It’s been five years since Kendrick Lamar released his fourth studio albumDAMN. To this dayit has been examined from start to finish and praised for its introspective lyricsstellar productionand Lamar’s fearlessness in his approach to exploring the many flaws in a human being’s psyche.
To a certain extentDAMN. is a reflection of us all. Each of the album’s 14 tracks represents an important emotionand as a whole; it shows the duality of human naturealong with just how common a life of contradiction can be.
In the wake of April 142017much has transpired. It’s the last time we’ve seen Lamar drop a solo projectand the lines of what one considers “normal” continues to blur to a point that the definition of the word is questioned more often than not. DAMN. was released three months into the Trump Administrationand a few years removed from the senseless killings of Trayvon MartinMike BrownAlton SterlingFreddie Grayand countless others. While the 2015 classic To Pimp a Butterfly addressed many of these social issues and exuded an optimism about the futureDAMN. touched upon the inner turmoil that we all experienceand its effect on the world around us.
At its coreDAMN. centers around struggle between good and evil. The album begins (or endsfor all you TDE enthusiasts) with the thought-provoking “BLOOD.” Lasting a little under two minutesthe song tells the story of a man who helps a blind woman find something that was lost. Upon assisting herthe woman shoots the manthus ending the song. For manythe “blind woman” may have been a representation of Lady Justiceand how she never quite worked for Black people in this country the way she was supposed to. On a deeper levelthe woman could have been America itselfbuilding its strength on the practice of slavery before evoking violence on the very people that made this nation what it is today.
Throughout Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning projectwe see him battle with several trains of thought. Songs like “LOVE.” and “LOYALTY.,” featuring Rihannaspeaks to a man’s need for the trustcompassionand respect from another. While “LUST.” focuses on the emotion of greedand a person requiring an unhealthy satisfaction from many. “DNA” encompasses the theme of DAMN. to perfectionas Lamar discusses the positivenegativeand indifferent traits that come within the makeup of a man.
“I got loyaltygot royalty inside my DNA/Cocaine quarter piecegot war and peace inside my DNA,” the Compton-raised musician rapped. “I got powerpoisonpain and joy inside my DNA/ I got hustle thoughambitionflow inside my DNA.”
Oddlythe album’s center has come to be its most prophetic. Songs such as “YAH.,” “FEEL.,” and “PRIDE.,” all have messages of distrust and the constant threat of negativity one faces as a celebrity. Throughout his careerLamar has been scrutinized in the mediaas well as being subject to an unfair perception from certain members of the public. It can be said that these experiencesalong with the temptation of famehas caused him to become cynicaland may have contributed to the Grammy Award-winning artist’s reclusive behavior.
In DAMN.’s final momentsLamar talks about how large a part religion has in his life. “XXX.” – one of the album’s most powerful songs – is about the horrific state of America and how difficult it is for people of colorbut so easy for other races. “AmericaGod bless you if it’s good to you/ Americaplease take my hand; can you help me understand,” Lamar harmonized. “FEAR.” expounded on his feelings of injustice and uncertaintyas we hear Kendrick ask God why he has to suffer.
The songs “GOD.” and “DUCKWORTH.” make for a fitting conclusion to what many fans and critics alike feel is Kendrick’s magnum opus. In recent yearsthe latter has established itself as one the all-time great story tracks in hip-hop history. Lamar chronicles an ironic meeting between his father and Top Dawg Entertainment’s CEO Anthony Tiffith; that brought about a series of events that led to the creation of one of the greatest record labels in the music industryalong with success of the imprint’s marquee artist.
What makes Lamar’s fourth studio release most special is that many of its themes still resonate today. Some may see it as dishearteningwith our world still plagued by racisminequalityand the likebut it can still be beautiful to witness an individual go through the entire grid of emotions. As human beingswe are not one-dimensionaland as Black peoplewe are not monolithic. SonicallyDAMN. still hits as hard as it did in its debutand its content will continue to withstand the test of time – for better or for worse.