kendrick lamar - untitled unmastered.

pimp pimp

pimp pimp

i've seen people discuss these tracks as throwaways and i don't agree with that. to me, throwaways implies that these weren't meant for general consumption, but it's obvious that they are. i've seen people say that these are b-sides and i think that's pretty much it (kendrick's said that they are himself) but still slightly off. basically what i'm saying is that i don't think that the songs are directly connected to to pimp a butterfly's narrative, but are other songs existing in its environment. people were saying that they could easily trade in tracks from this project and put them on the album and that's ridiculous simply due to how the poem/spoken word piece is; it would have to be re-written for it to work. (now, these people may be thinking the same thing as me but not elaborating on their ideas but who knows.)

but on to the actual music of this collection of songs: we're getting straight artistry. there's more jazz and hip hop fusion, more catchphrases, more flows. the features he brings in are in sync with his mood, cee-lo being the standout one for me. i love how a simple chant of pimp pimp, hooray can unite otherwise distant tracks.

even in it's unmastered form, it's still more quality than most rappers' finished products. kendrick makes me excited when he speaks.

best tracks: 5, 6, 7, 8

score: 91

anderson .paak - malibu

going into this album, i didn't know what to expect. i knew .paak by way of tokimonsta first; he captivated me with his feature on her song realla. however, even though i fully enjoy that song, i never sought out any of his own music. that was back in 2014, but fast forward to late 2015 and his name emerges again as a primary contributor to dr. dre's comback album compton. every song he featured on was one of the highlights of the project and i'd go as far to say that without him, the album would be awfully bland. continue forward to the present day and malibu keeps the energy he brought forth with dre and mixes it with textures that would fit well on kendrick lamar's to pimp a butterfly as well as flying lotus' you're dead! albums.

.paak is great at switching up his flows, the most obvious being his ability to sing and rap well. his vocabulary is also something to be noted, i really enjoyed how he said things even if i wasn't feeling the subject matter with the same passion. it's a very mellow vibed project, a bit too long though. when you look at each individual song, there's really nothing wrong with any of them, but as a whole, some of it runs together. nevertheless, this is a strong mainstream debut and i do hope to hear more from him in the future.

favorite tracks: am i wrong, parking lot, room in here, light weight

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score: 81

five for five: vol. 1

welcome to five for five.
five quick takes, five charts, five albums.
for the first volume, i've decided to embrace diversity.

chunk! no, captain chunk! - get lost find yourself

  1. sometimes the french accent gets in the way, sometimes it makes it unique
  2. the lyrical themes are simple and not in a good way
  3. instrumentally sound for an easycore band
  4. i'd rather listen to this than stuff like tigers jaw or man overboard
  5. there's no real reason to hate on them for what they do when they're pretty #positive about it

score: 47

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ludacris - ludaversal

  1. he's hella funny but hella stale
  2. that jason aldean song didn't need to happen but it's cool that he tried
  3. none of the features really did anything to improve the album
  4. he still needed more features though
  5. ludacris might as well retire from albums and just do features for people

score: 55


skrillex & diplo - skrillex & diplo present jack ü

  1. these guys work really well together to create a great atmosphere
  2. there are times all over this album where i wished the beats would hit harder
  3. the justin bieber feature is fantastic and while i am elated to see missy back in action, her part was very straight-forward
  4. a lot of cheesy vocals lyrically but i don't think they're supposed to be that deep
  5. skrillex > diplo

score: 68


snoop dogg - bush

  1. pharrell is the mvp of this project, charlie wilson a very close second
  2. snoop really shouldn't be singing but at least he doesn't sound nearly as bad as a$ap rocky
  3. of course the song he raps on is the best by far
  4. great pacing, doesn't overstay its welcome
  5. i want kendrick lamar on every funk release from here on out

score: 71


veil of maya - matriarch

  1. the addition of clean vocals is not welcomed, but i got used to it
  2. it seems like they went for a more accessible sound and that's upsetting
  3. they're better at playing that accessible sound than most other bands, though
  4. the song titles all being prominent female names makes me value this project more, three-fifty being absolutely hilarious
  5. y'all probably don't care about the hot takes for this album or the chunk! album and for that you're lame, expand your musical palette with me

score: 66

kendrick lamar - to pimp a butterfly

i've been A1 since day one, you niggas boo boo - hood politics

to pimp a butterfly is a hearty selection of cold cuts slapped with a generous helping of a groovy marinade cooked medium well, served on a black platter with a side of black eyed peas (for the soul). it's a dish best served, no modifier needed. from the appetizing beginning to the dessert prepared by 2pac himself, there's no way you could leave feeling like you were under fed. you might even feel bloated, almost sick to your stomach due to how rich it was and how quickly you devoured it. every punchline and bassline alike more delectable than the last. the garnish at the end of each track only prepared you for the next dish, fork and knife at attention ready to consume. it's effortless. 

conventionally speaking, there's a lot to take in with this album, and it's up to you how you want to experience it. it is lyrically intriguing; there are times where you will laugh, wince, and feel inspired. it is musically rewarding; there's just something about the compositions that feel right at home but conversely from some far away planet, only accessible via mothership. certain things may click from the jump, others might kick in at halftime. it's all about who you are and what you've experienced combined with how you choose to experience the butterfly.

top 3 + bottom none: hood politics, alright, king kunta



score: 93