Kendrick Lamar - Section.80

1. Fuck Your Ethnicity [prod. by THC] (4.25)
2. Hol’ Up [prod. by Sounwave] (4.5)
3. A.D.H.D [prod. by Sounwave] (4.75)
4. No Makeup (Her Vice) ft Colin Munroe [prod. by Sounwave] (4.5)
5. Tammy’s Song (Her Evils) [prod. by THC] (4.75)
6. Chapter Six [prod. by Tommy Black] (4/Skit)
7. Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils) [prod. by Tae Beast] (4.75)
8. Poe Mans Dreams (His Vice) ft GLC [prod. by Willie B] (4)
9. The Spiteful Chant ft Schoolboy Q [prod. by Sounwave & Dave Free] (3.5)
10. Chapter Ten [prod. by THC] (4.25/Skit)
11. Keishas Song (Her Pain) ft Astro Bot [prod. by Tae Beast] (5)
12. Rigamortis [prod. by Willie B] (4)
13. Kush & Corinthians (His Pain) ft BJ The Chicago Kid [prod. by Wyldfire] (4.5)
14. Blow My High [prod. by Tommy Black] (4)
15. Ab-Soul’s Outro [prod. by Terrace Martin] (4.5)
16. HiiipoWeR [prod. by J. Cole] (5)

Few new artists can define this generation of rappers. Everyone seems to think the best of hip-hop as a culture and rap as an artform has passed. That may be true. But it also makes you think how some modern-day classics may be interpreted in the coming decade...will we think back and see that hip-hop underwent a revitalization? The only difference is where the quality music is coming from, really. Back in the day, you had no Internet. MySpace rappers weren't conceived. "Free" marketing meant you weren't going to sell at all, because you couldn't reach to anyone outside your hometown. Radio hits defined that generation, because that was the main way of reaching the fans. Today, we've flipped the script - while radio still remains an ever-popular medium for more casual listeners to get their fix, all the true heads know that more serious artists are discovered elsewhere, not on the radio.

Anyway, all that blathering aside, I consider Kendrick Lamar to be in the same category as new-school rappers like J. Cole and Jay Electronica. Mix a bit of the classic era and the new era with a personal twist. Lots of (excellent) storytelling, an occasional battle track, the all-out banger - it's been done before. Kendrick Lamar makes everything feel so deliberate and well-designed with such high polish that it's hard to ignore his talent. Most impressive is the fact that even with all the variety, there's not a "bad" track to be found on this album at all. It's listenable the whole way through, multiple times in a day as I've done. It's an enjoyable album on nearly every level.

Sample Tracks

"A.D.H.D."


"The Spiteful Chant"


"Kush & Corinthians (His Pain)"


Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 9/10

Originality & Creativity: 9/10

Score: 92/100

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