DAMN. marks the fourth studio album from Kendrick Lamar, and, on each of his albums, the Compton native has uncovered more and more of the mythos surrounding his upbringing. While this project is no different in that regard, it is extremely different in nearly every other way, which is just further evidence of Kendrick's greatness. On this unconventional piece, the listener gets every shade, texture, and tone of Kendrick's voice, as he flexes his songwriting chops with versatile flows (expected) and pop-leaning singing (very unexpected). As he wrestles with the complex dichotomies of life on each track, one can really hear the struggle in his voice between his id, ego, and superego, and, in today's rap climate (and, with the way Kendrick's doing things), that's a refreshing thing. In all, DAMN. finds a man who has delivered classic albums time and time again and who is widely regarded as a self-made living legend digging even deeper into his memory bank to provide thoughtful social commentary based on the experiences of him and his family. We're fans. Listen to one our favorites from the project below, and stream it all on Spotify now.
Kendrick Lamar