Mar 26, 2015 I find this to be a track that is hard to skip but 6 out 10 times I'm gonna listen. If I want to hear the album in whole I will stay with it so I can get the connection with King Kunta. The spoken word is so heavy and makes you enjoy Kendrick as an Emcee, but It def is not the highlight of the album decent enough not to be over looked tho.
Mar 26, 2015 I haven't listened to the album in days, need to give it a spin tonight. I wasn't a big fan of this song at first tbh, but it grew on me. Great write up again guys.
Mar 26, 2015 Ay we both didn't rate the track the same this time hahah Maybe I'm overrating it with a 9 but I thought a lot about it..I just can't pick out any flaws that could justify it being lower I feel like for this and For Sale it's all about how much leeway you give the premise -- if you buy into or not. If you don't, then bam "0/10 wtf is this diq ain't free/Lucy bs, this is awful" but even then, there isn't anything that stands out as a glaring flaw If you do buy into it, like me, then the fact that there aren't any glaring flaws makes it hard to rate it below a 9 I was think 8 or 8.5 but I felt like I was underrating it i also think both interludes are equally great, so I can't be having one be lower than the other
Mar 26, 2015 That's true for sure, but in this case I never really thought it was something "sonically" that was stopping people from rating it...just the premise Meaning, I thought the song, lyrics aside, sounded great and assumed everyone agreed haha Maybe I'm wrong and it's a mix of both -- premise and not liking the aesthetic either
Mar 26, 2015 I think it's a little high, but like I said the spoken word piece gives it at least 2 points higher and I would be fine with a 7-8 ranking. Just sayin...
Mar 26, 2015 Do you guys think using females as a metaphor for the industry/hip-hop will ever get tiresome? Would be nice if people started using their own ideas and being more creative (or just not that idea haha). Also add me to the mention list pls @Narsh
Mar 26, 2015 It's honestly my least favorite track but it holds significance into the story of the album and perfectly gives more insight after following up Wesley's Theory, but like you guys just pointed out it's just an interlude. The voice he tries and the multis came out nicely and go hand in hand with the instrumentals which once again makes this album flow nicely from track to track. 7/10 if you ask me.
Mar 27, 2015 3. "King Kunta" Narsh: "Imma get my Uncle Sam to f--- you up -- you aint no king" is a perfect transition into the swing of "King Kunta." The beat bubbles onto the scene with a cartoonish twinge, and the, deep, reverberating, bass, stutters along relentlessly for the entirety of the track. As it's been noted numerous times, the production builds on it self, in a way a Late Registration-era Kanye West beat might have, but one wouldn't be wrong to associate the whimsical air of defiance to The Eminem Show-era Eminem. Serving as the last song before the poem/actual narrative of the album kicks in ("I remember you was conflicted, misusing your influence"), "King Kunta" continues to build on the portrait of a naive, restless, and combative young Kendrick first brought to life by "Wesley's Theory." With a namesake like "King Kunta," I, along with many others, expected something akin to the magnitude and energy of "m.A.A.d city." Despite having a completely different vibe, Kendrick manages to channel the same essence of self-empowerment that ex-tourmate Kanye has been advocating through tracks like "All Day," or his partnership with Adidas. Although "everybody wanna cut the legs off him," these two want to make a single point clear -- "black man takin' no losses (oh yeah!)." By the time the next "pop" comes around, not only is the funk within me, I'm usually breaking it down like: Yes, I reused this gif. But, "btich where was you when I was walkin'??" This is an undeniable anthem -- not the "bastardization of g-funk," or "rhythmless," or whatever nonsense I've heard from ,well, only like one person. Everyone else I know, real people and my internet pals alike, can't help but get swept up in the steadfast charge, and infectious groove, of a militant Kendrick Lamar. The only complaint I can muster up is that writing seems a bit aimless at times -- why is calling out ghost writers a priority on this? Is it something super deep, like a young Kendrick critiquing a practice he ends up picking up himself later on in his life, or something? Lol. I mean, anyone associated with Dre has probably ghost written at some point (see: "Compton"), so is that the only reason he brings it up? To showcase another time he's been hypocritical? Regardless, he then goes and repurpose James Brown, and MJ lyrics, walks out of "the court buildin'" with $20 million ("woo woo!"), and gives us "whats the YAMS?!?!" In short, the song rarely misses a step -- even when taking Kendrick's weird new dance moves into account. I can't wait to see how the music video turned out -- Kendrick seems to be in a clearheaded, serene, state of mind. He's focused, I think. Even if you're someone that doesn't see TPAB as a complete hit, Kendrick's focus right now is hard to deny. I also just want to see him dance...that "i" music video is still >>>>>>>> 9.5/10 BigCountry: Apologies for this one being so brief, but I had to type it from my phone: The initial mixed reviews regarding this song baffled me more than any other on the album. Granted, I was lucky enough to hear the song in context the first time I heard it, but I'm still kind of in awe that anyone could hate the production. Quik knockoff or not, I found myself bobbing my head before the beat even fully dropped (I believe my first reaction to @Koolo on Skype was "Holy s--- King kunta" as soon as I heard "I GOT A BONE TO PICK!"). Like I said previously (and Narsh brought up above), the transition between the For Free and Kunta is great, which I belive contributed to a lot of people coming around to it after hearing it in context. Even if (again, as Narsh already said), it's a tiny bit aimless, I don't think there's anything wrong with having one track where kendrick is blasting out the gates with confidence, especially because it works so well sequencing-wise (it also worked for backseat freestyle, which, coincidentally, is also the third track on its respective album). Verdict: I like it slightly less than I did when I first heard it, but it's still a fantastic song that I don't know if I'll ever get tired of. 9/10 9/10 Spoiler @DCG @Fire Squad @Meero @Skippy @Bot @Mike Tyson @Mikey1990 @Clive @Vos @Guerrilla unit @eddie @ODB @swr @Ye the Goat @FreeAgent @Perry The Platypus @PRHYME @Young Sinatra @icecube @zoidberg @able @Koolo @K3nSter @JCinator @Michael Myers @Olorin @Enigma @asvdawg @ThirdEyeVizion @Sahara
Mar 27, 2015 I loved this one the moment it first blared through my headphones my God the beat is an absolute menace, reminded me of DJ Quik's heavily slept-on work of arts. I thought it was brilliant hearing the various references throughout the song of black cultural figures since it manages to fit into the context of the album. I give this a 10/10
Mar 27, 2015 Wesley's Theory - 9.5/10 For Free? - 7.5/10 King Kunta - 9/10 Loving the reviews from Narsh/BC so far. Great work fellas!
Mar 27, 2015 One of my favourites on the album. The female vocals are a nice touch. Very groovy and energetic overall, in terms of sound and content. Gj guys @BigCountry Chapter 6 might be my most played song from S80 man, it's so short but so catchy and has a great melody. It's just an interlude, but it's among my favourite Kendrick songs. I never play Chapter 10 if I'm not listening to the whole album though.
