The Untitled Post

Kendrick Lamar's new album is definitely something to chew on

One of the key lyrical themes in Kendrick Lamar's new album/mixtape/whatever you want to call it is the Gemini. It's a zodiac sign envisioned by a pair of twins. They have a yin and yang quality to them, and they pull each other apart just as much as they can work together. That duality has been a theme for Kendrick before (think the songs "u" and "i" in To Pimp a Butterfly), but never before has an entire album of his been pushing in two different directions like this. While of course trying to maintain his popular appeal, Kendrick has presented a challenge to his audience like no rapper has before.

Most popular music is meant to go down smooth. It's supposed to be a sweet, simple, and an untroubling experience. This is not the look Kendrick Lamar is going for anymore. It was easy enough to pick up on that throughout sections of To Pimp a Butterfly, and now with his new Untitled Unmastered album, it's screaming at us right in the face. We're not meant to digest this piece by piece, or song by song. In Kendrick's eyes, this can only be consumed as an album in its entirety. It's why none of the songs have a title either, except in reference to dates, which at this point have unknown significance. You can't view this as a collection of songs with two or three singles mixed in for good measure, no matter how hard you try.

Wearing the official crown of King Kunta here

If anything it's better to view this work as a trippy jazz symphony that happens to have a few of Kendrick's dope verses mixed in. Rather than stand out above a beat as most rappers choose to do, he's perfectly comfortable blending in as another instrument in the orchestra. There are multiple stretches of more than 30 seconds in which you won't hear Kendrick's voice at all. In a genre of music that's so heavily based on ego, it's a breath of fresh air to hear someone truly blend into the music surrounding him.

But Kendrick's decision presents as many challenges as rewards. I won't mince words: this can be a difficult listen. There's tonal dissonance, rhythmic uncertainty, outlandish interludes, and no semblance of a chorus almost anywhere in the album. I know I can be a glaring exception, but for the average listener, music is not an active experience. It's part of the background as they drive, exercise, cook, or whatever other very important activity he or she has planned for that day. But by making such a complicated album, Kendrick has essentially required his audience to consume this more directly.

It's an interesting gamble by him. He's betting that, at such a young age, he's built up enough clout both with listeners and within the industry to do something like this. Not many musicians garner people's collective attention like that. And in our ADHD-riddled narcissistic culture, the number who do continues to decrease. But Kendrick doesn't need jams to keep himself in the national conversation. As long as he continues dropping jaws and making lots of rich white people uncomfortable with performances like he had at the Grammys, he'll keep himself firmly planted in the rap game.

The set exuded and oozed black culture. It was phenomenally bold, brash, and honest. He's the best representation of what black people think about the "post-racial society" that some people are foolish enough to think we still live in. Check out how this panel talks about his performance on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. They all seem to understand the risks too, that Kendrick might alienate some fans along the way. But in pursuit of the truth, they all believe he's reached an artistic high point. Put it all together, and we have some a good clues that we should've expected an album like this coming. Kendrick Lamar has to take these kinds of chances, otherwise he's not Kendrick Lamar.

Once you get past all the musical interludes and breaks in form, this album is just as impressive--if not more impressive--than any of Kendrick Lamar's previous work. One aspect of his yin-yang ethos has always been mixing combative lyrics with incredibly chilled out beats. He's been doing it all the way back since "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe." He takes that idea up to the Nth degree here. On the surface, every album is kick-your-shoes-up relaxing. But add in the lyrics, and you end up confused and frustrated. You wonder how a guy who sounds that relaxed can possibly believe that "hate is the answer."

I don't know exactly how I feel about Untitled Unmastered, but I definitely appreciate how complex it is. I've listened to it straight through four times now, and I still can't figure our how I feel about it. That in and of itself is an incredible accomplishment. In the era of microwave-instant hot takes, it's really nice to have my opinion cooking slowly like it's in a Crock-Pot. I can't guarantee you'll like Kendrick Lamar's new album, but it's definitely worth your attention. You'll probably channel the Gemini's spirit, and wind up hating and loving it all at once.