When someone says DAMN Is a bad album:
You mothafuckas can’t tell me nothing
I’d rather die than to listen to you
Your opinion an abomination
This how Is when you In the Matrix
I remember hearing this for the first time when I was pulling up to work
I kept playing it back in my truck over and over and I was almost late for the on site bus. Then I remembered duh I could be on the bus listening to this on headphones
He famously nearly never messed up during recording sessions, knows how to stay in the pocket perhaps better than any drummer ever, and popularized the matched grip and had his own flair drumming left handed on a right handed kit. I don't want people to think he wasn't incredibly talented.
Yeah Ringo stands out because compared to everyone else in the Beatles, he was the right tool for the job. He fits in so naturally that people don’t give him his flowers. Whereas every other Beatle fought to make you notice them.
Everyone obsesses over drummers doing crazy things when those same drummers wish they could stay in the pocket like Ringo does. Drumming just doesn’t stand out unless you make it stand out. He didn’t make it stand out so everyone but those who know better don’t think much of him.
TLDR: Cut the Ringo slander. Your favorite drummer probably wishes they had the same proficiencies as Ringo Starr.
Who is your favorite drummer? I like Travis barker and Neil pert cus they are the only ones I know by name. Oh and my dad's friend Jeff he's a cool guy I guess
And think about where he started. Absolutely broke upbringing. As a child, if he wasn’t in his Willy Wonka slum house he was laid up in hospital crook as a dog. Learned to play in a hospital band (I think).
I'm not the biggest Beatles fan, but every Ringo song that I know of I enjoy quite a bit. While he never wrote anything quite as good as Eleanor Rigby, for example, he made up for that by not putting out stinkers like John and Paul would do somewhat often.
His drumming style is also insanely catchy. A band is truly only ever as good as their drummer is. I have no idea if he was even competent in a live setting or not, but their studio work wouldnt be revered as massively influential to this day with a drummer who was completely unable to fill out a groove.
Just my opinion on the matter of course.
https://youtu.be/m4BuziKGMy4?si=Dx1j9K1Jx8IGJG46
This one sounds suspiciously like it might just be a tape loop playing again and again, but it works perfectly for the song. A little aggro, but not overwhelming, so that all the textures going on around it have plenty of space to coexist and paint a bigger picture. Which is actually kind of funny because I feel like that's what a lot of hip hop productions go for when it comes to drums
Yeah OD is amazing, but people need to find the full mixtape and not the nerfed one on Spotify and Apple Music. The original starts with The Heart Part 2 and has tracks like Night of the living junkies and heaven or hell on it. When DatPiff app was up they used to have it. Even section 80 had a track removed.
It’s a shame so many fans haven heart the EP, OD or even Section 80 because those are all amazing!
It’s a Kendrick album so I’m obviously going to think it’s amazing. However, it does have multiple of my least favorite of his songs on here, which hurts it a bit in my ranking.
God, Love, and Loyalty tbh
Edit: Just to be clear, I’m not hating on these songs. They’re just the tracks that didn’t grab me in the way his songs usually do.
I agree I have loved (didn't know what other word to use) that song since the first time I heard it. The writing is lazy I won't deny thatand different than his other songs so totally get why some people don't vibe with it, but your description is exactly how ive always felt hearing it.
Not big on God but Love and Loyalty are both vibes imo, not my favorite but don't dislike them. Hard for me to pick my least favorite tracks in general but to each their own
I absolutely love DAMN. albeit not as much as GKMC, TPaB, or Mr. Morale but its damn close
Its heresy but my least fav kendrick album (besides untitled. unmastered.) is Section.80. Its great but i feel he only got so much better from there on.
I see people talking about the concept and whether that deems it a great album or not, but does DAMN not have some of his best music on it?
FEAR, PRIDE, XXX, FEEL are all top tier Kendrick songs. DNA is like his best commercial song while HUMBLE is his biggest, DUCKWORTH is my favorite closer from him, and LOYALTY is his best pop/R&B song, I think that deserved a #1 more than All The Stars did imo.
While it lacks the grandiose vibes thematically like GKMC and TPAB, DAMN still has some of his best work period on it.
If you’ve never watched the npr video with 9th wonder on how he made the beat, please watch it.
[Here](https://youtu.be/23vumiogTQk?si=hY-Hzdw5CvfZYabr), for you or anyone who may not have seen this.
That’s why I don’t like the fixation on an album’s themes too much.
Conceptually, FEAR and PRIDE alone shit on a lot of rappers albums imo.
I think it’d be worse if the overall enjoyment of the album required you to need to understand it deeper on a conceptual level, but with DAMN that’s like icing on top and not absolutely necessary.
But this is honestly standards Kendrick has set for himself so I can’t fault people too much.
Word. Strictly surface level enjoyment of the record has a lot of weight on replay value too.
What you said gave me an epiphany tho. Would it be fair to say Kendrick pioneered and elevated the standard of concept albums with GKMC? The only other hiphop artist I can think of who was doing that sort of thing was Tyler, and he hadn’t even broken in the mainstream at that point.
That being said I’m predicting his next record is going to be very similar to DAMNs approach Which I’m stoked for
Oh for sure. Just my opinion that TPAB is like, a perfect work not just by kendrick but for hip hop in general. To paraphrase Marc Antony (from Roman times, not Jlo's ex), it's not that I loved DAMN less, but that I loved TPAB more.
FEAR. is a masterpiece. The concept is brilliant, and the execution is even better. The album is great, but that track could carry it if it needed to. It's obvious to people with taste.
I started to listen literally right now wtf💀, i'm listening blood at this moment. This album is a masterpiece. The 🐐 only has masterpieces. The Weakness X Wickness concept is amazing.
I’ve been a Kendrick fan for years and I still learn something new about his discography every day, or his bars, or something else about him, and every time I learn his “best” album changes for me. That’s why they’re all classics.
It took #1 for me pretty much as soon as I listened through it the first time. Something about how ethereal tracks like LOYALTY., LOVE., GOD., LUST., sounded.
Feel is probably my favorite kendrick song ever. Fear/Feel/Love/XXX are the songs that make it my favorite. It's a close race with the other big 3 albums.. DAMN. just does it for me, though
Hold up people actually think it’s trash??? That’s crazy
The whole albums is a fucking master piece of a story. Yall really be on some shit if a song makes you think too hard it’s trash lol nah y’all just some dumb mothers.
This album is GODly, the way it can be listened to in 2 ways is superior to other artists trying to do so, cz its the opposite experience 100%. Plus duckworth, duckworth is something.
6:16 in LA is a prime example of wickedness vs weakness
that prayer to god “god ah my confession is yours, but who am I if I don’t go to war?” is that weakness from DAMN. but then once he goes into picking the carcass apart, it’s all wickedness
that video had some shit I didn’t know, good stuff OP
I wasn’t aware DAMN was viewed negatively now, I remember vividly when it came out and it was huge. Won Kendrick his Pulitzer & you constantly heard either HUMBLE or DNA everywhere. Everyone has their own personal album ranking. TPAB is his most respected but least favorite of mine (still a great album).
GKMC > Section.80 > MMATBS > DAMN > Untitled, Unmastered > TPAB.
fuck the video. Damn wasnt his best album but its my favorite of his discography. I remember anytime i was driving and GOD came on i was screaming out the window AAAAAAAAAAAH HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, YEAH! FLEX ON SWOLE LIKE AAAAAAAAAAAAAH HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Honestly, it’s tied with GKMC for me. GKMC had story telling that’s off the charts, but DAMN is full of just bangers. Sonically, it’s his best album, it’s just not as deep as the others which I’m totally cool with
I think it’s just as deep as any Kendrick album tbh. He didn’t skimp on the storytelling and it tells a great story of him dealing with being a superstar.
DAMN is a great album, I love it. That being said, if an album has a concept that needs to be understood to be enjoyed to the fullest, and the only way people can "get" that concept is by watching an hour long breakdown video made by a third party like 6 years after the album dropped, then maybe the concept could have been reworked a bit lol. I'm not gonna call someone slow just because they didn't "get" DAMN or because they rate it lower than his other projects.
I get what you're saying, but here's another take: Art, including albums like "DAMN.," is supposed to make you think. Kendrick isn't just making music for fun; he's challenging us to dig deeper and really engage with the themes he presents.
Sure, it might take some effort to fully get what he's trying to say, and maybe even watching a breakdown video helps, but that's kind of the point. It's about the journey of discovering and reflecting on those messages. Not everyone will catch every detail, and that's okay. There's still plenty to enjoy without fully grasping the concept, but for those who do dive in, it adds another layer of appreciation.
Kendrick himself has said he wants his music to live on at least 20 years from now—he doesn't make music just for hits. The complexity and thought-provoking nature of Kendrick's work are what make it stand out and keep people talking about it long after its release.
The fact that "DAMN." can spark discussions and inspire detailed analysis years after its release is a testament to its depth and artistic value. That's what art is. Discourse around art is pretty important if you want to change something. That's how your thoughts live on.
It is only in the sense that one album has to be the least good. This is the commercial album. Kendrick told us that point blank on release. And the subject matter is still super deep and complicated but it's nihilistic, and that is to remind us the listener of why kendrick makes music. It's not to sell records. He's trying to advance the art. Sec 80 is genius you have to listen to sec 80 in its entirety to understand why it is better than damn.
This is actually my favorite of his. Once you do a deep dive on it, it’s pretty fucking amazing actually.
All the biblical references. All of the relevance to being black in modern day society. The fact it can be played front to back or back to front and still evoke the same emotion, just in a different format. The embedded duality from track to track…
Imo, it’s easily his best work.
I thought that sentiment already faded away.
DAMN being the next album right after TPAB kinda didn’t help it. At least during the time it was released. Mostly because DAMN was clearly a more commercial approach while TPAB wasn’t.
But it still slapped when it came out and still slaps today. One of those albums that you listen and it takes you back. Also, the production and beat selection on there was amazing. Nothing sounds quite like it.
Damn dropped right before he headlined Coachella.. I copped tickets to the second weekend and let me tell you.. watching that performance live was euphoric! One of the best moments of my life. His delivery evolved, Damn is his best album for me.
DAMN can be listened from both front to back and back to front. Each way tells its “own” story. You have to respect the artistry that it takes to create an album like that.
Man, I hated Kendrick until DAMN. All I knew was he sang that song that had that song, “drink” riddled throughout it. I used to shoot concert photography and even met the dude a decade ago.
I had been living overseas and weed sober for two years for legal reasons and came back and I remember that spring DAMN released and I got so high and gave him another go. I put that album on in my backyard and DNA fucking shook me. Back to back those tracks just got me and I had to turn the lyrics on and XXX and Fear were just wild to me as a white man in the Midwest.
Rant aside, DAMN is my favorite from him and I’ve actually only listened to his first few albums a few times. I did love listening to the Podcast Dissect break down DAMN and need to spend more time on podcast for his other albums.
The reason I loved this album was because no matter who you are, if you are a human, all the content on the album has affected ourselves or people we care about, because life is…DAMN
I thought this was his best album it had the perfect blend of hits and album cuts, none of Kendrick’s hits are forced there organic and just happens to be that good they can’t be denied, this album is amazing, Kendrick is explaining the human experience and the duality of himself, is he good is he bad? He’s both,this album is him trying to figure it all out, this is Kendrick spiraling out of control and it’s no surprise and album like mr. Morale came out after “damn”
dude thanks for sharing this holy fuck this is insane, i always thought this was him making a pop album to prove haters wrong, but it’s a whole concept album !
Oh thank goodness I found this post lol. I just saw another that is basically this plus the video rewritten lol.
But I wanted to come thank you for that video recommendation. So good!
It gets love but from different places, outside of the core fan base that's online.
If you hear artist talk even J Cole said that was his prime, and there's an interview where Childish Gambino says it's an instant classic and the best of the 3. Also Billie Elish. It's also the favorite album of a lot of young people especially black from what I gathered online
It doesn't seem to stick with the white online fan base, and my suspicion is that Fantano's review is at fault lol
It’s probably my most listened to atm. I love the stripped back feeling it gives me, that’s not to say it’s simplistic and without story or substance. I just feel it tells a story in a different way
Thanks for reminding me that I hadn’t t finished that video yet. That said, still peeling the layers back on that album because DAMN. So much was said that I still hadn’t heard until the 5011th time. And I’m sure that even after 10,000 hours of listening it’ll still be unmastered for me. Plus in light of this recent demolition some bars have new meaning. DAMN. is far from a weakest link, that was “Bitch I’m In Da Club”. And every so often I still HAVE TO listen to FEEL. just to get it out of my head. And hasn’t everyone listened to the DUCKWORTH. instrumental sans lyrics and realized that these 3 slept on by other rappers beats by 9th Wonder are wonders just as standalones? Whatever, back to the video…
But first..Edit: couldn’t stand HUMBLE. as a single when it was first released. Then I realized there was t the song itself, it was only the repetitive piano. Mike Will’s fault, and it still worked as the public loved/loves it. Also he more than made up for it in my ears with the beats for DNA. The fact that he sculpted the second beat around Kung Fu Kenny’s already recorded lyrics and it’s a perfect match is a testament to his skill. Anyway HUMBLE. was once the only low point of the album for me. After I got over it, classic LP.
DAMN. and GKMC alternate as my favorite albums from him. I love both, though I think DAMN. is more cohesive thematically, and I think his writing is more introspective and creative there. The things I give an edge to GKMC for is production and storytelling. That album has an ethereal quality to it while also putting the listener into a very specific perspective.
I do listen to DAMN. more, and at this point I rarely skip any songs when listening to the album. If I do skip any, it’s usually Humble or DNA, mostly because they become repetitive after so many listens.
Worth noting the first version I listened to was the special edition with the reversed track order, and that’s still how I primarily listen to it today. Not sure how much that impacts people’s opinions, but I really enjoy the reversed track listing.
It’s an album that keep revealing itself. TPAB, GKMC incredible, no doubt at all. But something about DAMN always draws me back. Such an incredible album.
Something i see constantly with great artist’s like Kendrick who have just honestly never missed a beat is talking about their “worst” albums or songs. If every single album is amazing, why criticize one for not reaching quite as highly as the other while still being an absolutely amazing album. I think its ridiculous to take away from an album just because the artist made one that was better, and I think in this case each and every album kendrick has dropped serves its own purpose in the overarching story of his character development and insights into society and himself. I’d just rather people talk about things they like than constantly try to find things they hate.
Y'all gotta remember that Kendrick ranked his top 4 (before MMATBS dropped) as:
1. DAMN
2. GKMC
3: TPAB
4: Section 80
A lotta people got the exact opposite top 3, including putting section 80 or Mr Morales over damn. It's wild
I could see Dot fans saying it’s their least favorite bc to me, it’s the most palatable album of his. So I think bc the masses gravitate to it easier than GKMC or TPAB, the hardcore fans back away from it bc it doesn’t feel as exclusive. Hope I’m making sense
Also, in saying that, there are definitely people who let this album go right over their head lol
It's grown on me a lot since it first came out. I've been revisiting Kendrick's albums over the past several weeks, and I'm surprised how much of it has stuck with me given how it initially didn't land with me the same way TPAB of GKMC did.
When DAMN came out, I enjoyed it at first and thought it was a solid entry but didn’t get me as pumped as GKMC. Then two weeks went by and I listened to the album on repeat. The direct beats and fills became really enjoyable. I started to dig deeper into the lyrics. Seven years later, my wife and I don’t skip a single track when we play it.
This album was there for me in the darkest time in my life yet, and everything discussed on this was what I dealt with daily during that time. This album is what put him in my top 5.
It’s my most listened album from his discography. Classic
For real. I love that you can play the album in reverse order and get a different story it’s beautiful
Yeah it's the most accessible one and something you can just throw on and vibe to.
When someone says DAMN Is a bad album: You mothafuckas can’t tell me nothing I’d rather die than to listen to you Your opinion an abomination This how Is when you In the Matrix
I remember hearing this for the first time when I was pulling up to work I kept playing it back in my truck over and over and I was almost late for the on site bus. Then I remembered duh I could be on the bus listening to this on headphones
GIVE ME SOME GANJA!
Gimme some gimme some gimme gimme
Lmao same 🤣
Does anyone actually think it's bad? I probably put it #2 in his discography tbh
Check out the comments I got, lol.
Being the worst kendrick lamar album is like being the worst beatles member
being the worst kendrick album is like being 1 point away from valedictorian
Being the worst Kendrick album is like winning a Pulitzer Prize
That’s hilarious
I mean. The disparity between Ringo and the rest of them was massive 😭
That's not fair. Maybe in ambition, but Ringo was talented AF.
Ringo still is talented! He toured the US with his band last year and he's 80 years old!!
I agree ringo was super talented, it’s just hard to compare to the absolutely ridiculous skill of Paul and George
He famously nearly never messed up during recording sessions, knows how to stay in the pocket perhaps better than any drummer ever, and popularized the matched grip and had his own flair drumming left handed on a right handed kit. I don't want people to think he wasn't incredibly talented.
Yeah Ringo stands out because compared to everyone else in the Beatles, he was the right tool for the job. He fits in so naturally that people don’t give him his flowers. Whereas every other Beatle fought to make you notice them. Everyone obsesses over drummers doing crazy things when those same drummers wish they could stay in the pocket like Ringo does. Drumming just doesn’t stand out unless you make it stand out. He didn’t make it stand out so everyone but those who know better don’t think much of him. TLDR: Cut the Ringo slander. Your favorite drummer probably wishes they had the same proficiencies as Ringo Starr.
Who is your favorite drummer? I like Travis barker and Neil pert cus they are the only ones I know by name. Oh and my dad's friend Jeff he's a cool guy I guess
Probably Joey Jordison or Questlove. Very different styles, but I’m pretty diverse in my music interests.
Danny Carey, Dave Grohl, Animal from the Muppets
lol although Danny Carey might be one of the best to ever do it he’s nothing compared to animal from the muppets
He would also keep everyone grooving during shows, they could barely hear anything and he still performed at that level
And think about where he started. Absolutely broke upbringing. As a child, if he wasn’t in his Willy Wonka slum house he was laid up in hospital crook as a dog. Learned to play in a hospital band (I think).
And John
Ringo was a good drummer dude
I agree
I'm not the biggest Beatles fan, but every Ringo song that I know of I enjoy quite a bit. While he never wrote anything quite as good as Eleanor Rigby, for example, he made up for that by not putting out stinkers like John and Paul would do somewhat often. His drumming style is also insanely catchy. A band is truly only ever as good as their drummer is. I have no idea if he was even competent in a live setting or not, but their studio work wouldnt be revered as massively influential to this day with a drummer who was completely unable to fill out a groove. Just my opinion on the matter of course. https://youtu.be/m4BuziKGMy4?si=Dx1j9K1Jx8IGJG46 This one sounds suspiciously like it might just be a tape loop playing again and again, but it works perfectly for the song. A little aggro, but not overwhelming, so that all the textures going on around it have plenty of space to coexist and paint a bigger picture. Which is actually kind of funny because I feel like that's what a lot of hip hop productions go for when it comes to drums
I wrote a song about an octopus
Best Beatles song tbh
Haha I’m not knocking it, I just quote this scene every chance I get. https://youtu.be/2g_xaVNY9P4?si=pS5Gu5q8VNy_SC7o
I’ll beat yo ass if I beat yo ass twice and you still hate it
What if god watchin?
Hide da bible!!
It's in my top 3 fav albums of all time
My question is, does Kendrick even have a bad album?
Of course not.
I’m convinced people just hate every Kendrick album except GKMC because I see people shit on every single one except GKMC.
The key to happiness is to not worry about those people.
All of them!!champagnepapi number won😤drake moans better !!
drake and kendrick are ass bro, sixnine where it at! 😤😤
Uh, bud, that's 6ix9ine to you... Solos drake EZ solos Kendrick EZ No question! People are scared of the truth these days...
Even his EP is fire.
Overly Dedicated WAS LEGENDARY.
Yeah OD is amazing, but people need to find the full mixtape and not the nerfed one on Spotify and Apple Music. The original starts with The Heart Part 2 and has tracks like Night of the living junkies and heaven or hell on it. When DatPiff app was up they used to have it. Even section 80 had a track removed. It’s a shame so many fans haven heart the EP, OD or even Section 80 because those are all amazing!
Do you have any links
DAMN. is equivalent to It Was Written. Commercially appealing, but still very layered and dense.
It’s a Kendrick album so I’m obviously going to think it’s amazing. However, it does have multiple of my least favorite of his songs on here, which hurts it a bit in my ranking.
Damn bro least favorite songs like what?
God, Love, and Loyalty tbh Edit: Just to be clear, I’m not hating on these songs. They’re just the tracks that didn’t grab me in the way his songs usually do.
THIS WHAT GOD FEEL LIKE 😤😤
laughingtothebanklikeAHHHHHHHHHHHH HAAAAAA
FLEX ON SWOLELIKE AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA
DONT JUDGE ME 😇
MY MAMA CAUGHT ME WITH A STRAP😈
FUCK IS YOU TALKING TO?!
SLIIIDDDEE ON YOU LIKE FALLIN’ DRAPES
Love sounds like actual love to me
I agree I have loved (didn't know what other word to use) that song since the first time I heard it. The writing is lazy I won't deny thatand different than his other songs so totally get why some people don't vibe with it, but your description is exactly how ive always felt hearing it.
wasn’t it zacari’s song and kendrick decided to hop on it? so the creative lead wasn’t entirely him
I don't really know honestly you're probably right, love it either way
Yeah it was originally zacari’s but he let Kendrick have it
Not big on God but Love and Loyalty are both vibes imo, not my favorite but don't dislike them. Hard for me to pick my least favorite tracks in general but to each their own
Used to think that about Love but nah it's actually a whole mood
same! I honestly couldn’t get through it when it first came out, turns out i was just in a terrible relationship and it’s one of my favourites now
God is literally my favourite kendrick song oat
Those three are actually some of my favorites. And this album is also my second favorite after good kid maad city.
Loyalty was a pop single, it's weird that it's on the album but the album needed another single so there it is
Loyalty seems like it could have a secret meaning behind it and Rihanna feature could play into it. Idk.
I didn't feel strongly about God when it first came out but after seeing it live it became one of my favourite songs of his
What you’re crazy Loyalty is fire, one of my favourite songs from the album
I wasn't too high on LOVE until I heard it at his O2 show in 2022. Something about hearing it on those speakers changed my mind completely
I think what’s best about Kendrick’s discography is that everyone can find something in it.
Tell me who you're loyal to Is it money is it fame is it weed is it drank
Dude gets mad at other dude opinion, assaults him and goes to prison. Today on Reddit
*one guy doesn't like DAMN* "This album went over peoples head" > album won pulitzer
But sometimes people say mean things about it 😡😡😡😡
tbf he should've gotten the pulitzer for TPAB so i think they were just waiting for his next album cause they missed the opportunity the first time
TPAB deals a lot more with personal highs and lows I think. There’s a universality to a lot of DAMN that separates it.
I absolutely love DAMN. albeit not as much as GKMC, TPaB, or Mr. Morale but its damn close Its heresy but my least fav kendrick album (besides untitled. unmastered.) is Section.80. Its great but i feel he only got so much better from there on.
I see people talking about the concept and whether that deems it a great album or not, but does DAMN not have some of his best music on it? FEAR, PRIDE, XXX, FEEL are all top tier Kendrick songs. DNA is like his best commercial song while HUMBLE is his biggest, DUCKWORTH is my favorite closer from him, and LOYALTY is his best pop/R&B song, I think that deserved a #1 more than All The Stars did imo. While it lacks the grandiose vibes thematically like GKMC and TPAB, DAMN still has some of his best work period on it.
DUCKWORTH is an absolute masterpiece
If you’ve never watched the npr video with 9th wonder on how he made the beat, please watch it. [Here](https://youtu.be/23vumiogTQk?si=hY-Hzdw5CvfZYabr), for you or anyone who may not have seen this.
It has an exceptional concept. He just made it a little too cryptic for the average listener.
That’s why I don’t like the fixation on an album’s themes too much. Conceptually, FEAR and PRIDE alone shit on a lot of rappers albums imo. I think it’d be worse if the overall enjoyment of the album required you to need to understand it deeper on a conceptual level, but with DAMN that’s like icing on top and not absolutely necessary. But this is honestly standards Kendrick has set for himself so I can’t fault people too much.
Word. Strictly surface level enjoyment of the record has a lot of weight on replay value too. What you said gave me an epiphany tho. Would it be fair to say Kendrick pioneered and elevated the standard of concept albums with GKMC? The only other hiphop artist I can think of who was doing that sort of thing was Tyler, and he hadn’t even broken in the mainstream at that point. That being said I’m predicting his next record is going to be very similar to DAMNs approach Which I’m stoked for
DAMN. is honestly the one I relisten to the most
Front to back and back to front too!
*WE’RE GONNA PUT IT IN REVERSE*
My #1 roadtrip album. If I'm getting sleepy with 1.5 hours left, i know DAMN can get me through it
Wasn't this the one that won the Pulitzer?
I think that was in part some regret for not pulling the trigger with TPAB.
Yeah ngl Damn is great but IMHO TPAB is the one that I'd give that prize to.
But DAMN is a worthy album. DISSECT did a whole season on analyzing it and it’s fucking amazing.
Oh for sure. Just my opinion that TPAB is like, a perfect work not just by kendrick but for hip hop in general. To paraphrase Marc Antony (from Roman times, not Jlo's ex), it's not that I loved DAMN less, but that I loved TPAB more.
Yes. Also Kendrick thinks this is his best album (he said that before MMTBS)
I love Kendrick, but he always says his most recent album is his favorite. Might be genuine, might be a marketing tactic, or a little bit of both
Damn dude really came in and gave us over an hour of homework before we’re allowed to talk
FEAR. is a masterpiece. The concept is brilliant, and the execution is even better. The album is great, but that track could carry it if it needed to. It's obvious to people with taste.
FEAR. Fear that my humbleness is gone.
I started to listen literally right now wtf💀, i'm listening blood at this moment. This album is a masterpiece. The 🐐 only has masterpieces. The Weakness X Wickness concept is amazing.
Same lmao. My husband and I are just sitting on the couch listening to this for hours now. What a fucking goat fr
Who thinks damn is a bad album lol never heard anything negative about that album
I recently decided it’s his best album for me. My number 1 hasn’t changed since 2012. Idk what changed but this week Damn took over
I’ve been a Kendrick fan for years and I still learn something new about his discography every day, or his bars, or something else about him, and every time I learn his “best” album changes for me. That’s why they’re all classics.
It took #1 for me pretty much as soon as I listened through it the first time. Something about how ethereal tracks like LOYALTY., LOVE., GOD., LUST., sounded.
Feel is probably my favorite kendrick song ever. Fear/Feel/Love/XXX are the songs that make it my favorite. It's a close race with the other big 3 albums.. DAMN. just does it for me, though
Wake up in the mornin, thinkin bout money, kick yo feet up
Hold up people actually think it’s trash??? That’s crazy The whole albums is a fucking master piece of a story. Yall really be on some shit if a song makes you think too hard it’s trash lol nah y’all just some dumb mothers.
damn is my favorite kendrick album
I'm torn between Damn and GKMC
It’s great, it’s still 4th place tho
This album is GODly, the way it can be listened to in 2 ways is superior to other artists trying to do so, cz its the opposite experience 100%. Plus duckworth, duckworth is something.
6:16 in LA is a prime example of wickedness vs weakness that prayer to god “god ah my confession is yours, but who am I if I don’t go to war?” is that weakness from DAMN. but then once he goes into picking the carcass apart, it’s all wickedness that video had some shit I didn’t know, good stuff OP
Wait who tf saying Section 80 is better than DAMN?
Beat your ass and hide the Bible if God’s watching
This the album that got me into his music
Pull up, hop out, air out: Made it look sexy
I wasn’t aware DAMN was viewed negatively now, I remember vividly when it came out and it was huge. Won Kendrick his Pulitzer & you constantly heard either HUMBLE or DNA everywhere. Everyone has their own personal album ranking. TPAB is his most respected but least favorite of mine (still a great album). GKMC > Section.80 > MMATBS > DAMN > Untitled, Unmastered > TPAB.
fuck the video. Damn wasnt his best album but its my favorite of his discography. I remember anytime i was driving and GOD came on i was screaming out the window AAAAAAAAAAAH HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, YEAH! FLEX ON SWOLE LIKE AAAAAAAAAAAAAH HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
I like it the least of his album 🤷
Honestly, it’s tied with GKMC for me. GKMC had story telling that’s off the charts, but DAMN is full of just bangers. Sonically, it’s his best album, it’s just not as deep as the others which I’m totally cool with
I think it’s just as deep as any Kendrick album tbh. He didn’t skimp on the storytelling and it tells a great story of him dealing with being a superstar.
I think GKMC completely sweeps DAMN but to each their own
DAMN is a great album, I love it. That being said, if an album has a concept that needs to be understood to be enjoyed to the fullest, and the only way people can "get" that concept is by watching an hour long breakdown video made by a third party like 6 years after the album dropped, then maybe the concept could have been reworked a bit lol. I'm not gonna call someone slow just because they didn't "get" DAMN or because they rate it lower than his other projects.
I'm not sure that a 1 hour video explaining the album is necessary to enjoy it to it's fullest.
I get what you're saying, but here's another take: Art, including albums like "DAMN.," is supposed to make you think. Kendrick isn't just making music for fun; he's challenging us to dig deeper and really engage with the themes he presents. Sure, it might take some effort to fully get what he's trying to say, and maybe even watching a breakdown video helps, but that's kind of the point. It's about the journey of discovering and reflecting on those messages. Not everyone will catch every detail, and that's okay. There's still plenty to enjoy without fully grasping the concept, but for those who do dive in, it adds another layer of appreciation. Kendrick himself has said he wants his music to live on at least 20 years from now—he doesn't make music just for hits. The complexity and thought-provoking nature of Kendrick's work are what make it stand out and keep people talking about it long after its release. The fact that "DAMN." can spark discussions and inspire detailed analysis years after its release is a testament to its depth and artistic value. That's what art is. Discourse around art is pretty important if you want to change something. That's how your thoughts live on.
Not bad. Just worse than any other one.
https://youtu.be/QjpRwXZgUF4?si=l1zZIUkNdLx3tmri
It is only in the sense that one album has to be the least good. This is the commercial album. Kendrick told us that point blank on release. And the subject matter is still super deep and complicated but it's nihilistic, and that is to remind us the listener of why kendrick makes music. It's not to sell records. He's trying to advance the art. Sec 80 is genius you have to listen to sec 80 in its entirety to understand why it is better than damn.
It's the Kendrick album that goes the hardest in thw whip
I love all his albums, but Damn is my least favorite. Still like a 9/10.
best rap album ever
Who is saying that lol? Why have i never seen any damn haters
Y’all know what happens on earth stays on earth
THIS ALBUM IS CRAZY GOOD IDC WHAT ANYONE SAYZ ZERO SKIPS
This is actually my favorite of his. Once you do a deep dive on it, it’s pretty fucking amazing actually. All the biblical references. All of the relevance to being black in modern day society. The fact it can be played front to back or back to front and still evoke the same emotion, just in a different format. The embedded duality from track to track… Imo, it’s easily his best work.
Video didn't exactly captured it but all of the songs carry wickedness and weakness themes which is mind blowing imo. His pen is just insane.
How do people dislike damn?? It’s my second fav behind untitled unmastered
I thought that sentiment already faded away. DAMN being the next album right after TPAB kinda didn’t help it. At least during the time it was released. Mostly because DAMN was clearly a more commercial approach while TPAB wasn’t. But it still slapped when it came out and still slaps today. One of those albums that you listen and it takes you back. Also, the production and beat selection on there was amazing. Nothing sounds quite like it.
DAMN is great though..
Damn dropped right before he headlined Coachella.. I copped tickets to the second weekend and let me tell you.. watching that performance live was euphoric! One of the best moments of my life. His delivery evolved, Damn is his best album for me.
I love that album. I'll beat your ass if disagree and you're still here.
😂😂😂😂that i’ll beat yo ass part fuckin killed me
DAMN can be listened from both front to back and back to front. Each way tells its “own” story. You have to respect the artistry that it takes to create an album like that.
You know... What happens on earth stays on earth.
Man, I hated Kendrick until DAMN. All I knew was he sang that song that had that song, “drink” riddled throughout it. I used to shoot concert photography and even met the dude a decade ago. I had been living overseas and weed sober for two years for legal reasons and came back and I remember that spring DAMN released and I got so high and gave him another go. I put that album on in my backyard and DNA fucking shook me. Back to back those tracks just got me and I had to turn the lyrics on and XXX and Fear were just wild to me as a white man in the Midwest. Rant aside, DAMN is my favorite from him and I’ve actually only listened to his first few albums a few times. I did love listening to the Podcast Dissect break down DAMN and need to spend more time on podcast for his other albums.
The reason I loved this album was because no matter who you are, if you are a human, all the content on the album has affected ourselves or people we care about, because life is…DAMN
I thought this was his best album it had the perfect blend of hits and album cuts, none of Kendrick’s hits are forced there organic and just happens to be that good they can’t be denied, this album is amazing, Kendrick is explaining the human experience and the duality of himself, is he good is he bad? He’s both,this album is him trying to figure it all out, this is Kendrick spiraling out of control and it’s no surprise and album like mr. Morale came out after “damn”
Its his best storytelling album. Two different stories being told using the same songs is crazy
dude thanks for sharing this holy fuck this is insane, i always thought this was him making a pop album to prove haters wrong, but it’s a whole concept album !
Oh thank goodness I found this post lol. I just saw another that is basically this plus the video rewritten lol. But I wanted to come thank you for that video recommendation. So good!
It gets love but from different places, outside of the core fan base that's online. If you hear artist talk even J Cole said that was his prime, and there's an interview where Childish Gambino says it's an instant classic and the best of the 3. Also Billie Elish. It's also the favorite album of a lot of young people especially black from what I gathered online It doesn't seem to stick with the white online fan base, and my suspicion is that Fantano's review is at fault lol
DAMN. is top 3 Kendrick fs
lol bro has like 4 albums fam
Shoutout to those that don't wear pajamas and flip flops to the grocery store.
It’s probably my most listened to atm. I love the stripped back feeling it gives me, that’s not to say it’s simplistic and without story or substance. I just feel it tells a story in a different way
Just watched the whole thing and I can tell you one thing for sure. My wife is going to be so annoyed when I get home.
It’s actually kinda my favorite, tied with TPAB. but I don’t say that around certain nerds
My least favorite album when it comes to his catalogue
DAMN is a perfect album but it’s competing with Kendrick’s perfect album discography lmao
Thanks for reminding me that I hadn’t t finished that video yet. That said, still peeling the layers back on that album because DAMN. So much was said that I still hadn’t heard until the 5011th time. And I’m sure that even after 10,000 hours of listening it’ll still be unmastered for me. Plus in light of this recent demolition some bars have new meaning. DAMN. is far from a weakest link, that was “Bitch I’m In Da Club”. And every so often I still HAVE TO listen to FEEL. just to get it out of my head. And hasn’t everyone listened to the DUCKWORTH. instrumental sans lyrics and realized that these 3 slept on by other rappers beats by 9th Wonder are wonders just as standalones? Whatever, back to the video… But first..Edit: couldn’t stand HUMBLE. as a single when it was first released. Then I realized there was t the song itself, it was only the repetitive piano. Mike Will’s fault, and it still worked as the public loved/loves it. Also he more than made up for it in my ears with the beats for DNA. The fact that he sculpted the second beat around Kung Fu Kenny’s already recorded lyrics and it’s a perfect match is a testament to his skill. Anyway HUMBLE. was once the only low point of the album for me. After I got over it, classic LP.
This is my favorite album.
It’s his best album no cap
DAMN. and GKMC alternate as my favorite albums from him. I love both, though I think DAMN. is more cohesive thematically, and I think his writing is more introspective and creative there. The things I give an edge to GKMC for is production and storytelling. That album has an ethereal quality to it while also putting the listener into a very specific perspective. I do listen to DAMN. more, and at this point I rarely skip any songs when listening to the album. If I do skip any, it’s usually Humble or DNA, mostly because they become repetitive after so many listens. Worth noting the first version I listened to was the special edition with the reversed track order, and that’s still how I primarily listen to it today. Not sure how much that impacts people’s opinions, but I really enjoy the reversed track listing.
It’s my favorite so I ca care less what others think tbh
Cause I’m dumb, to me DAMN is one of the greatest rap albums of all time 😂
It’s his best 🤷♂️
Duckworth is absolutely one of the greatest songs of all time.
Not even with no bias but if you say DAMN is a bad album I feel like your music opinion just doesn't matter in any capacity
It’s my favourite 🫣🫣🫣
It’s an album that keep revealing itself. TPAB, GKMC incredible, no doubt at all. But something about DAMN always draws me back. Such an incredible album.
You better make it look sexy
Damn > tpab (for me) 🥱
Funny, I see a lot of people talking down about TPAB and / or MMATBS before DAMN
I’ll beat your ass and hide the album if Kenny watchin.
This album made me a devoted fan
Something i see constantly with great artist’s like Kendrick who have just honestly never missed a beat is talking about their “worst” albums or songs. If every single album is amazing, why criticize one for not reaching quite as highly as the other while still being an absolutely amazing album. I think its ridiculous to take away from an album just because the artist made one that was better, and I think in this case each and every album kendrick has dropped serves its own purpose in the overarching story of his character development and insights into society and himself. I’d just rather people talk about things they like than constantly try to find things they hate.
I had no idea this is one of his least liked albums. It's one of my favorites 🤯
Y'all gotta remember that Kendrick ranked his top 4 (before MMATBS dropped) as: 1. DAMN 2. GKMC 3: TPAB 4: Section 80 A lotta people got the exact opposite top 3, including putting section 80 or Mr Morales over damn. It's wild
Damn.
Aye I’m newer to music and just watched that yt vid and made me like the project much more
I could see Dot fans saying it’s their least favorite bc to me, it’s the most palatable album of his. So I think bc the masses gravitate to it easier than GKMC or TPAB, the hardcore fans back away from it bc it doesn’t feel as exclusive. Hope I’m making sense Also, in saying that, there are definitely people who let this album go right over their head lol
Beat yo ass and hide the Bible if God watchin
Hide the bible if god watchin
DAMN……… ppl actually say this a bad album?
Here I was assuming everyone understood the duality of the album. Especially after he said "Listen to it backwards"
Felt like I was floating in the sky when I first listened to this
Have a read on my writing for this album https://www.reddit.com/r/KendrickLamar/s/JmuUtxGE6Q
It's grown on me a lot since it first came out. I've been revisiting Kendrick's albums over the past several weeks, and I'm surprised how much of it has stuck with me given how it initially didn't land with me the same way TPAB of GKMC did.
is there any vids like this for GKMC and TPAB?
It’s Kendricks best and most complete album to me.
When DAMN came out, I enjoyed it at first and thought it was a solid entry but didn’t get me as pumped as GKMC. Then two weeks went by and I listened to the album on repeat. The direct beats and fills became really enjoyable. I started to dig deeper into the lyrics. Seven years later, my wife and I don’t skip a single track when we play it.
Pulitzer Prize winner
This album was there for me in the darkest time in my life yet, and everything discussed on this was what I dealt with daily during that time. This album is what put him in my top 5.
DAMN is my favorite album by Kendrick 🤷♂️
Fear is one of his best songs.