Much has been said of the current ‘new school’ of rappers — a group of these freshman that have now graduated into the next stage, their ascent to stardom. With his latest project, Section.80, Kendrick Lamar has risen to the top of his class as the first to release a well-structured, complete album. Although lacking the commercial appeal of many of his peers, he has gained the respect of those embedded in the true culture of hip-hop — its relevance as a medium of expression and the social nature of its background since its beginning. Through 16 tracks, Kendrick Lamar takes listeners on a journey of social expression (I don’t want to say commentary because that sells it far short) with hard bars and soulful beats.
The album begins with the crackling of a fire and a strong voice leading a community of listeners. The opening track, “Fuck Your Ethnicity,” is an important one in introducing the album, clearly highlighting that the message(s) and issues presented apply to every breathing person. The piano hits hard while Kendrick showcases his ability to stand toe to toe with the best lyrically. (I got 2/That’s a metaphor for the big shit I do/TMI, TSA, man I’m fly/Put wings on my back/That a plane or an angel?/ Both, like a pilot with a halo – whoa). He delivers them with a subtlety that contradicts how other rappers would be yelling out and delivering more chuckles than punchlines. From here he goes into “Hol’ Up,” the brightest song on the album. The trumpets bring us in to some bars and subsequently Kendrick’s repeating Hol’ Up on the chorus, which is catchy as fuck. Kinda like Dom’s “Grind’n,” you’ll catch yourself repeating it throughout the day after listening.
“A.D.H.D.” launches us into the heart of the album. If beats and rhymes are all that you feel coming from your speakers when you listen to Section.80, you’re missing the true intention of this 16-track artistry. There’s a much larger pill to swallow than the relentless flow and great production. This album serves as a wake up call to Generation Y. Much has been made of our generation’s downfalls and its potential for utter failure (I kinda touched on this on a tumblr post). A big issue that we’ve come across is how to convey these issues to the population to inspire some kind of change; many that realize the issues we face are simply overcome by apathy. It remains to be seen the impact music can have, but this album is a valiant effort, masterfully crafted over its central themes. In A.D.H.D., Kendrick watches medication overcome minds (chorus hits: 8 doobies to the face, fuck thought/12 bottles in the case, nigga fuck thought/2 pills and a half, wait fuck thought). This issue’s been on my mind a lot recently, reminded of me of something the homie Jeff over at 12FV wrote a while back “We don’t spend much time on our thoughts anymore. The present has showered us with instant gratifications. Whatever happened to meticulous cultivation and its hardworking counterparts? We want everything at our fingertips and we want it streaming from all directions.”
Kendrick shares two distinct qualities that I can see with a young Nas. The first is standing out from his peers with a truly conscious perspective on the world around him. (I’m not on the outside looking in. I’m not on the inside looking out. I’m in the dead fucking center, looking around) He’s touched on subjects before while finding himself as an artist, but Section.80 has a much more focused approach. Although there is no comparison to Nas’ work, depicting so vividly the claustraphobic hell in between 40th Side North and 41st Side South, the similarity can still be seen. The other thing I see that draws the two together is a relentless flow. Kendrick doesn’t give you a second to breathe or ingest anything. They differ in this aspect in that Kendrick’s is more of a stream which reflects a continuous thought process that needs to be expressed in that manner to retain its intended emphasis. Whereas Nas was packing so many individual lines into a song to portray visuals, it was as if he had a time limit on each track. It’s this style that really helps in setting Kendrick apart from other rappers right now. His wizardry with words isn’t characterized by compounding obscure references or metaphors, but rather by a flow of alliterating lyricism that never strays too far from the intended thought. Each line has a soulful, heavy emphasis that hits you like the rap equivalent of a Skrillex bass drum.
Kendrick continues on his path throughout the album, each song having its own unique appeal. “Ronald Reagan Era” and “Rigamortus” are two of the best tracks released this year, across genres. The album ends with “HiiiPoWer,” the J. Cole produced track that provides an uplifting end that inspires a call for action. (Opens with: The sky is falling, the wind is calling/Stand for something or die in the morning). Check the video below to get a better understanding. It serves as a reminder that the world needs he and J. Cole to get to making their supposed mixtape together. The two possess currently unrivaled lyrical skills and passion, and given influence from each onto the other they’d produce magical shit. The entire album builds up to HiiiPoWer, and I love that it’s left until the end despite being the best track on the album. It’s a testament to the fact that this needs to be listened from start to finish to be truly appreciated and understood. Best album of the year so far, looking forward to what the future holds for the only 24-year old Kendrick Lamar.
Tracklist
1.) Fuck Your Ethnicity [prod. by THC]
2.) Hol’ Up [prod. by Sounwave]
3.) A.D.H.D [prod. by Sounwave]
4.) No Makeup (Her Vice) ft Colin Munroe [prod. by Sounwave]
5.) Tammy’s Song (Her Evils) [prod. by THC]
6.) Chapter Six [prod. by Tommy Black]
7.) Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils) [prod. by Tae Beast]
8.) Poe Mans Dreams (His Vice) ft GLC [prod. by Willie B]
9.) The Spiteful Chant ft Schoolboy Q [prod. by Sounwave & Dave Free]
10.) Chapter Ten [prod. by THC]
11.) Keishas Song (Her Pain) feat. Astro Bot [prod. by Tae Beast]
12.) Rigamortis [prod. by Willie B]
13.) Kush & Corinthians (His Pain) feat BJ The Chicago Kid [prod. by Wyldfire]
14.) Members Only [prod. by Tommy Black]
15.) Ab-Soul’s Outro [prod. by Terrace Martin]
16.) HiiPoWeR [prod. by J. Cole]
You can catch Kendrick @ The Music Box 8/19 w/ Casey Veggies & Schoolboy Q for $25.
+jangbar
