Wesley’s Theory (ft. George Clinton and Thundercat): A really funk-driven song, Kendrick talks on this song about the music industry, in ways alluding to the industry as his “first girlfriend.” It’s a really interesting listen, and I also like the way the song kind of alludes back to Wesley Snipes and his income tax conviction. It’s an interesting start to the album, for sure, and beyond all of the interesting ideas it presents lyrically, it’s energetic, instrumentally wonderful, and it also features the same great flow that we expect out of Kendrick. Great start to the record.
For Free? (Interlude): Wow…wow…this track, absolutely blew me away. Kendrick does a better job in a 2-minute interlude than a lot of rappers can do in full-length songs. His rapid-fire flow on this track is absolutely incredible, and the way he speaks to this “woman” during the track (and the way that he connects this woman to America) is really intriguing to me. Even for a short interlude, Kendrick pulls no punches, and he creates such an incredible, memorable track.
King Kunta: Another really funky, head-nodding track, Kendrick refers to Kunta Kinte, a fictional slave, as a king to show that he is at both the highest and lowest point in life: he feels he is oppressed but still powerful, and he discusses how on this track, he’d rather be broke and remain humble than to give in to the industry. And even beyond the lyrical content, the song is bouncy and exciting, it features a typically strong performance from Kendrick, and the hook is really strong. The track also ends with the first line of a poem that Kendrick adds to throughout the album. Another fantastic song.
Institutionalized (ft. Bilal, Anna Wise and Snoop Dogg): Kendrick takes things a bit slower on this track that talks about how people are so blinded to have as much money as possible, and how the idea of being rich blinds and corrupts us. He does this through a track that is light, dark, and mysterious but still featuring the same strong flow we’ve always gotten out of Kendrick (the addition of some voice manipulation definitely helps), and we also get some strong guest performances from Bilai, who performs the hook, and Snoop Dogg, who raps on the bridge and the outro, and does a great job setting the stage for Kendrick’s story. Another strong track all-in-all.
These Walls (ft. Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat): Another really funky track, Kendrick explores different metaphorical walls on this song, from the walls of a woman’s genitals to the walls of a prison cell, to the walls inside his mind. The “walls” he discusses represent a form of imprisonment on an entire sexual situation he encounters, and through incredible wordplay, he creates lyrics that are layered and meaningful, and he performs them over a really fun, rather sexy track that has a really fun hook from guest artists Anna Wise, Thundercat and Bilai. On this track, he also further continues the poem from “King Kunta,” now discussing how he misused his power as a “king” and thus, feeling resented, he goes on an alcohol-driven rage in his hotel room. Another track with a lot going on, and one that remains so powerful and fantastic.
u: Beginning with Kendrick’s screams (thus serving as a continuation to the portion of the poem seen in “These Walls”), Kendrick goes into the darker recesses of his mind and heart on this song, discussing his own negative thoughts that purge him, and continuing from the idea of the rage in his hotel room, his last two verses feature him getting more and more depressed about himself, drinking himself to death and rapping despite being at his emotional lowest. He also delivers a really emotional performance that was enough to almost bring tears to my eyes. Really incredible track.
Alright: A song that’s almost become iconic at this point, this track is often seen as the anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement, and something of a second-coming of “We Shall Overcome” for black youths. And beyond its anthem-like nature, it’s just a truly incredible song. A catchy hook with a positive message of “we gon’ be alright” perfectly accompanies some verses that feature some really incredible flow from Kendrick, a really great instrumental, and fantastic lyrics about finding trust in God to help achieve solidarity. He also continues the poem last seen in “These Walls,” now discussing how, in his rage, he ran from the devil to find himself. There’s so much going on in this song, and it’s one of Kendrick’s most powerful, resonant, and fantastic songs to date.
For Sale? (Interlude): Continuing from the poem’s discussion of “Lucy,” Kendrick begins the track out of breath on his search for “answers,” Kendrick spends this song talking about “Lucy” (obviously short for “Lucifer”), who he portrays through a woman trying to take him away from God’s visions. He recites the poem again, adding on a line that, on his run for answers, he found himself returning home. He does all of this through a really dark track that features Kendrick putting on a far different voice but nonetheless reminding us of his really strong flow. It’s a great song with a really interesting story behind it.
Momma: On this track, Kendrick reveals that he outran Lucy and returned “home” (what that home may be is up to interpretation), and he talks about how he has grown and come to accept himself in a track that is layered and filled with different meanings. The instrumental on this one is also really interesting, and Kendrick’s flow remains unmatched. And even when the song changes its feel on the outro, it still sounds wonderful, and the fact that Kendrick uses a fade-out on the ending kind of makes me want to hear more. It makes me wonder if there was more he wanted to say on this one.
Hood Politics: With this track, a slightly higher-pitched, younger Kendrick transports back to a time when he was just a child, knowing only of the area he lived in. He does go on to discuss things like politics and the rap industry, in a track that features some interesting tonal changes, a strong instrumental sound, a pretty catchy hook, and typically impressive flow from Kendrick. He also continues the poem from “For Sale?” but this time, there’s a lot more to be said: even though Kendrick returned home, he questions whether or not he really made it out of the ghetto successfully and should feel like he succeeded. It’s another extremely layered, interesting track that begs repeat listens.
How Much A Dollar Cost? (ft. James Fauntleroy and Ronald Isley): On this track, Kendrick tells us a story where he met a homeless man who asked for 10 Rand (the African equivalent to $1). Kendrick says no and resents the man, only for the man to ask if he had ever read Exodus 14 (the story of Moses crossing the Red Sea and guiding the Israelites to safety). Still guilty, the homeless man reveals that he is God and that Kendrick has lost his place in Heaven. It’s a really interesting story, and Kendrick tells it through a song that features some really great flow, a solid, sort of atmospheric hook, and a punchy instrumental. Once again, great song.
Complexion (A Zulu Love) (ft. Rapsody): Another pretty funky, punchy track, this one features Kendrick discussing colorism, and reminding us to love those around us, regardless of how light or dark we are. It’s a really bright, really nice track that features more strong flow from Kendrick, a pretty fun hook, and a strong guest performance from Rhapsody. This is another one I feel like I’ll be replaying quite a bit, a great track.
The Blacker the Berry: Heading towards the end of the album now, this song discusses the idea of self-hatred of your own race. Kendrick does it through a much more angry performance, feeling aggression towards the haters of his black skin, and uncredited featured artist Assassin explores this idea on his very angry, patois-driven hook where he talks about the pain that is experienced as a result of having black skin. Yet another really powerful song that I think will only get better with repeat listens.
You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said): Once again, Kendrick attempts a far different vocal sound on this track, speaking from the perspective of his mother giving him advice, and throughout the song, he talks about the crossroads that someone can reach when they are stuck in a state of not being one of the most successful people in the world, but not being anonymous to the point of going unnoticed by those around you. This is conveyed on a track that is a bit looser and slightly brighter than some of the others on the record, and it also features a pretty fun hook and strong flow from Kendrick. Once again, great song.
i: Contradicting the messages that he spreads on the song “u,” Kendrick makes a far more positive track with “i,” and the track provides a sense of redemption not really seen in a lot of the other tracks seen on the album. He does this in a really upbeat, bright, vibrant track that’s really fun, and I really like how in the song Kendrick breaks up the spoken argument and tries to keep the spread of positivity alive on this one. His a cappella verse is extremely strong on this one. Another great track.
Mortal Man: I’m not even gonna lie when I saw that this was the final song on the album and that it’s 12 minutes long, I got pretty scared. You guys know that it takes a lot for me to love a long song, and a 12-minute one? Even wilder. Still, I had confidence that Kendrick could handle it because he’s Kendrick. And, as it turned out, he did handle it well! Name-dropping a lot of people on this one, the instrumental is really nice, Kendrick’s performance is once again rock-solid, and Kendrick’s many discussions on loyalty are really fascinating. And the reason the track is 12 minutes is that it ends with an “interview” Kendrick had with 2Pac (which is essentially a series of voice recordings of Pac that Kendrick fit over his own voice), where he read the completed poem, one that is actually about racism and discrimination. The final poem is so powerful, as is his discussion with Pac, and it’s what keeps the song so interesting for the entire duration. Really a fantastic end to the album.
Overall, I can’t believe I waited to listen to this album in its entirety, because it’s really an incredible album. Kendrick pours his heart and soul into this record, and his abilities as a lyricist and a rapper are on full display here. On this, he creates songs that are incredibly layered and meaningful, songs that can be interpreted in several ways, songs that spread messages, and songs that tell stories. Kendrick tells stories that are well-crafted, poignant, and intense, and his performances throughout the album reflect the many different emotions that go on inside of his head throughout the record, and from there, he makes what is one of the strongest rap albums I’ve ever heard. While I’m a little ashamed I listened to it as late as I did, I’m glad I listened to it at all because this is one of those albums I think we’ll remember decades from now as one of the all-time greats.
Way to go, K-Dot.
Favorite tracks: ALL OF THEM
Least favorite tracks: NONE OF THEM
Rating: Excellent
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