Lil B’s still around and making OK-but-not-great music.

“Good kid, mAAd City” is not trap, and WHAT.
So “Backseat Freestyle” isn’t nasty enough for you? Fuck man. What!

I don’t understand how “The Art of Peer Pressure” can not send a jolt down the spine of anyone who hears it. Is it “mellow?” Sonically... for the most part. But listen hard, and it’s fucking INTENSE.

It’s not a perfect 10, but it’s a really well thought-out album and story

Not gonna lie, you get some hate for this comment. ;)

I guess because I'm mostly a lyric guy, I find Kendrick really intense. Sometimes it's almost unbearable. I'm not ashamed to say that one or two of his songs almost bring me to tears because they reflect a sad reality so well.



I know!

Didn't he say somewhere that college kids and the unemployed are the only people who listen to his stuff because they're the only ones with enough free time to fully grasp it?

If so, I find it odd that college kids and the unemployed buy so many fucking records.

Thank god. Yes. This is it. Thank you.

I was reflecting yesterday on what it would be like to have me for a friend — an overbearing music/movie/book-recommendation fiend who forced shit down people’s throats — and I know I’m irritating as hell sometimes, but if my recommendations contributed at ALL to this kind of reaction (the reaction one should have to Kendrick’s music) then it’s worth it.

Many of his lyrics, like Kanye’s music, have brought me near or two tears. The end of “The Blacker the Berry” hits hard. And I can’t even really relate to that subject matter, but I can feel the pain and frustration in his voice.
[/quote]


I think his point was that the album sucks. He can’t believe good kid, which he thinks is bogus, would be popular.

Remember that his first few albums really didn’t sell that much. Barely platinum after Billboard changed the rules to allow streaming to count for album sales.

DAMN. is the only one that really sold a lot of units, but again, that’s a lot of “streaming era” units. Still, it’s the only one that was, like, a *hard* no. 1.

I see. I thought he meant because KL is politically explosive and musically very weird, one would think he wouldn't get much attention.

---

You didn't shove KL down my throat. I came across "Money Trees" on my own, and I was like "Who is this fellow?" You might've given some guidance, but if KL didn't deliver, recommendations would've been for naught.

btw, here's an entire book on "Blacker the Berry."

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...berry-the-book

So basically I get full credit for introducing you to this thing you love?

Cool. :cool:

Ranking Kendrick’s albums is now impossible for me. Just like Kanye’s. I used to think I had it all figured out, but now... nah. With time, the music gets better.

Section.80 has two of my absolute favorite Kendrick tracks ever, and several others that I love, but isn’t on the level of the others.
Good kid is nonstop awesomeness except for the Drake appearance, and has hooks that are lacking on TPAB, and a more fleshed-out depth than is present on DAMN’s hooks, but I never want to skip a song. TPAB, I want to skip a few, but when I listen to it from start to finish it’s like a musical rebirthing. Seriously incredible.
DAMN. is weird. It was hard to like some of the tracks at first, specifically “Loyalty” and “Love,” but the rest of the record more than made up for it. Now I like every song, and an atmosphere has constructed itself around the thing. Hell of a record.

Really impossible to rank. I guess untitled, unmastered. is at the bottom by default. I never listen to that thing, but it’s good.

Uhhh that’s not what i said.

I know good kid is not trap. I can’t believe how popular it is because of how smart it is. I thought it would be assumed here that good kid is not stupid music or trap. Maybe i was wrong...

I mentioned the trap stuff in reference to lil Peep. I’ve got no problems with stupid music that is all aesthetic but i take offense when it is deemed artistic or trailblazing (just like lil Peep).

I post on my phone. I also mentioned I had a few drinks. Apologies if it didn’t come out right. It was one of those nights.

Not gonna lie, you get some hate for this comment ;)

Ha! was honestly always a closet fan until Yeezus. The SNL performances of New Slaves and Black Skinhead finally convinced me I had nothing to be ashamed about. 808s is not perfect but it is my favorite. Just love that sound of. Strings and 808s. Produced perfectly.

Oh I thought you were like, “it’s boring and overrated” because that’s how Rob feels about it. If he’s bothered to listen yet. (Goddamn you Rob)

Maybe it was my communication error and not yours (full disclosure: I was sitting in gridlock when I read your post and replied).

But yeah, I I can’t believe it’s as popular as it is either. I *especially* can’t believe that DAMN is as popular as *it* is, because that fucker has outsold eeeeeverybody this year. Even Fake n’ Bake Drake, and that’s not only a challenging listen lyrically, it’s also a loaded work politically. Might have some bangin’ hooks, but it starts on the sentence it ends on (Finnegan's Wake!”) and contains buried narratives and decidedly anti-populist lyrics.

Kendrick’s part of an elite club now.

It’s SO RARE that a positive correlation exists between popularity and quality. I mean, like, big time popularity (not cult/scene/indie popularity). It’s even more rare that the MOST popular artists are also the HIGHEST quality ones.

Only a few times in pop culture history has this happened. It happened with the Beatles. Maybe Nirvana. I sincerely believe it happened with Kanye West at least two or three times in his career. And in 2017 Kendrick is, aside from the virus that is Taylor Swift, basically the biggest name in music, and he’s making the year’s best music. Fuckin amazing.

Oh, it also happened with Seinfeld. Definitely Seinfeld.

Man I’m a weird guy.

I love the sound too. Strings, yes (though they’re sampled). The choir on “Say You Will.” That album has a mythos and legacy all its own.

Yeezus is like its mirror image... its equal opposite. There’s a certain glorious symmetry to it.

Then Pablo is the blow-it-all-to-hell “White Album” of the bunch. Goddamn I love that shit.

I wish I could assemble a group of intelligent, adult Kanye West fans to talk about Kanye with. Tried social media... 99% morons.

faggot

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Really digging Rapsody - Laila's Wisdom.

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Some knowledge of Kenye's life really enhances my appreciation of some of MBDTF. I didn't realize "Gorgeous" was THAT autobiographical. It sort of bothers me that I have to do some homework before understanding what he's on about, but I guess that's my fault for not paying attention to anything.

"Monster" is an evil song. It's so goddamn obnoxious, but it gets stuck in the ear. I'm like, "Fuck off" but it won't. Nicki kicks ass tho.

... hilarious...


For sure. That’s a great record!


Yeah, Kanye’s somewhat notorious for rapping about shit that the average person would have no reason to know about. See the name drops in “Big Brother” ... song must sound like gibberish to someone who doesn’t know industry figures at Def Jam/Rocafella.

And yeah, Nicki owns “Monster.”
Ever seen a career begin, peak, and end in a minute and a half? Well, I guess you have if you’ve heard “Monster.” Nicki has *never* rapped anywhere near as well as she did in that song, the song that launched her career.

“Gorgeous” is what I play for people who say Kanye can’t rap. He’s no Kendrick, but his delivery on that thing is insane. Not sure he’s ever rapped so steadily or seamlessly in his career, not that rapping is really that important to him.

I can't rank Kanye's albums. Easier with Kendrick but still a bit confusing.

New Miguel album is OUT NOW! You guys should know he's one of my favorite artists by now.. and of course I'm excited as fuck.

This and Brent Faiyaz' "Sonder Son" are my favorite R&B albums of the year.

At least until Frank comes through with the mastered version of "Endless". Speaking of.. Sev, did you pre order it like myself? ;)

No I didn’t pre-order Endless, but I will definitely buy it. I thought it was only available on vinyl and I don’t reallt fuck with vinyl right now. But I’ll totally buy it when it’s out. Shit yeah.

Wish he’d CD release fucking Blonde on an *affordable* non-limited edition CD. Man. It’s like $280 on Amazon.

Just watchdd the Needle Drop review of Blonde, and, as always, even when I agree with that dude, he has to say something ridiculous. Like “the only song (he) didn’t really care for us ‘Futura Free’” ... WHAT.

Yeah, and Spiderland’s great, except Good Morning Captain, right? Madness!!

What the hell??

By the way, you can still buy the CD/DVD package for $25 from his site. :) It'll be $280 on Amazon, just like Blonde, if you don't do it now.

This and TLOP are at the top of my wishlist.

I was making fun of Anthony Fantano. He always says the best songs are the worst. “Futura Free” is obviously the most next-level of all the next-level shit on Blonde.

I was just saying he probably likes Spiderland but doesn’t like “Good Morning Captain” ... also a great album with a final song that is next-level awesome. Y’dig?

He also dissed on Burial’s Rival Dealer EP, but he thought all the songs were okay except for “Come Down to Us,” which is the most transcendent thing Burial’s ever made. He thinks it’s like Burial’s worst song. So I was just kidding.

Obviously I fucking love “Good Morning Captain.”


Wait, the cd/dvd of Blonde? Or of Endless?

No I got it. I was just surprised about Fantano. Didn't know it was possible not to be blown away by "Good Morning Captain".

And that's Endless.

I would probably pay $50 for a CD of TLOP, with a bonus disc of extra material like the demos and outtakes and early versions of songs and tracks that didn’t make it.

I’d pay a cool $100 for a three disc set with TLOP, a bonus disc and a concert film from the Saint Pablo tour. Goddammit... in a heartbeat.

Remember that “Life of Paul” thing I sent you? Well that’s not legit. Some skilled fans are tracking down TLOP samples and making remixes and passing them off as leaks of alternate versions of the album. It’s pretty easy to spot (if they include “I Feel Like That,” which is so rough you KNOW Kanye would never put it on an album), but a lot of people believe it.

I don’t think he realizes how much marketing leverage he lost by never releasing a CD version of the album. He missed out on a ton of sales, and people are playing fast and loose with the album, torrenting out whack versions that aren’t Kanye-approved.

Just saw a brief interview with Desiigner in which he said Kanye’s hard at work on a new album, but ya never know.

Also, apparently Desiigner uses that “gtrgtrgtrgtrgtrgtr-Bla!” gun sound from “Father Stretch My Hands pt. 2” and “Panda,” like, in casual speech. It’s ridiculous. He’ll be talking and hen he’ll just fucking *say* ”gtrgtrgtrgtrgtrgtr-Bla!” and keep talking. :(

Cyhi said that Kanye is producing the next album for every GOOD Music member, plus Kid Cudi (EDIT: found it, https://genius.com/a/cyhi-the-prynce...t-s-next-album). Can you even imagine an entire Kanye produced Pusha T LP? Best thing ever.

Yeah, Desiigner speaks like a Pokemon.

I'd like to think that Kanye is in a good place right now. He's been away from the spotlight, allegedly pursuing his passion in music.

His fans want him to keep making music forever.

Me... I think he should avoid breaking what will go down as the best uninterrupted win streak in pop history. Maybe one more classic. Then “retire” and only produce.

That way, his fans will always have Kanye productions to look forward to, and his win streak will never be tarnished.

(Some of his albums are still too ahead of their time to be fully appreciated, like Yeezus and TLOP, but mark my words... he’s going to be a reference point for all artists to follow.)

In this new season of American Horror Story, the main character (evil cult leader who was in X-Men Days I’d Futire Past and will someday play Kurt Cobain in a movie) does a little montage of famous cult leaders from history.

When he gets to Jim Jones, the guy who convinced his entire “congregation” to drink poison Kool aid, he says, “all these other guys were great, but THE KANYE OF CUKT LEADERS WAS JIM JONES.”

Little references like that. Usually reserved for the Beatles and Elvis. Kanye is a living legend. And even dumbass AHS viewers know that.

hahaha. You got the bEST drugs man....

http://www.thefader.com/2017/12/03/b...idgers-funeral

Ew at this list. Fucking terrible.

I actually wish I had access to whatever you’re taking. If you can ignore and deny Kanye’s greatness, perhaps a I could ignore and deny Donald Trump’s
presidency.

Thinking Kanye’s just shit is nothing but willful ignorance at this point. There’s no way to argue with it, because there’s not it to argue with.

Sev, you have to listen to "Banana Clip" by Miguel off his new album.

Kanye is a blip on pop music radar. none of his songs will ever become pop standards, which is the EPITOME of pop greatness.

In this respect he is the same as Sonic Youth. If you love 'em yu love 'em, but if you don;t it doesn't matter one bit. Both are severe outliers in pop music, like Public Enemy, a collective that made 4 straight amazing records (like you say Kanye did) and yet it is now 2017 and no one in "pop" music gives a fuck about them.

Hah. Yeah. Lol. Kanye was totally over in 2006 too. Then in 2008. Then in 2012. Then in 2014. Silly idiot. He’s already made history several times over, and you can bet your ass he’ll be remembered, because guess what? ... He’s been remembered.

Christ, talking to you is like talking to someone who never speaks to anyone. You’re just gleefully oblivious.

Kanye unseated Michael Jackson for most top 40 singles last year. Most Village Voice top ten placements, most Village Voice no. 1 albums. Haha. Shit man, he could die today and he’d still be thoroughly engrained in pop culture, and you’re a bitch for not realizing that.

Shh! I’m yelling at Rob for being a deliberate contrarian.

TIME magazine is still calling him “genius” 14 years after he started out and they first called him a genius, and you think he’s a passing fad?

What’s funny is that a huge number of his fans are really young. So he’s appealing to new younger generations. And somehow despite all this you think he’s gonna be a “blip.” Fucking Jesus.

Doesn’t even matter if is he is a blip though. Music is awesome. All that maters. Talking like Rorschach now. Instigator stupid. Must make note to punish thoroughly.

Okay but this album is really, really fucking good. Not as good as WILDHEART which remains his ultimate statement, but still.

Miguel is awesome and it's stupid that he doesn't sell millions and his songs aren't all over the radio.

I haven’t heard it yet. I’ll listen. I’m definitely more of a Frank Ocean guy, but I will listen to that shit fo sho.

Ooooh I like the song “Wolf” ... a lot!

dude your hyperbole is ridiculous.....to reference someone in pop culture isn't to enshrine them as a genius, especially in something as (as you'd admit) absurdly vapid and created for the background of teenage fucks....real long fuckin bow there.

sure, kanye west may be at the 'height' of popular culture, he may be its 'leader' as it currently stands (which in itself is even a joke of an assertion), but you surely can't be serious in trying to compare him to a group like the beatles? I don't even like the beatles and I find that patently ridiculous...

that he commands so great a status, surely that doesn't point to his 'greatness' but rather the stagnation of popular culture? we've finally reached a point where mass media reflects nothing of what actually occurs at the vanguard of artistic production, and all we're left with is stale, rampantly hateful, egomaniacal bile, the utterly disgusting character traits of a piece of shit human being passed off as artistic complexity (emperor x no clothes etc.) and his music, predicated on the exploitation of producers whose work too amounts to nothing more than ever-so-slightly altered but nevertheless butchered pisstakes of the 'popular culture of yore'..........

your attitude towards music is like that of a fantasy football fuckwit.

Yeah.. just listen to an Eminem album featuring the producers Rick Rubin and S1, then listen to a Kanye album with a similar lineup and you'll know this statement is bullshit.