Theres surely no doubting now that kendrick lamar is one of the true greats despite the dismissive titling of this release, these 8 tracks prove the incredible industrious power & passion of a true genius.

Recorded alongside, as well as both pre & post to pimp a butterfly, this collection hits just as hard & heavy as its sister album, keeping his unique conscious flow at the forefront while a host of incredible producers & musicians keep things ticking behind him (to name but a few adrian younge, thundercat & robert glasper), pushing soul further (think madlib or j dilla style production) to bolster the jazzier feel of tpab. we cant get enough of this kendrick has a verve for taking giant steps backwards into an era where masters let the music speak for itself 8.6/10 – pitchfork, lyrics, sharp as a razors tip (they are almost too many gems to name) as drums, horn & string drink in the innumerable variations of these present moments 4.4/5 – hip hop dx