Worth all the hype

Amolak Singh Grewal

It has been long argued that rap is like poetry and given that logic, it may be assumed that Kendrick Lamar is part of a new wave of post contemporary poets. However, unlike his fellow rap artists, Lamar offers a lot more in his music, which is why his fan-base (affectionately called KenFolk) remain extremely loyal and are increasingly growing. What makes his music outstanding is his ability to be lyrical and conceptual. Also, it is on the progressive side of contemporary rap music. Couple these creative triumphs with Kendrick’s consistency and we have a successful artist who is on top of his game. 

Kendrick’s latest studio album DAMN boasts of numbers that make his competitors envy him no end. Within the week of its release, the album sold 6,03,000 units — the highest for the year and even surpassing Drake’s More Life by almost 1,00,000 units. The figure is backed by 3,53,000 traditional sales. To put that into perspective, Ed Sheeran’s Divide sold 31,000 less units than K-Dot’s latest.

The album resonates notes of André 3000 and Tupac Shakur not just in vibe, but also in his talent as an acrobatic lyricist, an experimental poet, a renowned celebrity, a raconteur. It’s almost like Kendrick calls for a throwback to a bygone and dilapidated era of rap music, where the rapper produces the most traditional form of rapping — a deeply rooted style of singing that is not just fast-flowing, but is also rhythmical and traditional.

Loyalty, featuring Barbadian singing sensation Rihanna, sees both artistes complementing each other.  This is a first such experience for Rihanna, a singer rooted in R&B, pop and reggae. This song, coupled with Pride, Humble and Element are like a burning set of hot coals at a winter barbecue, producing some much-needed heat. At a time when rap has been degraded to mumbling and lyrics have been reduced to the boastful poetry written by a ‘kindergarten student’, the album is a masterpiece.  

This album is definitely Kendrick’s most contradictory and darkest album to date and that is what makes it all the more interesting. His contradictions make him so relatable and popular. On Element, you can hear him claim, ‘I don’t give a ****’ which is immediately followed by a very serious, ‘I’m willing to die for this s***’. Whereas on Pride, he admits his bragging to be an irritating shadow. Humble, the immediate next track on the album, however, has him commanding respect like a king who knows that  his subjects respect and fear him. Kendrick literally commands his listeners and his competitors to be humbled by his greatness.

As compared to his previous works, DAMN is darker, more contradictory, more abrupt, definitely multi-faceted and raises the bar higher, proving that Kendrick Lamar is indeed the greatest rapper of our times. Let’s hope he can take this forward for next generations.