Kendrick Lamar is Slowly Building Up an All Time Great Catalog

[Ziggiy]

That's critics...a lot of his stans aren't feeling Kendrick this time around, lots of casual fans aren't feeling this album and that's from my observation. I don't think there's any doubt that this album alienated some of his fans. Personally, I really like the album and think it's better than good kid, M.a.a.d. City.

Even It Was Written had good reviews, 4 Mics from The Source, nearly perfect reviews from the Chicago Tribune and LA Times, and A- review from Entertainment Weekly, 4 stars from AllMusic, etc.

It Was Written had "good" reviews but nothing comparable to Illmatic and the general consensus within the Hip Hop community has been that IWW has been rather underrated until recent years when younger artists and fans have been vocal about its influence. The sound that Nas went with and the Escobar persona were divisive.

To the contrary TPAB has Universal acclaim, it's going to debut at number 1 next week, Kendrick as far as alienating fans, other than trolls on these boards, I've seen an otherwise positive response in real life. People coming into the store looking for the physical all week. If it reaches the sales of GKMC then I dont see how, along with the critical acclaim, anybody can compare the reception of this album to the delayed appreciation of IWW

 

[ManBearPig]

it sucks he the only one thats doing so.

 

[Sad Bunny]

I will say I never imagined he'd be dropping albums this creative and dense when I first heard him. Training Day and C4 made him seem like just another mixtape rapper (even though he showed flashes of being diffferent). Then he switched the name, dropped the Kendrick Lamar EP and showed growth.

He just keeps getting better. He's in that group of artists whose full progression can be seen online. His earliest shyt is all available. If you go back and listen to everything you appreciate his music more.

He was a wayne stan right? ??

And sounded like weezy

 

[Rev]

This has to stop at some point

 

[NoHalfWay]

right, cuz Rolling Stone is a credible source for reviewing hip hop albums

and nyggas love to exagerrate, there was nothin divisive or polarizing about IWW lmfao ... classic album nonetheless

IWW was divisive. But the album aged great and has mad influence on a lot of rappers

TPAB just came out. I doubt it'll impact the culture like IWW

 

[ISO]

it sucks he the only one thats doing so.

I think Drake's catalog is great too. He's not doing like Kendrick where all his shyt basically is critically acclaimed but he's put out good music and has his fingerprints all over hip hop with all his features. If you saw the concert he did with Nas dude performs features as if they were his very own songs.

So Far Gone is a classic mixtape, IMO Take Care is a classic album although people may disagree, Comeback Season is one of the greatest indy mixtapes I ever heard. Thank Me Later, Nothing Was The Same, Room For Improvement and his latest tape are all solid. Great unreleased catalog (Club Paradise, 5 AM in Toronto, 9 AM in Dallas, Free Spirit, etc.) and his features on point too like I said.

It Was Written had "good" reviews but nothing comparable to Illmatic and the general consensus within the Hip Hop community has been that IWW has been rather underrated until recent years when younger artists and fans have been vocal about its influence. The sound that Nas went with and the Escobar persona were divisive.

To the contrary TPAB has Universal acclaim, it's going to debut at number 1 next week, Kendrick as far as alienating fans, other than trolls on these boards, I've seen an otherwise positive response in real life. People coming into the store looking for the physical all week. If it reaches the sales of GKMC then I dont see how, along with the critical acclaim, anybody can compare the reception of this album to the delayed appreciation of IWW

It's been the opposite for me, most people I've talked to aren't really feeling it

I get your point about It Was Written though maybe the OP was a bit of an overstatement

 

[Ziggiy]

IWW was divisive. But the album aged great and has mad influence on a lot of rappers

TPAB just came out. I doubt it'll impact the culture like IWW

I won't say it doesn't have a strong chance to impact the culture becuase I believe it can. IWW aged wonderfully and A lot of Nas's early catalogue really only now is getting the love it really deserves as far as giving him proper credit for moving the genre forward lyrically and conceptually BEYOND Illmatic.

Kendrick's early work has pretty much gotten it's just due straight from the gate, it doesn't mean it's overrated or that it won't stand the test of time, it simply means that his willingness to go outside the box and not be constrained by the expectations of fans or the industry has been appreciated from it's conception.

 

[dagreenz]

He was a wayne stan right? ??

And sounded like weezy

Yeah he was..C4 was basically a dedication to Weezy. You could still hear Wayne in his style today, and 3 Stacks too. I had an argument with the homie about how clear the influence is. How can you not hear it?

 

[Cladyclad]

If anyone in the booth watch WWE Kendrick is straight up Roman Reigns status right now. This push is too excessive

 

[DosCadenaz]

TPAB is a 10.

 

[Mike Otherz]

Overly Dedicated. a 4 Mic type Mixtape (put him on the radar)
Section 80 - 5 Mics (an absolute classic )
Good Kid Maad City - 5 Mics (first classic album in a decade)
To Pimp a Butterfly (Kendrick's "It Was Written", wont be appreciated until time goes on) but this might be the most important album of the past decade or so.

He releases a few more 4 or 5 mic albums or mixtapes, then put him down in the top 25 all time rappers

In an era of gettin turnt, IG whoring, lame ass rappers on Twitter, he's able to release classic shyt like that..

u a nas stan? nas a GOAT but lets not act like TPAB and IWW are being recieved on similar levels. TPAB is getting more love than GKMC critically, and more than IWW. IWW wasnt appreciated till later, but TPAB is being very much appreciated now. Kendrick gave 2 critically acclaimed albums in row. Nas didnt do that, the critics missed the boat, not his fault, but TPAB is recieving its impact right now.

 

[ChemicalBk]

OD his second best project

 

[Danie84]

Makaveli's offspring takes up from his Father

 

[JuvenileHell]

Makaveli's offspring takes up from his Father

The way Kendrick was chopping it up with the GOAT on Mortal Man was something else. Pac was one of a kind man

 

[SirSly]

I will say I never imagined he'd be dropping albums this creative and dense when I first heard him. Training Day and C4 made him seem like just another mixtape rapper (even though he showed flashes of being diffferent). Then he switched the name, dropped the Kendrick Lamar EP and showed growth.

He just keeps getting better. He's in that group of artists whose full progression can be seen online. His earliest shyt is all available. If you go back and listen to everything you appreciate his music more.

I posted this in the other thread but it's better here

He is the same dude rapping on the same subjects...

These six songs are the basic theme of the album...

All sheit he been talking about since the Kendrick Lamar EP...