Rocker Reacts to 'DAMN.' 

Can’t come down for dinner mom, bob posted

The 3 verses on FEAR are about his fears through his life 1st verse: Fears at age 7 2nd verse: Fears at age 17 3rd verse: Fears at age 27

The punchline to DUCKWORTH gets me EVERY time. It's even crazier that Kendrick saved that story for so long.

i still get chills every time BLOOD. finishes and goes right into DNA.

in the black community there’s a dynamic where usually the grandmother is the “prayer warrior” in the family, hence “ain’t nobody praying for me”

FEEL. is one of Kendrick’s most underrated songs

Turning tables and now Bob, perfect timing

I was introduced to Kendrick Lamar in the 10th grade to "DNA.", my creative writing teacher played it and used it to explain Iambic Pentameter. Which, is how each line is 10 syllables alternating from stressed and unstressed. Which is also how Shakespeare wrote some of his plays.

I've joked previously about how introspective you are about the seemingly mundane, but your ability to really reflect on your true self, is really moving man. It takes a lot to do so and just really appreciate it enough to comment. Keep crushing it brother.

Kendrick actually rapped the 2nd verse of DNA to just a metronome and the beat was made around his voice. I always thought that was pretty cool...

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but that second verse on DNA was recorded a capella and mike will built the beat around the verse which is crazy to think about!

The Beat switch on DNA is still the hardest I've ever heard and Kendrick's aggressive flow just takes it to whole another level.

The way Duckworth shows the audience how blessed we can all be by just being here, the amount of coincidences it took just to be born… this paired with BLOOD. And it’s ability to convey the coming of death/ fleeting of life on a metaphoric and realistic level is so flabbergasting. The duality between these 2 songs is the best I’ve ever heard

To fully grasp how great this project is, is to listen to it from the perspective of what was going on when it was released. Kendrick released TPAB in early 2015. Critics loved it, it was nominated for 11 Grammys etc. but what it didn’t have is the full respect from the streets and rap fans. Coming off of GKMC, the pressure was on, and in time, we’d all understand the masterpiece TPAB was, but we didn’t at first (a lot of us). And so between 2015-2017 (when DAMN. was eventually released) Drake had rose to new levels of fame and had released 3 projects in that time. Everyone called him the GOAT, it was all eyes on Drake. Kendrick being who he is, kept his mouth shut, while everyone said well Kendrick can write but he’s boring, while Drake makes music that can be played anywhere, anytime. So when Kendrick released a single, The Heart PT. 4 (not included on the album) with lines like “My fans can't wait for me to son ya punk ass and crush your whole lil shit. I'll Big Pun ya punk ass, you a scared little bitch Tiptoein' around my name, ya lame And when I get at you, homie, don't you just tell me you was just playin'” over a trap beat… people really got hyped. And everyone knew exactly who it was directed at. But would the album reflect that sound?! Kendrick was fed up with the criticism, and basically set out to make all the generic sounding radio music that’s played everywhere, but with the idea that it would be the best radio music you’ve heard, period. And speaking from 2017, it absolutely was. Tracks like DNA. , Element, Loyalty, Humble, Love, and especially GOD. , are all radio hits. And most of them ironically became radio hits when the idea was to mimic the industry. I could go on for a while about why it’s directed at Drake, I’m sure any of you could just Google them! But DAMN.‘s replay value is what makes it truly special as well.

Thank you for talking about off-base misconceptions you held a year ago as a result of media distortion. We need more people on platforms to speak openly about changing minds and opinions, particularly from exposure to new ideas/art.

XXX. is my favorite song on the album. The irony of him going to a speak at a convention to kids about gun control after rapping about shooting someone, going as far as to kill the person leaving church service, and feeling no remorse is beautiful.

smoking a bowl and watching this whole video twice

"I'll prolly die 'cause that's what you do when you're 17" is such a powerful and sad line, always gets me

The greatest rapper came from coincidence. That story always blows my mind.

FINALLY! XXX, FEAR, and DUCKWORTH are such good tracks and some of my favorites. hope you enjoy this record Bob!

For FEAR , his actual first bar was , "I beat yo ass , keep talking back" which came after the backwards segment , such creativity

This album is Kendrick moving in a slightly abstract/ experimental direction while also leaning into mainstream sounds more than ever. The best thing about this album in my opinion is it’s mystique. The 2 albums before it were pretty straightforward (concept wise) but this one of is very much open ended and makes you put the pieces together. Sorta like a watered down “Tetsuo& Youth” (album by Lupe Fiasco). Regardless, the music and lyrics are still as strong as ever and Kendrick delivers some of his most popular songs to date. Also the “HUMBLE.” music video is a MUST. Stop reading this comment and watch it now lol.

One of my favorite lines in Humble is “Watch my soul speak, you let the meds talk” it’s a great diss to rappers that reference and rely on drug use to get their point across whereas Kendrick is portraying real shit that weighs on him. So good!!

This album has a HUGE theme of duality it’s most noticeable on pride to Humble On a lot of the tracks he’s just speaking his mind and that’s why I think it’s called DAMN like he himself is like “DAMN”

you real af for that speech about changing your perspective during DNA. You're a dope dude Bob, and I'm glad I found your channel.

In my personal opinion this is Kendrick’s most personal and complex album to date. The concept is so intresting to me and the album sort of gives me an end of the world type vibe when I listened to it. Even the cover alone just evokes that feeling. It’s my favorite Kendrick album and the one I’ve listened to the most (next to GKMC). Also crazy how you and Turning the Tables reacted to this on the same day lol.

Easily my favorite reaction of yours. I've listened to this album so much over the last few years, and you just gave me an entirely new perspective on it & made me realize many things about the lyrics that I'd never picked up on before. Thank you for all your insights and all the work you put into these reactions Bob!

I love how much care you have with your reactions. You dissect it and feel it and your responses are thoughtful. Thank you!

I love this album and in relistening along with this video, I found my new favorite line of the album. In the chorus for 'LUST.' Kendrick says 'Too close TO comfort.' Not for comfort but to comfort, implying he's surrounded by many things that give him joy and comfort but are not actually good for him.

Not sure how i came across this channel but i love watching reactions especially to people outside the “rap world” this guy seriously takes time and breaks down the lyrics! Greatest videos i’ve found in weeks keep it up 👍🏾

This chanel has grown so fast its crazy congrats mr bob

This is one of my favorites from your channel. I really love how you dove in and got so into it.

LETS GOOO SO HYPED TO WATCH THIS MAN. u know you’re doing well when you’ve got fans that really look forward to watching your videos. Keep it up Bob 🔥

THANK YOU for speaking on the song ‘PRIDE’. your commentary on the song is something i’ve dealt with heavily in my past. constantly beating myself to make sure i remained humble honestly made my self esteem worse. i felt like i wasn’t worthy enough to proud of any of my accomplishments. not to disrespect anyones religion but when i was a self identified christian, just like kendrick said ‘we ain’t shit, but he’s been perfect’, i never allowed myself to feel happy and self deprecate a lot. it was really just a bi product, idk how to explain it better. but yes i agree. you SHOULDNT be hard on yourself for doing your best, you’re not perfect but all we can do is try.

you shouldn't worry about being entertaining, we love your videos for your genuine reactions!

13:00 Takes a lot to be honest about that Bob cause not a lot of ppl are. It's not about the person you were a year ago and the fact that your perspective has changed shows so much about how much you put into these reactions, you as a person, and the reason thousands watch.

Im loving the honesty in your ramblings man really something that most would probably not talk about. Keep up the great work man!

LUST. is amazingly eerie

props to you for being honest man, such a genuine dude and watching you analyze these lyrics makes my night

I love your videos because I always “hear” an album first and then you help me dive deeper into the lyrics

Kung Fu Kenny is a reference to a character Don Cheadle played in Rush Hour movie. It’s the reason Don Cheadle is in the DNA music video.

in my opinion your "rants" aren't pointless. they are my favorite parts of the vids 😃

I think there’s this weird thing with Kendrick where it’s like we expect every song to have the answers to the universe in it. LOVE. may just be a love song, but it’s so endearing and I think it’s a shame that we can’t idk just appreciate that that’s all it really is

Hey man I truly appreciate you going on this journey. I’m a big advocate of not worrying about the lyrics so much on first listen. Just vibe and catch what you can by yourself. Lyrics are important but not any more important than the rappers voice/cadence/flow or the beat. The feel of the song is what’s most important. Understanding the lyrics is a treat with multiple listens imo.

We’re all here to see your reaction to the drop on DNAs second verse. I would do anything to hear that again for the first time.

duckworth is seriously the best song ive ever heard! A master class in story telling!

The big meta meme with this album is to listen in reverse. I won't say how legit/bullshit I think it actually is, but its an officially endorsed and encouraged thing to do if you want to try that at all.

Love the way you dig into the lyrics, keep it up man!

DAMN. is the most accessible and catchiest album, but it also doesn’t abandon his conscious themes. Also, you and Kevin from TTT had the same reaction to U2 being on the album 😭

The black panther soundtrack is absolutely worth reacting to as well. It is basically his most recent album

Don’t really think it’s boring when you make a long video really tearing into the lyrics. Helps me to better understand from a new perspective🤷🏻‍♂️

So I'm just going to do a quick analysis of this album based on my feelings about the themes, after seeing your reaction. So on the tracks FEAR and GOD you have, in my view, kind of perfectly encapsulated the conclusions drawn in this album if and only if you listen to it in its originally released order. Kendrick would later release a "Collector's Edition" of DAMN. that was identical to this version, except for the fact that the track order was reversed and the cover was changed. Taken together with the many reversed portions of this album, this is a clue that the album is meant to be understood both forwards and backwards, and in my opinion, both versions of the album ask the same question and then answer it in different ways. The question is articulated near the beginning of both versions in the phrase "wickedness or weakness?" And throughout the album, Kendrick explores both sides of this dichotomy. We can sort of describe what he means by "wickedness" as the anger and violence present in his Compton upbringing, but also the relentless pursuit of success, fame, and pleasure that he describes in "Humble" and "Lust." Meanwhile, "weakness" could be described as faith, but also fear: of losing success or being judged by God. It's apparent to me, based on the fact that Kendrick has never asserted which version of the album is definitive, that he doesn't intend for this question to have a definitive answer, and instead is inviting the listener to consider both versions of the album to come to their own conclusions about this dichotomy -- will you choose wickedness or weakness? Is there some third, better way to synthesize the two? Let's quickly break down the story of the album, in both the original and reverse order, to see what's going on. In the original version, the "weakness version," we hear Kendrick get shot and killed at the beginning of the album. Then, in a flashback, Kendrick recalls the choices that led him to this point: choices that are encapsulated in song titles. BLOOD is contrasted with DNA -- in BLOOD, Kendrick chooses to help a blind woman, perhaps a representation of the justice system, which could be seen as an act of weakness, whereas in DNA, Kendrick blasts his critics and engages in self-aggrandizement. Likewise, PRIDE is contrasted with HUMBLE, LOVE with LUST, and maybe even YAH with GOD, although the connection between the two is dubious in my view. XXX also contains an internal debate between two halves: Kendrick's violent tendencies in the first and his conscious messaging in the second. We can sort of see which side of the debate Kendrick falls on in each version of the album by seeing which track comes second. For example, in the original order of listening, Kendrick experiences selfish feelings of LUST, before asking "Love or Lust?" and rejecting LUST in favor of selfless LOVE -- perhaps a weak decision, but an admirable one. In the original arc of the album, Kendrick goes from choosing the self-actualization of DNA and the pride expressed in HUMBLE to choosing LOVE over LUST, FEAR-ing God, and, in XXX, experiencing tendencies of violence, but rejecting them in favor of social consciousness. He reflects on how his career as a rapper came from coincidence, and then, the flashback ends and he is shot and killed by the woman. The other version of the album essentially follows the opposite arc; Kendrick begins by reflecting on how his career as a rapper only came from coincidence, and fears that GOD might take it away from him, spurred on by the apocalyptic messaging of his cousin Carl on FEAR. He lives his life according to this, at first; expressing socially conscious messaging despite his thoughts of violence on XXX, but eventually, gives in to selfish living and chooses LUST over LOVE. However, this leads to him having a bit of a breakdown in the track FEEL. His insecurities return, and he can't entirely commit to the path of "wickedness," leading him to get shot by the blind woman when he selflessly tries to help her. This is a bit of a wall of text now, but it's important to ask what conclusions can be drawn from all of this. In both versions of the album, Kendrick dies in the end, as a result primarily of weakness. If the blind woman is representative of the justice system -- we often think of Justice as being blind, so that's what I fell she's meant to represent -- Kendrick's attempting to help her could be seen as a betrayal of his political ideology, an instance of him kowtowing to or attempting to appease authority. But likewise, in both versions of the album, Kendrick is crippled by guilt or the fear of God -- in the songs FEEL and FEAR, which are parallels to each other in a lot of ways. It seems that Kendrick might be trying to express the idea that whatever he chooses, wickedness or weakness, the outcome is negative: he will struggle with depression and eventually, perhaps, get killed. This, in my eyes, is why the album is called DAMN: it's a Damned if you do, Damned if you don't situation for Kendrick, whose celebrity has essentially trapped him between a rock -- God -- and a hard place -- the relational and internal consequences of living selfishly. What, then, is he meant to do? And for that matter, what is the listener supposed to do, if we experience this same pressure on a smaller scale? Kendrick doesn't offer any answers. This is a very postmodern album in that sense; unlike GKMC or TPAB, which tell more straightforward narratives with clear frames and even clear answers in many cases, DAMN invites you to consider its central questions and draw your own conclusions, which is why I personally like it so much.

PRIDE is such a beautiful song

Always love your reactions Bob. Can't wait for your reaction to XXX by Danny Brown.

It’s refreshing to see people experience things you like for the first time. Especially when that person has an appreciation for not only the sound but what is being said as well

It was a bit different and shocking when Kendrick followed up the really detailed, jazzy production on TPAB with the really stripped back boom-bap production on Damn. Some people thought he took a step back quality wise, but I really think it was an intelligent artistic choice. It fits so much with the message of what he's trying to say on these songs. Also, the reaction you had on the beat change on DNA was shared by almost everyone who heard it. It is probably one of the most exciting developments in any song he's ever done, and it would not have fit in on TPAB.

I posted this in the discord but decided to repost it here for those wondering about the significance of the cover art: Thanks for the shoutout Bob! Here’s my interpretation on the cover and how it relates to the album, since I think DAMN has a really underappreciated and brilliant album art I thought I would highlight it for you, because I do think it adds to the overall experience. First of all, the font choice on the title is the same font as TIME magazine uses, and it is a common pop culture imagery to have the “M” of TIME be the devil’s horns on the head of whoever is on the cover. Kendrick awkwardly bending into the position for that, plus the album title “DAMN” indicates an overall theme and imagery of sins and suffering, as reflected in many of the song titles across the back side of the album. It is of my opinion that Kendrick forcing himself into the position of the devil on the cover is indicative of what he has done to himself over his life and career, he is the celebrity on the cover, Kendrick has BECOME Lucy, and he did it to himself. “It was always me vs the world Until I found it's me vs me” Obviously there are lots of themes across the album, and this is more of a visual analysis than a musical one, but I think that artists sometimes put a lot of effort into their covers, and its worth talking about such great art so that we might keep getting great iconic album covers in the future! You may or may not have seen at the time, but there were tons of memes and variations of the DAMN covers going around when the album came out, they were super funny. The same thing happened with the PABLO cover, and this kind of thing happens a lot when albums have well thought out, and fitting cover art. Anyways, amazing video, this was definitely one of your best videos to date, right up there for me with the noname reaction. Your literary analysis skills are getting better and better, especially as you learn more and more about the culture, and I’m glad your REALLY starting to appreciate the sound choices and production style of hip hop! Lastly, you said some super real shit on this video, that couldn’t have been easy stuff to admit. Respect, and this is why we love hip hop in the first place, it helps wake people the fuck up, and makes the world a better place.

This album is a biblical reference in itself. I know you said you’re not a super religious person, but if I’m not mistaken(there’s a lot of characters in the Bible) Judas or Jonah. The oremice of the story is god is calling him and he keeps rejecting the call even though he wants to answer, but it’s not in his dna (money, bitches, etc is though). Specifically on yah where he says “radar just buzzin” is him ignoring the call. There’s mad details I left out but it’s a lot to type fr 😂

I love and respect your mind and heart brother. I can recognize the effort you put in to understand the world and other people that allows you to see things the way you do.

truly the greatest. every time I listen to any of his songs I pick up more details and piece together things. rhythm and poetry. can't wait for his next album

On ELEMENT, all my grandmothers are dead is simply no one is praying for him. Usually, the Grandmas in the hood are the most religious and pray for your safety. He doesn't have one so he's going to go extra hard to stay alive.

Your greatest reaction to date in my opinion. Loved your analysis throughout.

Gotta watch the videos for this album! They’re so well done. Especially Element, it has excellent visuals that pair so well with music

Dude props to you for mentioning what you would have thought a year ago and for taking the chance on rap and hip hop anyways and now here you are. New to the channel but enjoying it.

The Spotify dissect podcast really does a crazy job about breaking down all of the biblical metaphors in the album. My favorite kendrick album by far

Loved your take on Geraldo's quote in DNA & the media in general

your explanation after dna is probably the realest thing i have heard from any person on youtube. your reviews are amazing. I was a rockhead from age 3-15, then rap 15-30(cuurent). love both, but i love rap. so good. and i love your open minded perspective and analysis

It’s really fuckin cool to hear you say how much your perspective about hip hop has changed since you started this channel, like what you mention on 13:20, keep up man i don’t skip a single video

Great to see you take this in and process it openly as well as how it may relate to you or what you are aware of. As far as ELEMENT. to hear DJ Clue bring in a track was a nostalgic moment. That similar intro has been all over some iconic hip hop pieces. Tam's i s a burger/diner chain out here in Southern Cali. They even featured it in as a part of the Super Bowl half time show stage. There is a different story to the 10 freeway receipt topic but I'm not going to speak on that. lol

"Feel" hits your soul

Love the channel growth, great reaction want to see more Kendrick and other lyrical rappers

It's a plus when you check your own prejudices on a regular basis and challenge them to see if they hold up to scrutiny.

You and turning the tables both dropped reactions to this album same day. W

I personally didn’t mind the deep dive into lyrics. Loved this album when it came out five years ago and currently do. Glad to see you enjoyed it. My favorite tracks would probably be FEEL, DUCKWORTH, and XXX

you're amazing bro always learn new things about my fav albums watching you.

I just found you, and this is my second video (just watched you and your wife react to Lemonade. You should totally watch the visual too!). The introspection and self-reflection you had at the end of DNA regarding your own biases and misconceptions made me immediately appreciate and respect you. ❤ Instant subscribe and I look forward to watching more!

I really recommend “The Infamous” by Mobb Deep, one of the best old school albums

Lust for sum reason is one of the songs that really get to me. I’ve been in that cycle of wake up, watch sum shit, go to work, sex, drugs, alcohol , complain about people, go back to sleep, repeat. I think he talks about people just wanting to live in comfort, do the same shit that gives them a lil dopamine seratonin boost and just going thru life instead of really experiencing what life is. It’s like sedation and short term treatment of the real issues in life. Instead of really facing those issues and trynna fix em, you put them aside and do little things that bring you quick comfort or joy. It’s complacency. Because wanting sex and money and drugs are things we all experience, and they can be pretty simple fixes that we know how to get. It gives us that feeling that we’re doing things for ourselves, but we’re really not. We’re just feeding into our lust and greed. It’s a false feeling of satisfaction and joy. Kendrick wants people to realize that this cycle of behaviors doesn’t do shit for our soul n spirit, or help us grow. N it’s honestly a sick cycle to be in and it’s hard to get out of because it’s so comfortable. But at the end of the day, u still gonna have these issues in ur life u gotta deal with.

Love your reaction to DNA when the second verse hits! It’s great to see you appreciate when Kendrick changes his flow

I love reaction videos on music like this, as I thought I knew this album through and through - I didn't think I'd learn anything from this, feels nice to be wrong...amazing. I love your takes, your honesty and vulnerability as you work it all out. Bravo, sub'd.

I really loved your interpretation of feel., the idea of a kendrick dealing with the void of a relationship he's left with after all his grandmas passed. I had never thought of the verse in that way, but I like the idea a lot, it makes the emotion of the song more intimate and approachably familiar. Maybe it's because my grandma's got dementia and getting older but I teared up a bit at the end. I've also had a fair sum of edibles tonight so that could be a factor as well.

Be sure to listen to the deluxe edition of this album. It’s the same tracks but in exact opposite order, which Kendrick said was intentional. Listened to the regular way presents the story in one light, but played in reverse gives the story a different setup. Kinda a cool idea for a “deluxe” version That’s also why there’s all the reversal stuff at the end and the line from Kid Capri’s intro on Duckworth about doing it all in reverse. The sequencing in reverse changes how the story of the album comes across

It’s already 3 months ago but, i watch all your reaction videos from start to finish because i really like the way you think and how you explain your thoughts!

Lets Go! Been waiting on this one 🔥

you and turning the tables reacting to damn on the same day is a miracle

Fun fact. If you listen to the album from start to finish it tells a completely different story then if you listen to it from end to beginning

Thank you Bob the Poppop formaking these videos.

i was just watching reaction videos of DAMN on youtube and i wanted you to do a reaction on it today,And you did!

I know you likely won't have the time to slot this album in before the new one releases, but make sure you don't miss Untitled Unmastered. While it may not have one large narrative throughout it, each song is really interesting and complex in its own right. Some of Kendrick most unique production can be found on this album as well, it's definitely not one you want to miss.

This album is an absolute grower. Infectious at times when I originally didn’t even like it.

Been waiting for this all day

First time watching one of your videos and LOVED the breakdown of the lyrics and possible underlying meanings. I've listened to the album a couple dozen times and missed so much stuff. Also love the take that it almost reads like a book. Good kid m.a.a.d. city was a movie and damn was a book. Hard to get that level of detail and engagement through a single album. I'm looking forward to the untitled unmastered review!

Something about the "we'll never be tied, just look at their laces" line that is so brilliant is, right before it, he says "I got em by a landslide, we talking bout races". Races being a double entendre for racing somebody, and ethnicity, while "we'll never be tied just look at they laces" being a double entendre for shoe laces, and DNA strands, or "laces" in reference to racial differences. Absolutely fucking brilliant, and I never noticed that until I watched this.

FEEL is up there for me as easily one of Kendricks best written songs.

I really like the way you break down every track, and your knowledge of Kendrick’s catalogue plus your own insight makes the feedback really interesting. You gained a subscriber lol

love your vids man!! keep doin what you do 🔥👏

LET'S GO bob i love your reactions,i don't know if you noticed,but in the picture its wicked kendrick,he showed his wickedness every two songs like dna,humble.... so if you start from last song to first he's gonna get killed in blood by an angel for hos actions,if you start from first to last he dies in duckworth because of his weakness that we see in songs like yah feel pride fear....

What I got from “Fear” is that his mother over-disciplined him out of fear of losing her son to the streets, jail, and/ or an early death.

BEST DAMN REACTION !! (I’ve seen emm all this is best)

Been loving your channel recently. Really inspiring to see you overcome your bias around hip hop, I used to be the same. Keep up the good work 🤙