the chorus in mirrors without going to therapy
the people in this comment section saying it’s bad just because it’s not tpab even tho if anyone else dropped it, this would be album of the year
There are several points you mentioned that I disagreed, but there were three I strongly disagreed on:
1) His music isn’t going to influence
2) He doesn’t represent the victims well enough
3) His album has topics that have already been discussed
For points 1 and 3: All topics in every one of his albums have been discussed. TPAB-there have been multiple albums over black experiences and culture and racial injustice. In DAMN-there have been multiple songs about Lust or Feeling like you’re alone. So saying the topics in this album already have discourse… we know. So have all his others. And to say his music isn’t going to influence is also applicable to every one of his other records. And honestly, I think this album is even more impactful for me personally for Father Time alone.
As for the second point-he does represent the victims. Him going to therapy and talking about his experiences and how he copes with his problems all represent victims of all kinds of problems. Also, EVERYONE always sides with the victims, so to say he should’ve talked about them is useless (which he still talked about the victims). And to help those who suffered and ready for change, they deserve that second chance. That’s not discussed enough, and I’m glad he did.
I enjoyed your video. I just think these points are just not correct. But great video nevertheless.
Edited some typos