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“I am not the next pop star. I’m not the next socially aware rapper. I am a human motherfucking being, over dope ass instrumentation”- Kendrick Lamar

I’ve taken my damn time with Kendrick Lamar’s astonishing Section .80. It isn’t that I can’t write about it or I can’t find the words… The thing is my words are just pretty wrappers and all I really want is for you to open up the present and listen, listen, listen.

Kendrick Lamar has made one of my favorite albums in the past 5 years. His lyrical highways are condensed, sharp, chop board styled rhymes that refrain from going off the deep end with the unusual words. Instead, Kendrick bends relatively simple words, things that don’t “rhyme” and inserts intense feeling into each of them. There is so much umph behind them. No one could roll his words as well as he does. He gives them different meanings, different memories and emotions. In fact, no one can talk like Kendrick.

Section .80 has a distinct Nu-Soul feel that is in constant debate with West Coast Hip-Hop (Death Row era). Jazz samples are spun over woozy synth sex notes while Kendrick and the Black Hippies display utmost talent. It is incredibly original and Kendrick lets us know that we must do it ourselves, A D.I.Y. rapper lyrically destroying paths.

He is open about his praise and respect for Tupac, and yes, his influence resonates in Section .80. Kendrick even stated that Tupac visited him in a dream and symbolically passed him the torch. Of course, these are enormous words coming from one of the Black Hippies but on Section .80, he has seemingly filled the modern boots. “I wrote this because I was ordered to,” (Ab-Souls Outro).

His style is so incredibly smooth that when he rhymes, (whether it be about rape/killings or flying high in an airplane) he makes it feel like you are eating cream dipped strawberries on the world’s most comfortable bed (disagree with Tempur-pedic). I first heard about Kendrick from some friends, but the way they talked about him and the way Kendrick talked about himself made me write him off as overrated. Once I listened to Section .80, I quietly thanked God and disliked myself. “Have you ever had known a saint that was taking a sinner’s advice?” – Kush & Corinthians.

Kendrick brings together Compton stories like never before, and his style and soulful technique is hard to match (listen to Rigamortus). Simple, beautiful vinyl dusty samples spun perfectly and layered just right so that the melody swiftly becomes different pitches that create an orgasm over destructively fat kicks and bass drops. His harmonies remind me of Bone Thugs mixed with Nas, Tupac and Nate Dogg kicking all as one, tight machine. Kendrick has brought it together on Section .80 and has gotten mad respect from Dre and Snoop. Black Hippies have unparalleled abilities in mainstream hip-hop. Kendrick’s tongue is devilish, God given silk and the music is the perfect lynx bed to lay on and listen to Section .80’s incredibly honest lyrics that chill to the bone. HiiiPower.

“See a lot of ya’ll don’t understand Kendrick Lamar because you wonder how I could talk about money, hoes, clothes, god and history all in the same sentence. You know what all the things have in common? Only half of the truth, if you tell it. See I’ve spent twenty three years on the earth searching for answers Til’ one day I realized I had to come up with my own. I’m not on the outside looking in. I’m not on the inside looking out. I’m in the dead fucking center, looking around” – Kendrick Lamar

-Xavi Vil

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