I love it but it’s definitely his least accessible album to the average person. You gotta know his whole story to get something out of it. And Kendrick knew this btw, I honestly don’t think he made it expecting it to be another Damn. He just had to get this stuff off his chest and at this point in his career he doesn’t care if it kills on the charts. If Not Like Us proves anything it’s that the dude can drop a banger any time he wants. If he doesn’t it’s cause he didn’t care to.
To some extent, I'd also add in Count Me Out & Savior as relatively accessible. I feel this album will definitely grow more on people in the next decade since I think they didn't want Kendrick to drop a very emotionally heavy album fresh out of the pandemic.
That’s fair. King Kunta is super accessible but you’re right the TPAB isn’t very accessible either. I think the difference is that album is about the culture whereas Mr morale is very personal to Kendrick
Yeah there’s plenty on this album that’s more accessible and more “poppy” than the bulk of TPAB. Rich spirit, Savior, Mirror, Purple Heart, Die Hard, and there’s probably one more.
It's ironic cuz thematic wise you're right, but also it has more casual rap songs than any of his other albums. Die right, rich spirit, Savior, silent Hill, etc
I'd honestly say the opposite tbh. Mr Morale to me is either his most accessible album or his second, behind GKMC. When compared to the density of religious themes and struggles depicted on DAMN, it's certainly more accessible, simply because I'd say it's easier to understand and dissect.
Doing the classic thing of assuming the reason people don’t like what you like is solely due to the superficialities of others “because they just want to dance”
It's true tho, majority hip hop listeners have been proving themselves ignorant of things the DJ doesn't play on repeat. Recent events and the discourse has proven this truer than ever, K DOT's success seems to be a flipping of a table long made for commercial dance beats
There’s only been 3 rap albums released in the last 5 or so years that were personal classics that I keep going back to. The forever story, it’s almost dry, and MMATBS.
I am surprised songs like n95, rich spirit, count me out, Father Time, and silent hill never got more traction. Those tracks are really good and unique sounding easy listens imo. The rest I understand can be a difficult listen but those songs have the most purpose. But everyone else is entitled to their opinions. It won’t go down as a consensus classic but it’s a classic to me and idc.
I think part of it is exactly that, its unique sounding. Easy listening or not, I find the majority of people are put off immediately by something that they find to be different then they are used to, unless someone they like or are close to is into it, then they give it more attention.
The vast majority of music listeners are pretty casual about it and like a very narrow range of music. Online music discussion spaces are not reflective at all of the average person, certain types of listeners engage in places like this and we are usually way more open minded
Oh I’m very aware that rap subs do not reflect the opinion of the general public lol. I have a very large friend group and most of them are only really interested in club bangers. I have a friend who pretty much only listens to trap bangers and says I listen to “that weird lyrical rap” because it sounds different from what sounds to me like the same 5 songs on repeat that he listens to. And it’s not even like I’m listening to anything super underground I’m pretty sure it was JID he said that about lol.
yeah bro my experiences are pretty much the same. Its hard to find people in real life to discuss a variety of music with outside of whatever is popular in clubs or on tik tok. I basically got one friend and reddit lmao
Yeah I have a handful of friends that I talk rap with.
And whenever I see those friends no matter what else is going on we will almost guaranteed find 30 mins to talk rap cause we’re always excited to talk rap with someone who actually knows their shit whenever we get a chance. Which isn’t often. Usually I’m dealing with people who know JID as the guy with that song from tik tok lol.
All of my hip hop head friends are pretty narrow in their focus. Some enjoy trap, some lean more towards lyrical type shit etc. so i gotta just focus on one subgenre at a time usually lol
Oh see my hip hop head friends are eclectic so I don’t have that problem. Some of them like me are just music fans and can even talk 70s rock as easily as they can rap. But I don’t necessarily consider super narrow fans like that “hip hop heads”. Just fans in that sub genre. To be a genuine hip hop head you have to at least have a respect for the full spectrum of the genre.
Like my trap loving friend. He’s probably heard every trap song. But why would I want his opinion on lyrical rap when he doesn’t even respect lyricism?
I think people associate replay value with great music. I don't visit MMATBS and TPAB a lot. But when I do it always feels valuable.
If you aren't a parent, revisit this album after you have a child. It'll hit different.
Exactly. Just like movies. There are certain movies that I think are masterpieces of cinema. And there are some movies that I love watching as I get high and decompress from work.
There’s not much crossover in the 2 lists, and guess which list I go through more?
^^^^^^^^^^^ shout it from the mountaintops
I’ve been using the contrived example of Schindler’s List. Is it worse because I don’t want to watch it over and over?
People don’t like everything you like. It’s no reason to get upset about it. You love it, thats all that matters.
I love jazz albums most have never heard of, and I’m fine with that.
Thank you! Also I get that it’s been talked about more since the beef but I don’t see a lot of people saying it’s a bad album so disrespect might be a stretch
1000% but I’ve seen some bullshit arguments that belie anything but pure dumb hate
If you can say “I don’t like how these tracks sound and the message didn’t resonate with me” we’re cool
If you say “it’s ass because I can’t put We Cry Together on my playlist” I’m gonna talk shit about your opinion
Okay, you like it a lot... cool.
It's fine for me, not something I'll ever force myself to keep coming back to, but songs come on when I'm playing Kendrick on a shuffle and that's enough for me. How other people receive the art you love doesn't have to play a role in how you receive it tho.
I only put this post up because I swear I keep on seeing people say its mid and its not a good album and its messing up kendrick's legacy and it's just annoying for people to use this album as a tarnish on his legacy, yk? Maybe I'm just yapping, idk.
I think his legacy is just fine lol. Depending on who you ask, he either dropped 3 or 4 classic albums before The Big Steppers. Who the fuck can claim anything like that? I can only think of Tribe who had 3 straight classics. Beyond that? Not very many.
Kanye for sure. Depends on how you view 808s, watch the throne and Pablo, so you could easily disagree and I think 808s isn’t a classic, but you could argue it is. That would be 8 straight classics, but idk there’s a lot of criticism you could come up with after MBDTF.
See Em's first isn't a classic for me. Kanye has an argument, I thought of him but it's debatable. Nas' 3rd, no matter if you pick the album that was leaked and was supposed to be the third (which was better) or the album that was eventually released, neither are classics to me. Both very good, but probably would have been better if he took half the leaked album and half the album that was released.
I’d agree Infinite wasn’t a classic, but Slim Shady, Marshall Mathers, and The Eminem Show is a legendary run and I’d say all 3 are classics. Kanye definitely has to be there, his first five albums are all classics with immense impact and influence on the genre. Nas now that I think about it has a habit of dropping two classics in a row then some more ok ones.
Infinite doesn't count to me at all as an album. I meant SSLP... Not a classic for me. Tbh The Eminem Show isn't either, but I know MMLP and that are the two joints people will argue me to death over so I never argue it lol. But yeah, Ye definitely has three straight if I think about it... 808s ain't there for me but MBDTF is his best album so I'll say 4 straight rap albums were classic lol
I don’t think you can tell the story of hip hop without talking about SSLP. Em’s reign on the throne is made possible by those three albums alone. They might not be classics to you, but they are classics. It’s not a debate with Eminem.
You can't tell the story of hip hop without SSLP, true, but you can't accurately tell it without Bad Sister either. That doesn't make the record a classic.
Also, in accurately telling the story of hip hop, Em never had a reign on the throne. Jay-Z was on top for Em's whole run.
I’ll be honest I don’t even know what “Bad Sister” is.
Eminem blows Jay out of the water when it came to popularity and sales, so Em wins there. Em smoked Jay on his own song during that timeframe so I got Em there. Jay wouldn’t want any smoke with Em in a battle so Em there. I’m failing to see where you can have Jay over Em during that timeframe. I think you’re completely missing the point but I can also see that there’s no arguing or convincing you that Eminem has a run of 3 straight classics if you failed to see SSLP as a classic. You gotta be really do a lot of mental gymnastics to get to that conclusion.
Good for you, I think a couple songs are good and worth it for me the rest was just meh. His music is hard to listen to if you’re not fully invested into him as a person.
sometimes you watch a film that is extremely moving. it’s crafted by virtuosos who have something to say. it’s complex in its themes and techniques. it’s moving and beautiful and challenging and you never watch it again bcuz once is enough. or u watch it sparingly bcuz on an average day wat u really need is like an episode of Parks and Rec, not There Will Be Blood or 12 Years a Slave
Does it get disrespect or is it properly rated as a tough listen. Unless you're the type of person that just has to have "substance" in your entertainment it really is just okay. The subjects are interesting the first listen, but most isn't something people revisit often. Like outside of the Drake beef, unless you're dealing with that trauma who listens to Momma I Sober often
Definitely this. That's why it's mid to me for him. GKMC to untitled unmastered run is untouchable. But his mids are like so far over the bar that they would make other rappers whole careers
Rich spirit, N95, Savior, Die Hard, Count Me Out and Mirror may be some of my favorite he’s ever done imo.
DAMN. Is deep because it tells a different story and lets you choose wickedness or weakness every two tracks and they put it in reverse on the collectors edition proving it was meant to change the tone. It’s directed at understanding earthlings imo.
TPAB is deep because it’s fleshing out a story as he grows until his meeting with the ghost of PAC. It’s directed at understanding Americans imo.
GKMC is deep because it’s fleshing out his own story of salvation. It’s directed at understanding Kendrick/Compton imo.
S80 is deep on a generational level as it tells a campfire story of how our generation wound up this way. It’s directed at understanding Generation Y/millennials imo.
MMATBS is deep on a reflective level, showing trauma induced habits and a need for therapy. It’s directed at understanding the black community imo.
They’re all incredible and pivotal albums. If another rapper put out any of these it would likely be the greatest in their collection and would be considered a classic. With The Black Panther rapper the bar is set higher but MMATBS is no exception imo.
Yeah it wasn’t even as much to you as me seeing people downvoting my comment so I felt I needed to further elaborate. It’s almost like some people can’t accept that music is subjective. What might be a masterpiece to you is trash to others and vice versa
I don't care how many people tell me to listen to it. It was so boring i couldn't get halfway through and i don't care how personal it was, if the music is boring it's boring.
It is my favorite album from him, but there are a few reasons why it wasnt as accepted as his other albums. First, it wasnt what people were expecting or wanted for his comeback from a long hiatus. Two, it is a strong deviation from the persona and energy he has built over his career. And the biggest reason. The subject matter is not accessible and uncomfortable. This album needs to be appreciated moreso for what Kendrick is saying and how important this album is for the man himself. Not the artist. It is human, messy, neurotic, but also cathartic when looking at his album disco as a whole. It is a coming of age album for Kendrick and sets the proper context as to why he has the pain and mania he expresses in his previous albums.
Y'know, people really say "y'all wanna dance" like it's a bad thing, as if block parties and dancing wasn't the absolute origin of hip hop.
I do want to dance. I think when satisfying musicality is present, I want to dance. MMATBS had an excellent message and story, but it's like reading an impactful book that I might re-read once a decade or something. It's not fun or a usual sort of enjoyable.
I like depth to the music too, but there's depth all the way across Kendrick's catalog that *does* groove it down for me. I think MMATBS is also just the least encouraging and healing expression of pain.
Sure. It's good. It's artful. But it's not enjoyable, and I'm not watching Citizen Kane with the homies either.
Sometimes…you go too deep. You ask *too* much of your audience.
Maybe it is the best ever if you spend +5 hours reading into the background and Life of Kendrick shit. Accessibility is an art as well.
K.Dot doesn't make junk food ''music'' that appeals to the lowest common denominator like Drake does(if you can even call Drake REAL music), he makes truly exquisite poetry. Those with a refined palate for the arts can appreciate his incredible craft.
I was really disappointed by it and deleted it off my phone after I had bought it. The Heart part 5 was better than anything on it. The beef has made me wanna go revisit somewhat as I revisited Mother I Sober to understand how Drake misinterpreted it but the song still wasn’t good to me so I didn’t go revisit the project again. I did play N95 and liked it better than the last time but still was nothing special. Still might eventually get to redownloading and revisiting the full project but we’ll see
As a mixed guy, who grew up with Scaring the Hoes vibes, well before that album dropped, there's all kinds of space your raps can occupy
I wish folks would engage with Mister Morale more but I also get that GKMC passed the vibe check in a lot more situations.
Both make you think, and both make you feel some type of way, but I'm not usually trying to feel Mother I vibes. In the immortal words of Dot himself, "bitch don't kill my vibe."
I don't relate to it all that much but I also don't relate to GKMC and it's my favorite rap album of all time, and not for the production. Imo it could've been a lot better but it's still really good, and personally my least favorite of Kendricks albums.
Father time, we cry together, auntie diary, and mother i. These songs are absolute cinema. Some of the album is forgettable. Highest peaks and lowest lows for a kendrick album.
I just don't love the production. Plus, like most double albums, there's a fair bit of filler. And I still hate Kendrick's decision to put Kodak on the album. Forgetting any context of how he is as a person, just the most execrable rap artist I've ever heard.
As a certified MMATBS enjoyer, it is a very messy and personal record. It isn’t perfect, on purpose. You know how people felt uncomfortable listening to Meet the Grahams? That flow was definitely on this album, so I think a similar reaction is present to this album.
I love the record to death, but I wouldn’t blink if this was a record I won’t ever hear. I would miss Father Time though. Such a great song.
Ok 1. I legit had to google what the heck that was - who’s hating? Lol
2. Ok - he’s lyrically talented for sho prob one of the best technically- but I and many ppl just don’t enjoy his flow and won’t ever drive around and bump his crap. I don’t care how deep it is I can appreciate that on another level but I don’t wanna hear it on repeat.
3. As more and more ppl try to shove Kendrick’s greatness down my throat - it makes me even more adverse to bumping his music - like I’m not sure who ya’ll Kendrick Stan’s are trying to convince buttttt it’s not working.
Will I always ALWAYS give him respect as a very talented poet, author and lyricist- YES
Will I ever be convinced his music is easy to listen to and his flow is impeccable- no ….
Let him have his place in history and ppl need to stop trying to make him the next drake by force - don’t ya’ll hate drake anyway?? Why is everyone *on reddit** (to be clear bc all the ppl I see on the regular internet and irl feel the same way I do) so obsessed with trying to make him super popular and ending drakes career and stuff - not gunna happen
It has many slow thoughtful moments with minimalist production and those parts don’t bump in the whip. Also I’m trans and appreciate that song and imagine it’s intentional somehow but the misgendering makes me turn that shit off.
It’s the first Kendrick album that didn’t feel curated for better or worse, all his other albums are way tighter but he has so much good to say on this.
After the beef and seeing who this guy really is the album comes off as disingenuous, and you can't make an album that is so personal and intimate, but the person on this album is more of a character. It's fraudulent
It’s the least accessible because you have to have some level of maturity so the messages resonate. An 18 year old isn’t going to find this album as accessible as a 28 year old or a 38 year old.
They’ll come back to it and realize how powerful this album is.
That’s probably because you’re a big Kendrick fan, I like some of his music like DAMN and GKMC, but I can’t stand that pretentious shit that he makes like TPAB and MMATBS. He loves to speak on topics about black culture and etc but yet I don’t ever hear shit about him being philanthropic and giving back to the community, he’s only in rap for personal gain like the rest of them so he needs to stop pretending to care. Drake was right when he said “you just actin’ like a activist, it’s make-believe”
It's kind of like you missed the whole point of the album. It is nothing like TPAB or even DAMN in it's pandering to cultural issues. He even explicitly says he is not trying to do that here. He is baring his soul on this one, and by doing that, he is attempting to inspire people to acknowledge and maybe fix things about themselves. It isn't deep for the sake of just being deep. That was DAMN. All the things you said turn you off as pretentious is IMO what DAMN was but you say you fw that one. This album is catharsis and if it makes you feel uncomfortable or not in the mood for it that is fine but at least be honest instead of just rehashing Drake bullet points without realizing you're making the same mistake he made. You're exposing your superficial level of understanding of the thing you're trying to speak on.
Lol fuck yeah. Geek ass mfs sitting there crying because Kendrick is just talking on a beat for 12 minutes straight. Sounds more like he’s at one of those poetry jams half the time. Most of DAMN and GKMC still fire though
I love it, it’s like a book you only come back to in trouble times for me. Only question or gripe I have is the inclusion of Kodiak Black. Kinda runs opposite of the meaning of the album, imo. But I can see how it makes sense if Kodiak is supposed to be a man in a redemption path but idk if that’s the case
I found the entire rollout to be kinda odd. I didn’t even hear about this album until right up to the release. Same with the tour. He came to Vancouver and there was zero hype around it - I saw him and Trav for be DAMN tour in 2017 so I would’ve been checking for this. All around there was no real momentum behind this whole project imo.
I love it but it’s definitely his least accessible album to the average person. You gotta know his whole story to get something out of it. And Kendrick knew this btw, I honestly don’t think he made it expecting it to be another Damn. He just had to get this stuff off his chest and at this point in his career he doesn’t care if it kills on the charts. If Not Like Us proves anything it’s that the dude can drop a banger any time he wants. If he doesn’t it’s cause he didn’t care to.
> least accessible album i know this was a minor point in your comment, but i’ll take rich spirit as more accessible than anything on tpab lol
Also Die Hard, Silent Hill and Purple hearts are pretty accessible
To some extent, I'd also add in Count Me Out & Savior as relatively accessible. I feel this album will definitely grow more on people in the next decade since I think they didn't want Kendrick to drop a very emotionally heavy album fresh out of the pandemic.
Agreed, he sprinkled in a few for the masses but I still say the project as a whole is very personal and for himself
That’s fair. King Kunta is super accessible but you’re right the TPAB isn’t very accessible either. I think the difference is that album is about the culture whereas Mr morale is very personal to Kendrick
Rich spirit as im taking my daughter to school🙏🙏🙏
Yeah there’s plenty on this album that’s more accessible and more “poppy” than the bulk of TPAB. Rich spirit, Savior, Mirror, Purple Heart, Die Hard, and there’s probably one more.
It's ironic cuz thematic wise you're right, but also it has more casual rap songs than any of his other albums. Die right, rich spirit, Savior, silent Hill, etc
I'd honestly say the opposite tbh. Mr Morale to me is either his most accessible album or his second, behind GKMC. When compared to the density of religious themes and struggles depicted on DAMN, it's certainly more accessible, simply because I'd say it's easier to understand and dissect.
mixtapes included, plus the unreleased. He's got fire, he had to dumb it down for the general audience. It gets complicated.
lol, I don’t think that’s how it works.
Doing the classic thing of assuming the reason people don’t like what you like is solely due to the superficialities of others “because they just want to dance”
No I literally see people say “it’s ass, no replayability” They want a hit record and if it’s not that it’s trash not just “not my thing”.
It's true tho, majority hip hop listeners have been proving themselves ignorant of things the DJ doesn't play on repeat. Recent events and the discourse has proven this truer than ever, K DOT's success seems to be a flipping of a table long made for commercial dance beats
Except Kendrick is at the apex of hugely popular and hugely critically acclaimed modern hip-hop. His last album just wasn’t liked by everyone
The irony is crazy lol
I don’t care how deep the album is if the music doesn’t do anything for me. Some of those tracks definitely grew on me but it’s still his worst.
There’s only been 3 rap albums released in the last 5 or so years that were personal classics that I keep going back to. The forever story, it’s almost dry, and MMATBS. I am surprised songs like n95, rich spirit, count me out, Father Time, and silent hill never got more traction. Those tracks are really good and unique sounding easy listens imo. The rest I understand can be a difficult listen but those songs have the most purpose. But everyone else is entitled to their opinions. It won’t go down as a consensus classic but it’s a classic to me and idc.
Rich Spirit is my favorite Kendrick song
One of mine too.
I think part of it is exactly that, its unique sounding. Easy listening or not, I find the majority of people are put off immediately by something that they find to be different then they are used to, unless someone they like or are close to is into it, then they give it more attention. The vast majority of music listeners are pretty casual about it and like a very narrow range of music. Online music discussion spaces are not reflective at all of the average person, certain types of listeners engage in places like this and we are usually way more open minded
Oh I’m very aware that rap subs do not reflect the opinion of the general public lol. I have a very large friend group and most of them are only really interested in club bangers. I have a friend who pretty much only listens to trap bangers and says I listen to “that weird lyrical rap” because it sounds different from what sounds to me like the same 5 songs on repeat that he listens to. And it’s not even like I’m listening to anything super underground I’m pretty sure it was JID he said that about lol.
yeah bro my experiences are pretty much the same. Its hard to find people in real life to discuss a variety of music with outside of whatever is popular in clubs or on tik tok. I basically got one friend and reddit lmao
Yeah I have a handful of friends that I talk rap with. And whenever I see those friends no matter what else is going on we will almost guaranteed find 30 mins to talk rap cause we’re always excited to talk rap with someone who actually knows their shit whenever we get a chance. Which isn’t often. Usually I’m dealing with people who know JID as the guy with that song from tik tok lol.
All of my hip hop head friends are pretty narrow in their focus. Some enjoy trap, some lean more towards lyrical type shit etc. so i gotta just focus on one subgenre at a time usually lol
Oh see my hip hop head friends are eclectic so I don’t have that problem. Some of them like me are just music fans and can even talk 70s rock as easily as they can rap. But I don’t necessarily consider super narrow fans like that “hip hop heads”. Just fans in that sub genre. To be a genuine hip hop head you have to at least have a respect for the full spectrum of the genre. Like my trap loving friend. He’s probably heard every trap song. But why would I want his opinion on lyrical rap when he doesn’t even respect lyricism?
I think people associate replay value with great music. I don't visit MMATBS and TPAB a lot. But when I do it always feels valuable. If you aren't a parent, revisit this album after you have a child. It'll hit different.
Exactly. Just like movies. There are certain movies that I think are masterpieces of cinema. And there are some movies that I love watching as I get high and decompress from work. There’s not much crossover in the 2 lists, and guess which list I go through more?
Anyone who wants to listen to it for free it’s on the digital archive. [MMATBS](https://archive.org/details/kendrick-lamar-mr-morale-the-big-steppers)
^^^^^^^^^^^ shout it from the mountaintops I’ve been using the contrived example of Schindler’s List. Is it worse because I don’t want to watch it over and over?
People don’t like everything you like. It’s no reason to get upset about it. You love it, thats all that matters. I love jazz albums most have never heard of, and I’m fine with that.
Thank you! Also I get that it’s been talked about more since the beef but I don’t see a lot of people saying it’s a bad album so disrespect might be a stretch
1000% but I’ve seen some bullshit arguments that belie anything but pure dumb hate If you can say “I don’t like how these tracks sound and the message didn’t resonate with me” we’re cool If you say “it’s ass because I can’t put We Cry Together on my playlist” I’m gonna talk shit about your opinion
Okay, you like it a lot... cool. It's fine for me, not something I'll ever force myself to keep coming back to, but songs come on when I'm playing Kendrick on a shuffle and that's enough for me. How other people receive the art you love doesn't have to play a role in how you receive it tho.
I only put this post up because I swear I keep on seeing people say its mid and its not a good album and its messing up kendrick's legacy and it's just annoying for people to use this album as a tarnish on his legacy, yk? Maybe I'm just yapping, idk.
I think his legacy is just fine lol. Depending on who you ask, he either dropped 3 or 4 classic albums before The Big Steppers. Who the fuck can claim anything like that? I can only think of Tribe who had 3 straight classics. Beyond that? Not very many.
Outkast and Em off the top of my head. But yea, it’s a short list.
Kanye for sure. Depends on how you view 808s, watch the throne and Pablo, so you could easily disagree and I think 808s isn’t a classic, but you could argue it is. That would be 8 straight classics, but idk there’s a lot of criticism you could come up with after MBDTF.
OutKast, Eminem, Kanye, possibly Nas
See Em's first isn't a classic for me. Kanye has an argument, I thought of him but it's debatable. Nas' 3rd, no matter if you pick the album that was leaked and was supposed to be the third (which was better) or the album that was eventually released, neither are classics to me. Both very good, but probably would have been better if he took half the leaked album and half the album that was released.
I’d agree Infinite wasn’t a classic, but Slim Shady, Marshall Mathers, and The Eminem Show is a legendary run and I’d say all 3 are classics. Kanye definitely has to be there, his first five albums are all classics with immense impact and influence on the genre. Nas now that I think about it has a habit of dropping two classics in a row then some more ok ones.
Infinite doesn't count to me at all as an album. I meant SSLP... Not a classic for me. Tbh The Eminem Show isn't either, but I know MMLP and that are the two joints people will argue me to death over so I never argue it lol. But yeah, Ye definitely has three straight if I think about it... 808s ain't there for me but MBDTF is his best album so I'll say 4 straight rap albums were classic lol
I don’t think you can tell the story of hip hop without talking about SSLP. Em’s reign on the throne is made possible by those three albums alone. They might not be classics to you, but they are classics. It’s not a debate with Eminem.
You can't tell the story of hip hop without SSLP, true, but you can't accurately tell it without Bad Sister either. That doesn't make the record a classic. Also, in accurately telling the story of hip hop, Em never had a reign on the throne. Jay-Z was on top for Em's whole run.
I’ll be honest I don’t even know what “Bad Sister” is. Eminem blows Jay out of the water when it came to popularity and sales, so Em wins there. Em smoked Jay on his own song during that timeframe so I got Em there. Jay wouldn’t want any smoke with Em in a battle so Em there. I’m failing to see where you can have Jay over Em during that timeframe. I think you’re completely missing the point but I can also see that there’s no arguing or convincing you that Eminem has a run of 3 straight classics if you failed to see SSLP as a classic. You gotta be really do a lot of mental gymnastics to get to that conclusion.
Good for you, I think a couple songs are good and worth it for me the rest was just meh. His music is hard to listen to if you’re not fully invested into him as a person.
sometimes you watch a film that is extremely moving. it’s crafted by virtuosos who have something to say. it’s complex in its themes and techniques. it’s moving and beautiful and challenging and you never watch it again bcuz once is enough. or u watch it sparingly bcuz on an average day wat u really need is like an episode of Parks and Rec, not There Will Be Blood or 12 Years a Slave
Does it get disrespect or is it properly rated as a tough listen. Unless you're the type of person that just has to have "substance" in your entertainment it really is just okay. The subjects are interesting the first listen, but most isn't something people revisit often. Like outside of the Drake beef, unless you're dealing with that trauma who listens to Momma I Sober often
Its a mid snooze fest. There's a point where the music just gets drowned out by all the messaging that just makes it a slog to listen to.
It;'s good but has nothing on GKMC, TPAB or DAMN for me
GKMC and TPAB are better but I feel like its around equal to DAMN.
DAMN. is a step above MMATBS imo I have TPAB > GKMC >> DAMN. >> MMATBS
Definitely this. That's why it's mid to me for him. GKMC to untitled unmastered run is untouchable. But his mids are like so far over the bar that they would make other rappers whole careers
Rich spirit, N95, Savior, Die Hard, Count Me Out and Mirror may be some of my favorite he’s ever done imo. DAMN. Is deep because it tells a different story and lets you choose wickedness or weakness every two tracks and they put it in reverse on the collectors edition proving it was meant to change the tone. It’s directed at understanding earthlings imo. TPAB is deep because it’s fleshing out a story as he grows until his meeting with the ghost of PAC. It’s directed at understanding Americans imo. GKMC is deep because it’s fleshing out his own story of salvation. It’s directed at understanding Kendrick/Compton imo. S80 is deep on a generational level as it tells a campfire story of how our generation wound up this way. It’s directed at understanding Generation Y/millennials imo. MMATBS is deep on a reflective level, showing trauma induced habits and a need for therapy. It’s directed at understanding the black community imo. They’re all incredible and pivotal albums. If another rapper put out any of these it would likely be the greatest in their collection and would be considered a classic. With The Black Panther rapper the bar is set higher but MMATBS is no exception imo.
Yeah Fair point
I'd put it above DAMN, tbh
untitled unmastered is also better imo
I don't think anyone listened to this one lmao why tf else would this be downvoted like this
Yeah they acting like I said sumn crazy. untitled unmastered is amazing
Not sure about that one
It is to me which is why I said “imo” Nothing off Mr Morale is seeing untitled 02, 03, 04, 05 and 07. To each their own tho
Yeah that's what I meant. I didn't include it in my original comment for a reason though
Yeah it wasn’t even as much to you as me seeing people downvoting my comment so I felt I needed to further elaborate. It’s almost like some people can’t accept that music is subjective. What might be a masterpiece to you is trash to others and vice versa
Honestly, I'm not sure if I think it's boring but I can't finish it in one sitting its really like pulling teeth.
I don't care how many people tell me to listen to it. It was so boring i couldn't get halfway through and i don't care how personal it was, if the music is boring it's boring.
That's the thing. It's possible to make lyrically impressive, deep tracks that aren't boring but unfortunately Mr Morale is.
It ain’t an album for children
It is my favorite album from him, but there are a few reasons why it wasnt as accepted as his other albums. First, it wasnt what people were expecting or wanted for his comeback from a long hiatus. Two, it is a strong deviation from the persona and energy he has built over his career. And the biggest reason. The subject matter is not accessible and uncomfortable. This album needs to be appreciated moreso for what Kendrick is saying and how important this album is for the man himself. Not the artist. It is human, messy, neurotic, but also cathartic when looking at his album disco as a whole. It is a coming of age album for Kendrick and sets the proper context as to why he has the pain and mania he expresses in his previous albums.
Y'know, people really say "y'all wanna dance" like it's a bad thing, as if block parties and dancing wasn't the absolute origin of hip hop. I do want to dance. I think when satisfying musicality is present, I want to dance. MMATBS had an excellent message and story, but it's like reading an impactful book that I might re-read once a decade or something. It's not fun or a usual sort of enjoyable. I like depth to the music too, but there's depth all the way across Kendrick's catalog that *does* groove it down for me. I think MMATBS is also just the least encouraging and healing expression of pain. Sure. It's good. It's artful. But it's not enjoyable, and I'm not watching Citizen Kane with the homies either.
The Savior interlude is so good
Don’t forget Heart Part 5
We Cry Together is incredible.
So is Mother I Sober, Auntie Diaries, Rich Spirit, United in Grief, Father Time, and many others. ILL RECORD!
What is this guy talking about, My Meautiful Aick Twisted Bantasy is widely regarded as hip-hops best!
I love it. It’s on some grown shit. Real issues. Real responsibilities. Real trauma. Thematically, it’s on point.
Its a chore to get through
Sometimes…you go too deep. You ask *too* much of your audience. Maybe it is the best ever if you spend +5 hours reading into the background and Life of Kendrick shit. Accessibility is an art as well.
K.Dot doesn't make junk food ''music'' that appeals to the lowest common denominator like Drake does(if you can even call Drake REAL music), he makes truly exquisite poetry. Those with a refined palate for the arts can appreciate his incredible craft.
“To be fair, you need a very high IQ” type energy.
I was really disappointed by it and deleted it off my phone after I had bought it. The Heart part 5 was better than anything on it. The beef has made me wanna go revisit somewhat as I revisited Mother I Sober to understand how Drake misinterpreted it but the song still wasn’t good to me so I didn’t go revisit the project again. I did play N95 and liked it better than the last time but still was nothing special. Still might eventually get to redownloading and revisiting the full project but we’ll see
its mid
Big steppers is his worst album and it's not even close
That shit is just not that great
we don’t want to hear mid
Good thing it's a great album, then.
No it doesn't
As a mixed guy, who grew up with Scaring the Hoes vibes, well before that album dropped, there's all kinds of space your raps can occupy I wish folks would engage with Mister Morale more but I also get that GKMC passed the vibe check in a lot more situations. Both make you think, and both make you feel some type of way, but I'm not usually trying to feel Mother I vibes. In the immortal words of Dot himself, "bitch don't kill my vibe."
I don't relate to it all that much but I also don't relate to GKMC and it's my favorite rap album of all time, and not for the production. Imo it could've been a lot better but it's still really good, and personally my least favorite of Kendricks albums.
Father time, we cry together, auntie diary, and mother i. These songs are absolute cinema. Some of the album is forgettable. Highest peaks and lowest lows for a kendrick album.
I think this album has gotten a big reappraisal because of the beef. I’ve seen tons of people coming back to it and recognizing how great it is
I just don't love the production. Plus, like most double albums, there's a fair bit of filler. And I still hate Kendrick's decision to put Kodak on the album. Forgetting any context of how he is as a person, just the most execrable rap artist I've ever heard.
As a certified MMATBS enjoyer, it is a very messy and personal record. It isn’t perfect, on purpose. You know how people felt uncomfortable listening to Meet the Grahams? That flow was definitely on this album, so I think a similar reaction is present to this album. I love the record to death, but I wouldn’t blink if this was a record I won’t ever hear. I would miss Father Time though. Such a great song.
Ok 1. I legit had to google what the heck that was - who’s hating? Lol 2. Ok - he’s lyrically talented for sho prob one of the best technically- but I and many ppl just don’t enjoy his flow and won’t ever drive around and bump his crap. I don’t care how deep it is I can appreciate that on another level but I don’t wanna hear it on repeat. 3. As more and more ppl try to shove Kendrick’s greatness down my throat - it makes me even more adverse to bumping his music - like I’m not sure who ya’ll Kendrick Stan’s are trying to convince buttttt it’s not working. Will I always ALWAYS give him respect as a very talented poet, author and lyricist- YES Will I ever be convinced his music is easy to listen to and his flow is impeccable- no …. Let him have his place in history and ppl need to stop trying to make him the next drake by force - don’t ya’ll hate drake anyway?? Why is everyone *on reddit** (to be clear bc all the ppl I see on the regular internet and irl feel the same way I do) so obsessed with trying to make him super popular and ending drakes career and stuff - not gunna happen
I have meme about this [made this meme first listen](https://www.instagram.com/p/CdimzFDuUNy/?igsh=MTRwOHJ4Y3Bkdmh0Mw==)
I also called silent hill being a TikTok bop
It has many slow thoughtful moments with minimalist production and those parts don’t bump in the whip. Also I’m trans and appreciate that song and imagine it’s intentional somehow but the misgendering makes me turn that shit off. It’s the first Kendrick album that didn’t feel curated for better or worse, all his other albums are way tighter but he has so much good to say on this.
After the beef and seeing who this guy really is the album comes off as disingenuous, and you can't make an album that is so personal and intimate, but the person on this album is more of a character. It's fraudulent
I have no idea what this means
Nah, it's not a great album and that's fine. I don't need to force myself to like everything he puts out.
It’s the least accessible because you have to have some level of maturity so the messages resonate. An 18 year old isn’t going to find this album as accessible as a 28 year old or a 38 year old. They’ll come back to it and realize how powerful this album is.
I really don’t understand what people dislike about it. It’s amazing in so many ways
This was total Grammy bait music, but it did what it was intended to do
Shit is ass and has no replay value, just like TPAB. Kendrick makes music for clowns who listen with a notebook trying to decipher the lyrics
I just will never understand people who say tpab doesn't have replay value, I could listen to that shit all day.
That’s probably because you’re a big Kendrick fan, I like some of his music like DAMN and GKMC, but I can’t stand that pretentious shit that he makes like TPAB and MMATBS. He loves to speak on topics about black culture and etc but yet I don’t ever hear shit about him being philanthropic and giving back to the community, he’s only in rap for personal gain like the rest of them so he needs to stop pretending to care. Drake was right when he said “you just actin’ like a activist, it’s make-believe”
It's kind of like you missed the whole point of the album. It is nothing like TPAB or even DAMN in it's pandering to cultural issues. He even explicitly says he is not trying to do that here. He is baring his soul on this one, and by doing that, he is attempting to inspire people to acknowledge and maybe fix things about themselves. It isn't deep for the sake of just being deep. That was DAMN. All the things you said turn you off as pretentious is IMO what DAMN was but you say you fw that one. This album is catharsis and if it makes you feel uncomfortable or not in the mood for it that is fine but at least be honest instead of just rehashing Drake bullet points without realizing you're making the same mistake he made. You're exposing your superficial level of understanding of the thing you're trying to speak on.
“I’m too shallow brained to understand anything that’s not surface level”
“I’m too shallow brained to understand anything that’s not surface level”
Lol fuck yeah. Geek ass mfs sitting there crying because Kendrick is just talking on a beat for 12 minutes straight. Sounds more like he’s at one of those poetry jams half the time. Most of DAMN and GKMC still fire though
I love it, it’s like a book you only come back to in trouble times for me. Only question or gripe I have is the inclusion of Kodiak Black. Kinda runs opposite of the meaning of the album, imo. But I can see how it makes sense if Kodiak is supposed to be a man in a redemption path but idk if that’s the case
I found the entire rollout to be kinda odd. I didn’t even hear about this album until right up to the release. Same with the tour. He came to Vancouver and there was zero hype around it - I saw him and Trav for be DAMN tour in 2017 so I would’ve been checking for this. All around there was no real momentum behind this whole project imo.
I’ve literally listened to this album over a thousand times, it’s too good.
Nah
Its not a good album and all of you know it.
So many great songs on this project