Note - for anyone unfamiliar with my rating system; I don't give 100's. To give perspective to this, I'll convert my numbers into Fantano's numbers. Anything with a 90 or above is a low 9 to a 10, 85 or above is a high 8 to a low 9, 80 or above is a high 7 or low 8, etc. Rating - 9.3/10 Favorite Tracks - United in Grief, Worldwide Steppers, Father Time, We Cry Together, Count Me Out, Savior, Auntie Diaries, Mother I Sober, N95, The Heart Part 5. Least Favorites - Rich Spirit, Die Hard This is an album of contradictions, from the cover to the final track. It's simultaneously his most and least accessible, most and least conscious, most and least personal, and most and least Christian release.
The journey begins with United in Grief. Sparse piano chords outline a verse that seems to be as raw and scattered as Kendrick's thoughts, before a transition to a frantic, pounding, tribal drum beat & unsteady, clustered piano chords that don't really go anywhere. An element of psychedelia is added with the synth in the back at the 2-minute mark, as Kendrick begins to delve deeply into the ways he uses material things to bring him comfort. Strings are brought to the forefront as well, & wash over the whole mix in a very satisfying fashion, underlining the feelings expressed in the verses.
We go from there to a straight banger in N95, which has heavy, anthemic synths give a stadium feel as Kendrick harnesses the energy he's had on tracks like Humble to deliver a message that, like DNA's, is boastful yet self-aware. Worldwide Steppers captures the apocalyptic warnings of Untitled Unmastered beautifully, with Kendrick coming across as if he's a persecuted prophet in the manner of Jeremiah, both delivering unflinching truths to the society he's in as a whole (the noble person that goes to work & prays like they "'posed to", slaughters people too, your murder's just a bit slower) and reflecting on his own role in contributing to its problems (My last Christmas tour in Compton handed out eulogies, because the high blood pressure flooded the caterin').
After the heavy nature of Worldwide Steppers, Die Hard is a welcome chance at recovery. The thoughts are still pouring out, but in a less desperate environment. The slick singing helps as well.
Father Time brings Kendrick back to therapeutic disclosure, giving us the most complex, detailed of his father yet. Sure, Kendrick has spoken about his father before a number of times, but it was almost always in connection to the positive effects of his father's presence on his life, rather than their interpersonal dynamic. He balances the positivity of these previous portrayals with an honest, sometimes brutally honest, acknowledgement of the negative sides of his father's parenting and brief, revealing looks into how that's affected Kendrick's current relationships, particularly with his fiancee, Whitney (their conversation at the start really drives this point home). At the same time, Kendrick acknowledges that he loves his father, not just in spite of, but because of, his flaws. The instrumental on this is notable too. Great keyboards, heavy bass, & a dusty, retro boom-bap sound that fits the nostalgic tone. Sampha sounds excellent on the hook as well.
Rich Spirit (Interlude) features a gorgeous piano buildup, like a drizzle building up into an April rainstorm. Kodak does a great job on here. He doesn't wax philosophical or try to flex on us with lyricism; instead, he succeeds with blunt honesty. The whole thing feels almost like a piece of spoken word poetry.
Rich Spirit, conceptually, follows up on the interlude, placing Kendrick's spiritual growth at the forefront of a relaxed, minimalist groove. The best way I can describe it is Damn-era Kendrick's version of a Lecrae brag rap song. It's interesting, though probably my least favorite on this record.
We go from there to We Cry Together, both a Tupac tribute and a look into the ugliest parts of the world informed by Eminem's Kim. A profoundly depressing & cynical, yet hilariously apt
metaphor for "the way the world sounds", particularly on social media; as well as a look into the ugliest parts of the gender dynamic, with both participants held equally at fault. What starts as a petty, personal feud grows as Taylour and Kendrick see everything wrong about the world in each other, big ("You're the reason R. Kelly can't recognize he's abusive") and small (the way Taylour insults Kendrick's dick size & then Kendrick turns around & refuses to give her her keys comes to mind). Taylour Paige was a brilliant choice, & Whitney's "Stop tap dancing around the conversation" at the end is the cherry on top.
Purple Hearts is a deliberately huge contrast, revolving around the kinds of healthy, euphoric love that can be found in happy, functional romantic relationships and, with Ghostface Killa's excellent verse, in religious experience. Summer Walker & Ghostface really steal the show on here, & Kendrick comes through with some funny bars (the way he says baby makes me chuckle) and solid singing.
Count Me Out sees Kendrick finally stop "tap-dancing around the conversation" and resolve to see how deep his own flaws run, work tirelessly to fight those flaws & make his friends, family, and community better. As he takes on this cross, the voices of a choir of children join him, perhaps representing his ancestors in faith, or his angels, who are there to lift him up whenever he calls on them. For Kendrick, the scariest thing (at least, at the moment) is not systemic issues, but himself & his own problems, as conveyed beautifully in the bars "Look myself in the mirror, Amityville, I ain't seen nothin' scarier / Blood I shed could fill up aquariums, tell all my angels "carry them").
Crown is a piece that Kendrick's really never made before, a song where he doesn't even attempt to rap, based entirely around enveloping vocals and heavy piano. In parallel with Count Me Out, he struggles with self-doubt, his legacy, & the public's perception of him, before finally acknowledging that he can't and shouldn't please everyone, resolving to shed both his personal baggage and societal expectations.
Silent Hill is a solid follow-up to Rich Spirit, providing another breather. Kodak again performs well here, & he & Kendrick clearly share some good chemistry. Like previous breather tracks, Kendrick provides some funny bars (push these n*ggas off me like HUH, anyone?). As Kendrick has been trauma dumping from his perspective as a rich & famous rapper, Baby Keem drops in & provides a timely reflection on how he's processing his own rise to fame & how it's affecting his own family. Strings are excellent & Keem kills it on here.
Savior tackles the public's misconceptions of him head-on. Kendrick is freshened and empowered here, ready to deliver "the whole truth" regardless of whether we like it or not. He takes aim at cancel culture, & reflects on vaccines in a very thoughtful way, pointing out many Christians' hypocritical actions on the matter. Many condemned vaccines, seeing taking them as proof of lack of faith in God, before catching COVID themselves and, instead of praying to God & standing for their beliefs, caving in. He touches on Kyrie as well, but just when you think he's condemning these figures from on high, he turns around & discusses his own experience facing the same dilemma they did, reluctant or unwilling to suffer for his stated beliefs. The third verse directly calls out the Tupac - Kendrick comparisons that have been going on for years, & asks people to see Kendrick as his own man.
Auntie Diaries tackles Kendrick's experiences with his trans uncle (formerly aunt) & cousin, his and his family's deeply rooted transphobia, & the meaning of loving one's neighbor in clear, unfiltered language that has certainly raised some brows, but that I feel follows in something of a tradition for Kendrick. Similar to Backseat Freestyle, the crude / insensitive language is deliberately used to contrast Kendrick's views as an ignorant, foolish young man with his current, mature viewpoint. This transformation was fully realized when Kendrick had to decide whether to confront a pastor who was blaming his cousin. The pastor felt his cousin's transition was a sign of how disordered and spiritually empty the world was & directly called her out to make an example out of her - with Kendrick responded in perhaps the single most Christian way he could've, simply asking whether he should love his neighbor and abide by the spirit, rather than the letter, of the law. I recalled the Parable of the Good Samaritan as I listened. where Jesus, in response to his statement to "love your neighbor as yourself" is asked; by an expert in the covenant, no less, "who is my neighbor?". Jesus responds by instructing the man to imitate the actions of a Samaritan, a group of people who were considered by most Jews at the time to be unclean outsiders and outcasts due to their history of intermarriage with pagans; & show mercy & respect to all people.
Mr. Morale follows in the footsteps of N95, with even more unsettling energy & an instrumental background reminiscent of those found in the Black Panther soundtrack. The vocal backings are excellent & the lyrics are impactful, touching on abuse & again, carrying on that apocalyptic energy from Untitled Unmastered.
In Mother I Sober, Kendrick deals with his deepest inner trauma: his past history with sexual abuse. The tie-in with the abuse his ancestors faced at the hands of their slave masters, the way his voice turns steely & the strings come in as he describes it, & the way he reaches out a hand to other rappers that he knows who have gone through the same pain just hits you in the gut every time. You can picture everything he's saying as clearly as if you were there yourself. Again, the gentle voices in the back feel like his angels & the spirits of his ancestors lifting him up & giving him the strength to face these demons. Beth Gibbons' hook is amazing, & the final lines, with Kendrick setting free himself, his family members, other victims of sexual abuse,,,and even, somehow, the abusers (which is one of the most Christian things I've ever seen anyone do), feels like Kendrick taking on the role a holy priest, forgiving a sinner dying of thirst, in a confessional.
Finally, we have Mirror, an appropriate closer to this journey. Kendrick discusses why, in the wake of so many social issues & controversies, he's been silent. He's choosing (& consequently, saving) himself first, rebuilding his own world again, & documenting it, in the hopes that doing so can inspire others to grow & battle their own demons, think for themselves, & make the world better. Kendrick breaking away from the culture to follow his heart also ties in seamlessly with The Heart Part 5. Now that he recognizes himself as a part of the negative sides of the culture, he resolves not to contribute to it anymore, but to use his time in greater ways to lift up his community, as Nipsey & Kobe did. An excellent album from front to back, and clearly an improvement on DAMN., in my opinion.
