DAMN. Part 2

You might say "yeah, ok, but BLOOD. would make much more sense as the last track. It just would." 

I'll just wait for you to work through that one. Go ahead... 

... "oh, is this like one of your out of order things? The tracks mean different things because of their placement, or something?" 

Yes, to some extent. It's not supposed to be a secret, the collector's edition has the tracks ordered backward. The CD has a different track order from the vinyl. That was an intentional decision in the studio, and yes you are supposed to understand it both ways at a minimum. Concepts weave through multiple songs, and that has a striking effect when you compare the forward and backward versions in your mind (pick whichever is which, i call BLOOD. the forward version). Either way it's intended to flow from start to finish. It's a proper album, not just songs. The working title was What Happens on Earth Stays on Earth, but eventually it became clear that the album was all the possible meanings of DAMN., especially "damned if you do, damned if you don't." I personally go with the word Doom, but same difference in my opinion. 

Alright, who slipped the secret sauce in? Hello, Bono. No, no, we know exactly why you're here, we did your American album two days ago like it wasn't intentional. Enough of my silly, back to the album. 

Professor Bottle says your homework is to catalogue the various voices on the album. Kendrick Lamar very intentionally chooses tone, inflection, and cadence to directly represent mood and emotion for the listener. Giving those voices names or specific characters is beyond the scope of the single album, but the technique itself is an emulation of the pre Dr. Dre era of singular rap stars. Old school rap was a "band" context. A group, a posse, a crew, call it whatever you will, rap was an ensemble with each individual taking on a specific character or outlook; a group whose individual contributions added up to a collective statement without sacrificing the individuality of it members. Any understanding of DAMN. as an album requires at least recognizing these different voices and having some meaning associated with that particular voice, even something as simple as "this is the drunk voice" or "this is the angry voice" is a good place to start. The over-achievers can go scour the rest of his catalogue to refine those various identities in your mind, but you're all going to have to listen 2 or 3 times to get a proper mental map. He doesn't just have one persona or emotion that everything comes from, he consciously chooses HOW to say what he's saying the same way Streisand or Maynard or any serious vocalist does. His bag of tools is a little different, but it's the same level of artistry and attention to detail. 

There, i think i've given you a good start to engaging with this multiple award winning and platinum selling album. I'll keep plugging away on my own and eventually you'll be able to read it. As usual, no idea where we'll go next or when it will happen, but when has that ever stopped me?