Last week, Kendrick Lamar dropped possibly the best rap track of the year so far. “The Heart Pt. 4”, Lamar’s first solo release since untitled unmastered, packs every factor that proves Lamar as the best in the game into a tight four and a half minutes. The song lyrically served as a reminder of Lamar’s status as the best emcee around. The sharp lyricism is complimented with some sharp production. The smooth beat change brings the track from Butterfly-like production to a more minimal modern sound. Besides all these highlights, the real gift of the track had to be Lamar’s mention of the date April 7th. What’s to come on April 7th seems unclear at the moment, but fans everywhere have fingers crossed for Lamar’s fourth studio album.
As we wait patiently, Kendrick Lamar has blessed everyone with a second track titled “HUMBLE.”: a three minute banger that builds upon the ideas brought up on “The Heart Pt. 4”. Although both tracks come from the same tree, “HUMBLE.” has to be the most typical song Kendrick has released since good kid, m.A.A.d. city. The Mike WiLL Made-It produced three minute jam starts with a tease, hinting at a sound that could maybe be influenced by Yeezus. Within three seconds, the beat bursts fully formed along with a fresh flow from K. Dot that sounds instantaneously refreshing. There was nothing wrong with the retro-stylings of To Pimp a Butterfly, but Kendrick jumps back into a familiar sound with strong confidence.
If the sound of this song is commercial, the music video is definitely not. The small piece focuses on Lamar as he brings the video to some weird moments such as playing with the cash gun or simply standing with his head covered in fire. To spoil the big moments of this video would ruin the experience, as the video needs to be seen for itself.
Once again, Kendrick has dropped a track that not only grabs you with the interesting production, but with sharp lyricism as well. If this song will be on the forthcoming release, it could possibly follow in the footsteps of “Backseat Freestyle” and “i”: generic sounding songs that gain new meaning once viewed in the context of the bigger picture. April 7th cannot come soon enough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvTRZJ-4EyI
