revisiting Kendrick Lamar's DAMN.

4 years onward, the aesthetics and sonic quality still resonate deeply.

in this space, i’ve talked a lot about the musical artifacts i’ve collected and a very meaningful extension of that is merch. i’ve got t-shirts, stickers, lighters (the latter of which i often wish i had kept unused), and the list goes on. i have acquired most of these shirts and miscellany from shows, but a couple of items (like patches) have been included in deluxe album bundles or purchased elsewhere. such is the case with my Kendrick Lamar tees from the DAMN. tour.

i have seen Lamar live, but that was back in 2013 — right when the hype and acclaim from good kid, m.A.A.d city elevated the Compton rapper to become a household name. both of the shirts i have from his 2017 tour came into my possession after working in resale. i’m a huge fan of all-over graphics (especially when it extends to the sleeves) and knew i had to have these when i first spotted them. i genuinely enjoy the mix of typefaces and bold color choices. 

the album in question — which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music back in 2018 — marked its 4 year anniversary this week (April 14).

“is it wickedness? is it weakness? you decide.”

below are my favorite moments of DAMN., as first acknowledged the year it was released.

highlights

• the Anna Wise and Steve Lacy assists on “PRIDE.”

• the production on “LUST.”

• the Rick James sample on “DNA.”

• the duality (this is a super Gemini album!!)

• the fact that two songs (“PRIDE.” and “FEAR.”) sampled another song of Lamar’s that I enjoyed this year: “The Heart Part 4”

• Bēkon’s voice, especially on tracks “BLOOD.” and “PRIDE.”

in hindsight, i didn’t appreciate “LOYALTY.” when it was first released for the banger it is. 4 years and tons of radio airplay later, my most recent listens prove that this track and the album DAMN. in general have aged so well. i still enjoy this album’s transitions and seamless play, as well as the intention to be able to play it backwards. the features and standout production from the likes of James Blake and 9th Wonder truly solidify why this album is a must-listen.

there’s also a lot of beautiful symbolism and wordplay woven throughout this record (in alignment with Lamar’s catalog overall), so i’ll leave you with this episode from one of my favorite podcasts that further dives into the brilliance of DAMN.