DAMN.
by Kendrick Lamar
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 3346 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,962 out of 3346
  2. Mixed: 111 out of 3346
  3. Negative: 273 out of 3346
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  1. SorryBeat402
    Jun 26, 2017
    8
    This album is good, but no where near as good as To Pimp a Butterfly or good kid m.A.A.d city. Though this album is overall enjoyable only a couple of songs are really good, (Humble, DNA, Element, and XXX)
  2. AdmiralJones42
    Jun 23, 2017
    7
    Kendrick Lamar's weakest is stronger than most rapper's best, but his weakest is still what it is. Too much pop woven into a record by an artist who has thrived away from the Top 40 and found his greatest inspiration in the shadows away from the radio airwaves, and within the realms of deeper political commentary and jazz fusion.. Less Rihanna features, more Thundercat and Kamasi Washington.
  3. NicklasW
    Jun 23, 2017
    8
    Kendricks 4th Album delivers an catchy and personal album which has a more mainstream sound, but is still a worthy follow up to his perfect discography where even the B-sides are worth gold. On getting a score for this project i was not sure if it deserves a 9, cause even though DAMN. is a very good Album its not as good as TPAB or good kid maad city with songs like YAH. and GOD.Kendricks 4th Album delivers an catchy and personal album which has a more mainstream sound, but is still a worthy follow up to his perfect discography where even the B-sides are worth gold. On getting a score for this project i was not sure if it deserves a 9, cause even though DAMN. is a very good Album its not as good as TPAB or good kid maad city with songs like YAH. and GOD. destroying the perfect listen of the Album, still his flow and songwriting ability together with the concept of the Album making it still a strong 8/10 for me with bangers like DNA. and HUMBLE. and thought full and interesting songs like FEAR. BLOOD. DUCKWORTH. and XXX. making the Album overall an solid listen.
    Best Songs: FEAR.,XXX.,ELEMENT.,DNA.,HUMBLE.,BLOOD.,DUCKWORTH.
    Worst Songs:GOD.,YAH.
    Recommendation: yes    … Expand
  4. toye17
    Jun 16, 2017
    10
    Kendrick has really stepped in up once again. but this time in a softer het hardcore way differentiating it from his last jazz filled album (To Pimp A Butterfly), but this album shows us another side of kendrick. it feels like this time he is not just touching on the society we live in today but also as an individual who is still coming to terms of who he is now that he has reachedKendrick has really stepped in up once again. but this time in a softer het hardcore way differentiating it from his last jazz filled album (To Pimp A Butterfly), but this album shows us another side of kendrick. it feels like this time he is not just touching on the society we live in today but also as an individual who is still coming to terms of who he is now that he has reached stardom. I have listened to this album about 20 times from BLOOD to DUCKWORTH, each track evolves in its own way with riddling and storytelling that captivates the listener. Definitely the GOAT… Expand
  5. MR_headphones
    Jun 12, 2017
    7
    i like this album ranked from best to worse i'd go
    DUCKWORTH. 10/10
    DNA. 10/10
    HUMBLE. 10/10
    LOYALTY. 7/10
    FEAR. 7/10
    XXX. 7/10
    FEEL. 6.5/10
    ELEMENT. 6.5/10
    LOVE. 5/10
    YAH. 3/10
    LUST. 2/10
    GOD. 2/10
    PRIDE. 0/10
  6. amoryblue6
    Jun 11, 2017
    8
    A departure of sorts from his recent 2 releases (TPAB and UU), Kendrick Lamar is still able to showcase his incredible lyrical talent. A wide range of songs are on display throughout this record and they all sound incredible. Kendrick's story-telling and ability to put the listener on a journey are similar to the way he did when GKMC dropped. This album is catered to be an easier listenA departure of sorts from his recent 2 releases (TPAB and UU), Kendrick Lamar is still able to showcase his incredible lyrical talent. A wide range of songs are on display throughout this record and they all sound incredible. Kendrick's story-telling and ability to put the listener on a journey are similar to the way he did when GKMC dropped. This album is catered to be an easier listen and is more streamlined for the masses but isn't forgettable as other mainstream media that is usually consumed and forgotten about. It is another album in Kendrick Lamar's catalogue that will be revisited time and time again. If TPABis the masterpiece you listen to alone in your room and GKMC is the joint you play with the homies, then DAMN is the record you bump in your car heading to mart.… Expand
  7. kurakok
    Jun 10, 2017
    4
    I don't find this album the best of this year. Maybe one of the most tedious. The music is definitely good, but his voice is ruining everything. Good try to stay relevant. Not that good for the music.
  8. samwich21
    Jun 9, 2017
    10
    This is sonically the most cohesive of 2017. Kendrick raised the bar with To Pimp a Butterfly and continues his reign atop the realm of hip-hop. Not much more can be said.
  9. luisDanteAmaru1
    Jun 2, 2017
    10
    Kendrick Lamar has seriously change the Hip Hop game and has raised the bar higher. It overtook Drakes More life (mixable) and all of the other rapper's album. Fast beats, fluid movement, top quality sound music, great collaborations with U2 and Rihanna and many creative and strong songs that has meaning and fire. This album is DAMN lit as hell.
  10. asapkumo
    May 26, 2017
    8
    It's a good album, but not as good as his others. I was really hyped with "HUMBLE" being a great track, and to be honest he delivered, but some of the songs (LOYALTY) didn't have any repeat value. Still a great album - 8/10
  11. timur808
    May 24, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. DAMN. Kendrick did it again. From start to end (or from end to start according to one of the fan theories), the album delivers on our expectations. Kendrick is like an extinct milkman who delivers us high quality product (food for thought) consistently and on time. Bravo.… Expand
  12. sounwaves
    May 23, 2017
    7
    This was by far Kendrick's most commercially successful project. And there are some intriguing moments on this album like "fear" "love" and "duckworth" but overall, this is Kendrick's most scattered album both in a sonic sense and a story telling sense. This is the easiest and most available album to listen to out of any of his projects and by far the least politically driven. Much of theThis was by far Kendrick's most commercially successful project. And there are some intriguing moments on this album like "fear" "love" and "duckworth" but overall, this is Kendrick's most scattered album both in a sonic sense and a story telling sense. This is the easiest and most available album to listen to out of any of his projects and by far the least politically driven. Much of the success of this album i feel is owed to the step back from r&b and the step towards mainstream ex: DNA, Loyalty, Humble. But in comparison to his discography, i believe DAMN. lands just above Section .80. But that's just my opinion.… Expand
  13. Jensen67
    May 23, 2017
    9
    DAMN. is a great album. From bangers such as DNA. and HUMBLE. to more introspective and meaningful songs such as PRIDE. and YAH. the album is superbly executed. Even the commercial songs like LOYALTY. and LOVE. are good although they would probably the weaker songs in the album in my opinion.

    Best songs: PRIDE. / XXX. / ELEMENT.
  14. fancritic
    May 20, 2017
    10
    Don't listen to any of these fake kendrick fans. This album has it all. The flow & vibe of section 80, the intensity and story telling in GKMC, the message and spoken word of TPAB, while also having enough room to give us something new. The people that are giving this album bad reviews, are new explorers of his music who didn't like it, and the TPAB fanatics. He spoke of this in TPAB.Don't listen to any of these fake kendrick fans. This album has it all. The flow & vibe of section 80, the intensity and story telling in GKMC, the message and spoken word of TPAB, while also having enough room to give us something new. The people that are giving this album bad reviews, are new explorers of his music who didn't like it, and the TPAB fanatics. He spoke of this in TPAB. Saying if things happen that doesnt sit right with you(with his music change, news & media trying to assassinate his character etc)will you still be a fan? Now we know who aren't true fans and are just using his name as some sort of compliment to their intelligence. Someone who they can name dropped in hiphop discussions to try to gain some sort of credibility. They will try to distort your views by saying that "their not following the hype" as if believing this album is great is soo bad. They might even use words like "bandwagon" and "casuals" as if its impossible for long time fans of kendrick to really like this album. These aren't fans of kendrick, these are fans who are fans of themselves. They will say stuff like "Im a long time kendrick fan" or "just because i didnt like this album, doesnt mean im not a real fan. Im just not following the hype" or my favorite "people always think someone is hating when they dont like something you like" . No you're not a hater for that, you're haters for creating accounts to purposedly give 0 rating to an album thats worth far more than that, simply to lower its overall under your favorite kendrick project. That is what makes you a hater, that is what makes you a 1 project fanatic. Yall wanted him to be a one trick pony, and wanted to keep him to yourselves. But music is meant to be shared amongst everyone, and everyone deserves to hear his message. Not just us long term fans. This album open doors for kendrick and expanded his demographic of people. His music is finally getting plays and recognized by many. All of this while not sacrificing himself or his message. Its easy to be a one trick pony and please the same students over again. But its takes talent and knowing how to utilize your knowledge to be able to reach the entire class. Sure they'll be some students upset about not getting the one on one attention they've grown used to, but its not just all about yall.

    Im sure yall noticed by now, that this isnt a review for DAMN, but a review of the false fans. The same fans that use to tell fans of Section 80 and GKMC, to open their minds to TPAB. But who are now closed minded by any kendrick project thats not TPAB. To you all, i give a rating score of 0. For your arrogance, closed mindedness, narcissism, and for being hypocrites.

    Stay away from kendrick future work, and go live in a basement with TPAB    … Expand
  15. MikeLP
    May 18, 2017
    10
    Perfect, cause it's not meant to be perfect but at the and it's all what it is: fracking perfect as sheeat. New and old perfectly blended together, words of great inspiration that stucks in your mind and won't leave you alone. One of the best albums of the century with TPAB. Kaboom.
  16. Merciless723
    May 17, 2017
    10
    Kendrick Lamar strikes again with a new style to his rap career. What makes K.dot unique is the fact that each of his albums has a distinct and innovative style. Kendrick stands out in this album as a rapper who has now become 'mainstream' yet remained true to his music and background.

    Note: This album requires at least 3 listens to break down the lyrics and understand the message of the album.
  17. shakeella
    May 16, 2017
    10
    Creativity to its top! Again we can see that message of the struggle that certain feel in the society and the mass approved. I personally see some Grammys coming. Why not the "Album of The Year"
  18. jimla
    May 16, 2017
    10
    This album is in my TOP 5 best rap albums ever. Great, masterpiece. 9.9/10.........................................................................................................................................
  19. Music_Observer
    May 14, 2017
    9
    Adding to his illustrious output with this wonderful display of rhythmic mastery and great conveyance of mood through powerful soundscapes, Kendrick Lamar should be considered the greatest rapper of all time. My Score: 156/180 (Great) = 8.7/10
  20. SergioV
    May 14, 2017
    9
    89/100. DAMN. That's what you say when you hear this album. Almost every song rides, and the standouts are "DNA.", "ELEMENT.", "PRIDE.", "LUST.", "LOVE.", "FEAR.", "GOD." and "DUCKWORTH.".
  21. ladiesweflawles
    May 13, 2017
    9
    A breath of fresh air from both Kendrick and 2017 so far. From start to finish, you can really tell that K dot was intentional on this album. There was a story being told and the songs fit together in a cohesive way and yet were still distinct. I've already bought my tickets for his show and i'm so excited to see how he performs this live and brings this vision to life.
  22. MarshallMatthew
    May 13, 2017
    10
    Amazing album I loved every part of the album from start to finish it definitely deserves to win a Grammy also rap album of the year and album of the year in general. I mean the album was so dope all songs from the album made its way on the billboard hot 100 list at the same time also the song HUMBLE was the highest debut for a rap song on the billboard hot 100 in seven years yes sevenAmazing album I loved every part of the album from start to finish it definitely deserves to win a Grammy also rap album of the year and album of the year in general. I mean the album was so dope all songs from the album made its way on the billboard hot 100 list at the same time also the song HUMBLE was the highest debut for a rap song on the billboard hot 100 in seven years yes seven that's nearly 10 years. This album has already made history on top of that it has already gone platinum I said it once and I say it again Kendrick Lamar is the greatest and is on another level.… Expand
  23. Dkirk001
    May 12, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's amazing lyrically and it provides a great story. Kendrick has so many different flows, and seems that he can flow on any beat handed to him. Dude a musical genius and his 4th studio album definitely puts him in the top 5 category.… Expand
  24. KungFuSammy
    May 11, 2017
    10
    An excellent introspective by one of the in-demand hip hop acts of this decade. Would highly recommend for first time Kendrick Lamar listeners. Songs like DNA, Pride, Lust, and Duckworth are gems.
  25. Sal4u
    May 11, 2017
    8
    I liked this album and i can see that he mentioned a lot of religious stories and he seems like his kinda angry or something like that and i like it i don't find a problem but comparing to other albums especially after he dropped "to pimp a butterfly" tbh this was his worst album
  26. hiphopguru8
    May 9, 2017
    10
    DAMN. is a classic. This album is near flawless. It is however one of Kendrick's darker albums. He sounds more depressed and talks more about his personal life instead of politics like his previous album. Nevertheless amazing, beautiful album
  27. anofe
    May 8, 2017
    9
    Another worthy entry in Kendrick's amazing discography; DAMN. is Kendrick at his most raw and exposed on a project to date as he takes the listener on a tour of his psyche. Featuring bangers, introspective tales, and radio singles- Kendrick manages to present something for everyone in this album all while keeping true to his sound.
  28. MurendyMakhale
    May 8, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the best album of 2017 so far, one thing I love about Kendrick his albums vary from one another. He comes back with a fresh flow album after album & song after song and the messages are just as refreshing. There's no touching this guy at the moment.… Expand
  29. padrah_
    May 6, 2017
    6
    A solid follow-up to "To Pimp A Butterfly". However, there are too many inconsistent, and sometimes just downright bad, tracks on this album. Thematically, "DAMN." goes deeper into Kendrick's psyche than his listeners have ever heard before. But I wasn't as big on this release as I have been on every other release he's had so far. If Kendrick cut some tracks, and didn't sing as often, thisA solid follow-up to "To Pimp A Butterfly". However, there are too many inconsistent, and sometimes just downright bad, tracks on this album. Thematically, "DAMN." goes deeper into Kendrick's psyche than his listeners have ever heard before. But I wasn't as big on this release as I have been on every other release he's had so far. If Kendrick cut some tracks, and didn't sing as often, this would've been a winner. Rather, we have an 'I Ran A Race' album.… Expand
  30. bdurmaz
    May 5, 2017
    9
    Not as raw as Section.80
    Not as elevated as good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Not as deep and creative as To Pimp a Butterfly

    Not his best album by any means. That doesn't take anything away from this record though. K-Dot has shown the world that when does something, he does it with style.

    DAMN. has everything you can ask for in a millennial rap album.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Album of 2017
5
#5 Most Discussed Album of 2017
1
#1 Most Shared Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
95

Universal acclaim - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. The Wire
    Aug 8, 2017
    90
    A less deranged response to celebrity than Kanye West’s Yeezus, more imaginative than Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP or Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III, it shares with the former an economy of form, and with the latter two the giddy energy of an artist coming into perfect sync with their audience. It’s also a sumptuous sounding pop record, polite streamlined mass market psychedelia. [Jun 2017, p.64]
  2. The Skinny
    Jul 5, 2017
    80
    The beats are heavy, spare, and hard. Lamar demonstrates the versatility of his flow.
    Read full review
  3. Record Collector
    May 25, 2017
    100
    DAMN. sees the rapper make a 180 degree turn from the sprawling jazz/funk/hip-hop odyssey of TPAB to deliver 14 taut, tough and wise cutting-edge examples of what’s possible in hip-hop today. ... Essential stuff.
    Read full review
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