A Deep Dive into DAMN. - Kendrick Lamar's Darkest Opus

Рет қаралды 1,838,673

Күн бұрын

In 2017, Kendrick Lamar released his 4th studio album, DAMN. However nobody knew that what Kendrick had for us, was his darkest project to date.
Filled with strange religious concepts and mysterious structures hidden within the tracklist, DAMN tells the twisted journey of a man who’s cursed, without really knowing why. As he retrospects on his past, his rap career and his many sins, he realizes all of this ties back to one terrifying thought: being damned to hell.
This album is a damn puzzle (no pun intended), there’s no other way of putting it, and in this video you’re gonna learn all about it.
Wickedness or Weakness?
You decide...
Follow me on:
Twitter: @TennisThom
Instagram: @thetennisthom
Twitch: twitch.tv/tennisthom
Bandcamp: kendlan.bandcamp.com
Subscribe for a delicious Cheez-it (mailed to your front door of course)
Chapters:
0:00 INTRO.
2:30 BLOOD.
6:26 DNA.
9:41 YAH.
13:38 ELEMENT.
15:41 FEEL.
18:46 LOYALTY.
20:38 PRIDE.
24:08 HUMBLE.
25:58 LUST.
28:59 LOVE.
31:08 XXX.
34:46 FEAR.
39:37 GOD.
41:43 DUCKWORTH.
50:36 THE TWIST.

Пікірлер: 3 400

@TennisThom 7 ай бұрын

Thank you sooo much for the kind words on the video and most importantly, 10K SUBS!!! ❤ It really means the world to me :) Btw, what artists would you like to see next on the channel? 🤔

@EmInExtras 7 ай бұрын

I would REALLY LOVE it if you make a video about IGOR by Tyler, The Creator.

@Pogchamp57 7 ай бұрын

I’d love to see you make a video on twenty one pilots debut album

@skepandbbh 7 ай бұрын

frank ocean maybe?

@koofe0 7 ай бұрын

kanyeee

@ahmaddimasmaulana6286 7 ай бұрын

Quadeca - I Didn't Meant To Haunt You I Didn't Mean to Haunt You is a VERY omnious 54min experience, with immaculate production that sends chills down your spine. Lyrically, this album is quite dark. Talking about heavy subject matter from the viewpoint of a ghost in the afterlife that's still missing life & those close to him.

@lwyerup 2 ай бұрын

as a reminder: there are genuinely people out there that think Drake is better than this

@jeffreymarumorankeng3839 2 ай бұрын

The club ad emo rap fans😂😂 its the same fans who say mr morale is a bad album as they dont get the art yet

@javiartem Ай бұрын

@@jeffreymarumorankeng3839you think emo rap fans are listening to fucking drake? that’s literally frat boy rap dude

@astralvibration02 Ай бұрын

this

@KingBeezle Ай бұрын

Drakes good, but he'll never top Kendrick I'm sorry

@Dapper_Dad Ай бұрын

If you replace “god” with Drake, recognize the fear of having the lust found out by Whitney(which I believe had happened by this time and this is the response via Drake going to Compton for the 100 vid and probably telling Whitney Kendrick was cheating on his tours) and recognize Mr. Morale is the Part 2 to this(1855 days, I’ve been going through something, be afraid) but ALSO THE PART 3 to TPAB(the attempted saving of Drake ) and realize that’s why Drake was so mad it beat him out for the 2016 Grammy then I think we all see what’s been going on this whole time

@bobfrank3575 3 ай бұрын

bro is definitely getting an A in english

@typicalw1248 2 ай бұрын

💀

@praisesamuel3086 2 ай бұрын

30:28 overcummed 🤣

@TheactualJayj Ай бұрын

Can we get a profile check on this mf

@hatcrab4923 Ай бұрын

THIS WHAT GOD FEEL LIKE 🗣️🗣️🗣️

@roejoganthesecond Ай бұрын

well he does have a Pulitzer so he technically got a S+

@dumitrugeorge2985 Ай бұрын

now i understand why this album won a Pulitzer prize

@The_Jazziest_Coffee Ай бұрын

yeah honestly the same too i would like to believe the critics had this same analysis, and combine that with the lyricism and metaphors throughout the whole album, it's pretty damn hard to dispute that

@lucaslorenzo81 22 күн бұрын

BROOO SAMEEE

@Justhereforthefreefood 22 күн бұрын

I love that the beef has us coming back to talk about DAMN

@wildfire9280 19 күн бұрын

⁠⁠@@Justhereforthefreefood it made everyone say it too

@wedontagelikemilktho.7839 13 күн бұрын

@@wildfire9280DAMN.🗣️

@MountTaesan Ай бұрын

XXX is 10.10.10 in Roman numerals; Fear’s 3 verses are 10 years apart

@jasper1142 Ай бұрын

Whoa i never thought about it like that thats sick lol

@IHateHandlesWayTooMuch 11 күн бұрын

Kendrick was also 2 months till 30 when damn released

@link_ong 4 күн бұрын

also i saw another theory each x is how many people kendrick has seen die (3 not 30) which is complaining about gang life in america

@eddienicx 7 ай бұрын

DAMN. being your first rap album is setting a very high bar for your rap taste

@o.d.5070 6 ай бұрын

Odeee bro I wonder if there’s an album he ranks above this

@Kendricklamarglazer17 4 ай бұрын

damn is great but personally it's not even kendricks best so it's not impossible to like other shit too

@JoshuaGreyJensen 4 ай бұрын

To Pimp a Butterfly has been my intro to conscious rap. And it moved me so much even though I can't actually relate to it very much but it just caused a swell of empathy and a paradigm shift of what "answer" is to making the world a better and more open place

@jamez6398 4 ай бұрын

Mad City is my favourite Kendrick Lamar album I like it more than Damn.

@prat118 3 ай бұрын

Brother it was my first rap album😭

@McFlyIncognito Ай бұрын

kendrick is the only dude where you need an 1 hour explanation for his album

@NathanHoff96 Ай бұрын

I know this cool KZfaq channel full of dudes needing 1 hour explanations for their albums.

@anirudhtalabattula1257 Ай бұрын

@@NathanHoff96 can you tell me plz

@beautiful_ground Ай бұрын

You've clearly never heard a Swans album.

@McFlyIncognito Ай бұрын

@@beautiful_ground Yes I have Soundtracks for the blind and To be kind to be more precise. I don't know what are you trying to say tho

@zaidlacksalastname4905 Ай бұрын

Don't think the album itself is one hour lol

@Shiny_mewtwo4 2 ай бұрын

He’s feeling cursed and then his newest album he mentions the generational curse being broken. Kendrick is an absolute genius and the best rapper alive

@jjola Ай бұрын

facts

@gerodford711 3 күн бұрын

The generational curse he’s talking about on his newest album is the one that plagues most black communities. That what the album was about, speaking to the black community about those curses and how we should break them by having those tough conversations, auntie’s diary is a perfect example of this.

@Texo_narxo Ай бұрын

the story of DAMN sounds like a psychological horror movie.

@SuryaRamadhan-jd9ft 10 күн бұрын

The story itself could be a whole movie itself

@theKaizen1 2 ай бұрын

we need mr morale and big steppers version

@ezraels3157 2 ай бұрын

I second this

@RichardEarlLonsbury Ай бұрын

@@ezraels3157third

@shalev441 Ай бұрын

I third this.

@RobbianMemzexe Ай бұрын

I fourth this

@AmongstAndromeda Ай бұрын

I fifth this

@Wositap333 2 ай бұрын

I feel like the blind lady was a reference to weakness or wickedness, lemme explain. He helped the lady without knowing what would happend trusting and showing her weakness WHICH GOT HIM KILLED. But if he didnt helped her he would be wicked, or "a bad person" but not get killed. Showing how unfair the world it's, bad people have it all, they do whatever they want and it comes out however they want. While good people are usally punishes or suffer too much in their life.

@nicolaspagnotta1072 Ай бұрын

I feel like you can kind of apply that to every song on this album. I think every song shows something that kendrick has went through and hes unsure if his actions are weakness or wickedness. Have all the bad things kendrick or even the world done been made out of wickedness or weakness

@luisortegast Ай бұрын

IS IT WICKEDNESS , IS IT WEAKNESS¿

@Wositap333 Ай бұрын

@@luisortegast R E ALLLLLL

@luisortegast Ай бұрын

@@Wositap333 damn, this album top 3 of kendrick

@officialconch Ай бұрын

The lady was weakness and wickedness all-in-one.

@annesnow8015 Ай бұрын

I hope my homies are ready because i'll definitely be presenting this video as my own ideas for the next 5 years

@youflippingdoghnut3085 14 күн бұрын

ONG watch me casually slip this info during listenings

@DuppyBoii187 14 күн бұрын

That's sad

@nick_hunter00 Ай бұрын

the amount of symbolism and theme, the quality of this album… its one of the greatest albums of all time

@josephine1049 Ай бұрын

literally, Kendrick lamar is goated

@user-iw6eb2nv4d 7 ай бұрын

Respect for Kendrick's father! He found a smart move that changed whole history

@kingace6186 5 ай бұрын

Ducky is a great father that more people should try to be like

@makesomething4093 5 ай бұрын

Yeah, adding biscuits to a box gave us To Pimp a Butterfly

@zboy1152 5 ай бұрын

That chicken incident gave us gkMC and TPAB

@juannaym8488 3 ай бұрын

it's a showcase of peaceful actions leading to peaceful resolutions

@Avazarrineh Ай бұрын

@@kingace6186especially drake 💀

@christianaragon8533 7 ай бұрын

Duuuuuude, this is one of the best album breakdowns I’ve ever seen. Also the animations were on point. Definitively following you and hope you can do more of Kendrick in the future!

@pabinda 5 ай бұрын

ete sech

@ferigood26 9 күн бұрын

eat yourself

@MonkeMusicMan Ай бұрын

In PRIDE, he says “I wasn’t taught to share, BUT care.” Maybe, he’s saying that he cares, but nobody else does. Maybe that other life is where people DO care.

@thenitpickchannel9993 Ай бұрын

Or it’s worse in that Kendrick does care about people but he CAN’T share, like maybe it’s just too important for himself that he can’t share his success or career or what he gains from it with others. In another life, he surely was there for everyone else. If you take that perspective, it’s possible that this song is kind of a balance between the Wickedness and Weakness theme since it’s also in the middle of the album (the 7th of the 14 songs). His pride is his wickedness, and so is why be won’t share it. But he also feels shame for this because he does care and wishes that in another life, he wasn’t so prideful and actually tried to help others and put the needs of others before his own. That in this “perfect world,” he’d put faith over riches, make schools out of prisons, etc. But he sort of “knows” that that can’t happen, that’s it’s never a perfect world because each perfect world would be a world of lies. Kendrick is too prideful about his own success to share while caring at the same time, hence his remorse because he could do better but his pride gets in the way. He can’t show Weakness because he has too much Wickedness

@MonkeMusicMan Ай бұрын

@@thenitpickchannel9993 Right on the nose, man. This album is so intricate, it’s insane how much you can pull from it.

@brycebrown3416 Ай бұрын

@@thenitpickchannel9993I 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮

@lexxblack5392 29 күн бұрын

Looking at an album breakdown like this truly makes you realize that Drake in all of his vapidity, hubris, and piddling pseudo introspection NEVER stood a chance against someone like Kendrick. Wow

@turalabasov9829 13 күн бұрын

Absolutely, however people who thought otherwise just didn’t know who Kendrick Lamar actually is. Hopefully after the beef people start realising why dot fans would ride with him

@lexxblack5392 13 күн бұрын

@@turalabasov9829 100%

@Stooks22 7 ай бұрын

One thing I'd like to add! In blood, you can see the old blind lady as Lady Justice. You can see the interaction as a court case or police brutality. With blood leading off, you can see Lady Justice as a corrupt cop, playing as judge, jurry, and executioner. The story of a young black man walking down the street and being shot by a cop for no reason. This could act as a metaphor for the things Kendrick may have heard growing up. To cope with this idea, he begins to believe that's the way of life for black people in America. This manifests in the next track DNA, with him ending "sex money murder in our DNA". This sets Kendrick up to believe murder is part of who he is, and there isn't anything he can do about it, and hell just die in a gun fight regardless. Queue Yah next and it plays along with idea 'i got so many theories and suspicions' On the flip side of things, ending with blood, you can see a corrupt, wealth, rapper Kendrick in a court battle of sorts. One that he ultimately loses and is sentenced to death. The gunshots even works as the gavel the judge would use to end it all. Then Kendrick becomes just another headline for Fox to use. We know Kendrick is deeply worried about he's legacy he will leave after his time on earth. We see this in the previous album, even ending on the thought of 'if shit hit the fan are you still a fan?' That was the last thing Kendrick said to us before this album. Blood works both ways in this context. Blood could refer to a story of a black man being killed in Compton being told to a young Kendrick. This is the solidified by what he sees on the news. It could also be the end of Kendricks life as a wicked rapper who never focused on what was important until it was too late, becoming just another headline. This also still fits with all the other ideas in the video! I'd re listen to the album both forwards and backwards with this context! It fits surprisingly well.

@haydensmith7529 6 ай бұрын

This was really good and thought out and I love both the different sides it could be and maybe it could even refer to both of these themes

@rasdos3889 6 ай бұрын

i aint reading allat💀

@philippoberhauser9866 6 ай бұрын

same @@rasdos3889

@philippoberhauser9866 6 ай бұрын

same @@rasdos3889

@celestite_e 5 ай бұрын

Honestly, i can see the point leaning more towards the second part in which he tried to end his wickedness. “Mr. Morale” being released after “DAMN.” sort of ties in the idea of family life and just generally abandoning his “wicked past”, embracing love and weakness. Looking at family life, there is bound to be struggle, and as a kid growing up he knew this. But instead of repeating the same “wicked” behavior he thought he was bound to, he tries to teach new meaning to life and what it is to truly *love*.

@eddybagajevs 7 ай бұрын

5 minutes into this video and your interpretation of story-telling and editing is actually amazing dude! Never stop making vids :)

@theoneandonlyzizf 6 ай бұрын

Then your gonna love how he did the wolf trilogy

@keanewhiteirproductions9538 4 ай бұрын

I’m sorry this is well made and thought out but this guy is so close but so wrong, he’s got the right idea but is also so off

@ImmaniGregory 3 ай бұрын

Literally said what I wanted to say! Insight on this album is amazing

@user-cw8pv6sf5k 3 ай бұрын

Holy glaze

@akduyahwvd4137 3 ай бұрын

ッ

@nm9101 Ай бұрын

7:48 Someone's probably mentioned this already, but "sex" being the 23rd thing in his DNA holds significance: it's the chromosome pair that determines your sex at birth. And... the second chromosome in the pair (the one that makes the difference) is provided by the father

@jackomangi9898 22 күн бұрын

Man Kendrick is a genius

@rehmatshah8956 15 күн бұрын

DAMN.

@moonlightxmusic6382 9 күн бұрын

NO WAYYYY

@user-ck8xr3ju8u Ай бұрын

As an young teenager with a short attention span, this was not difficult to keep my attention on for an hour. This is amazing keep continuing to be great

@SpongeBotDaily Ай бұрын

same bro

@squ1rr3lly._.pawz. 5 күн бұрын

Same here

@trapzone707 7 ай бұрын

The quality of this is fucking wild, definitely looking forward to seeing more! Update: I just relistened to DAMN. Because of this video. It was always my least favorite Kendrick project and this let me give it a second chance with new context and it elevated it a whole lot. Thanks for this

@nonkolisekowaka2754 7 ай бұрын

I'm glad u gave it another chance

@isthatfox6780 7 ай бұрын

exact thing happened to me

@Frosty1026 6 ай бұрын

I’m about to do the same after this vid I also didn’t like it like I have other projects but this vid gave me a whole different perception on it.

@nebiyoutadesse9785 6 ай бұрын

Exact same thing with me too

@romeogill3601 4 ай бұрын

took the words out of my mouth. Amazing video

@bumpy742 7 ай бұрын

One thing that could be point out. In the regular album cover in DAMN, DAMN is above Kendrick as he’s wearing a blank white T-shirt, indicating his journey to salvation and being free from damnation. In the collector’s edition (reversed order) DAMN is on his shirt which could indicate his path into damnation and where he becomes cursed.

@hooyadiver1974 4 ай бұрын

i didnt notice that. Thats pretty cool!

@amimistry3869 3 ай бұрын

Omg I didnt notice Tysm this feels like a part of the video more than a comment

@European_broke_batman 3 ай бұрын

49:50

@Bdot_youtube 2 ай бұрын

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t

@hiitsmorgan5431 25 күн бұрын

Weakness = life Wickedness = death We are all sinners but we get to CHOOSE whether we live (weakness) or die (wickedness) FEAR is weakness, we are scared of things. Realizing your wickedness is being vulnerable, which is weakness. Finding GOD means FEARING God. If we find GOD, we get rid of LUST, PRIDE, and FEAR. We learn to be LOYAL, HUMBLE, and LOVING. By choosing weakness we live. PRIDE and LUST are both forms of wickedness. By choosing to stay in our own ELEMENT and not finding God, we die not necessarily physically but spiritually. Matter of fact, we will face a punishment worse than death, being eternally DAMNED by GOD. By choosing wickedness we die. Moral of the album: Find God, and do it right now.

@daughterofzion7297 17 күн бұрын

🎯💯

@daughterofzion7297 17 күн бұрын

Sub out the title GOD for His actual name YAH.. take head to the message in there from cousin Carl, read the book of Deuteronomy (Blessings & Curses) Wow truly amazing #CHOOSELIFE

@YoJayvon Ай бұрын

dont see drake making albums like this

@jakeandrew333 29 күн бұрын

honestly never mind

@YoJayvon 29 күн бұрын

@@jakeandrew333 that album and reference was ass

@jakeandrew333 28 күн бұрын

@@YoJayvon buddy got trolled🤝🙏 lmaooo

@YoJayvon 28 күн бұрын

@@jakeandrew333 sometime you gotta fall for the trolls to get into a diddy party

@SENATAH 28 күн бұрын

Kendrick > Drake. But Drake actually dropped "Take Care" & "Nothing was the same" which was a decent album if you like albums like these.

@polarsvoid 6 ай бұрын

Barely 20 minutes in and he's uncovered more than I would've ever imagined by myself. Insane bro, also the animations and works are amazing. Keep it up bro!

@philippoberhauser9866 6 ай бұрын

bro it was so good right?

@R4lka 2 ай бұрын

@@philippoberhauser9866ONGGG, I adore his damn videos, I could’ve never cared less about the meaning of albums but he single-handedly made me so interested

@Skurtz901 Ай бұрын

This shits crazy I’ve listened to this album so many times but I guess I never really understood it😂

@w1u4 5 ай бұрын

Holy shit i never realized how insanely amazing this album is. The reverse twist is phenomenal, and its so impressive that kendrick and his team were able to make this story so cohesive in both directions

@kiamckenz Ай бұрын

this man has perfected his craft and we got weirdos mad about him not consistently dropping.. true art takes time

@nickrag1608 Ай бұрын

the theory that this is a loop is supported too by the premise in fiction going back to even Homer: blind people are the ones that aren’t actually blind. they physically can’t see but what they do see is the truth. the old lady being blind telling Kendrick he’s lost his life is (in the reverse track list) her telling him he’s lost his way without his father’s guidance, which damns him; the blind lady in the original track list is telling him the truth that he’s lost his life because he’s cursed/damned from the start. even though she’s blind she can see Kendrick for who he really is in that moment, but until you listen to the whole album and choose weakness or wickedness for you and him, you can’t see what she sees.

@ZachIGuess69 7 ай бұрын

I’ve always interpreted XXX. As 666. Or hell. Showing that America is now a hellhole, and also referring to one of Kendrick’s main fears in the album

@sadeensada9107 6 ай бұрын

i literally had the same thought

@anshuuu9708 6 ай бұрын

Been thinking the same for years, even in TPAB he keeps referring to that

@chilluxtheduck8023 5 ай бұрын

Perhaps both symbolizing the similarities between USA and 666

@zboy1152 5 ай бұрын

"I don't see Compton, I see something much worse, the land of the landmines, *the hell that's on Earth"* That line from the end of Complexion might fit perfectly with XXX.

@vanessaluna7312 3 ай бұрын

3 characters in the alphabet can mean so much.

@jabraillemorrison7204 4 ай бұрын

I think it’s really important to mention that Rhianna had been dealing with a similar situation. Somebody in her team took money from her / deceived her and Kendrick heard about it. They ended up collaborating on Loyalty cuz they were in very similar places dealing wit dishonesty & being backstabbed in the industry

@48pulkitgupta65 Ай бұрын

and yet in one of the songs, kdot says “i read a case about rihanna’s accountant and wondered, how did the BAD girl feel when she looked at the numbers” wicked ken 😂😭

@jabraillemorrison7204 Ай бұрын

exactly. it wasn’t a slight at Riri. he was doubling down on the fact it happened to her and that it was fucked up.

@Rpl5555 Ай бұрын

@@48pulkitgupta65it’s just a reference to her nickname badgyal riri

@anakinizboring Ай бұрын

I swear, K-Dot's work is like a movie series. He's such a great storyteller. Specifically in this album, he sets up the entire tone with the lines: "Is it WICKEDNESS? Is it WEAKNESS? YOU decide. Are we gonna LIVE? Or DIE?" And it's so well done. I have yet to listen to his other work but yeah, this one's my favourite so far. Thank you for doing this deep dive!

@MontySlython 9 күн бұрын

highly recommend good kid maad city if you like the concrete storytelling, ultimately good kid maad city is meant to be kind of like a movie with skits of his real life interspersed throughout the tracks, it was also absolutely robbed best album at the grammies by macklemore's thrift shop to everyones collective outrage.

@frayfray4496 6 күн бұрын

Bruh. Whole discography needs to be listened to immediately. I'm talking mixtapes and everything.

@KarlMalone_69 Ай бұрын

When I heard pride for the first time I cried especially when he said “a perfect world isn’t perfect just full of lies “chills

@vitorx4 4 ай бұрын

this video is PERFECT. the interpretation, the imagery, the color game, everything builds up to a MASTERPIECE. congratulations brother, you've made ART.

@ADMmachine 2 ай бұрын

saw two words in all caps with a dot at the end and thought they were DAMN. tracks lmao

@mewxtwo Ай бұрын

@@ADMmachine😂 kinda a funny coincidence. That's the amount of power this album holds, I can't ever unsee it now lmao

@tocide Ай бұрын

YOU. Made an art

@itsnick8751 4 ай бұрын

I was eating cheese its while eating this.

@stefanman9063 2 ай бұрын

Me too haha

@wcrq_drift7972 Ай бұрын

Half of it in class, the other half asleep on the bus. Rewatched the whole thing while making a grilled cheese

@Dullskink Ай бұрын

I hope it was good

@kingbred4793 Ай бұрын

Cheese itz are nasty yall can call me weird idgaf

@wcrq_drift7972 Ай бұрын

@@kingbred4793 you're nasty.

@thedashstorm Ай бұрын

Drake could never

@milko0133 3 күн бұрын

drake's ghost writers

@ggguygeek 24 күн бұрын

We NEED a Mr morale version. This is the 3rd time I’m watching this video and I’m amazed every time

@spacepeep4850 2 ай бұрын

I think the blind lady is justice and what she was finding was Kendrick’s fate on whether he chose weakness or wickedness

@philima 9 күн бұрын

Good call!!

@brainoffgaming 7 ай бұрын

I wish i could like this a million times cuz thats how much this deserves. DAMN. Was my fav album but i could never put in to words why, and this video finally answered that for me 🔥🔥🔥

@Chaoticz_official 7 ай бұрын

Same here for everything you said

@jessepowell5750 7 ай бұрын

How does someone else answer why you like an album?

@brainoffgaming 7 ай бұрын

@@jessepowell5750 by describing the reasons why i like it

@juciy8599 Ай бұрын

He won the fucking Pulitzer prize for this album… the first rapper to ever do so and to my knowledge, the first music artist

@cornball0072 Күн бұрын

I think a lot of classical and jazz artists win it, but Kendrick is for sure the first rapper to earn the award

@loganmounts3723 2 ай бұрын

Kendrick at 7, 17, and 27… 777? Angel number

@JorgeHernandez-qw3wy Ай бұрын

Well there is no such thing as angel numbers the Bible never speaks about such things

@LoveWinsItAll Ай бұрын

@JorgeHernandez-qw3wy the bible does speak of the number 7 hundreds of times. The number 7 is completion

@CSalad_ Ай бұрын

@@LoveWinsItAllFair but no mention of angel numbers. Logan has a good point though about the repitition of the 7.

@theunfunnyjokester Ай бұрын

7 is repeated in other places too I think

@tab.x1173 Ай бұрын

7 deadly sins

@doomseekar 5 ай бұрын

the duckworth ending is a representation of kendrick lamar getting shot "die in a gunfi-" and the rewind/reverse is how all your life flashes before your eyes.

@ir0316 3 ай бұрын

No lmao

@badcat7754 3 ай бұрын

Bro Kendrick literally posted a reverse tracklist how does that make sense 😭

@gooddood3857 3 ай бұрын

im not saying youre wrong for having that interpretation on it but comes off like a "this is what it means" grand statement. Art is never one thing

@iamsam-cu9rz 2 ай бұрын

@@gooddood3857this video IS a grand statement

@JackieLombardi 6 ай бұрын

I never understood why people didn't like DAMN. as much as his other albums, personally i think DAMN. is a better album than TPAB even if TPAB is the objectively more culturally significant one. This video really made me realize why I loved this album so much...i never thought this deeply into it even though i spent a lot of time with this album and listening to what Kenny had to say. Thanks so much for your hard work on this ♥

@shaelaputaindrole9625 5 ай бұрын

I'm gonna be honest, I think the main reason why I didn't like it (or rather just not as much as the others) was because I didn't get shit about it. I've always been a big fan but I caught the DAMN train rather late for some reason, so I mostly first experienced the album through the commercial tracks without context and only took the time to listen to it after ; except I didn't necessarly bother to analyze the whole thing because I was bored with the most well known songs already. This video fucking blew my mind and definetely changed my whole percepective on the album. Even when I thought I couldn't underrestimate Kdot I realize I still did.

@BeastscopesCL 5 ай бұрын

I feel like TPAB and GKMC have this reverance that has damaged both DAMN and MMATBS's perceptions almost as though the idea that Kendrick or anyone could ever hit that level is an insult to how good those albums are. To me both of the more recent albums especially MMATBS are on the same level as the earlier two but it will take a long time for that to be an accepted consensus and even then there will be naysayers still being influenced by the respect they have for the earlier two instead of letting the latter two be judged from an uncompromised position

@jqn_001 4 ай бұрын

I did always has the same feeling, I could'nt understand why people say this album is more "commercial". Only because has more mainstream songs that the previous albums didn't mean it isn't DEEP as fk... My favourite album for sure =)

@jamez6398 4 ай бұрын

It's because some people find this album too dark, nihilistic, and hopeless.

@AsTheCrowFlies745 3 ай бұрын

I felt this way before, damn being my favourite from Kendrick. But I feel like though this album is stellar, he does everything he does here so much better on the Mr Morale, tpab and gkmc. It's obviously subjective, but I feel like once you really understand all these albums, damn kind of falls behind.

@mscaine2291 Ай бұрын

Whats crazy about this is whats currently going on with him and Drake. Listening to him explain Damn album makes me feel he is serving his purpose here

@j-slotsfromdabackblockstv8105 Ай бұрын

The fact he he gave drake the choice in battle wickedness or weakness and drake choice wickedness- are you gonna live or die deep

@thezone3967 Ай бұрын

I think the blind lady is actually wisdom because in proverbs 1:20-23 it’s saying that wisdom cries out on the streets for those who want to listen. While in the original order Kendrick goes to seek wisdom and his old self dies showing that he is starting his journey with Christ while in the reverse it’s showing that because of all his wickedness, that Kendrick dies because in Deuteronomy 30:19 it is saying that God has given you a choice to choose from blessings or curses and he has called all on earth and heaven to witness your decisions. But the most important part in that is him saying that if you choose God or “life” as it states, then you and your descendants will live. It also states in the Bible that wisdom is a woman in some way so it would make more sense 1:00:11

@maryamesque Ай бұрын

i love this!!

@themysticalrebirth955 3 ай бұрын

This entire video is beautifully made.

@glitchin2547 7 ай бұрын

genuinely my favorite video I've watched in years, I love your editing, commentary, story telling, everythings so unique and feels so fresh, cant wait to see what you do next brother

@inkyoggy 7 ай бұрын

i agree 100%

@Kcam9608 8 күн бұрын

You’ve done such an amazing job with this deep dive! You took your time. You walked through this journey. I’m sure the hours were exhaustive. I don’t know how in the world you were able to draw all this clarity of Kendrick’s intent out. But, wow! I’d listened to DAMN multiple times and, of course, layers open up each listen. But now…ghastly. KDot is the EAP of our time for sure. After the Drake beef…Euphoria’s “Bells” and his “The Heart” parts now add to my theory.

@gomolemopailane6447 Ай бұрын

Who else is here after the w

@vickyvicky-es4ou Ай бұрын

@kevinmcdonald6979 20 күн бұрын

Me.

@chasewilliamson1449 3 ай бұрын

Man I’m really going to need you to do the rest of Kendrick’s discography after this one

@northcoast1306 7 ай бұрын

Dude, I've been a fan of Kendrick's poetry since GKMC, so i gladly listened to that and TPAB over and over again to get it(and watched a few explanation videos)...but DAMN was a brain teaser. I couldn't understand it for the life of me. And yet, finally, someone did their homework to fully explain (in the best way possible) the entire album (in both ways!!). Thanks a lot for your hard work. 🙏

@NimbusAnimations Ай бұрын

missed the opportunity to name the collectors edition “god damn.”

@IamFirtyDucker Ай бұрын

The theory when it came out was that it’ll be called Nation. To complete the damnation arc

@Rylan1 Ай бұрын

@@IamFirtyDuckerThank you bro you reminded me to do my homework 🙏

@WR3ATH 16 күн бұрын

@@IamFirtyDuckerLowkey reminds me of the Opeth Deliverance+Damnation double album

@Shaynaaa.619 21 күн бұрын

DAMN. Now this was a gooood deepdive‼️...I never realized some of these keypoints and interlinks wow this concept album really shows kendrick's genius mastermind💯 thank you for doing this album breakdown it was really well done.

@BrandoDioDa 6 ай бұрын

This is easily the best breakdown of DAMN I’ve ever heard. Everything from the commentary to the editing and storytelling is one point. I’ve always wondered why I’ve like the dichotomy tracks of LOVE and LUST or PRIDE and HUMBLE.

@damareyontaylor 4 ай бұрын

this just made me realize damn. is one of the greatest works of art in music history. unbelievable. great breakdown

@fragmentshotz9352 Ай бұрын

in FEAR. one thing that always stuck out to me was the way Kendrick says "my new found life made all of me magnified". It almost sounds like he says "Ptolemy". Looking into Ptolemy he has a theory about Earth being the center of the universe which I interpret as either Kendrick being fearful because he believes he is the center of the attention further "magnifying" his fear brought from fame, or a connection to Earthly desires and ways furthering him away from god. Just a thought I had.

@tommyzitko3419 Ай бұрын

this album literally changed my life, i was in a deep depression and listening to kendrick dealing with most of the same issues as a young 19 year old kid lost with no plans he really helped me understand that there is good and evil

@dwdavis6605 7 ай бұрын

I've been trying to understand the conceptual side of damn for so long. This truly is the best breakdown I've seen on this project. I truly am amazed by the work you've put in and ofc kendrick's hehe. Thank you! Love!

@arthurmaranesi7899 6 ай бұрын

holy shit. I started watching this at 3 A.M. thinking "this video has 1 hour, I'm going to watch it to maybe sleep in the middle of it" BUT WHAT???? this video was fucking incredible, man. when I heard this album for the first time, I didn't have any idea that it was *_that_* deep. this video was so amazingly written and edited that it made my comprehend the album so much better. never stop making videos, man. you got a new _loyal_ sub. *damn.*

@ahuman2398 24 күн бұрын

1:01:52 it's implied that the lady is Lady Justice.. because justice is blind. Kendrick is being held to justice for his wickedness and therefore loses his life

@maxwright9449 15 күн бұрын

Please do his other albums omg 😭💖 This was such a delight to watch!

@anthonyavina7441 7 күн бұрын

I think the blind woman could be the reaper. At least I picture it as such. Looks like a frail old woman covered up and the scythe is her white cain

@ScylenoMido 7 ай бұрын

This is like my first time commenting in a long time, perhaps since 5 years ago. I gotta say, while watching this at 3 in the morning, this has to be the BEST breakdown of an album I have EVER seen. Without even mentioning the quality of the editing or tone of the video, it’s fucking amazing. Keep it going man, this was an incredible watch.

@walter7005 Ай бұрын

I got a light on kendrick from the rap beef and now I know why he is the big him. holy I sat through all this I never realized how music can actually portray horror until now.

@justalffie 22 күн бұрын

Basically DAMN is musical TENET .. I love this album and somehow listening to this breakdown makes me think i love just 1 idea of the album .. great work!!

@pootyjay69 4 ай бұрын

Kendrick is one of my top listened to artists on Spotify and this album has been one I constantly go back to since it came out and the reverse order track list BLEW MY MIND

@brandon6090 20 күн бұрын

The blind lady can represent the Lady of Justice

@noahberry7497 22 күн бұрын

I wrote a 5 page essay on this in hs in journalism. I stated that 5 pages wasn't enough. great vid

@fazemialege5427 Ай бұрын

might be the best video i’ve seen

@SonaLovesick Ай бұрын

There's a wickedness. There's a weakness. You decide. Are we gonna live, or die.

@SonaLovesick Ай бұрын

he explains the premise in the first line

@oneizzyjones Ай бұрын

So clear why he was given a Pulitzer for this album

@realaceyt 9 күн бұрын

you should do a deep dive into mr morale and the big steppers

@hugoribeiro3236 7 ай бұрын

yo usually i dont even comment on vids and shit but allow me to tell you this video is amazing. The visuals, the way you explain it, the overall attention to detail is what makes this video so entertaning and complete. really hope u keep going dude, u killed it.

@WhaleFuego 2 ай бұрын

To keep it real nobody albums gets broken down more than Kendrick Lamar...even after all these years to me he is the greatest you really cant compare him to Drake or J.Cole...

@royr5925 25 күн бұрын

The Blind Lady could also be a metaphor for Lady Justice. Blindfolded holding two scales that are supposed to be balanced. Unfortunately as we know they are not.

@shreya18364 10 күн бұрын

I just found your channel and this video. I really love kendricks music even though I'm not christian (i'm hindu) but his music really keeps me in check how complex our minds are. I truly can't describe the experience of first listening this album back then bc even though there's a "storyline", everyone has an individual interpretation of it and I'm really suprised how similar I interpreted it back then compared to your video. I really enjoyed watching your video, thank you so much! I truly hope you keep doing videos you enjoy bc the viewers can really feel how much passion you put in these kind of videos! Also love from Germany :) (sorry for my bad english, i just had to comment)

@Shikkhito-Chhotolok 7 күн бұрын

I'm hindu too.

@enzomartino2038 2 ай бұрын

I think the interpretation for BLOOD. in the reverse order is that she says he's lost his life and a replay of the gunfire that killed his father rings in his head as he recognizes that he's lost his true self, his life, in the path that he's chosen.

@zverobes 5 ай бұрын

Bro, this is one of the greatest video essays I've ever seen. Though I knew the twist about the reverse story, you still made me watch the whole video with so much satisfaction. You gave me goosebumps with the structure, the montage, the storytelling. Great job, bro!! Thanks a lot!!

@monokey2059 Ай бұрын

What an amazing breakdown. You must have sat and dwelled on this albums for hours man 😭 we appreciate your work.

@poppy3072 13 күн бұрын

Bro this was such a great video. I still can’t believe I was listening to this album the whole time without realizing the full story

@TheFuckingKrayz 6 ай бұрын

First of all, i want to say that this was an amazing video. Script, editing, everything. That said, i have a different take on what the story on BLOOD. is, and by extension the nature of the 2 versions of Kendrick. I believe that the 2 Kendricks are connected, and pretty much the same person. You see, in blood, we see a kendrick that is loving, he sees a grandma and goes to help her. That is in character with the weak Kendrick. The grandma, we see a character that is lost and blind. That is in line with wicked kendrick, who has been blinded by sin and lost his path to salvation. That said, their physical characteristics don't match this traits. The physically weak one(grandma) has the spirtual characteristics of the wicked one. To me this tells me that they are the same person. Both people are half of what each of the kendricks represent. That said, i do think that they have one connection to each version respectfully. The grandma has lived a long life, so if in kendrick terms, she survived. She is the kendrick who loved. Kendrick, in BLOOD. is the wicked kendrick, dying at a young age in some sort of gang conflict. Here we see too lives. One, where a person lives a long life, who turned to love and god. A person with some sort of legacy. The other is one of a person who was misguided, lost in a forest of sin and only getting deeper into the woods. Dying in a gang affiliation, too young to have his legacy, only to be forgotten. The first chose love. The first one simply got killed in the crossfire. The second chose pride. And it was the death of him.

@hughjass-zj1pw 3 ай бұрын

I think there's something to be said about the blind grandma being lady justice, as she fits the description. At this point in the story of Damn both normal and reverse Kendrick has lost God and is worthy of damnation, and blood is just a track showing that Kendrick is Worthy of damnation at that point of the album.

@TheFuckingKrayz 3 ай бұрын

@@hughjass-zj1pw oh my god I've been leaving my lengthy opinions on old video essays for like years and this is like the first time anyone has responded!!!! Also, yes, that's a really good way too look at it

@scareddog6163 2 ай бұрын

That actually really makes sense. In addition, their physical manifestations could reflect their personalities. So the grandma, being the more wicked one, is more physically weak since wickedness (in the context of the album) leads to worse results. Kendrick, being the weaker one, is stronger physically since weakness is associated with salvation and better results (in the context of the album).

@julianaj2093 7 ай бұрын

Thank you for making this… I’m 30 and went through my 20s with the emergence of Kendrick Lamar… this made me appreciate this body of work infinitely more.

@greyscale2023 Ай бұрын

note how the age of 27 is also referring to the 27 club. kendrick is afraid that he could potentially join that club because if how unusually talented he is.

@greyscale2023 Ай бұрын

in FEAR.

@greyscale2023 Ай бұрын

because of*

@hudsonbartlett2303 9 күн бұрын

This is physically hard to write after watching that whole vid from start to finish but Kendrick has been my favourite artist for ever and I saw this album live but never understood the true meaning and hidden messages behind each song and when I tell u this vid made me cry because of how beautiful it all was…….. you’ve changed my life. My theory for who the lady was is Lucy (lucifer) who is mentioned on tpab. You’ve made me a very happy man watching this video I hope you know I’m crying tears of joy while writing this

@borisbozhilov5952 7 ай бұрын

I was so confused by this album, because I knew there was something more to it. That video solved it all. Such an amazing perspective of this album. Thank you :)

@edjones4188 5 ай бұрын

this is my all-time favorite album. i've been listening to it off and on for the past few years, and loved every bit of it. awesome video, my man. love to find new perspectives

@angrybirdsblanket9998 19 күн бұрын

first started listening to kendrick because of the drama, then went on to play his other albums, with damn probably being one of my favourite bodies of work ive heard in a while. you sir just made that appreciation of it better, youve earned a sub

@ianphilip9256 10 күн бұрын

32:30 the kendrick and drake beef literally pictured that aspect of drake disrespecting kendricks family and furthermore the death of drake from kendricks disstracks 💀💀💀

@daneking3235 7 ай бұрын

I’m going to be honest at first I was like "I doubt some guy who discovers rap music in 2017 will have any thing interesting to say about this amazing album" but then you blowed my mind on how well this video was written and edited. You even thought me about the two different path of the album I always thought it was just about how Kendrick picked the wickness path and that’s it wow I can only tell you how impressed I am

@BobbyBarmint0n 7 ай бұрын

Dude, I never thought that Tyler video could be topped, yet this is absolutely magnificent. Great video!

@PDUMBASS- 12 күн бұрын

1:05:01 such a GOOD way to end off the video

@NickSyra 28 күн бұрын

This is the video that got me into kendrick, now i have listened to his whole discography, thank u

@colorfulfeathersbird 7 ай бұрын

this is probably the best and most well made analysis of music ive ever seen on youtube, especially with all the graphics. would love to see you cover more works!

@avengersendgame-ne3vo 2 ай бұрын

when the vid so good you just stand there like,DAMN.

@connorrocketleague6796 8 күн бұрын

this album would be the greatest father’s day present ever

@Fiskket 7 күн бұрын

how is it a father’s day gift

@connorrocketleague6796 7 күн бұрын

@@Fiskket basically saying that without his dad alive he would live a wicked life and end up dying. Long story short he said without my dad i would be dead

@ryancarona4199 Ай бұрын

This album hits different when you enter your 30s. I always come back to this album when I’m stressed out about things. He went more deep in Mr. Moral and the big steppers. hard subjects to talk about let alone make a song about them.