DAMN, Kendrick Lamar
"Y'all got 'til April the 7th to get y'all sh*t together." That is how Kendrick Lamar closed his
March 23rd single "The Heart Part 4". April 7th, of course, being the day the rapper set for the
release of his fourth studio album.
On this day, April 11th, 2017, Lamar has finally released the first glimpse into the tardy work through cover art and a track list. It's a warm, mid-60's morning in Los Angeles, yet a chill runs down my neck as my eyes cross the blood-red header, DAMN.
On this day, April 11th, 2017, Lamar has finally released the first glimpse into the tardy work through cover art and a track list. It's a warm, mid-60's morning in Los Angeles, yet a chill runs down my neck as my eyes cross the blood-red header, DAMN.
The cover art is wonderfully daunting. Lamar, shown above, sets the tone for the record with a
troubled stare and an Omen-esque letting of his title. Slightly over-sized and perfectly placed
atop of the rapper's skull, the punctuated four-letter word serves either as a warning, or a
verdict.
I theorize that Lamar is following the religious interpretation of the word, which is "to condemn to a punishment or fate; to condemn to hell", as defined by Merriam-Webster. K-Dot is no stranger to using religious imagery in his music or music videos, as proven in his most
recent smash-hit HUMBLE. Is Kendrick continuing the self-deconstruction of his previous album To Pimp a Butterfly? Has fame decayed hip-hop's self-proclaimed "savior" to a fallen angel?
I theorize that Lamar is following the religious interpretation of the word, which is "to condemn to a punishment or fate; to condemn to hell", as defined by Merriam-Webster. K-Dot is no stranger to using religious imagery in his music or music videos, as proven in his most
recent smash-hit HUMBLE. Is Kendrick continuing the self-deconstruction of his previous album To Pimp a Butterfly? Has fame decayed hip-hop's self-proclaimed "savior" to a fallen angel?
The album's back-art shares a similar theme to the front, simple and unsettling. Lettered in a
soft-green, DAMN. stabilizes the otherwise crooked Yin-Yang of the wall Lamar fronts. The 14-
song track list is stapled down the background's seam in all caps and is styled in a uniform
typewriter-like font similar to what you'd find on a prescription bottle. They can be read
antithetically as you go down the list. "BLOOD." to "DNA.", "PRIDE." to "HUMBLE.", "LUST." to
“LOVE." At the latter end of the list we see two pieces listed seemingly in order titled "FEAR."
and "GOD."
It’s uncertain how these tracks will play into each other, but the combination of imagery and labeling leads you to believe that this album will cover some sort of conflict between Kendrick’s spiritual self, and his reality.
April 14th marks DAMN.'s new release date.
Images courtesy of: http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2017/04/kendrick-lamar-damn-album-cover-trackl
It’s uncertain how these tracks will play into each other, but the combination of imagery and labeling leads you to believe that this album will cover some sort of conflict between Kendrick’s spiritual self, and his reality.
April 14th marks DAMN.'s new release date.
Images courtesy of: http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2017/04/kendrick-lamar-damn-album-cover-trackl
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