Action Bronson says new project is coming next month: "I don't give a f*ck if I have to leak it myself" - HipHop | HipHop Channel

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Action Bronson says new project is coming next month: "I don't give a f*ck if I have to leak it myself" - HipHop

Action Bronson says new project is coming next month: "I don't give a f*ck if I have to leak it myself" - HipHop

Action Bronson says new project is coming next month: "I don't give a f*ck if I have to leak it myself"

Posted: 07 May 2017 03:24 PM PDT

Lil Uzi Hardy jumps off the sound tent at Rolling Loud while performing "Money Longer"

Posted: 07 May 2017 06:19 PM PDT

Logics latest album, Everybody, had 20 minutes and 21 seconds of Skits, which is roughly 29% of the album

Posted: 07 May 2017 08:32 PM PDT

Song Time Logic Skits/Talking Guest Verses
Hallelujah 7:28 4:53 2:35 0
Everybody 2:42 2:42 0 0
Confess 5:43 3:55 1:48 0
Killing Spree 3:26 2:38 0 0:48
Take It Back 6:40 1:58 4:42 0
America 5:31 3:47 0:35 1:09
Ink Blot 2:36 1:26 0:36 0:34
Mos Definitely 3:26 3:26 0 0
Waiting Room 4:43 0 4:43 0
1-800-273-8255 4:10 3:04 0 1:06
Anziety 6:52 2:18 3:14 1:20
Black SpiderMan 5:31 3:14 0:33 1:44
Africaryan 12:08 7:40 1:35 2:53

Disclaimers:

-May not be 100% accurate (but its for sure at least 99% accurate)

-intro/outro instrumentals counted toward the persons verse it surrounded

-If it was Logic and someone else singing at the same time it counted towards Logic

-yes this was a waste of time

p.s He pretty blatantly plagiarized the story on Waiting Room from this story

Edit: He asked permission from the author to use the story, thanks everyone for commenting and pointing that out sorry about that

p.s.s not throwing hate towards logic I'm a huge fan this album just left me unsatisfied

submitted by /u/STKody
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Post Malone, Rich Chigga and mariachi dude sing a mariachi version of Congratulations backstage at Rolling Loud

Posted: 07 May 2017 09:05 PM PDT

Freddie Gibbs announces on IG new album coming soon

Posted: 07 May 2017 05:12 PM PDT

Nicki Minaj Helped Dozens of Fans Pay Bills And Tuition Via Twitter Saturday Night

Posted: 07 May 2017 07:44 AM PDT

Theory: Kendrick Lamar's three major studio albums (good kid, m.A.A.d. city, To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN.) are an adaptation of the Matrix trilogy.

Posted: 07 May 2017 12:16 AM PDT

I did my best to make this as short as I possibly could without sacrificing important points. But honestly, I have to do Kendrick (poetic) justice so here it goes:

The Matrix Trilogy

I'm going to site brief plot summaries of each of the movies to lay out the narrative more clearly and give a bit of backstory from where the inspiration came from. These were all taken from IMDB.

The Matrix

Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer programmer and by night a hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality, but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines that live off of the humans' body heat and electrochemical energy and who imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents: super-powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion.

The Matrix: Reloaded

Six months after the events depicted in The Matrix, Neo has proved to be a good omen for the free humans, as more and more humans are being freed from the matrix and brought to Zion, the one and only stronghold of the Resistance. Neo himself has discovered his superpowers including super speed, ability to see the codes of the things inside the matrix, and a certain degree of precognition. But a nasty piece of news hits the human resistance: 250,000 machine sentinels are digging to Zion and would reach them in 72 hours. As Zion prepares for the ultimate war, Neo, Morpheus and Trinity are advised by the Oracle to find the Keymaker who would help them reach the Source. Meanwhile Neo's recurrent dreams depicting Trinity's death have got him worried and as if it was not enough, Agent Smith has somehow escaped deletion, has become more powerful than before and has chosen Neo as his next target.

The Matrix: Revolutions

Neo discovers that somehow he is able to use his powers in the real world too and that his mind can be freed from his body, as a result of which he finds himself trapped on a train station between the Matrix and the Real World. Meanwhile, Zion is preparing for the oncoming war with the machines with very little chances of survival. Neo's associates set out to free him from The Merovingian since it's believed that he is the One who will end the war between humans and the machines. What they do not know is that there is a threat from a third party [Agent Smith] who has plans to destroy both the worlds.

The Matrix (Concept)

Matrix in the dictionary refers to "a situation or surrounding substance within which something else originates, develops, or is contained. The womb." Additionally, the concept of the Matrix as an illusion or a 'construct' that humans are unaware of resembles the idea of Samsara in Buddhism and Hinduism. Samsara teaches that the world we consider 'real' is actually a projection of our own desires. From Morpheus, Neo learns that how he'd perceived himself in the Matrix was simply a "the mental projection of your digital self." The "real" sensory world "is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain."

Major Characters

Neo (a.k.a. the One, a.k.a. Thomas A. Anderson): The protagonist of the trilogy, a hacker who eventually liberates humanity from the Matrix.

Trinity: The underground hacker who first contacts Neo and later becomes his lover. Trinity is a force of quiet intensity and utter confidence. She plays a crucial role in the first Matrix, when she resurrects Neo from the dead. Trinity is extremely loyal, and she is ready to die for Neo not long after meeting him.

Morpheus: The brooding and mysterious leader of the Nebuchadnezzar, a renegade ship. Morpheus is one of the first people to believe Neo is the One, and, since his faith in Neo has always been strong, Morpheus will go to any lengths to protect him. Morpheus is willing to die for Neo, but Neo is determined not to let this happen.

Agent Smith: The most important Agent, who proves to be Neo's foil. Able to inhabit any body in the Matrix, Agents Smith, Brown, and Jones are literally no one and everyone. Smith is the most dangerous and powerful, and he proves to be much different from the other Agents. Over the course of the trilogy he develops humanlike anxiety that becomes increasingly desperate and egocentric. Initially he represents only inevitable death, but eventually he develops a personality, a blend of sarcasm and incomprehension of the program in which he's an anomaly.

The Oracle: The gentle seer who guides the freed minds through the complex world of the Matrix. In a trilogy filled with stereotyped characters, the Oracle takes on the most stereotypical form of them all, that of the wise and kindly grandmother who bakes cookies in a tenement apartment. The Oracle moves slowly around her cozy green kitchen, drags pensively on her cigarettes, and conducts conversations that are alternately circuitous and direct. She often roots through her purse for hard candy to suck on. She is a source of faith and belief for Morpheus, and of maternal guidance for Neo. The Oracle doesn't determine Neo's fate, but she helps him realize for himself what his path should be.

Neo's Internal Struggle

From this website:

This means that the first film was the construction of the hero, who goes on the same sort of journey that Luke Skywalker went on. The major difference is that, while Luke lost his mentor, Neo saved his. I'm wondering if that's where the deconstruction actually began…

The second film, being deconstructionist, tore apart everything that we thought we knew to be true. That could be why a large percentage of the audience seems to hate the sequels. They didn't stay true to the setup of the first film, and were a betrayal of the rules put into place. Instead of Morpheus returning to Zion as a hero, he returned as a social pariah who believed a prophecy that was established to be true by the events of the first film. Neo also can't seem to understand his role as the One, and rather than being shown doing his thing as The One, is instead displayed as someone that is questioning (somehow, inexplicably) something he shouldn't have to question. Especially since he witnessed, took part in, and experienced the change that he did in becoming The One. Because of the deconstruction concept that the Wachowskis wrote, we lost momentum.

The third film then returns us to the realm of the first. Neo was finally being Neo again. The idea that the Wachowskis wanted to make something that ambiguous, which left people feeling betrayed once more, is a good explanation for why. Because we had finally gotten to the epic final battle with Agent Smith, and everything was going great, and then we get to the end of the fight (which should have been extraordinarily simple for The One after the first film). Neo should have just been able to fly through all of the Agent Smiths, but thanks to the explanation that he gave us early in Reloaded: "Upgrades," we didn't have the opportunity. Somehow the rogue Agent Smith got the same upgrades that the other agents received. Okay, we'll accept that, this battle is awesome. But the end of the fight… Neo has been beaten. Our hero has been so terribly beaten that now he's going to sacrifice himself. What was the point of the battle then? That was the plan the whole time? To get Agent Smith riled up when all he wanted to do was exactly what he did? "Because I choose to." That line was weak at best, and told the audience that we're not going to be getting the heroic ending that we were promised. Instead, we have to figure out for ourselves if Neo was successful. Was peace between unfeeling robots that just happen to have artificial intelligence and human beings like us the outcome that we wanted? Could we accept that there would be peace between the humans and the machines? Did anyone else notice that the trilogy actually ended with machines talking to machines about the deal?

Well, it was about re-construction, bringing Neo back to the point he was at the end of the first film, now that he's come to grips with that position, but by now he can't even wield it to the full potential, and in the end, he chooses peace. This is weak because at any time one side could decide to take down the other. There is no finality, no closure, and that is why the personal point of view is a problem. People love closure; the lack of closure for anyone took people by surprise. At least those that saw it. I've read so many times that people stopped at Reloaded. The deconstruction of the hero, it shows, was a bad idea.

 

Kendrick Lamar's Albums

The Matrix (Kendrick's Concept)

Kendrick's definition of the Matrix is related to a couple of things. The first is being born into violence and despair through living in Compton. It was a personality he had to adapt to survive. This personality is also what he used to rise to fame (pimping the butterfly). But with this personality comes the desire to indulge in worldly temptations: money/riches, sex, fame/notoriety (pride), drugs. Any time Kendrick is in the Matrix, he is embracing his alternate persona Kung Fu Kenny. Secondly, the Matrix also refers to the rap industry at large and its influence on gang life and the implications of that. In some ways, the music industry and evil are intertwined. This could possibly go back to the theory of being successful in the Illuminati and selling your soul for fame. This is more of where Lucy comes into play in TPAB. So, Kung Fu Kenny inside of Kendrick's Matrix is analogous to Agent Smith inside of the Matrix: both (at first) want to maintain the status quo and follow suit within their respective worlds.

Major Characters

K-DOT (analogue of NEO): K-DOT is the persona that Kendrick raps through and represents the enemy of Kung Fu Kenny. This is more apparent in DAMN where the two are at odds with each other. Essentially K-DOT is the savior of hip-hop music, the Chosen One, etc.

Top Dawg (analogue of Morpheus): Top is very prevalent in DAMN and most notably in the story of "fate" between K-Dot and Top in DUCKWORTH. This narrative paints him in the position of Morpheus as he is also the head of Top Dawg Entertainment, the record label that signed Kendrick in the first place. This could be seen as Morpheus recognizing Neo's potential and wanting him to do good. Morpheus was also a child of the Matrix and the story of DUCKWORTH explains that as well.

Love [of Religion/Christianity] (analogue of Trinity): Trinity was the primary love interest for Neo and was a huge motivator for his actions (and subsequently the fate of the inhabitants of the Matrix). Trinity represents, religiously, the holy trinity as "one God in three Divine Persons." Kendrick's relationship with religion makes this a natural choice for Trinity within this narrative. This would be an abstract concept of love which also would mean goodness and goodness for others as God is Love.

Kung Fu Kenny (analogue of Agent Smith): Although Kung Fu Kenny has been a persona throughout Kendrick's music, it was not until DAMN that we got a formal introduction to him. Kung Fu Kenny is K-Dot's enemy and the main antagonist in the story. He represents everything that K-Dot is against such as sex, violence and drugs. Not only this but he promotes gang violence through his raps primarily through representing the Bloods. He also wants damnation and elimination of the entire human race (as did Agent Smith in the Matrix).

Tupac Shakur (analogue of the Oracle): Tupac is a very strong influence in Kendrick's music and has laid the groundwork for nearly every aspect of his career. What makes his character the Oracle in this narrative is K-Dot's constant need to ask him for guidance and help. This is illustrated, particularly, in Mortal Man where K-Dot, having confusion about his own destiny, turns to Tupac for help. The Oracle in the Matrix never really tells Neo what to do but rather what he needs to hear. Tupac never directly guides K-Dot but motivates him.

Kendrick's Internal Struggle

The first album, good kid, m.A.A.d. city was the construction of the hero. We started with a young Kendrick who knew he was different from the people around him but couldn't really figure out why. Having grown up in such a hostile environment we are taken on the journey through his teenage life in Compton. By the end of the album, Kendrick embraces his destiny to save not only the city of Compton but hip-hop too. There is where he builds a following. After the release of GKMC, it was well-accepted that Kendrick brought a sound and feeling to rap that we hadn't seen in a long time. This is where we began to recognize Kendrick was The One. Similar to Neo saving his mentor, Kendrick saves his. We hear this story through the lyrics in DUCKWORTH.

Following the form of the Matrix trilogy, To Pimp a Butterfly also took a deconstructionist turn. The album was not what we were expecting and had a sound completely alien from GKMC. This actually turned a handful of people off as the phrase, "I can appreciate TPAB but I like to listen to GKMC more" became common. Similar to Neo, K-Dot began to question his position as The One, despite demonstrating it previously. He couldn't figure out his purpose and spent a great deal of time lost on the album. Songs like 'u', 'How Much a Dollar Cost', 'Institutionalized', 'The Blacker the Berry', and 'Mortal Man' were clear examples of this. However, towards the end of the album K-Dot accepts himself again. This is evidenced in 'i' and the interview in 'Mortal Man'. But alongside K-Dot was Kung Fu Kenny on the album. His persona took form in songs such as 'King Kunta', 'For Free?', and surprisingly 'Momma'. The theme of Kung Fu Kenny is also told through Lucy who is a personification of Lucifer. Kung Fu Kenny in some ways works for Lucy. These are the analogues Agent Smith and his role alongside the Matrix. We also lost momentum here as the experimental sound of TPAB did lose a good amount of avid listeners.

By the time the DAMN album is released, K-Dot is back to accepting his role in music. He acknowledges ostensibly that he is The One (this is what he claims is GOAT status) and begins to harness all of his powers. At the same time, Kung Fu Kenny has spread like the virus he is - representing pride, ego and destruction. During various songs on the album, the battle between Kung Fu Kenny and K-Dot is palpable. However, K-Dot submitted to Kung Fu Kenny at some point and KFK is the primary rapper on most of the album. This is the most prominent in the HUMBLE music video (which is performed entirely by Kung Fu Kenny within the Matrix although hints of K-Dot are in there). But knowing the plot to Matrix Revolutions, this was necessary. In step with Revolutions, there is also no clear cut winner, the grey-area, the ambiguity: "Is it wickedness? Is it weakness? You decide."

 

Lyric References

Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the references K-Dot has made subtly throughout each of the albums. Just as redpill-ers in the Matrix, it cannot be completely overt for Agents will search and destroy anyone who is part of the resistance but there had to be enough breadcrumbs for us to follow and retrace later.

good kid, m.A.A.d. City

Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter

I pulled up a smile on my face, and then I see

Two niggas, two black hoodies, I froze as my phone rang

Morpheus: You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?

I think the name of the song is a double-entendre. Master Splinter was a martial artist in Ninja Turtles and it also plays on the word splinter used in one of the pivotal conversations beginning the plot in the Matrix.

 

Backseat Freestyle

All my life I want money and power

Respect my mind or die from lead shower

I pray my dick get big as the Eiffel Tower

So I can fuck the world for seventy-two hours

This is Kendrick targeting the Matrix within himself (controlled by the machines/sentinels) who, in the Matrix Reloaded, are coming to destroy Zion in 72 hours.

Goddamn I feel amazing, damn I'm in the matrix

My mind is living on cloud nine and this 9 is never on vacation

 

Money Trees

Park the car, then we start rhymin', ya bish

The only thing we had to free our mind

Then freeze that verse when we see dollar signs

You lookin' like a easy come-up, ya bish

A silver spoon I know you come from, ya bish

And that's a lifestyle that we never knew

Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind.... Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.... Remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more....

 

good kid

Mass hallucination, baby

Ill education, baby

Want to reconnect with your elations

This is your station, baby

 

m.A.A.d city

Live inside the belly of the rough, Compton, USA

Made Me an Angel on Angel Dust, what!

This also relates to Kendrick's line about being Compton's human sacrifice. Just as in the Matrix where Neo was reborn physically, Kendrick was reborn and realized his destiny, so to speak by living in the Matrix for so long and realizing something was wrong.

 

Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst

"Thank you, Lord Jesus for saving me with Your precious blood."

(Thank you, Lord Jesus for saving me with Your precious blood)

"In Jesus name, amen."

(In Jesus name, amen)

Alright now, remember this day

The start of a new life—your REAL life

After Neo realizes he is in the Matrix, the first thing he asks if what he is experiencing is reality. Morpheus: Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real. What if you were unable to wake from that dream. How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?

Neo: This can't be...

Morpheus: Be what? Be real?

After accepting the explanation by Morpheus (still in digital world) Neo wakes up:

Morpheus: Welcome to the real world. We've done it, Trinity. We've found him.

Trinity: I hope you're right.

Morpheus: I don't have to hope. I know it.

Neo: Am I dead?

Morpheus: Far from it.

With regards to GKMC, this is where the song REAL plays after Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst. Next follows the song COMPTON where K-Dot fully embraces his destiny.

 

To Pimp a Butterfly

Institutionalized

You lookin' at artists like the harvests

So many Rollies around you and you want all of them

Somebody told me you thinkin' 'bout snatchin' jewelry

I should've listened when my grandmama said to me

Similar to the Machines, artists are harvested to feed the Matrix for its energy and as a supply of power. There was a particular scene in the Matrix where the humans were shown to no longer be conceived but grown just as crops are.

 

How Much a Dollar Cost

Parasites in my stomach keep me with a gut feeling, y'all

Gotta see how I'm chillin' once I park this luxury car

Hopping out feeling big as Mutombo

After Smith tries to convince Neo to work with him (and fails), he forces and implants a bug into Neo's stomach through his naval. However, Neo was lead to believe that was a dream and didn't think much of it. Here this is a double entendre as since Neo had no proof, he could only go with a 'gut feeling' that something was wrong and also the physical feeling of the parasite being in your gut. Another thing here is that Mutombo was a professional basketball player whose number was 55. I don't know if that is coincidence.

 

Hood Politics

K-Dot, pick up the phone, nigga

Every time I call, it's going to voicemail

Don't tell me they got you on some weirdo rap shit, nigga

No socks and skinny jeans and shit, ha

Ha ha ha ha ha ha hahah

Call me on Shaniqua's phone!

Referencing the fact that K-Dot is trapped in the Matrix (moving more towards the negatives of the music industry instead of what he planned to do).

 

The Blacker the Berry

I can tell cause your ways deceitful

Know I can tell because you're in love with that Desert Eagle

Thinkin' maliciously, he get a chain then you gone bleed him

Agent Smith's weapon of choice, as standard for all Agents of the Matrix, is the notably large Desert Eagle Chambered in .50 AE (Action Express).

 

Mortal Man

Want you to love me like Nelson,

want you to hug me like Nelson

I freed you from being a slave in your mind,

you're very welcome

You tell me my song is more than a song,

it's surely a blessing

But a prophet ain't a prophet

til they ask you this question:

This is referencing the beginning of the Matrix where Morpheus details how people are slaves:

Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind....

DAMN.

DAMN has the largest amount of references and hints and I think this is because it's the end of the trilogy and thus can be saturated with enough content to piece everything together. This isn't just within the story/album but outside of the album too. For the sake of not going over character limit, I'm going to have to eliminate the direct quotes from DAMN but honestly you don't have to dig too deep to find them.

At the beginning of DAMN, K-Dot tries to approach a blind woman who shoots and kills him. In relation to the Matrix, this woman is blind as in she is ignorant. Some people have said this woman is either Lady Justice (for the reason of being literally blind) or America (us being blind to K-Dots intentions). I think both of these work as they represent the same concept: denying the prophecy of The One to be fulfilled because we are misguided. In Matrix Revolutions, Neo has also sort of "died" as he is trapped in some sort of purgatory between the physical world and the digital world. This is where Smith (Kung Fu Kenny) begins to spread.

From To Pimp a Butterfly, it was established that Tupac was a manifestation of the Oracle. In the Matrix Revolutions, Agent Smith imprints on the Oracle to further his goal to destroy humanity and the machines. This same imprinting happened in DAMN where Kung Fu Kenny imprints on Tupac. Previously, I suspected that Kung Fu Kenny was taking on the persona of Makaveli but I couldn't really understand why. There are a few references to this in DAMN that allude to Makaveli being present on the album. This transformation is rather insidious but sprinkled throughout the album. K-Dot is also calling out to for help and sort of warning about Kung Fu Kenny but KFK at this point is too strong and the only way for K-Dot to "defeat" Kenny is to let him win (similar to the Matrix Revolutions story). This explains why the album is red, why Kenny is on basically every song and why the messages behind DAMN seem so… anti-Kendrick.

Recurring Themes

  • Telephones within the Matrix were used by both bluepills and redpills for communication. However, telephones were used for communication mostly by the former, while Redpills usually used them for exiting the Matrix. Since Neo is the Chosen One, he has the ability to harness his powers both inside and outside of the Matrix. Anytime a phone is mentioned in Kendrick's music it is because he is switching back and forth between the Matrix and real life. Think of the phrases,"get _____ on the phone!" that are said throughout untitled unmastered and the references to talking on the phone in both DNA and XXX and even so far back as GKMC.

  • Approximately six months between the events of the first film and The Matrix Reloaded, Neo is now fully confident in his ability to manipulate the artificial world within the Matrix. Not surprisingly, he no longer uses firearms and instead prefers martial arts. His ability to manipulate the coding of the Matrix allows him to stop incoming fire from multiple attackers. Dispensing with the long black trenchcoat and black shirt he wears at the conclusion of The Matrix, Neo now prefers a cassock with a high-rise mandarin collar giving the appearance of a priest or Bishop. This explains why Kendrick has been promoting this sort of Kung-Fu persona to begin with. This is why Coachella was so based on Chinese martial arts, too.

  • The renegades and the Agents always wear sunglasses in the Matrix. Sunglasses hide the eyes and reflect those who are being looked at. The removal of sunglasses signals that a character is gaining a new or different perspective, or that he or she is vulnerable or exposed in some way. When Neo removes his glasses to kiss Persephone in The Matrix Reloaded, he looks deeply into her eyes, indicating both the precariousness and gravity of the moment. When Morpheus offers Neo his crucial choice between the pills, the blue pill is reflected in one shade of his sunglasses, the red pill in the other, an overt reference to the two different ways of seeing that Neo must choose between. When Neo enters his new world, his sunglasses serve as protection for him, keeping him invulnerable to the dangers and surprises he encounters.

  • Mirrors reveal how we see the outside world, but also, crucially, how we see ourselves and our own world. When Neo takes the red pill, he enters the real world, and the mirror he touches infects him slowly with metallic goo, suggesting the fraying of all his illusions as he enters a new realm of perception. Other reflective materials are shattered throughout the trilogy. Skyscraper glass rains down, water rains from above and pools below, and anything transparent continually shifts forms and locations, transforming whatever it reflects.

  • Neo's mission is to save humanity, but in the second movie he learns he cannot win the way he expected (think of this like the message of TPAB being lost on people because of its sound or production or anything, really. Because it's not necessarily of the form that is consistent with The Matrix). However, Neo also comes to realize that The Architect was wrong in his own assumptions, and this can – and does – work to Neo's advantage. Smith has no existence without Neo, this is actually established in the first film, as Smith senses his own mortality (remember why he wanted the Zion access codes from Morpheus so badly? He needed a sanctuary from his own doom.) and tries to escape his fate in a number of ways (multiplying himself, trying to take over the Matrix to thwart the program, and in the end to eliminate Neo who was sent to destroy him). The first film is the rise of Neo, the second the rise of New Smith, and the third resolves the conflict. An elegant solution is created to an untenable problem. Zion cannot survive because the Machines will destroy it. The Machines cannot survive because they cannot stop Smith. Smith cannot prevail against Neo so long as Neo fights. But Neo allows Smith to kill him, which removes the reason for Smith to exist, which allows the Machine to destroy Smith. But the Machine cannot destroy Zion now, because to do so will resume the old cycle which would recreate The One, which in turn could regenerate Smith – the only way for the Machines to assure their survival is to keep the peace promised to Neo which in turn restores balance back into the system. Kenny has no existence without K-Dot both of them make up Kendrick. This is illustrated in a lot of songs but primarily told in DNA.

Within the DAMN Album

  • Kung Fu Kenny can be distinguished on the album in three ways: the way Kendrick is actually rapping (he makes his voice more nasally), the words Kenny uses (like speaking Blood or anything related to red), or the content of his messages such as violence, sex, drugs or general over-indulgence (e.g. Oh Lamar! Hail Mary and Marijuana times is hard.) K-Dot basically made an entire album dedicated to not smoking marijuana so naturally this is Kenny. Not to mention this is also a reference to the Makaveli imprinting: 'Hail Mary' was very popular single released by Tupac after he died (under the Makaveli alias).

  • There are physical signs of the Matrix glitching. The album scratching, reversing, slowing down (which kind of sounds like melting like on LUST), the backmasking (which is a double-reference and goes back to the music industry = illuminati = matrix theme), the skipping. All of it are signs of the glitches in the Matrix. There are also times where K-Dot and Kenny are rapping in unison which is illustrative of the internal battle going on.

  • Neo was the 6th iteration of the Matrix (ie there were 5 previous iterations). The number 5 appears throughout the Matrix. For example, Neo's room number was 101 (binary for 5). Some have said that if we assume base 0, that Neo was actually the 5th iteration instead of 6th. K-Dot refers to himself at Mr. 1-5 as in he represents every Chosen One from each iteration of the Matrix. I think there are more 5-symbols in the album too.

  • "What happens on Earth stays on Earth" is rather loaded but relates to the Matrix, Makaveli-Kenny and sin.

  • The Oracle has some sort of fascination with sweets - particularly candies. She offers Neo candy at least twice through the trilogy. This is more than likely why Makaveli-Kenny calls himself the Candyman. Also, the Candyman appears after saying his name in a mirror 5 times. This could potentially contribute to the 5-symbols established previously.

  • Just as the Matrix, there are significant religious undertones (enough to write entire posts about those as well). For example, a case can be made that Kung Fu Kenny is also the Antichrist.

Outside of the Album

  • Before the official release of the album, this tweet was put out by Sounwav. This lead to the second album theories but this was more of a clue to what the entirity of the project was. The duality theme is present within all of Kendrick's work (like how he calls himself the gemini, having two lives, etc) and while we thought there were two albums, we were a bit off the mark.

  • The first Matrix movie was released in theatres during Easter weekend just as DAMN. was released during Easter weekend (Good Friday).

  • Both the HUMBLE video and the DNA video are consistent with Kung Fu Kenny infecting inhabitants of the Matrix or people in general (as he was able to do in Matrix Revolutions). Just like Agent Smith, Kenny has the ability to imprint on any nearby host. This is what was happening in the DNA video and this is also why Schoolboy Q was holding up Crip signs and such which didn't really seem to make sense at the time: Kenny was controlling him.

  • Smith himself is a virus and it shows throughout the progression of the trilogy. Not only this, but Smith ends up becoming (kind of ironically) everything he hates: destructive, weak, egotistical, illogical. Kung Fu Kenny follows the same path. He becomes everything he claims to despise. This is most evident in HUMBLE (rapped entirely by Kung Fu Kenny). A prominent quote from Smith in the Matrix:

    I'd like to share a revelation during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we are the cure.

  • Untitled Unmastered is related as well and is more of a predecessor to DAMN than it is a b-sides of TPAB but one could make the case that it's both… bridging the gap between the albums. That's probably another post.

 

Concept Update #1:

From this comment chain

As a huge fan of the Matrix series, this was a fascinating read. I wish I had listened to Kendrick Lamar more to understand it better. I only just started listening after the release of Damn. I tried going through his older albums too but it's not working for me at the moment. Hopefully that will change soon but at the moment I'm too addicted to having Damn on repeat. Following are some thoughts revolving around the Damn related sections. Base 0 does not make Neo the 5th iteration. With 0 being the 1st iteration, this still makes Neo the 6th iteration. This may not sound like it has a point to it but hear me out. Like you said, K-Dot is 1-5, who is Neo. But the 6th iteration is Neo too. The version of Neo that can finally solve the equation. The version where he is also Kung Fu Kenny. K-Dot and Kung Fu Kenny are not only enemies, opposites, Neo and Agent Smith, but also the same entity. This is evident in the video of DNA. during the interrogation where their essence of the entity goes back and forth between Kendrick Lamar and Don Cheadle. Don Cheadle, A.K.A. Agent Smith, A.K.A. the original Kung Fu Kenny from Rush Hour. Another thing. The blind woman from BLOOD. is the oracle. Being blind makes her see the world for what it truly is, like Neo's vision after he was blinded by Agent Smith when he was on his way to the home of the machines. "Oh yes, you have lost something. You've lost… your life." is the final instruction from the Oracle to Neo. In order to save the world, Neo would need to sacrifice himself, let Agent Smith take over so they can cancel out (the equation). This is documented in the conclusion of the album DUCKWORTH. "You take two strangers, and put 'em in random predicaments; give 'em a soul So they can make their own choice and live with it. Twenty years later, them same strangers you make 'em meet again". Two strangers, one soul. K-Dot, Kung Fu Kenny, 6th iteration of Neo when they are the same entity. The final line of the album, "So, I was takin' a walk the other day…" is also at the beginning of the album. This beautifully illustrates the picture of Neo making peace with his journey after fulfilling his purpose.

My response:

Like you said, K-Dot is 1-5, who is Neo. But the 6th iteration is Neo too.

This is actually a good point as I wasn't trying to say Neo was the 5th because he's still the 6th no matter which way you count it. I just meant the labeling would be '5th' at that point. But him being Mr. 1-5 from the line....

"Mr. 1-5 that's the only logic. Fake my death, go to Cuba, that's my only option." I think this relates to the scene with him and the Architect in that he doesn't do what the previous iterations have done because he will be the one to change the cycle.

The version of Neo that can finally solve the equation. The version where he is also Kung Fu Kenny. K-Dot and Kung Fu Kenny are not only enemies, opposites, Neo and Agent Smith, but also the same entity. This is evident in the video of DNA. during the interrogation where their essence of the entity goes back and forth between Kendrick Lamar and Don Cheadle. Don Cheadle, A.K.A. Agent Smith, A.K.A. the original Kung Fu Kenny from Rush Hour.

YES precisely. Kenny and K-Dot are two sides of the same coin within Kendrick. The DAMN album is about Kendrick struggling within himself "First I thought it was me vs. the world, then I found it's me. vs me."

Thank YOU FOR THE ORACLE PART. I was unsure about this and couldn't figure out exactly who the blind woman was so I used theories that were previously told. This actually makes more sense.

Two strangers, one soul. K-Dot, Kung Fu Kenny, 6th iteration of Neo when they are the same entity. The final line of the album, "So, I was takin' a walk the other day…" is also at the beginning of the album. This beautifully illustrates the picture of Neo making peace with his journey after fulfilling his purpose.

YES AGAIN. I knew this was Kung Fu Kenny telling the story and he was talking about K-DOT but I couldn't figure out how. But the beginning of DUCKWORTH starts with Kenny rapping about Top Dawg and I knew he was not telling it from the perspective of K-Dot through the voice, what he was talking about, etc.

Your conclusion actually ties up BLOOD/DUCKWORTH which I've been having the hardest time trying to figure out. I initially thought it was about Kenny/K-Dot but read it was about Kendrick and Top and thought it was the story of those two.

Another reason why I suspected it was K-Dot and Kenny is because of the 20 years later thing. In DNA the lines "when I was 9 on cell motel didn't have nowhere to stay" and "born inside the belly of the beast my expertise checked out in second grade" appeared to be told through Kung Fu Kenny's perspective.

CONCEPT UPDATE #2: untitled unmastered. represents the part of Matrix Revolutions where Neo (K-Dot) is trapped at the train station. The reason why it has a period (just as DAMN.) is that could be the end (as it seems Neo was going to be trapped down there indefinitely) but it wasn't. DAMN, however, does have a period because it is the end.

tl;dr: My theory is that Kendrick Lamar retold the Matrix trilogy through his three major albums in which his personality was split as Neo (K-Dot) and Agent Smith (Kung Fu Kenny) within the Matrix (the music industry as well as religious themes) to illustrate the struggle of becoming a rap artist and what it means to have such a prominent voice and influence in hip-hop in today's world. Kendrick is a master story-teller, if not the G.O.A.T.

MY LAST.FM ACCOUNT

Written by: Jasmine Burns, heyjasminestfu@yahoo.com (May 7, 2017).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

For more information visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Nas breaks down "It Ain't Hard to Tell" with Harvard Poetry Prof. Elisa New

Posted: 07 May 2017 01:08 PM PDT

A$AP Rocky plays "Please Don't Touch My Raf" at Rolling Loud

Posted: 07 May 2017 11:11 AM PDT

Future - Codeine Crazy

Posted: 07 May 2017 07:25 PM PDT

SUNDAY GENERAL DISCUSSION THREAD - MAY 7th 2017

Posted: 07 May 2017 04:48 PM PDT

What are your favorite summer activities HHH? Do you have anything exciting planned specifically this year?

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[FRESH VIDEO]Big Sean - Jump Out The Window

Posted: 07 May 2017 09:12 PM PDT

Best Verse, Week 108 - Kendrick Lamar (Revisited)

Posted: 07 May 2017 01:05 PM PDT

Kung Fu Kenny is this week's best verse!

Background: Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Born and raised in Compton, California, he embarked on his musical career as a teenager under the stage name K-Dot, releasing a mixtape that garnered local attention and led to his signing with indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). He began to gain recognition in 2010, after his first retail release, Overly Dedicated. The following year, Lamar independently released his first studio album, Section.80, which included his debut single, "HiiiPoWeR". By that time, he had amassed a large Internet following and collaborated with several artists in the hip hop industry, including The Game, Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes.

His major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was released in 2012 by TDE, Aftermath and Interscope Records to critical success. It debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The record contained the top 40 singles "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe", and "Poetic Justice". Lamar won his first Grammy Award for "i", lead single from his critically acclaimed third album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). The album drew on free jazz, funk, soul, and spoken word, debuted atop the charts in the US and the UK, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 58th ceremony. In 2016, Lamar released untitled unmastered., a collection of unreleased demos that originated during the recording sessions for Butterfly. He released his fourth album Damn in 2017; its lead single "Humble" topped the Billboard Hot 100.

Lamar has received a number of accolades over the course of his career, including seven Grammy Awards. In early 2013, MTV named Lamar the number one "Hottest MC in the Game", on their annual list. Time named Lamar one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016. Aside from his solo career, Lamar is also known as a member of the West Coast hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, alongside his TDE label-mates and fellow South Los Angeles-based rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendrick_Lamar_discography

Past 20 Week Results:

.....
Week 87 - Kodak Black - "No Flockin" - verse 1
Week 88 - De La Soul - "Stakes is High" - verse 3
Week 89 - Kevin Gates - "Angels" - verse 1
Week 90 - Q-Tip - "Excursions" - verse 1
Week 91 - Migos - "Bad and Boujee" - verse 1
Week 92 - Del The Funky Homosapien - "3030" verse 3
Week 93 - 2016 - "Really Doe" - verse 4
Week 94 - A$AP Ferg - "Work REMIX" - verse 1
Week 95 - KRS-One - "MC's Act Like They Don't Know" - verse 1
Week 96 - Casey Veggies - "America" - verse 3
Week 97 - Slick Rick - "Children's Story" - verse 1
Week 98 - Travis Scott - "90210" - verse 3
Week 99 - Joe Budden - "Dumb Out" - verse 1
Week 100 - Best Verse of All Time - "N.Y. State Mind" - verse 1
Week 101 - Vic Mensa - "There's A Lot Going On" - Verse 1
Week 102 - Ka - "$" - Verse 3
Week 103 - Kid Cudi - "Soundtrack 2 My Life" - verse 3
Week 104 - E-40 - "Sick Wild It II" - verse 2
Week 105 - The Underachievers - "Shine All Gold" - verse 1
Week 106 - The LOX - "Blackout" - verse 1
Week 107 - Quavo - "Pick Up The Phone" - verse 3

Please provide links with your votes!

Post your favorite verses here!

remember just because a verse may be iconic that does necessarily mean it's their best verse.

And as usual taking suggestions for next week

Spotify playlist for /r/HHH's Best Verse of 2015

Spotify Playlist for /r/HHH'S Best Verse of 2016

Spotify playlist for top 5 best verses for every week!

Spotify playlist for /r/HHH's Best Verses of All Time

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[Discussion] Brother Ali - All The Beauty In This Whole Life

Posted: 07 May 2017 03:53 PM PDT

Been 24 hours and didn't see a discussion thread about it yet. What are everyone's thoughts on this album? I think it's his best yet and can't wait for from him.

submitted by /u/hornicorn-
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Tyler the Creator Cancels European Tour

Posted: 07 May 2017 10:29 AM PDT

[Discussion] Logic - Everybody

Posted: 07 May 2017 11:20 AM PDT

It's been 24+ hours now, this album is projected to sell 225k or so. What is everyone's take on the album and it's concept? Let's get some good discussion going here!

submitted by /u/Ginska
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A$AP Rocky - Please Dont Touch My Raf (feat. Playboi Carti, Quavo & Lil Uzi Vert) Rolling Loud Live

Posted: 07 May 2017 12:25 PM PDT

Mick Jenkins Ft. Joey Bada$$ - Jerome

Posted: 07 May 2017 04:36 PM PDT

[FRESH] ICYTWAT - PASTEL TALK (Feat. INDIGOCHLDRICK & $ILKMONEY)

Posted: 07 May 2017 01:19 PM PDT

LIL UZI VERT JUMPS INTO THE CROWD AT ROLLING LOUD

Posted: 07 May 2017 07:54 PM PDT

[FRESH!!] MC Eiht & DJ Premier - Represent Like This ft. WC (Official Video)

Posted: 07 May 2017 08:08 AM PDT

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib Featuring Earl Sweatshirt & Domo Genesis - Robes

Posted: 07 May 2017 07:45 PM PDT

Kendrick Lamar's 'Damn.': Inside the Making of the Number One LP

Posted: 07 May 2017 06:13 AM PDT

The-Dream - Walkin' On The Moon ft. Kanye West

Posted: 07 May 2017 01:31 PM PDT

Travis Scott - Way Back

Posted: 07 May 2017 08:09 PM PDT
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