Kendrick Lamar has had a triumphant rise in the past eight years as his growing catalogue continues to challenge and push the boundaries of modern hip-hop, by focusing on social issues and musical diversity, as seen in To Pimp a Butterfly which focused on discrimination and racial issues. DAMN may not be as complex or experimental as its predecessor, but it has certainly packed a punch in 2017.
What makes DAMN stand out from its other contemporaries released during the year is the hard-hitting lyrics dealing with more personal and introspective themes than the very political Butterfly. The spoken-word track, “Blood”, deals with religion and the battle between good & evil, as Lamar tells the story of how a blind woman shoots him as he was trying to help her. Dark and brooding, this opening track sets the mood for the rest of the album. “Humble”, on the other hand, criticises the treatment of others, especially concerning the beauty standards of women:
"I'm so f*cking sick and tired of the Photoshop
Show me something natural like afro on Richard Pryor
Show me something natural like ass with some stretch marks”
It may have been criticised by feminists, but I really believe Lamar was trying to make a point; we are bombarded by unrealistic imagery of the human body every day to the point where young people are subliminally forced to change their image to try and ‘fit in’. Would you rather have this issue ignored? Would you rather have people physically harm themselves just to look ‘pretty’?
Musically, the album is a lot less experimental compared to Lamar’s earlier work. It incorporates trap and grime influences, which gives the album a much more edgier sound that accommodates the lyrics nicely, but also some more psychedelic elements that gives off a haunting quality as well. This serves to further the impact that DAMN has upon the listener.
That's not to say I'm without criticism. There are times that the album can be a little bit repetitive in its style, and I think that's why I don’t feel it lives up to the same standard set by Butterfly. It relies too much on the trap and generic R’n’B elements for some songs, especially on the track “Fear”, where I find the vibe had started to die down and become stale. It’s disappointing as the rest of the album set such a high standard for hip-hop yet to come.
Besides that, there’s a reason why DAMN is called DAMN - personal, hard-hitting and delivers a significant message to its listener; one that I ask readers to discover for themselves.
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