DAMN., an album released by Kendrick Lamar in 2017, was given near-universal critical acclaim for its raw description of his life and how it reflects upon himself, people in general, and society. In addition to this, the album was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for being a “virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”
Throughout the album, songs tie into one another, creating a larger story than the sum of its parts. For example, Lamar references the Torah and Old Testament in the song “YAH.,” saying “And Deuteronomy say that we all have been cursed,” tying directly to the first and last line in “FEAR.,” where his cousin said, “And I know you feel like, you know, people ain’t been prayin’ for you // But you have to under this, man, that we are a cursed people… // Deuteronomy 28:28 says // ‘The Lord shall smite thee with madness, blindness, and astonishment of heart’ // See, family, that’s why you feel like you feel like you got a chip on your shoulder/ Until you follow His commandment, you’re going to feel that way… // The so-called Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American Indians // are the true children of Israel // we are the Israelites according to the Bible; the children of Israel, he’s going to punish us for our iniquities.”
Some African-Americans ascribe to a new religious group called the Hebrew Israelites, which has a wide array of views regarding race and the Abrahamic religions and is a symbol of empowerment in a society with overtly and covertly racist structures while also falling prey to forms of extremism.
Not only does it tie into the passages within “YAH.,” they are also somehow related to the lyrics found in both the songs “ELEMENT.” and “FEEL.,” with the former displaying his ability to overcome his feelings of loneliness, while the latter deals with the fact that those feelings are still unresolved. This repeats itself in numerous ways throughout the 14 different tracks.
In a way, each song is a piece that has meaning on its own, but when interpreted as part of the entire album, takes upon a greater one, interplaying the dynamics of poverty, race, police brutality, substance abuse, politics and power, violence, pride, infidelity, mental health, religion, and nihilism, while providing a relatable and teachable message through every single piece.
The album starts with the track “BLOOD.” It starts with the bars: “Is it wickedness?/ Is it weakness?/ You decide?/ Are we gonna live or die?” This theme is discussed at length in his use of alternating tracks, wherein in one piece the artist will choose wickedness or immorality in response to life’s problems, while the next is about weakness and caving into the pressures of the world. For example, “DNA.” is largely about wickedness and about engaging in wicked actions due to one’s DNA, whereas “YAH.” is a self-reflective piece about his life and the pressures of the media and his family, which he characterizes as a weakness.
Another example of masterful lyricism is in “FEAR.,” in which he calls out God, saying, “Why God, why God do I gotta suffer?” and questioning why the world is filled with pain, later explained by the three following verses, recalling the violence he experienced as a young child at the hands of his mother, the pressures and fears of being a youth in Compton, and the feeling of inadequacy and anxiety he still faced, even in his adulthood, during the heights of his career. Violence and anxiety surrounding such events prevail throughout the song, which is not surprising given that he witnessed his first murder at five years old.
Throughout the song, lyrics recount how this emotion changed him: “When I was 27, I grew accustomed to more fear // Accumulated 10 times over throughout the years // My newfound life made all of me magnified // How many accolades do I need to block denial?” Despite the many accolades he had achieved by this point, he still denied his abilities. The song is a deep dive into the feelings of fear and inadequacy, with verses to match.
Overall, the artist matches the incredible amount of support from other artists, such as The Alchemist in the song “FEAR.,” with some of his most self-reflective, dark, and yet uplifting verses.
This album gets a definite 10/10 from me.
