From Worst to Best: Kendrick Lamar

Section 80 (87)-Before you cry foul, hear me out. This is Kendrick’s first real TDE project (I think). The mixtape is good, but the production is pretty basic. You cannot debate me on that. I really like his lyricism tho. “Member’s Only”, “Rigamortis” and “A.D.H.D.” are great songs. I like how deep the album is too. This really was just a flash of greatness we know today as King Kendrick. Top Songs: Poe Man’s Dream, HiiPower, A.D.H.D., No Makeup, Members Only.Untitled.

Unmastered(92)-Kendrick dropped an EP/Bonus Track type project on us in 2016. It’s a really odd album that sounds very similar to the excellent TPAB. Overall its really interesting and soulful sounding. He raps about the world’s end in Untitled 01. All the tracks are good but Untitled 07 is too long. Overall I’m not sure what the top songs are…

DAMN (97)-Kung Fu Kenny as he calls himself, gave us a very accessible album recently in 2017. It’s dope as f*** but it’s not as complex or as well rounded as GKMC or TPAB. Complaints aside, Kendrick shows incredible lyrical dexterity (as usual). Like all K dot projects he spits about relevant topics like race and religion. Top Songs: Element, D.N.A. Humble, XXX, Love, Loyalty.

To Pimp A Butterfly (98)-So you knew this or GKMC was #1. This album is so complex, so creative, so special. It really grew on me. The production is fresh and the topics are very interesting. Who could forget the skit he had on various tracks then when you get to “Mortal Man” you find out he’s talking to his idol, Tupac Shakur. “King Kunta” is still a terrific track. I’m not sure anything hits as hard as “Blacker the Berry”. The album isn’t for everybody nor is it as accessible as GKMC. The guest spots are really well used too. Top Songs: Mortal Man, King Kunta, Blacker the Berry, I, Alright.

Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City (99)-This is not a perfect album….but that really is only due to production, which albeit is still really good. This was his breakout album and undeniably his best work. Kendrick tells a solid cohesive story through the tracks…and there’s even some really dope bonus tracks here at the end. I always thought the album’s title was pretty self explanatory: He’s a good kid in the crazy city of Los Angeles. Dr. Dre, Drake, Pharell and Jay Rock lend talents.Top Songs: Money Trees, Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe, Poetic Justice, The Recipe, Swimming Pools.

Thanks for reading...I'll try to get to more posts like this for other artists that I have yet to do.

Album Review: Schoolboy Q-Blue Lips

Ok I am a big Schoolboy Q fan. I gotta say I love this album...but believe it or not what kept me from getting it till fall 2024 was that horrendous album artwork lol. I mean damn its gross! Schoolboy has some great flows and lyricism on this album. "Thank god 4 me" is absolute flames. "Blueslides" is another highlight. There's something about the song "first" that is just so catchy to me. "Yern" is also pretty hard man. The guest list is minimal but it works. The production is really good here too. The album isn't quite as good as Blank Face to me but its definitely a major improvement over his last album Crash Talk. Definitely check this one out. Lyrics 24 Beats 23 Depth 23 Tilt 23 Verdict 93

Nas Albums Worst to Best

20) Nastradamus (75)- It really shouldn’t be a surprise to see this one ranked so low. The lyricism isn’t abysmal but everything is pretty average. How does a song like “Big Girl” make it to a Nas album?? It’s just a boring album plain and simple….I don’t really have a lot to say about it. 19) Street’s Disciple (82) -I hate having this one so low. I honestly like a lot of the songs on this double disc. Unfortunately there’s quite a bit of filler here just like with Jay-z’s Blueprint 2. Disc one has hits like “Nazareth Savage”, “American Way”, “ Just a Moment” and “ You Know My Style”. Disc 2 has some heat on it too: “Suicide Bounce”, the title track, “Virgo”, “Bridging the Gap” and “Thiefs Theme”. 18) T he Lost Tapes 2 (86) -This one I admit I haven’t heard that much…but its pretty decent. It gets off to a good start with songs like “Vernon Family” and “Jarreau of Rap (Skatt Attack)”. A lot of these songs are ok….but not muc...

Album Review: Kid Cudi-Insano (regular version)

I gotta admit I didn't like this album that much when I first heard it over half a year ago. I've heard that Kid Cudi doesn't exactly play to his strengths....that's partly true. I do like his rapping here tho. Honestly most songs here kinda blend together....."Keep Bouncin'" is really hype....and it gets the album off to a good start. "At The Party" with Pharrell Williams and Travis Scott may be my favorite song. "Wow" with A$AP Rocky is another highlight. Overall tho I feel this album tries too hard to be trendy. Cudi needed to put more of his pain into it. I mean a happy Cudi album isn't a bad thing but it really seems odd to me. You're not getting alot of singing or hums here know what I mean? However the production I found to be very good. Cudi is one of my favorite rappers like top 20 and I guess this will do for 2024. Lyrics 20 Beats 23 Depth 21 Tilt 21 Verdict 85

Chesstown King's Reviews and Thoughts

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