Review: Kendrick Lamar - The Heart Part 5
Kendrick Lamar is one of America's most acclaimed and successful rappers. His hip-hop tracks are often experimental, driven by social commentary and genre-bending songs. Not a lot of it is for me, often due to his hooks being somewhat average, but I can appreciate his status as an artist.
The Heart Part 5 is the fifth song in his 'Heart' series and a pre-release single for his upcoming album which should be released by the time I publish this review. It details the current day issues of African Americans, from African-on-African violence, economic issues, and the situations of the hood. This is shown through the perspectives of various famous African American figures, along with Kendrick Lamar. The song sees Lamar eventually acknowledge that though he may not be able to change everything on his own, he is going to do his best till the end of his days. It is truly a beautiful arc, with the final verse being a highlight.
Performance-wise, Kendrick does his best. It is not quite emotional, but Kendrick is quite great in simple rapping. The song never finds a refrain to compete with the likes of All the Stars or Alright, but the omnipresent Marvin Gaye sample is an inventive choice that works incredibly. The Tabla beat is quite an inspired choice, melding well with the organic sound of this track.
While far from perfect, The Heart Part 5 is a solid new track in Kendrick's discography and raises expectations for his upcoming LP.
I usually do not listen much of Rap songs, but since you wrote about Kendric Lamar, I will check it out.
ReplyDeleteVery diverse music to choose from. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
DeleteLamar has some great songs, I'd suggest Alright, All the Stars, Wesley's Theory, and the recent N95 as some highlights of his. He does swear a lot, so I personally find clean versions lol.