DAMN.
Kendrick Lamar
(b. 1987)
Contributed by Morgan Valencia, Hannah Sawyer, and Jackson Hover
DAMN.
Kendrick Lamar
(b. 1987)
Contributed by Morgan Valencia, Hannah Sawyer, and Jackson Hover
April 14, 2017
Studio album.
Kendrick Lamar released his sixth album, DAMN., on April 14th of 2017, for which he became the first Hip Hop artist to win the Pulitzer Prize in music, awarded for musical compositions. As reported by Billboard on March 8, 2012, Kendrick signed to Aftermath Records, making DAMN. his fourth album produced under Aftermath. Kendrick has continued his streak of success, with DAMN. being his third consecutive No. 1 album. Kendrick was not completely silent about his new album DAMN. leading up to its release. Kendrick may have alluded to the date “April 7th” in a track he released the month before, titled “The Heart Part Four.” This led fans to speculate that he would release a new album on April 7th., instead it was the pre-order for DAMN. On April 11, 2017, Lamar tweeted the reveal of the album cover.
In an interview with Apple Music, Lamar talks about the album and its influences. In his interview, he describes himself as having a great sense of empathy and compassion, reaching for a certain standard for his album, in an artistic sense. He emphasizes that he does not “make the music for Kendrick Lamar,” separating the human aspect of Kendrick Lamar and the performer aspect of Kendrick Lamar.
The overall tone of the album is perceived as much more cynical than the more optimistic viewpoint on To Pimp a Butterfly.
To compare, here are some lyrics off of the song “i”, from To Pimp a Butterfly:
Lift up your head and keep moving, (Keep moving) turn the mic up
Peace to fashion police, I wear my heart
On my sleeve, let the runway start
Kendrick Lamar has been on a pedestal for a multitude of different movements, with the main one being Black Lives Matter. It is clear that the aim of DAMN. is to bring himself back down from the idea that Kendrick is, well, only an idea. He is a man with flaws, a multitude of thoughts and feelings; he is not a 2D idea, but rather a person, just like you or I. It also became Kendrick’s most popular album to date. We wonder if it’s due to his unparalleled lyricism, a return to the grungier beats that fans had hoped for, and the ability to encapsulate stories into three minutes of song, along with it being a masterclass in storytelling through an album.
DAMN. focuses on the dichotomy of Lamar as a person, in response to the newfound fame and responsibility To Pimp A Butterfly gave him. We wanted to focus on the interpersonal struggles that Lamar uses as the foundation of this album.
The album starts with the song “BLOOD.”, and the very first line on the album is, “Is it wickedness? Is it weakness?” This line will be repeated consistently within the album, enforcing that this is the equivalent of a thesis to Lamar’s story. What this means is quite open-ended, but we see it as Lamar wondering why he commits the earthly sins he does. He is asking himself if it is worldly wickedness taking over his body, or if it is just the naturally weak human body crumbling to the sins that are always presented to us. Another aspect of note is the end portion, around 1:30. There is a portion where Lamar tells a story of speaking to a blind woman who is looking for something. As he tries to help, the lady ends up shooting and killing Lamar. This may be considered the start of the story that will be told throughout the album.
On the next track “DNA”, there is a very heavy use of contrasting words within the same line, such as, “Got war and peace inside my DNA. I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my DNA”. While this dichotomy is shown in singular lines, it’s presence is also shown in longer stretches of the song. Within the same verse, Kendrick says, “I was born like this, since one like this, immaculate conception” and “I got dark, I got evil that rot inside my DNA”. These two lyrics within the verse follow the same ideas of piousness and worldly evils existing within Lamar. It’s also important to note that while DNA may represent the fact that these traits are the genetic building blocks that exist within Lamar, the helix shape of DNA is created by two different strands of proteins, which may also represent the motif of two different sides of Lamar existing in a visual sense.
In the third track, Kendrick focuses on interpersonal thoughts. Starting with his loved ones, he talks about their concerns about Kendrick’s focus on his work and the amount of time he spends away from his family, then speaks of his niece fondly. He then speaks about the fact that he is not a higher power “I’m not a politician, I’m not ‘bout a religion”. This is an attempt to show that he is a human who is putting out art, and not an idol or a leader. This track is notably much slower and calmer than the production of the last two tracks, which gives the feel of Lamar pondering to himself, calmly thinking about the position life has put him in.
This track has a large focus on how Kendrick has become extremely successful, along with his mastery of the art. At this point of the story, ELEMENT. Is a representation of him reaping the rewards of the hard work and sacrifice he has put into his music, being able to challenge other artist to have half the talent and drive he possesses. Even while reveling in his greatness, he questions if all this work will benefit him past this life, saying, “Damned if I do, if I don’t. Goddamn us all if you won’t.” This line implies that Kendrick fears that he is going to Hell, regardless of what he does in this life.
The themes of religion are prominent with the beginning of this song. The line “Ain’t nobody prayin’ for me” is repeated over and over, until Kendrick starts the verse. He details how he feels the emptiness of fame, and that no one is really there to support him or can understand how he feels. The very last lyrics of this track are, “I feel like the whole world want me to pray for ‘em. But who the fuck prayin’ for me?” While this does again touch on the motif of religion within this album, it contrast the pride and joy Kendrick previously showed in ELEMENT., with the feelings of loneliness and becoming somewhat of an idol that he never asked to be.
This track goes back to the struggle of interpersonal relationships that Kendrick is struggling to handle, stressing the loyalty that each person has for each other is important. Kendrick ask, “Tell me who you loyal to
Is it money? Is it fame? Is it weed? Is it drink?
Is it comin' down with the loud pipes in the rain?
', only for the power in your name
Tell me who you loyal to
Is it love for the streets when the lights get dark?
Is it unconditional when the 'Rari don't start?
Tell me when your loyalty is comin' from the heart”
This also follows the struggle Kendrick faces when it comes to balancing his personal life with his newfound fame.
The track speaks heavily of what Kendrick would be like if the world was perfect, and how he would envision it being perfect. But he reminds us that this world could never be created, as “Sick venom in men and women overcome with pride. A perfect world is never perfect, only filled with lies,” implying that the world could never be perfect because humans are so full of pride. Another thing to note is the title. Pride is the opposite of humble in definition, and the dichotomy between these words will represent the opposing feelings Kendrick feels.
This track uses irony in the heaviest way possible. In comparing PRIDE. To HUMBLE., it’s widely different on how Kendrick perceives pride. As the last track compares pride to venom, HUMBLE. Is a track filled with brags about his fame and fortune. The meat of the song, with its larger-than-life bass and piano notes, are quite similar to the larger-than-life brag raps we are familiar with. The chorus takes us back to the inner turmoil of Kendrick being able to push down his pride, and humble himself, in contrast to the verses that are filled with the pride Kendrick carries with him due to his fame.
This track is a reprieve from the loud and bodacious sound of HUMBLE., with a gentle guitar riff and soft singing as the instrumental. As the first verse begins, he begins to detail the kind of day we expect most famous people to live, smoking weed, not working, thinking about money and so on. After a quick break, he begins to repeat the verse, but stops himself momentarily. This shows that Lamar recognizes that these activities most of us would consider enjoyable have become a sort of groundhog day, more monotonous than fun. He ends the verse by saying “Whatever you do, just make it count”. This shows that all these actions lack any substance of enhancing one's life, and rather are just empty activities to fill out each and every day. The second verse shows that this lust that Kendrick speaks of is one of fame, and he speaks about the bible verse James 4:4. “Friend of the world is enemy of the Lord, brace yourself, lust is all yours.” Again, he emphasizes the religious themes, and warns of indulging in earthly pleasures.
This is another example of Kendrick using contrasting titles of songs to portray ideas. The instrumental is soft, reminiscent of an early 2000’s R&B song. The lyrics follow suit, mostly just describing Kendrick and his love for a woman, and how this love is emotional, and more than just lust.
Questions for Classroom Discussion
What was the political/social context of the time of this album's release, and how is it significant?
What ways is Kendrick Lamar’s form of activism different from past or present (at the time) examples of social and political speech?
How do you feel the critical reception of this album and its winning of a Pulitzer Prize reflects on perceptions of the validity of rap in higher art circles?
What features of this album do you think led to its winning several awards (Pulitzer Prize, Grammys, etc.)?
Was the premiere/release of the album a success over-all? How is Kendrick Lamar perceived for what he says?
Bibliography/Further Reading
Primary sources
Lowe, Zane. "Kendrick Lamar: 'DAMN.'" Interview. Apple Music (2017).
McIntyre, Hugh. "Kendrick Lamar's 'DAMN.' Begins At No. 1 With the Largest Opening Week of 2017." Forbes (2017). https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2017/04/23/kendrick-lamars-damn-begins-at-no-1-with-the-largest-opening-week-of-2017/?sh=45a033847958 .
Preezy for XXL. "Kendrick Lamar Stamps Himself As Rap's Preeminent Lyricist on 'DAMN.' Album Reveiw." XXL (2017).
Pulitzer Prize. "Kendrick Lamar." Winners Announcement. 2017. https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/kendrick-lamar.
Slate, Jeff. "Kenrick Lamar's Pulitzer for 'DAMN.' Proves the Influence of Hip-Hop Can No Longer Be Ignored." NBC (2018).
Secondary Sources
Honl-Stuenkel, Gustav. "Critical Voices: Kendrick Lamar, DAMN." University Wire (2017).
Lamar, Kendrick. "Deconstructing a Culture of Trauma." Video essay. Quality Culture. July 14th, 2022.
Rowell-Cunsolo, Tawandra L and Rahwa Haile. "Hazards of Anti-Blackness in the United States." International Journal of Social Welfare 31, no. 4 (October 2022): 520-28.