The Qobuz Ideal Discography

Tegen de tijd dat de Amerikaanse rapper Kendrick Lamar (1987) zijn vierde studioalbum DAMN. uitbrengt, zien kenners hem al als de opvolger van hiphop-grootheden als Kanye West en Jay-Z. DAMN. kan op uitstekende kritieken rekenen en is tevens Lamars derde nummer 1-album in de Verenigde Staten. Een hele reeks beroemde producers zoals Anthony Tiffith, Ricci Riera, James Blake en Greg Kurstin werken mee aan de plaat. © TiVo

To Pimp a Butterfly is het derde studioalbum van de Ameriikaanse rapper Kendrick Lamar (1987). Voor de plaat weet de man uit Compton, Californië grootheden als Dr. Dre, Pharrell Williams en Snoop Dogg te strikken. To Pimp a Butterfly krijgt uitstekende kritieken, mede dankzij het feit dat Lamar veelvuldig over de rand van de hiphop-wereld kijkt. Zo vermengt hij zijn rap-songs met jazz, funk en spoken word. © TiVo

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Hip-hop debuts don't come much more "highly anticipated" than Kendrick Lamar's. A series of killer mixtapes displayed his talent for thought-provoking street lyrics delivered with an attention-grabbing flow, and then there was his membership in the Black Hippy crew with his brethren Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, and Jay Rock all issuing solo releases that pleased the "true hip-hop" set, setting the stage for a massive fourth and final. Top it off with a pre-release XXL Magazine cover that he shared with his label boss and all-around legend Dr. Dre, and the "biggest debut since Illmatic" stuff starts to flow, but Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City would be a milestone even without the back-story, offering cool and compelling lyrics, great guests (Drake, Dr. Dre, and MC Eiht) and attractive production (from Pharrell, Just Blaze, Tabu, and others). Here, Kendrick is living his life like status and cash were extra credit. It is what makes this kid so "good" as he navigates his "mad" city (Compton) with experience and wisdom beyond his years (25). He's shamelessly bold about the allure of the trap, contrasting the sickness of his city with the universal feeling of getting homesick, and carrying a Springsteen-sized love for the home team. Course, in his gang-ruled city, N.W.A. was the home team, but as the truly beautiful, steeped-in-soul, biographic key track "The Art of Peer Pressure" finds a reluctant young Kendrick and his friends feeding off the life-force of Young Jeezy's debut album, it's something Clash, Public Enemy, and all other rebel music fans can relate to. Still, when he realizes that hero Jeezy must have risen above the game -- because the real playas are damned and never show their faces -- it spawns a kind of elevated gangsta rap that's as pimp-connectable as the most vicious Eazy-E, and yet poignant enough to blow the dust off any cracked soul. Equally heavy is the cautionary tale of drank dubbed "Swimming Pools," yet that highlight is as hooky and hallucinatory as most Houston drank anthems, and breaks off into one of the chilling, cassette-quality interludes that connect the album, adding to the documentary or eavesdropping quality of it all. Soul children will experience déjà vu when "Poetic Justice" slides by with its Janet Jackson sample -- sounding like it came off his Aunt's VHS copy of the movie it's named after -- while the closing "Compton" is an anthem sure to make the Game jealous, featuring Dre in beast mode, acting pre-Chronic and pre-Death Row. This journey through the concrete jungle of Compton is worth taking because of the artistic richness within, plus the attraction of a whip-smart rapper flying high during his rookie season. Any hesitation about the horror of it all is quickly wiped away by Kendrick's mix of true talk, open heart, open mind, and extended hand. Add it all up and even without the hype, this one is still potent and smart enough to rise to the top of the pile. © David Jeffries /TiVo

Alles wat rapper Kanye West momenteel aanraakt, verandert in goud. Dat geldt ook voor zijn zesde studioalbum Yeezus, dat net als zijn eerdere platen meteen doorschiet naar de hoogste positie in de Amerikaanse albumlijsten. Bovendien wordt het album ook door de critici juichend ontvangen en zelfs Lou Reed schrijft een lovende recensie over de plaat. Op Yeezus brengt West, bijgestaan door onder meer Daft Punk, een opzwepende crossover van hiphop, R&B, dancehall en house. Bekende gastmuzikanten als Frank Ocean en Justin Vernon zijn ook van de partij. © TiVo

Dat er niet alleen uit Amerika maar ook uit Canada hoogwaardige hiphop komt, bewijst de Canadese rapper Drake. Met Nothing Was the Same (2013) levert Aubrey Drake Graham alias Drake zijn derde studioalbum af. Voor de plaat vond de Grammy Award-winnaar vele beroemde collega's bereid een bijdrage te leveren. Zo horen we naast Drake ook Sampha , 2 Chainz, Big Sean en Jay Z aan het werk. © TiVo