Lurker > Bane_Of_Despair

Saiki is def on my watch list

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

At least Schindler outlasted Ready Player One

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

6 - Poetic Justice
This one sort of takes a swerve, because while it's part of the narrative of Kendrick talking about Sherane it doesn't necessarily advance it. And then Drake is off talking about his own struggles lol. Let's talk about Drake's part, because honestly that's what first comes to mind when I think of the song. I haven't really fucked with Drake since 2015, If You're Reading This... was for me his last project that I truly cared about. So this was still prime Drake, right in that sweet spot of Take Care-Nothing Was the Same, and his bars are just really infectious here. His signature flow and attitude work really well, this is Drake in his element talking about being played by a woman and I think it holds the line of not being overly woo is me and being fun and playful. Kendrick stands his own ground with some great lines like "If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?" And the backing production with the tuned vocals add to the fun feel of the track.

5 - The Art of Peer Pressure
So now we get to one that I'm a little surprised ended up as high for me, but I REALLY dig how Kendrick plays out the story here. You can absolutely picture everything in your mind as he retells it all. As the title implies, Kendrick talks about all the things he does when he's around friends, not because he necessarily enjoys those things but because "he's with the homies right now" and he feels they'd judge him if he didn't participate. Ranging from taking shots of Hennessy and smoking weed, to confronting another gang and partaking in a robbery of a house. The last one they even almost get caught by the cops for, and the way Kendrick tells it almost makes you share in the anxiety he felt at that time. All it took was that last turn to avoid getting arrested.

4 - Swimming Pools (Drank)
I like the peer pressure tracks! This time focusing on alcohol, and what might drive some individuals to alcoholism. Another one practically made to be sung along to, this was probably his biggest commercial hit song until his Damn era and for good reason. The production is lush, his vocals are on point and it's relatable to so many people. The interlude towards the end that cuts into his final verse is a highlight for me too, really adds to the darkness.

3 - Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
Boy this song is an emotional one, and that's saying something on an album that's as dense and heavy as this one. A two-parter split into Sing About Me and I'm Dying of Thirst, the beginning takes the tone of two different individuals talking to Kendrick. One of them even gets gunned down in the middle of his sentence just like his brother at the end of the previous song, which is extremely sobering. Kendrick comes in after them saying how much all of this hurts him and that by telling these stories he's trying to help make things better in some way, that people need to know about all this shit so there's more of a chance it get recognized and dealt with. Can Kendrick make a difference with this? Will people sing about him when he's gone? Dying of Thirst has a theme that absolutely relevant; he's tired. Tired of doing all the gang shit, tired of seeing his friends get hurt and killed, tired of this life he's been having to live. Finally something breaks through the endless cycle; God. And thus ends the song with a cleansing to Jesus and the Lord, hoping to rid themselves of their sins and live better lives. The whole song is a journey, and thus deserves to be placed high.

2 - Backseat Freestyle
Come on, how could I place this song low? It's an absolute blast of a song, and I have fond memories of it when the album came out when I was in college and my friends screaming out " I pray my dick get big as the Eiffel Tower, SO I CAN FUCK THE WORLD FOR 72 HOURS!!!!!" How can you hate a line like that?! Even the start, "Martin had a dream, Martin had a dream, KENDRICK HAVE A DREAM", it's an instant classic. Kendrick just being a young kid, reveling in life's pleasures. I will absolutely feel a type of way if this places low in other people's rankings lol

1 - M.A.A.D. City
I feel like this should be a pretty obvious one to end up at top 3 at the very least. What can I say about it? When I went to see Kendrick back in 2017 on the Damn tour (which I paid an amount of money I will not specify here to get a good seat), and the opening words started I FREAKED OUT. The beat on both halves of the song just go insanely bonkers hard, and Kendrick's wordplay on it is some of my favorite. MC Eiht coming in on the second half keeps the vibe going, he kills his feature. Frankly what more can I say about this song? Pure perfection.

General album thoughts:
Uhhhhh yea, I love this album ha. To Pimp a Butterfly is my favorite from him and Damn honestly might still be #2 but I absolutely love all his albums and he's one of my favorites of all time. He told a fantastic story on this and filled it with top notch production and features, what more do you want?

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Well I'm awake early enough to have time to do one of these finally, nice to see a music thing like this going on. I'll go from top is my #12, counting down to my #1. And uh, turns out I wrote too much for each track so I'll split into 2 posts

12 - Compton
Just because it's at the bottom for me (and funny enough coincides with it being the last track anyway) doesn't mean I dislike the song! It's cool to see such a celebration of a city and with a classic like Dr. Dre holds his own on the track, despite having done nothing but guest features here and there for Eminem and such since 1999 until he finally came back with a 2015 album, also named Compton! Most of the reason for why this ranks last for me is that I'm more a fan of the story being told throughout the album, and this is technically outside that.

11 - Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter
The opening track, and obviously starts on a great note. Also just generally starts the stellar production and beat selection for the album, the background additions really add to the vibe. Kendrick just be too young and horny for his own good! The meeting of Sherane, the woman of his eye and what sets up the narrative of how hard it can be in the streets with getting jumped at the end. And then finally ending with a call from his mom and dad, asking where Kendrick is since he borrowed their car. Really a continuation of something Kendrick has been stellar at for all of his albums, setting up a continuing story that weaves its way into each forthcoming song. Honestly most of the reason this is down lower is that I just plain like the other songs more and not because this song is particularly weak, a reason that'll keep popping up.

10 - Real
What I most enjoy about Real is the dialogue going on towards the end of the track with Kendrick's dad and mom, sending him support and advice. It's really wholesome and gives a hopeful feeling to a narrative that had been understandably dark throughout. In general the track talks about finding what's "real" and what that means to you, and just general self love which is always nice to have. I will say the chorus is a bit one-note but it still works, there's enough background flourishes and such going on.

9 - Money Trees
Just an all around fun song, really easy to sing along with going "ya bish" or "that's just how I feel" and groove to. The chorus is a strong one, especially "Everybody gon' respect the shooter, but the one in front of the gun lives forever." The hustle to get your dreams of those money trees, it's a rough life that both Kendrick and Jay Rock share their experiences with. I really enjoy Jay Rock's general cadence for his bars, it fits nicely with the beat. There's a sort of light air-ness to them while still talking about real shit, almost like in the dream state while talking about everything he has to do to achieve it.

8 - Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe
Honestly this one ended up further down than I initially expected, because I do really love the song (just like with all of them but still.) Speaking of easy to sing along to, this one is insanely easy to do so as well. Also just generally relatable, who doesn't want someone to not kill their vibe? It sucks when that happens! Notably this is the really the only track you can qualify as a diss, dissing towards the rap industry and those trying to make it in ways that seem kinda fucked up to Kendrick. The placement in the track listing is interesting, as it's after Sherane which starts the story but this isn't included in it, this is more Kendrick now looking back and then the next track goes all the way back to when he was fucking around with his friends freestyling. So in some sense you can say it shows that he ultimately makes it despite what happens at the end of Sherane, but then it goes back because we need the context of what set him up for his eventual success. Or I could just be looking too far into it, who knows!

7 - good kid
Here Kendrick is coming to terms with being caught in the middle of everything. He doesn't want to be part of any gangs but outside institutions, namely the police, just see him as another gangbanger destined to fail. And if that's how you're being pigeonholed and viewed, it's incredibly hard to break out of that. Kendrick is the good kid, doing what he can to get out of that life. Pharrell taking the duties of the chorus is nice, and I like the added sinister tones that play during the chorus.

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Kaguya

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

handsomeboy2012 posted...

Auto Kaguya

for MHA

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

LotGH

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

mono

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

ok I'll go with the one I think I'll enjoy the most

Haikyuu

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Hero Academia

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

TTGL

caps

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

can't get that or Monogatari, any other ones?

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

alright, do you have a backup in case it manages to get safe by the time it's my next save?

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Bane_Of_Despair posted...

auto for MHA, can't get Mono or LotGH

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

auto for MHA, can't get Mono or LotGH

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

LotGH

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Mono

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Used to not be as much, but then my mom passed away some years ago and that kind of changed our relationship and he chilled out a bit so we became closer

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

masterplum posted...

I thought 999 was fine, but Virtues Last Reward was absolutely incredible.

This is how I feel but flipped! But you're more likely to feel the former

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Steins;Gate

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Hero academia

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

LotGH

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Monogatari

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

yep that seemed about what might happen, although snafu showed a slight glimmer towards the end

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Snafu

Good luck, you'll need it

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

oh lol, 1 second off

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

I got MHA with my last save

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

HeroAca

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Oh are we doing the begging thing now

Snafu would be cool to save imo

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

LotGH


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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Monigatari

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

TheArkOfTurus posted...

(Especially since I'd really like to want to prioritize ODDTAXI if it sticks the landing)

oh fuck I would absolutely help with this

and I love Kaguya as well!

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

My focus was indeed on Mob last year (well that and Beastars) and Mob the year before as well. I tried to balance MHA and Mob a bit but it kept getting to the point where Mob just got more lucky saves than MHA, but this year I actively decided to let Mob and Beastars go since MHA was still going. We'll see how it goes, happy it's top 10 at least

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

voltch posted...

we're now down to just Monster among former champs.
With Baccano going out the day before, is this perhaps a bad omen?

rip

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

oh cool, thanks!

Snafu

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

ah shit I think steins is safe, @MysteriousStan what else should I get

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Steins;Gate

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

MysteriousStan posted...

Kaguya

Auto Steins;Gate

for Snafu

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

auto for Snafu, can't get Monogatari or LotGH

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

LotGH

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Monogatari

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Kaguya

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

TheArkOfTurus posted...

Trading for Kaguya, auto. Can't get Monogatari. Save at 20:08

For Snafu

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

HeroAca

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

LotGH

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Monogatari

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

phew alright, worked out

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

oh I didn't realize when bubu saves since I'm about to head out, WHOOPS

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

Brotherhood

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air

illuminatusbubu posted...

Auto for brotherhood

for Snafu

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You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air