November 23, 2024Nov 23 OMG WHAT? LEMME LISTEN :cheeseblock: EDIT: Wait there are two SZA features??!! :cheeseblock: :cheeseblock:
November 23, 2024Nov 23 I guess featuring artists will be credited in 3-5 days following the releases. It happened to Beyonce too on Cowboy Carter.
November 23, 2024Nov 23 Very strong project from Kung Fu Kenny!!! I absolutely loved it!!! Luther, TV Off and Reincarnated are the clear standouts for me on first listen. I also love how upbeat the album is. This is definitely going to be an album I come back to a lot.
November 23, 2024Nov 23 I've given this 3 listens now. It feels like Kendrick's least complex album and sounds very west-coast. I enjoyed it a lot more on my 2nd and 3rd plays when I wasn't trying to focus on the lyrics. Opening with 'wacced out murals' is insane because it's already one of his best ever songs. I do wish he made a while album with that energy. 'tv off' is basically Not Like Us pt. 2 (sonically at least) so I think it will definitely be the big hit and 'MUSTARDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD' is going to become iconic.
November 26, 2024Nov 26 GNX - Kendrick Lamar - Mellope album review OVERVIEW: This album shows a stronger, rougher side of Kendrick with production that's bold, clear, and experimental in ways. This album may show as a step for this decade of rap with some of the tracks, such as 'Sqaubble Up,' which has a Funk side and features multiple pop-R&B segments from SZA as well as from smaller LA rappers. This harsh, gritty, well-layered album shows Kendrick isn't afraid to speak out about what he wants to and that he can still make great music over a decade into his career. I thought this was a real hook for the end of 2024, and Lamar has once again taken the rap industry by storm; this has some memorable moments of the year. I have a lot more to say though in the... TRACK BY TRACK REVIEW: 1. Wacced Out Murals (7/10) Starting off with a rough, powerhouse of a song that immediately grabs attention and spreads Kendrick's harsh essence across the track, the track talks about legacy and speaks volumes, which I admire, and the production was bold and made it a great atmosphere to start off 'GNX.' What a wish for better. Instead of just using the boom-bap beat on the West Coast rap, it had more flavour instead of just sharpness. 2. Squabble Up (9/10) WOW!! 'Squabble Up' uses the same snippet that started the 'Not Like Us' music video to start this song, and this is an all-round flavour punch that infuses character, something new, and a bit of everything to make this a mega-catchy song. It has an old-school swing to it that adds to its catchiness while not making this a radio song but still making this extremely universal to listen to and setting new boundaries in rap music. This is a great follow-up to 'Wacced Out Murals' and really shows a strong point, not just in Kendrick but possibly in this decade of rap. 100% expect to see this in my most streamed. 3. Luther (6/10) 'Luther' is a conscious hip-hop/soul song with additional vocals and writing from R&B star SZA. The song follows the traditional boom-bap routes while having a nice landing for both Kendrick and SZA's vocals with strings and a structure that builds the song. The main problem for me is that the song doesn't do too much though and just follows a rhythm that doesn't sound like it has enough flavour, especially to be a main track. Nice try, Kendrick, but you can do better. 4. Man at the Garden (7/10) This poses as a song that makes you think and has meaning to it while fitting into the album structure; it's speaking out and taking leaps and risks to get you to the place you are, which is what Kendrick is doing today still. I admire this, and it makes the listeners think and really builds a new thought that 'Man at the Garden' shows. 5. Hey Now (7/10) With production from 'Not Like Us' producer Mustard 'Hey Now,' this is very experimental and provides a sound that can't easily be replicated or unheard of. This features vocals from LA rapper Dody 6, who gives a clean, fresh sound at the end of the track that doesn't merge the energy's wrongly but instead fits aside Kendrick and runs the rest of the track smoothly. 6. reincarnated (6.5/10) Sampling 'Made N*****' by 2Pac delves deeper into meaningful rap music. It starts with a Spanish poem to start the song and moves into a gritty main rap with plucks of a guitar in the background that sound unique and centre it out from other rap songs. With Kendrick continuing his wide range of sounds in his songs, it's safe to say the production level is continuing its peak with the raw, infused voice that is Kendrick Lamar. 7. TV Off (6/10) With its high, well-produced beat by Mustard, Kendrick continues his high, intense energy, as this shows that there's more to come. This is a good track but not an album highlight for me. 8. Dodger Blue (6/10) With vocals from Roddy Ricch and other rappers, 'dodger blue' continues the sharp lyrics with the 'gnx' album style. The features were well chosen, and this song works well. 9. Peekaboo (7/10) Bringing in some of that style that sounds a bit like 'Sqaubble Up,' Kendrick creates a hard-core song that combines Gangsta Funk to create something that has a real flow and creativity to it with a hook that gets stuck in your head within a single listen, 'Peekaboo' doesn't disappoint. 10. heart pt. 6 (7/10) Continuing his 'The Heart' series, Kendrick mixes his more conversational delivery with emotional rap, which works as a fitting side to the album. The series showcases Lamar's views on life at the moment, a strong song that says a lot. 11. gnx (7/10) Continuing his bold, fearless style, this track brings out the drums with quality soul-rap and showcases this album's style extremely well, once again another song that certainly didn't miss. 12. Gloria (6/10) With an alternative R&B kick from SZA, 'Gloria' delves into love and also marks SZA and Kendrick's 6th collaboration together. This ends the album on a slower moving song that hits the right notes and gives the right laid-back feel to end the album on; it didn't go above and beyond for me, but it definitely was clear and a good move to put here. BEST: 'Sqaubble Up' WORST: 'Dodger Blue' ALBUM RATING 7/10
November 27, 2024Nov 27 Hey Nate, What happened with your chart :nono: :cry: ? Me? I still post it weekly 😊
November 28, 2024Nov 28 surprisingly low review from pitchfork (6.6) https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kendrick-lamar-gnx/
November 28, 2024Nov 28 surprisingly low review from pitchfork (6.6) https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kendrick-lamar-gnx/ Pitchfork is a team of idiots.
December 3, 2024Dec 3 Kendrick just announced a us stadium tour, joint headlined with SZA! I hope they bring it here too, I’m a fan of Kendrick but I don’t think I’m a fan enough to go to a show, but I adore sza so a joint one would be incredible!
December 3, 2024Dec 3 Pitchfork is a team of idiots. Quoting Halsey- “can the basement they run pitchfork from collapse already”
December 5, 2024Dec 5 Me? I still post it weekly 😊 I´m confused :arrr: Nate = Mellope and Mellope = Nate ????
December 17, 2024Dec 17 Listened a few times... not his best album I can't lie. It's got some good moments though and maybe with time it will grow but at the moment it's not WOWing me. It was also released at an incredibly difficult time for me so perhaps I will forever associate it with that time period and thus not warm to it as much? :(
February 10Feb 10 Surprised that nothing earlier than the DAMN. era featured but Kendrick killed the half-time show as expected 🔥 (didn’t realise that I hadn’t commented in this thread before - ‘wacced out murals’ is firmly my favourite from this project)
February 10Feb 10 This really wasn't the career spanning touchdown I expected. Felt more like album promo (apart from NLU which was a pop culture moment).
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