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Guys. It’s fucking happening. It’s really happening. I’m like shaking right now. Seriously. The album hasn’t even come out yet, but I’m so excited that I’m just gonna write all my thoughts leading up to it’s release. It hasn’t leaked. It’s currently 2:04 PM on Thursday, April 13th. The album is dropping at 11. I can’t fucking wait. I’m such a dork. I’m wearing a Kendrick Lamar t-shirt right now. That’s how excited I am. I don’t know what the fuck to expect from this album. I think it’s gonna be good tho. The Heart, Pt. 4 was absolutely phenomenal. I wasn’t as crazy about HUMBLE., but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Guess what tho? Motherfuckin’ LEBRON JAMES… HE POSTED SNIPPETS FROM THIS ALBUM ON HIS GOTDAMN INSTAGRAM STORY, AND IT SOUNDS FUCKING INCREDIBLE.

I’m getting flashbacks to when To Pimp A Butterfly dropped a week early. I haven’t felt this way in a LONG ass time. I’m gonna listen to that album right now. I hope DAMN. doesn’t leak. It’ll be more exciting if everyone’s listening at the same time. By the way, there’s no fucking way in hell he’s gonna top To Pimp A Butterfly. He’s already failed at that. Every single track would have to be perfect, and I already know HUMBLE. isn’t perfect. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna love this album anyway tho.

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Okay, it’s currently 9:40 PM. The album leaked a few hours ago, but…

Yeah… So uh… I’m not sure how different the official release is from the leaked version, but I was planning on waiting for the official release anyway, so yeah. I’m just gonna pass the time by listening to ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. FUCK LMAO I’M SO EXCITED. I’m reading a thread on RapGenius and people are giving their first thoughts on the album. LMAO. This one guy is asking for a link to download the album and nobody’s givin’ it to him. “Where mother fucker where I need this in my life now.” Hahahaha. Alright. It’s 11:00 PM. Here we go…

Track 1: BLOOD. (Prod. Bēkon & Top Dawg)

I can’t believe this is fucking happening. I’m fucking shaking right now. I feel like I’m not even ready yet. Fuck it. It’s starting now. FUUUCK. IT STARTED. I’M ABOUT TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK. OH MY GAWD. THE PRODUCTION IS SOO SMOOTH. THESE VOCALS. YES. I’M FREAKIN’ OUT. Okay, this is a Spoken Word track. God, this production is fucking incredible. Kendrick’s telling a story about a blind woman who he tried to help. Damn. She just shot his ass for no reason. HAHAHAHA. THERE WAS A SAMPLE OF THE DUMB ASSES AT FOX NEWS SHITTING ON KENDRICK’S GRAMMY PERFORMANCE. FUCK FOX NEWS. Lmao. Okay, it just ended. This isn’t really a full song, but I really enjoyed it. The production was awesome.

Track 2: DNA (Prod. Mike WiLL Made It & Matt Schaeffer)

Alright. It’s time. It’s really starting now. First actual song. Here we go. Oooooooh my GOD… Bruh… This beat… This beat is so fuckin’ hard. I’m not a huge fan of Mike WiLL, but he fuckin’ did that shit, boi… My fuckin’ GAWD. Dog, this shit is so fucking HARD. “I know murder, conviction, burners, boosters, burglars, ballers, dead, redemption / Scholars, fathers dead with kids and I wish I was fed forgiveness.” Oh my God… The Fox News sample… This was the perfect response to that STUPID ass shit Geraldo Rivera said. OH MY FUCKING GOD… THE WAY THAT BEAT SWITCHED UP…

This shit is fucking insane. HOLY FUCKIN’ SHIT. LMAO. I usually hate when people record their reactions to albums, but I wish y’all could see the faces I’m making right now. Holy fuckin’ shit. What the fuck is happening right now? Jesus fucking Christ. Kendrick’s flow at the end of this song is fucking incredible. I’ve never heard anyone rap like that. His breath control doesn’t make any sense. This man is not human. He fucking annihilated that shit. Good lord. This is fucking incredible. Jesus FUCK. LMAO. Wow. Y’all already know. 5/5

Track 3: YAH. (Prod. Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Bēkon & Top Dawg)

DJ Dahi. Yes. Alright, here we go. BRUUUUH. Production. This production is insane. Kendrick’s usin’ a melodic flow. Fuck, dude. This production is unbelievable. The hook is dope. LMAO. YES. He directly called out Geraldo’s bitch ass. “Somebody tell Geraldo this nigga got some ambition / I’m not a politician, I’m not ’bout a religion / I’m a Israelite, don’t call me Black no more / That word is only a color, it ain’t facts no more.” Is this whole album gonna be a Fox News diss? I’d be okay with that… This shit is really smooth. I love the production and Kendrick’s melodic delivery actually sounded really good. It’s a really short track. It’s dope tho. 4/5

Track 4: ELEMENT. (Prod. Sounwave, James Blake, Tae Beast, Bēkon & Ricci Riera)

This album seems to be hosted by Kid Capri. “NEW KUNG-FU KENNY! AIN’T NOBODY PRAYIN’ FOR ME! Y’ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS ON EARTH STAYS ON EARTH!” I love this guys voice lmao. I don’t know why it sounds so funny to me whenever he’s yelling. Oh shit… Kendrick’s flow on this shit is awesome. I love this beat too. “I don’t do it for the ‘Gram, I do it for Compton.” Oh my God. Lmao. This hook is amazing. “If I gotta slap a pussy ass nigga, Ima make it look sexy.” This production is fucking incredible. I’m so happy right now lmao. Woah… BRUH. I love the way his flow switched up for the third verse, and that Candyman line was awesome. “Last LP I tried to lift the black artists, but it’s a difference between black artists and wack artists.” Fuck yes. This is so fucking awesome. I don’t even know what to say. Lmao. I’m just so happy. 5/5

Track 5: FEEL. (Prod. Sounwave, Thundercat & Matt Schaeffer)

This fucking beat. Lmao. It’s… Well, you know… It’s amazing. The flow on that first verse was awesome. That bass from Thundercat sounds soooo fuckin’ good. Kendrick’s spittin’ his fuckin’ ass off on this second verse. “I am legend, I feel like all of y’all is peasants / I feel like all of y’all is desperate / I feel like all it take is a second to feel like / Mike Jordan whenever holdin’ a real mic.” Oh man… He fuckin’ murdered that shit. It was so dope when he started getting louder and more frustrated. This is fucking awesome. Jesus. I’m already having trouble choosing a favorite track so far. 5/5

Track 6: Loyalty Feat. Rihanna (Prod. Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Terrace Martin & Top Dawg)

I’m not sure how I’m gonna feel about this one because I’m really not a fan of Rihanna. I just don’t really think she’s a very talented singer. Her voice just sounds really boring and flat to me. We’ll see how it goes tho. It’s starting now. Oooh. OH MY GOD. BRUUUUH. THIS FUCKING BEAT??? WHAT THE FUCK. HAHAHAHA. This beat is fucking incredible. What the fuck? Who is that singing on the intro? Oh shit. Lmao. Wow. I think it’s DJ Dahi. He actually sounds really fuckin’ good. Kendrick’s harmonizing with Rihanna now. Jesus. Why does this sound so good? I can already tell this is gonna be a hit. If this isn’t the next single for this album, Kendrick is fuckin’ up. Shit. Rihanna actually sounds really fuckin’ good over this beat. I guess I was uh… I was wrong. I mean, I still don’t really think she’s that good, but she caught me off guard with this shit. She’s kinda rapping. It’s like when Drake raps. She’s singing with a fast paced flow. This is awesome. Wow. I never thought I’d hear such a radio-friendly song from Kendrick, and I REALLY never thought he would be this good at it. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 7: Pride (Prod. Steve Lacy, Top Dawg & Bēkon)

Hmm… The vocals on this intro sound familiar. Where have I heard this before? Oh… Lmao. I’m dumb. I must’ve heard it when Lebron was playing those snippets. They sound really fuckin’ good. OOooooh fuck… The vocals on this hook are so fucking soulful. This beat is really fuckin’ dope too. That’s Anna Wise singing. The pitch of Kenny’s voice is shifting up and down as he raps. He’s rapping about the inability to be perfect. The first verse was great. Dude, Anna Wise sounds so fucking perfect on this hook. This is what it would sound like if God was singing to me. Her voice is absolutely beautiful. Honestly, I think this is my favorite feature I’ve ever heard from her. She ironically sounds perfect on this track. This might end up being my favorite song on the album. It’s gorgeous. The sound effect from the intro of The Heart, Pt. 4 can be heard in the background during the bridge. I love Kendrick’s laid back flow and delivery. This is just such a smooth track. It sounds like the soundtrack to the perfect night. Like, this is what I’d hear in my head if I went on an amazing date with the love of my life. I fucking love this song. 5/5

Track 8: HUMBLE. (Prod. Mike WiLL Made It & Matt Schaeffer)

This song was originally released on March 30th this year. It’s easily my least favorite song on the album so far. I still like it tho. It’s just nowhere near as good as the other tracks in my opinion. I’m not crazy about the beat, and nothing about Kendrick’s verses really stood out that much either to be honest. I really just like the hook. Also, Kenny’s bouncy flow sounds pretty nice. A lot of people went crazy over the music video, but I wasn’t really that impressed by it. I mean, the part where his head was on fire was kinda cool, but aside from that it wasn’t that interesting. I mean, yeah, it’s a lot better than the average Hip Hop music video, but that’s really not saying much. “I’m so fuckin’ sick and tired of the Photoshop / Show me somethin’ natural like afro on Richard Pryor / Show me somethin’ natural like ass with some stretch marks.” This line got Kendrick in a little trouble. A handful of feminists took offense to it because it puts down people who get plastic surgery and wear makeup and shit. I think it would make more sense for them to be upset if it was something they couldn’t control. Nobody’s forcing you to get a fake ass tho. Nobody’s forcing you to wear makeup. And yeah, you could argue that they’re pressured by society into doing that stuff, but at the end of the day, you’re in control of your own body. Kendrick’s just stating his preference. He didn’t even say anything bad about “fake” women. He just said he was tired of them. Don’t get me wrong tho, I’m not saying these were good lines. They didn’t even fuckin’ rhyme. They’re really simplistic. I just don’t really get why people took issue with it. I thought people would praise Kendrick for making people feel comfortable with the way they were born, but I guess not… Anyway, I know I seemed really critical of this song, but I do like it. I just think it’s really fuckin’ overrated. The beat sounds generic to me, and none of the lyrics were that interesting. It’s got a really catchy hook tho, and I liked his flow. This is dope to me. 4/5

Track 9: LUST. (Prod. Sounwave, DJ Dahi, BADBADNOTGOOD, Kaytranada & Kamasi Washington)

Wow. The production credits for this track are exciting to say the least. It’s starting now. Oh. My. Fuck. This fucking beat… Jesus Christ, our lord & savior, you have BLESSED us. Kendrick’s vocals on this hook are awesome. He’s really hittin’ them notes. This song is exactly what you think it’s about. “Let me put the head in / I don’t want more than that.” LMAO. Hopefully the lyrics aren’t too vulgar and disgusting. I can’t see Kendrick writing that kinda shit tho. Yup. We’re good. The first verse was awesome. Fuuuck. How the fuck am I gonna choose a favorite song? Oh my shit. The way the beat switched up for the second verse was amazing. And his flow is so fucking dope. “We all woke up, tryna tune to the daily news / Lookin’ for confirmation, hopin’ election wasn’t true / All of us worried, all of us buried and the feeling’s deep / None of us married to his proposal, make us feel cheap.” The melody of this hook is amazing. Jesus. Okay. Yeah. This song is dope af. 5/5

Track 10: LOVE. Feat. Zacari (Prod. Sounwave, Teddy Walton, Greg Kurstin & Top Dawg)

Zacari’s singing on the hook. Oh my FUCK. This production is crazy. Woah. Kendrick’s singing… This is pretty much an R&B song. Wow. I did NOT see this shit coming. He’s pullin’ this shit off tho. It sounds really good. I’m shocked. Lmao. Wow. I usually don’t really like love songs, but this is fucking awesome. It’s too dope sonically for me to not fuck with it. This is definitely the softest shit I’ve ever heard from Kendrick. It almost sounds like a Drake song, but it’s fantastic. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 11: XXX Feat. U2 (Prod. Mike WiLL Made It, DJ Dahi, Sounwave, Top Dawg, Bēkon & Kendrick Lamar)

Speaking of things I didn’t expect… U2? WHAT? This should be interesting… It’s starting now. Bono’s bitch ass is singing. Bono’s a fucking dick. He sounds really good tho. Oh FUCK? JESUS FUCKING CHRIST THIS BEAT. GOOD LORD. THIS BEAT IS FUCKING AMAZING. OH MY GOD. THIS IS INSANITY. THIS IS THE BEST BEAT I’VE HEARD ALL YEAR. OH MY GOD. IT JUST SWITCHED UP. IT GETS EVEN BETTER. HOLY FUCKING SHIT. KENDRICK IS RIPPIN’ THIS SHIT APART. “I wait in front a niggas spot and watch him hit his block / I’ll catch a nigga leavin’ service if that’s all I got / I’ll chip a nigga then throw the blower in his lap / Walk myself to the court like, ‘bitch I did that‘ / Ain’t no black power when your baby killed by a coward / I can’t even keep the peace, don’t you fuck with one of ours / It be murder in the street, it be bodies in the hour / Ghetto bird on the street, paramedics on the dial.” HOW? How the FUCK am I gonna choose a favorite song?? FUUUCCK. This is insane. The way the beat switches up for Bono’s hook is absolutely incredible. Bruh… This is some of the best production I’ve ever heard IN MY LIFE. Mike fucking WiLL Made this shit?? No fucking way. This third verse is amazing. “Donald Trump’s in office, we lost Barack / And promised to never doubt him again / But is America honest or do we bask in sin? / Pass the gin; I mix it with American blood.” His fucking rhyme scheme is unbelievable. This song is fucking perfect. I can’t fucking believe how awesome this collaboration turned out. 5/5

Track 12: FEAR. (Prod. The Alchemist & Bēkon)

This song uses the second beat from The Heart, Pt. 4. It’s fucking incredible. It sounds like there was a little more work put into it for this song. There were some reversed vocals on the intro. Kendrick’s rapping from the perspective of his own mother, using fear as a method of discipline. “That homework better be finished, I beat yo ass / Yo teachers better not be bitchin’ ’bout you in class / That pizza better not be wasted, you eat it all / That TV better not be loud if you got it on.” Now on the second verse he’s rapping from his own perspective as a 17 year old. Instead of fearing his mother, he fears dying in Compton. “I’ll prolly die tryna buy weed at the apartments / I’ll prolly die tryna diffuse two homies arguin’ / I’ll prolly die ’cause that’s what you do when you’re 17 / All worries in a hurry, I wish I controlled things.” Now he’s rapping about when he was 27. So with each verse he gets 10 years older. “At 27 my biggest fear was losin’ it all / Scared to spend money, had me sleepin’ from hall to hall / Scared to go back to Section 8 with my mama stressin’ / 30 shows a month and I still won’t buy me no Lexus.” The way the beat evolves during the final verse is really dope, and it was cool how he referenced the song titles from this album. The beat just switched up. Good lord. This is so dope. There’s a voicemail playing from someone who’s talking about the bible. This song is really creative. It’s dope af. 5/5

Track 13: GOD. (Prod. Sounwave, Ricci Riera, DJ Dahi, Bēkon, Cardo, Top Dawg & Mike Hector)

This beat is dope. This hook is a little weird. It’s kinda silly. It’s not bad tho. I like it, but it’s definitely not up to par with the other shit on this album. I like his melodic delivery on the first verse. This is a really celebratory song. “This what God feel like / Laughing to the bank like AAAAAAAHHHAAAAAAAAAA.” I love the way the production switches up after the second verse. The background vocals sound really fuckin’ good too. I don’t have a lot to say about this track. I think I like this even less than Humble. I like it, but it just feels really underwhelming compared to a lot of the other tracks. The production is cool, and the verses were nice. It’s dope a dope song. It’s just far from my favorite. 4/5

Track 14: DUCKWORTH. (Prod. 9th Wonder & Bēkon)

Alright, here it is. Final track. 9th Wonder on the beat. This is gonna be good. It’s starting now. Oh my God. 9th Wonder. Yes. YES. This beat is fucking incredible. Kendrick’s about to tell a story. He’s rhymin’ his ass off. “See once upon a time inside the Nickerson Garden projects / The object was to process & digest poverty’s dialect / Adaptation inevitable, gun violence, crack spot / Federal policies raid buildings and drug professionals.” Okay, he’s talking about Top Dawg. Not TDE as a whole, but Top Dawg himself. Good lord. 9th Wonder put his ASS into this song. I love the dynamic production on this track. Damn. Top was one crooked ass motherfucker. Kendrick’s starting to focus on some guy named Ducky now. Top’s about to rob the KFC in which Ducky works. Damn. Oh fuck. I don’t wanna spoil this story… Wow. The way this shit ended was crazy tho. I don’t know what to say. I mean… Okay. The song’s dope af. 5/5

Final Thoughts:

Damn… This album is fucking incredible. Um… lol… Remember when I said I didn’t know if Kendrick could beat Joey this year? Well… He did it. I mean, it’s close, but I’d definitely say this was more enjoyable just because it’s more experimental, and he took more risks. They’re almost equal in terms of consistency tho. This shit is much more creative. Like… It’s just so fucking incredible. I’m… I’m speechless. It was so worth the wait. This shit should be more than 10$. That’s a fucking steal. This isn’t an average album. I’m not gonna say too much about this because I really don’t know what to think, and I don’t wanna be disappointed, but… A LOT of people are theorizing that a second album from Kendrick is releasing on Easter Sunday. Just, the way the album starts and ends… It would make a lot of sense. I’m just gonna enjoy the fuck out of this album first before I start thinking about a possible second album. If a second album DOES come out… I don’t even know… I can’t put into words how fucking awesome that would be. The production on this album is absolutely perfect. I definitely like this album more than good kid, m.A.A.d. city. That album was great, but this one just feels so much more creative to me. He’s grown so much as a musician. Honestly… I mean… I think the message on To Pimp A Butterfly was more important, and that album is definitely more consistent, but… Well, I’ll just say this… If this album was more consistent, I’d probably like it even more than To Pimp A Butterfly. PROBABLY. This album is incredible tho. It’s unbelievable how Kendrick just keeps growing as an artist. I still don’t even know what my favorite song is… This shit is amazing tho. Don’t take my word for it. Buy this shit. Now, bitch.

Favorite Song: PRIDE.

Least Favorite Song: GOD.

Verdict:

96%

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