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40.) Kendrick Lamar – Section.80


Kendrick Lamar is a Compton rapper with a laid-back LA vibe, but all of his music is informed by the sort of social consciousness that New York is known for. Lupe Fiasco, back with his early material, showed similar influences (albeit as a Chicago artist), but Kendrick Lamar lacks the ear for pop tendencies that Lupe has always had. Despite the significant buzz he’s built up, it’s actually hard for me to see Kendrick achieving any sustained commercial success. His music is too personal, to introspective, but simultaneously too eager to point the mirror back at society. Listen to tracks like “ADHD,” “Ronald Regan Era” or “HiiiPower”: Kendrick is the voice of the abyss, sharp and cool and always gazing back into us. On a practical standpoint, Section.80 is thrilling when its full-on dedicated to social consciousness and stirring, emotional beats to go along with. Much of the beginning of the album is dedicated to songs that are more personal, often about relationships and women, and those songs drag for me. I love about half of this album and the other half kinda’ bores me. Kendrick’s unique flow is laid-back to lullaby levels sometimes, so when the songs sound dull his flow only compounds that. But when the subject matter and beat are urgent, Kendrick is riveting. Listen to “HiiiPower,” linked below: Kendrick appropriates Kanye West’s signature “Hah?” and even some lines, as if to call out Kanye for making a mediocre album w/ Jay-Z about 1% materialism when Kanye could be making socially relevant artistic statements. Kendrick is a complex artist with a lot to say, and this album (his first full-length) is a sign of fantastic promise.