THE BAND: Undoubtedly one of hip hop’s modern day greats, Compton native Kendrick Lamar has been hailed as one of the most progressive and forward thinking MC’s to emerge from the West Coast in a number of years. With lyrics brimming with scathing social commentary, witty wordplay and observations about his rough upbringing, Lamar’s work incites emotions in its listener like very few. Having prepped the follow up to his critically adored debut, he has returned with ‘The Blacker The Berry.’
THE SOUND: Over a murky and sinister beat, Lamar melds musings upon the social injustices faced by young black males within American culture and the violence that many innocents face from their tyrannical police force with his own personal ideals upon the matter. Featuring a rousing chorus from Assassin that adds to the poignancy of its message, ‘The Blacker The Berry’ features shades of the late Tupac Shakur at his most visceral; epitomised by the reference to his track ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ in its title.
THE LOWDOWN: With the TDE cohort remaining ambiguous about his sophomore record’s release date, hip hop fans are waiting with baited breath for K-Dot’s next album.
