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Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

economist.com

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Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#41

Post by nugi »

arionhardison wrote: post #39
lostgame wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> I remember the first time I heard To Pimp A Butterfly. I instantly got the feeling that this was made for us (AA). I think, more importantly, it was also made specifically for white folks who needed to hear the message. Sure, everyone I know in the AA community knows Kendrick...but they’re also already vehemently aware of the issues. I’m glad TPAB had the reach it did. Not only is it, message-wise, one of the most…

I was totally lacking this perspective. Thank you. As ignorant as it may sound I did not think white people would listen to TPAB. Especially not the HN/MAGA types. I grew up in the south and that formed the opinions that I project on people (mainly white people), thus I find your opinion on TPAB very refreshing.

Seriously? Take a listen to the songs bumpin from those deep south brodozers. Its not even a quarter country, and likly more than half aa artists. Sure some of the rural areas dont scale, but its changing, and has been for longer than my lifetime. I got turned onto tpab by a white dude who read about it on some forum for pop misic of all things. Bias goes both ways. Best just to be human.

Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#42

Post by shams93 »

krrishd wrote: post #20

Super excited to see something hip-hop related at the top of HN, especially Kendrick. For anyone looking to understand why he's likely one of the best lyricists/storytellers of our time, here's some recommended songs from him: * Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst * Momma * Wesley's Theory I'd recommend checking out his projects as a whole (Section.80, Good Kid m.a.a.d City, To Pimp a Butterfly), but those songs disti…

His choice of side musicians is amazing as well, he had Joe Limberg who has been mixing jazz trumpet and hip hop since 1992, lots of really incredible musicians get to work on his records and you can hear it in the end result. Maybe I'm slightly biased because I played with Joe in a couple jazz groups in the 90s but this music is so exciting because LA has this long history of jazz and Lamar ties together that legacy with the future forward vision of hip hop. He's not necessarily the greatest rapper ever some of his stuff is over produced and over exaggerated, nobody is perfect but the way he ties together the history with the future is exciting.

Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#43

Post by lokut »

I don't understand what people are getting out of this review. It seems like a shallow interpretation of the album in the context of his previous work, and just settles to make insightful-sounding claims with weak evidence to support. Making assumptions about the artist's motivation for the album with respect to current social environment is not a useful review; speculations don't add to the discussion. And, superficial statements such as "[h]is hypocrisy is part-performance, part-confession," are failed attempts at enlightened commentary that only serve to provide pseudo-sustenance to a post lacking real critical value. It's hard to point out the unbalance of the themes in this album, while comparing it to themes proposed in To Pimp a Butterfly, and attempt to claim that the juxtaposition of emotions in DAMN is really just "a sense of emotion overpowering the artist." Am I the only one seeing this, or is this article in need of some deeper analysis?

Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#44

Post by andkon »

shams93 wrote: post #42
krrishd wrote: post #20

Super excited to see something hip-hop related at the top of HN, especially Kendrick. For anyone looking to understand why he's likely one of the best lyricists/storytellers of our time, here's some recommended songs from him: * Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst * Momma * Wesley's Theory I'd recommend checking out his projects as a whole (Section.80, Good Kid m.a.a.d City, To Pimp a Butterfly), but those songs disti…

His choice of side musicians is amazing as well, he had Joe Limberg who has been mixing jazz trumpet and hip hop since 1992, lots of really incredible musicians get to work on his records and you can hear it in the end result. Maybe I'm slightly biased because I played with Joe in a couple jazz groups in the 90s but this music is so exciting because LA has this long history of jazz and Lamar ties together that legacy…

Robert Glasper, whose piano is all over To Pimp A Butterfly, is also extremely worth checking out. It's been great seeing him get more exposure with Kendrick. https://open.spotify.com/album/7M4DuL9Z6JqcNapcOUTPNS

Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#45

Post by munificent »

ElonsMosque wrote: post #23
alexashka wrote: post #8

What are people getting out of this article? For me, it read like a typical album review that has no point besides getting clicks from people who mistakenly look for insight from entertainment.

Let's take an example I read the other day about recent nobel prize winner in literature Kazuo Ishiguro. He thought he was finsihed writing his book and coincidentally listened to a ballad by Tom waits which left such an impression on him that he changed the ending of the book that won him the nobel prize. In his own words "The song is sung in the voice of a rough American hobo type utterly unaccustomed to wearing hi…

Here's the article:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/dec/06/kazuo-ishiguro...

It's a great anecdote. I knew exactly what point in the book Kazuo was referring to.

Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#46

Post by arionhardison »

nugi wrote: post #41
arionhardison wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was totally lacking this perspective. Thank you. As ignorant as it may sound I did not think white people would listen to TPAB. Especially not the HN/MAGA types. I grew up in the south and that formed the opinions that I project on people (mainly white people), thus I find your opinion on TPAB very refreshing.

Seriously? Take a listen to the songs bumpin from those deep south brodozers. Its not even a quarter country, and likly more than half aa artists. Sure some of the rural areas dont scale, but its changing, and has been for longer than my lifetime. I got turned onto tpab by a white dude who read about it on some forum for pop misic of all things. Bias goes both ways. Best just to be human.

I really hope your not black man, you essentially just told me to ignore away racism which is the most ignorant and white concept I could imagine.

Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#47

Post by nanomoose »

lostgame wrote: post #37
nanomoose wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know; I'm afraid it bored me and I didn't finish. I did read the lyrics of a few of the tracks recommended in other comments, but didn't see anything special. Maybe because I grew up in South Africa, the theme of "How much does a dollar cost" (but remove the grammar), although you might then suggest I might then be able to relate - that doesn't make it special. Maybe because rap does nothing for me. I usually…

Wow. Way to completely miss all of context for the dressing. I’m a white, late 20’s woman and I still have found an inability to ignore K.Dot’s wisdom through the medium. His lyricism and presentation is unparalleled in modern mainstream music. I imagine you’re not a fan of Kubrick, either, because he makes his points with brutal violence? Seeing past the medium into the message is the quintessential hallmark of bein…

Well, I'm honoured to be in the presence of "a true, educated critic". Late twenties, so I can see how you consider yourself to be an expert on wisdom too. Alas, being considerably older I only see old hat (as suggested in the comment, but you didn't seem to manage to pick up on, despite your quintessential hallmarks). Damned eyes. I see that "K.Dot" is not much older than you (I assume "K.Dot" is the intellectual's name for Kendrick Lamar). Anyway, I'll let you get back to your yourself.

Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#48

Post by brndnmtthws »

nvr219 wrote: post #6
brndnmtthws wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd love it if this could be the default in browsers. I want to select individually which sites should be allowed to store any type of state.

In Firefox: https://i.imgur.com/DtI419U.png uncheck "Accept cookies from websites" and then individually set your allowed sites in "Exceptions"

Cool, nice to know about this. I'm still (slowly) switching from chrome back to Firefox.

Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#49

Post by hordeallergy »

lostgame wrote: post #38
arionhardison wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I 100% agree, and he is needed more now than ever as rap/hip hop are becoming diluted by non AA cultures. I remember the first time I heard To Pimp A Butterfly. I instantly got the feeling that this was made for us (AA). I have not felt that way since the first time I listened to "Makaveli". If anyone reading is not familiar with some of K.'s earlier work you should go checkout Hol Up, ADHD and rigamortis.

>> I remember the first time I heard To Pimp A Butterfly. I instantly got the feeling that this was made for us (AA). I think, more importantly, it was also made specifically for white folks who needed to hear the message. Sure, everyone I know in the AA community knows Kendrick...but they’re also already vehemently aware of the issues. I’m glad TPAB had the reach it did. Not only is it, message-wise, one of the most…

There are lots of big claims in your comment - with no backing up.

Re: Damned with Praise: The Meaning of Kendrick Lamar

#50

Post by perfmode »

neocodesoftware wrote: post #40
perfmode wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Education is what moves the needle, so there’s something to that.

except when it is educationism? http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20171219-the-hidden-judgemen...

I’m not talking about the status conferred by systems of education.

I’m talking about knowledge and training in the application of knowledge.

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