Section.80

"Section 80" was my introduction to Kendrick Lamar, my favorite hip hop artist of the last 15 years. For that reason alone, this record will always occupy a significant space in my heart. I do think, however, that it holds up quite well several years later, even if it's a little easier to talk about where the album falls short than it is to talk about what it does well.

Because "Section 80" came out so early in Kendrick's career, his style isn't as fully fleshed out. As a result, there are moments through the album where he sounds more like his influences than having developed his own trademarks. The staccato flows (Andre 3000), slickness (Lil Wayne), and rapid fire deliveries (Eminem) all sound great but it is admittedly strange to hear a younger version of Kendrick not quite have as much focus in his music. There's also a bit of a sloppy narrative within this album; it's partly Kendrick recapping what he's witnessed growing up in his childhood, but it's also Kendrick trying to tell stories that don't always quite hit as hard as he wants them to hit. A particularly blatant example of this is the link between "No Make-Up (Her Vice)" and "Keisha's Song (Her Pain)," two songs about an abused prostitute. They aren't outright terrible - they just fall into an unfortunate trope of conscious male hip hop rappers telling these sad stories about hurt girls. My two cents: once you've heard one "Toilet Tisha," you've heard all of them.

With that said, if "Section 80" came out from another rapper, it's possible I would be even more favorable toward it. At the same time though, I still recognize this debut as a raw, occasionally distracted, yet still enjoyable experience. Ironically, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this record toward long-time fans; instead, I would recommend that any prospective newcomers check it out as an introduction. When you think about it, isn't that the point of a debut?