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“ It shows how much rap means to Lamar , and that he does not care what other rap artists think about him .”
Jason Ercolano ’ 20
Album Review : “ Damn ” from Kendrick Lamar New Release Satisfies Expectations
Jason Ercolano Contributor
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an African-American , Compton born rapper , also known as K-Dot , King Kendrick and Kung-Fu Kenny , but best known as Kendrick Lamar . He released “ Damn ,” his fourth album , in April . Based upon the success and reputation of his previous albums , the hype for “ Damn ” was astronomical . But , Lamar is known for exceeding expectations , and so far , the album has done very well , topping the Billboard Top 200 charts for sales for its first three weeks .
“ Damn ” has 14 songs , two fewer tracks than his previous release , “ To Pimp a Butterfly .” Lamar takes a different approach on this album , without as much jazz influence as he did previously . Let ’ s look at it track by track .
“ Blood ” is not really a rap song . It ’ s more of a short story with a musical background that introduces the album . In the story , Lamar helps and has a conversation with a blind woman who says , “ You ’ ve lost your life .” There is a gunshot where it sounds like Lamar is killed , with a bridge to a sampled news report about Lamar .
As soon as “ Blood ” ends we hear “ DNA ,” which is one of the strongest tracks on the album , with a very strong and loud beat . When the beat changes , it he is telling someone that they will never be as good as him .
After the loud bass driven “ DNA ,” the much slower paced “ Yah ” begins . Yah refers to Yahweh , which means god , and the song centers on religion . Unfortunately , it ’ s one of the weaker tracks on the album .
“ Element ” is one of the most popdriven tracks . It is also one of his best tracks . It shows how much rap means to Lamar , and that he does not care what other rap artists think about him . He believes he is the best .
“ Feel ” makes it feel like he is in a state of depression as the intro , chorus and outro include the line “ Ain ’ t Nobody Prayin ’ For Me ,” which seems to express that Lamar feels like he is by himself in the rap business , which is a scary place .
“ Loyalty ” ( featuring Rhianna ) is Lamar and Rihanna ’ s first collaboration , and it is a tremendous success . It skillfully samples Bruno Mar ’ s “ 24k Magic ” throughout . The message is that loyalty and honesty are key factors in a relationship .
“ Pride ” has a gloomy feel , but it is amazing . It shows religious themes and shows everything that is wrong with the world . The vocal pitch ranges from high to low throughout . The meaningful recurring line is “ Maybe I Wasn ’ t There .”
“ Humble ,” was released before the album with a music video that shows a lot of religious imagery . But , the song is not about religion . It focuses on Lamar telling other rappers to be humble , because they are as great as
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him .
“ Lust ” depicts the life of a famous person like himself , and how they can do almost anything they want . It captures how romance might go for a celebrity .
“ Love ” ( featuring Safari ) shows Lamar ’ s how he feels about his fiancé Whitney Alford , and how much he wants to be with her . It features strong vocals .
“ XXX ,” featuring U2 , Lamar touches on sensitive topics such as politics and religion . It also shows how even the good in the world can be evil .
At nearly eight minutes , “ Fear ” is the longest song . There are four verses . The first three show times Lamar has faced fear – at childhood , adolescence and adulthood . The fourth explains what fear means to him .
In the very distinctive “ God ,” Lamar shows off his fame and how good being rich and famous feels , even with all the downsides . It shows how hard he works , so he can continue to feel this way . In the chorus , Lamar compares the feeling of being rich and famous to feeling like a god , saying , “ this what god feel like .”
“ Duckworth ,” is the final track . It tells the story of how Anthony Tiffith , the CEO of Top Dawg Entertainment , Lamar ’ s label , almost killed his father when he was younger .
“ Damn ” is one of the strongest rap albums of 2017 so far , and deserves recognition for how well it lives up to its pre-release hype .
Cassie Marando AHS - Class of 2017 Harvard University - Class of 2021
Cassie Marando Cont ’ d from Page 2
A huge part of NHS is community service ; how has the work you ' ve done for the community these past two years impacted you as a person ?
It has made me appreciate everything that has been given to me .
And it has made me realize how much I like teaching people . Last year and this year , most my NHS hours came from tutoring or volunteering at the library . Community service allows you to learn about yourself and your community , and I think it is important that everyone gives back to the community that has done so much for them .
What advice would you give to an underclassman ?
Get involved in something while you ' re an underclassman , and stick with it . I joined math team freshmen year and tried to quit because I didn ' t know anyone , and it ended up being one of the best things I ' ve ever done . So , if you ' re thinking about trying out for drama or joining the newspaper , go for it ! Also , try to manage your time well . Make schedules and use your agenda .