Watching him react to mostly just the sound of it is crazy because you realize how well the album conveys the tone even without the lyrics. He called How Much A Dolla Cost a "stumbling man" beat, perfectly in harmony with the lyrics about a homeless man arguing with a defensive Kendrick, and when The Blacker The Berry comes on, he talks about how it's now a hard-hitting political album, and calls it like a "grand manifesto" which is in perfect harmony with the lyrics again.
If you don’t listen to music and think like this man on how the music instrumentals and lyrics and just everything in general of a song then you just listening to music wrong
Your observation about “How Much a Dollar Cost” saying the beat sounds like a stumbling man was amazing since the song is about Kendrick speaking to a homeless panhandler. Never thought of it that way!! Great shout
Prince was suppose to sing a hook on "Complexion", he was in the studio with Kendrick, but they ran out of time cause they talked about the album concept for too long and didnt record anything.
The Mercurial Number Six I really appreciate this perspective, because people often seem to forget that hip hop is music as well first and foremost, and all aspects of that should be appreciated. The production of this album is breathtaking and deserves at least half of the attention that the amazing lyrical content gets.
@@mercurialno6 Just curious, have you had more time with the record since you posted this? I’d be interested to hear your take on the record after considering the lyrical content alongside the composition and production of the record.
Considering that you focus more on the music than rapping on first listens i recommend My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or The Life of Pablo by Kanye West.
Well, that's 'To Pimp a Butterfly' done. What an experience! And yes... I will of course listen to it properly again and absorb the lyrics. I'm sure there are plenty of videos out there with people nodding along to the words. That's not really me. Sometimes. But usually not. I once met David Prowse. He wasn't any good with passwords. They had to replace his voice.
This album is some of the greatest writing of all time for sure. If you didn’t realise this album is also a concept album with a linear narrative from 1 song to the next, and when he’s performing in different voices he’s playing different characters
The Mercurial Number Six Not sure if you’re interested but Dissect Podcast has a season breaking down this album. This album continues where the previous left off and many of the important references are specific to Kendrick’s life, hip hop and the local culture in Compton so it’s not possible to understand some of the personal aspect of it without hearing about those things
@@johannesgutenburg6425 I listened on the iPhone 'podcast' app but I'm pretty sure they are/were primarily a Spotify podcast. So you if have the spotify app you should be able to just search 'Dissect' and i believe it's season 1 or 2 that is about Kendrick's TPAB
On one hand, it hurts to see someone not pay attention to the lyrics on this albums after knowing them, but at the same time, the first time I heard this, I was freaking out about the sound of it all too. It took multiple listens before I understood what he was doing. Best rap album of all time imo
idk if anyone already said this, but kendrick lamar said in an interview that he sampled songs his parents listened to in his childhood, that's why it has a 70s vibe to it. loved your reaction to it!
Merc I know sometimes these videos are tricky to make, especially with copyright, but I wholeheartedly hope you never stop making them. They’re so much fun to watch
@@abartel6 exactly. You cant judge the album off critic reviews from 2015, it was so far ahead of it's time that it's just now truly getting appreciated.
If you love the production of music I think the album Madvillainy by Madvillain is something you would enjoy. It was made back in 2004 and is another hip hop/ rap classic.
Just stumbled across this channel and your passion for the music is insane. I think you'd make a really great radio presenter/DJ if you're not already one. Obviously I've no idea what it is you do but your passion is infectious.
First-time Mercurial Number Six viewer here. To Pimp A Butterfly is my favorite album. I took the opposite path from you - immersed myself in the lyrics and interpretations online before realizing on a sixth or seventh listen (as you realized on your first!!) that this thing grooves SO HARD in a way that's somehow retro AND modern. You said at some point during the reaction that you hoped Kendrick would be ok with you enjoying the album for the musical experience that it is before diving into the themes. I don't think there's a wrong way to listen to it. Listen closely, listen casually, dance to it, talk over it, or better yet, try all of the above. I made a mistake being intimidated by the seriousness of its subject matter, and it makes me so happy to see someone who isn't. You've got a new fan.
You don’t get enough reactions to the actual music itself on RU-vid so for that reason I do love your reactions, because the music is phenomenal but I would be lying if I didn’t say it would be nice to see you get the lyrics of this album because it’s such a lyrical masterpiece! I only hope you’ll go back and listen to the lyrics for yourself sometime ❤️ but I will say it is a testament to how amazing to pimp a butterfly is if you’re not even paying much attention to the lyrics but you love it as much as we do! 🔥❤️ Edit: coming back to say, you’re 100% correct the lyrics are something you have to listen to over and over and over to fully grasp the concept. I’ve been a fan of this album since the day it was released, I’ve been listening to it for 5 years and I STILL pick up things I hadn’t previously!
_"Next time it's a riot it's gonna be like, uh, bloodshed . For real, I don’t think America know that, I think America think we was just playing and it’s gonna be some more playing, but it ain’t gonna be no playing. It’s gonna be murder, you know what I’m saying? It’s gonna be like Nat Turner, 1831, up in this motherfucker."_ - 2Pac, 199something [Mortal Man]
Hey mercurial, I'm a little late but I noticed that you said you could listen to the outro of "The Blacker the Berry" for 20 more minutes, so I think you should know that exists on Terrace Martin's album "Velvet Portraits". The songs are called "Curly Martin" and "Mortal Man", they were recorded in the same session as the outro. Terrace Martin is a multi-jazz-instrumentalist that also produces a lot of kendrick's work including the outro of The Blacker the Berry (he also played the saxophone for the majority of To Pimp a Butterfly). Great Video!!
Watching someone who knows next to nothing about Kendrick or rap and just loving this album for its delivery and production gives me an even greater appreciation for the album which I didn’t even know was possible. Pure perfection
The way you go with the instrumentation with your hands at 10:09 is absolutely brilliant, i really loved ! You seem like a guy who knows his music and I’ll definitely be supporting !
I’ve listened to this album countless times, and your reaction to it pointed out certain engineering/mixing details i wouldn’t have heard otherwise-why i love the channel
I respect that you not only recognized the production but the lyrical aspect and that you would go back and listen. This is my first video I’ve seen of yours but you seem like a very knowledgeable fellow & I’d definitely enjoy your view on his lyrics as well.
Just found your channel the other day and have been loving your reactions to the hip-hop albums. It's always cool to see things from a different perspective, and you have a great personality! Earned my sub。
I've just discovered your channel through this album reaction and you have immediately become one of my favorite channels. You certainly have your own style of video and I love it.
@@levector2445 it’s hard for me to choose. I personally like Veteran more but tbh, I think All My Heroes is more mainstream and less experimental (which isn’t bad) so I think more ppl like it more. But I think it’s cuz I love Death Grips and Clipping, but I like the Industrial aesthetics of Veteran more
I love that you reacted to the break in "Hood Politics". I remember wishing so badly that it broke out even longer because it blew my mind and continues to!
The thing about Hip Hop is that, like jazz, its extremely self referential. To truly understand and appreciate album like this to its fullest extent, you have to understand the coded themes and language of Hip Hop that go back decades. Often times rap artist will also pay homage to earlier influential artists by making nods to their lyrics or even borrowing another rap artist's cadence and rhythmic motifs. I recommend that anyone listening to an album like this for its lyrical content who may be unfamiliar with the cultural, political, and linguistic context of Hip Hop to read along with a lyric breakdown site like Genius lest you miss certain references and metaphors essential to understanding the message.
I've listened to this album to death because I love it so much and it's so cool to see you appreciate the dynamics in the musicality without breaking down the lyricism. And you were right this is a conceptual album, been nothing like it in the last decade in the rap world.
This album has provided many including myself YEARS of joy. To this day the music and poetry is unraveling itself to me. Little notes, shtuff deep in the mix, triple entendres, everything. If there’s a heaven, it comes with a two hour, musically extended version of this album.
So awesome seeing somebody react to the actual music and track. Of course the lyrics are amazing but nobody that reacts to these shows their appreciation for the music production. But you should definitely re-listen and pay close attention to the words!❤️
Man... comparing The Blacker The Berry to something of a call to arms. It's so accurate, it gave me goosebumps. You've honestly helped me so much with my overall understanding of music (and love for it all). I think about you whenever i listen to anything. luv
Highly recommend Danny Brown- Atrocity Exhibition, Denzel Curry- Ta13oo, and J.I.D- DiCaprio 2 all three are lyrical masterpieces all with very different topics
Dot made a masterpiece and would love you enjoying it and having fun. I do highly suggest you listen with the lyrics up and check out some of the analysis of the album. When you see how the music is part of the concept and message of the album just as much as the lyrics I think your mind will be blown. You're right, all of his albums are concepts. Check out Untitled Unmastered, it's some tracks that didn't make it on this album, and is a masterpiece in its own right.
Dude I loved seeing you experience this album and just appreciate the sounds involved and so many of them that come from outta nowhere and fit perfectly into the mix. Sensory overload as you said. His b side album to this album called “Untitled Unmastered” also has amazing sounds you’d probably love. Nice video bro
Definitely one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made, one could argue that it's the best of the 2010s. It came out in 2015, a time when the U.S. was rife with social unrest over African Americans slain by police, combined with Kendrick's own struggles with reconciling his fame with the city that he escaped from and still loves. It's an incredibly well-produced, well-written and well-mixed album.
saw ur Igor vid now this one the absolute most interesting reaction type video might great focus on the music while entertaining u seem mad for the music its amazing u only genuinely scared me once for about 20 seconds 😂 but yea ur crazy for the music and i love that and i had this face >: alot throughout the vids but bcuz i was tring hard to pay attention to ur commentary the music and ur edits and ur gestures lol
Kendricks last album DAMN is epic too - different sound though.... another concept album that was made to listen to it front to back and back to front for a different experience
Love this channel and I can’t wait to see where you go next. One humble mercenary that thinks you’d enjoy the experiences of: Because the Internet Astroworld Yeezus Malibu and especially Black Panther by Kendrick Lamar.
Just found your channel. Loving your entertaining, passionate, and analytical takes in music. I'm not a fan of the "rea room" he re typically but you're proving that there's an art to it when done right. Would love to hear your take on Good Kid M.A.A.D. City. That's still my favorite Kendrick Album. Cheers from the US!
I would love to watch a re-listen where you read and focus on the lyrics. Of course, I understand that you appreciate the production and sounds on the first listen.
This to me is the Greatest hip hop album of all time. Illmatic by Nas was my favourite during my teenage years until I listened to this for the first time in college about 4 years ago, it blew me away. I can't wait to hear the next hip hop album that will top this one
You should definitely try out Cosmogramma by Flying Lotus, I think it is one of the best albums to come out of the 2010s. I also think you should check out some Run The Jewels. They've made some really great albums over the last 7-8 years.
Great vid mate... Thundercat is bass guitarist responsible for a lot of the sound on this album... his 2017 album “Drunk” is a wonderful listen I’d highly recommend it!
I love this. So many things have already been said below... so I'll only say this... in reference to one of your Radiohead analogies. To Pimp A Butterfly is K.Lamar's Kid A... but DAMN is his In Rainbows.
i love your videos man!! i would really recommend his album good kid maad city as well, it has less production value in my opinion but his lyrics and story telling through the album are beautiful
you should listen to earl sweatshirt, id recommend either "i dont like shit i dont go outside" or "some rap songs" to start with. most underrated rapper imo, his lyricism, rhyme schemes, metaphors, and word play are unmatched
Well that was a great experience. There is so much to unpack here and I hope I get the time one day to do that. And even though the lyrics are very important they are never my first go to. I spend a lot of time just focusing on the music before I move on to the lyrics and I find lyrics sacred in song writing. By that I mean they have to have thought and effort dedicated to them not that each song needs to be a thesis on something...
You gotta check the single version of “I” too. The album version is cool with the “live” performance vibe, but the full studio version from the single is worth checking out. The bass solo at the end is wild
it's easy to forget that musicians can be multi-dimensional in their art. kendrick has a very acute understanding of this and allows his creativity to bleed into performance as well. Would highly recommend watching his 2018 and 2016 grammy performances because of how theatrical it is (you can find the latter on reddit, CBS banned it). Would love to hear your thoughts
