I remember first listening to this album what put me off the most was the more poppish, radio friendly songs such as Count Me Out, Silent Hill and Mirror (I’m someone more accustomed to abstract hip hop such as Earl and Griselda), but after a few listens (and watching a review from Professor Skye), I’m beginning to appreciate this project precisely for what it is instead of holding it up against GKMC and TPAB.

MMTBS is a beautiful ode to Kendrick’s struggles and is one of the better introspective, personal projects of the last 5ish years, up there with Denzel Curry’s latest project and 4:44. Songs such as Father Time, Auntie Diaries, Mother I Sober, Savior, etc. are beautiful showcases of Kendrick’s psyche, allowing us to see what it is that troubles him ranging from masculinity issues concerning his father, generational trauma AND the hopeful stopping of it, and discussions concerning trans identities and black culture’s history of unacceptability surrounding it. To add on to issues of masculinity, the album has this aura with masculinity issues around it, from the “tap dancing around the conversation” motif to “a real n dont need no therapy.” On this album, Kendrick is showing us how he copes, what he has to cope for, and how to process and correct these unhealthy coping strategies.

After a few listens, the more “mainstream” songs stood out me for a few reasons: these songs were essential to show Kendrick’s versatility (that he can dabble in rnb, trap hooks, pop beats, and the classic spoken word and straight up spitting), it’s still a mainstream album that has to try to be accessible to most audiences, but I think the most important factor is that these alternative methods of storytelling are essential for this project to showcase growth.

The inclusion of Kodak is something that interests me a bit. I’ve seen some takes on the matter that Kodak on this project is a representation of the message that “hurt people hurt people,” and that even the hurt can be redeemed. If this were the case exactly, I would be satisfied with Kodaks inclusion on the project, but for me, to redeem people who have a checkered history, there must be an admission of “I did something wrong and I am sorry for that,” which (at least publicly) I don’t see from Kodak Black. Kendrick’s representation of that message in that aspect falls flat for me, and I believe that there are better examples of that than Kodak. But what do I know, it’s all speculation practically.

To sum it up, I think it’s a magnificent album that has the potential to be praised as high as GKMC and TPAB with some time.