” “We Cry Together” is one of the most stressful and uncomfortable tracks I have listened to in recent memory-and that’s the point. Kelly, to a flurry of f-bombs that sounds like something pulled straight out of “ Uncut Gems. Clocking in at just under six minutes, the track meanders from discussions of Lamar’s infidelity, to references of controversies surrounding Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein and R.
In “We Cry Together,” Lamar enlists the talents of actress Taylour Paige, who duets with him in a vitriolic domestic argument over an off-kilter and dissonant piano riff. While Lamar excels at creating some of the most polished tracks in hip-hop, one of his best performances on the album is raw, cluttered and downright ugly. There is a pervading sense of bold authenticity that permeates throughout this track, as well as the album as a whole. Coupled with booming 808s, blistering hi-hats and grandiose synths, Lamar skillfully contorts his vocal delivery to orchestrate an entire symphony of diverse voices, expressing stances on the post-pandemic status quo and materialism in hip-hop. The track “N95” is Lamar at his most incendiary. Now, that’s not to say the album lacks lyrical pyrotechnics. Morale & The Big Steppers,” is an intimate stage play that places the reservations and self-criticisms of the man behind the mic at its focal point. His previous albums are high-concept blockbusters, from a searingly unfiltered glimpse into his tumultuous upbringing, to a sprawling multilayered portrait of the modern African American experience that marries hip-hop and jazz. d city” of Compton, California, has become something of a hip-hop prophet-capturing the voice of a generation through graphic vignettes colored by virtuosic lyricism and dynamic flows.īut Kendrick Lamar doesn’t see it that way. In the decade-long span of his career, the good kid from the “m. His music is not only the pulse of raves and mosh pits but also a stimulus for scholarly studies and an anthem for modern racial reckonings, fueling protests and rallies nationwide. He has attracted the acclaim of critics and audiences alike racking up Grammys, topping charts and even winning a Pulitzer Prize -the first non-classical or jazz artist ever to receive the award.