TCD introduced Kanye as a very promising artist, I sure wonder how he will change in 20 years!
This is one of the most creative rap albums of the 2000s, when hip-hop was full of gangsta personas and flashy lifestyle, Kanye took a risk by going in his own direction, which worked very well
The lyrics are honest, with Kanye talking about materialism, religion, education, consumerism. What do I mean by honest? I mean that Kanye was discussing all these topics very openly with critiques and directly ... read more

while not as good as his previous projects (mmatbs and damn), it works for what it is. i can see that hes going a more experimental, modern direction from his previous works. i was pretty surprised when this isnt a concept album when placing how every album kendrick made prior to this was a concept album in the picture, gnx is less artsy and more music ykwim? but of course you can make this case for tracks like reincarnated for heart pt 6
the themes and lyrics about artistry and the rap ... read more

disappointing

why he sounds like mac miller

3 meh tracks and arguably his best song ever, thats enough to go up to an 80 for me

compared to his earlier projects, he has a more political, melodic and introspective approach to this album, which he executes really well
the title and the cover already hints a political album, which is something that is executed really well on this album with joey's passionate analysis and kind of documentation on the state of black people in modern-day america and how it feels to exist as a young black man in america, which is more urgent than preachy. hes kinda pulling you into this ... read more

the thematic and emotional depth of this album is, in my opinion, the strongest element mac has to offer on swimming. for most of the album swimming has been deeply personal to mac through the themes of depression, self reflection, self improvement, addiction, isolation, allat bojack horseman type shit, and mac just happens to execute these themes really well on swimming resulting in a cohesive album that shows mac at his most vulnerable
swimming is also very strong lyrically, mac expresses the ... read more

where can i start

the love triangle narrative (unlike goblin) is very well constructed, it follows a specific structure of infatuation, possession, jealousy, collapse, then a reluctant acceptance, much like the 5 stages of grief. the story stacks up high emotional weight until the acceptance stage. it also has a perspective control, only showing tyler's view of the entire thing, so i understand that we are following an unreliable narrator. i believe that the track a boy is a gun* showed ... read more

@congrammy great track you made! i liked the bouncy production along with the mysterious feel that this track has
my only problem is that when you listen for 1-2 minutes the song starts feeling too repetitive, especially when this is an ambient/instrumental song, ion see anyone else having this problem but i have this problem, id recommend doing micro-variations or rotate texture of instruments
anyways, really looking forward to visions and your upcoming mixtape, keep up the good work! :D

dixon gets worse at naming albums and making album covers as his music improves
dont get me wrong, this cover and name isn't bad at all, its great in fact, but its slightly declining album by album since For my mama

anyways, i shouldnt be reviewing the cover art and album title
the album has a lot of substance to it despite its short length (~35m), production and lyrics are very dense and layered while keeping a high amount of accessibility
production like i said earlier dense and ... read more

the production quality is high grade high quality shit, some of the best from this decade
alot of genre diversity here and there, disco, pop, alt dance, hyper pop etc
the lyrics are thoughtful, mainly themes drawing transformation and identity
very accessible album too, i liked it on my first listen, my friends love it too
overall, must listen

fav tracks: death & romance, image, tunnel vision, the ballad of matt & mica, thats my floor, watching tv, cry for me, angel on a ... read more

dude's out here calling everyone sensitive when he can't take criticism for making a bad album lollololololololol
my main problem with this album is what this album is built around, like fantano said this only serves as a reaction. if everyone thinks your album is bad then your album is bad, yelling at mumble rappers won't make revival and your music making skills any better, 0 growth there em
enough about revival! now we talk about the music
the production is very poor and ... read more

great chorus

This was holy fucking phenomenal, I'm not even glazing it is THAT good, this album strikes me from the first track to the last
This project is a deep and introspective exploration of JID's upbringing, family, growth, and he does most of that through some of the best lyricism modern hip hop has to offer, and these themes are explored effectively without coming off as pretentious. A notable example of this in my favorite track, Sistanem, where it's kinda like a letter to his sister ... read more

like fantano said, very sloppy narrative. is slim shady dead? alive? resurrected? you get my point, its poorly built
complaints about cancel culture drags on WAYYYYY too much, most "controversial" bars rely on shock value
that said, em's wordplays and overall rapping skills are still present

fav tracks: fuel, temporary
least fav: road rage

2007 is like the cherry on top

stop dragging ts unc

i first heard this album in 2022 in class, all of the lights was the first track i heard from this album and i was hooked instantly, then i discovered theres more of this incredible shit
my first thoughts was how maximalist this thing is
incredibly lush production, every track got an expensive feel to it
some of the best rap features are there (pusha t, kid cudi, rick ross) and (almost) every feature earn their spot
the lyrics are mainly about self awareness and reputation with some ... read more

what i liked
- passionate, thought provoking social commentary in kendrick's incredible lyricism
- very conscious and poetic
- very grounded production
- all features does their part well

what i didnt like
- i cant point out why but it took me 2 listens to think this album is a masterpiece, acquired taste is an accurate term to describe this experience

favorite tracks: i, mortal man, these walls, wesleys theory, hmadc, yagl, blacker the berry, king kunta
least favorite: complexion (if i ... read more

One of the best storytelling songs ever
Incredible lyrics, great vocals from dido, well-produced beat
Must hear!!!