J Cole:

He just bores me to fucking tears. In theory, he's everything I've always desired in an MC or hip-hop artist. He is potent lyrically, spits introspective rhymes, is socially conscious, does most of his own work (rapping and producing) and well, is soulful, sticks to the original hip-hop script of just "beats and rhymes, what else do you need ?"...but his music just never, ever reels me in. I want to like it so much but I just can't. It just comes off so cookie-cutter for some reason.


To Pimp a Butterfly:

This one is even more frustrating. I love Kendrick, think he's mega talented on the mic. Super, super, super lyrical. It's a kind of concept album (I love those when fully fleshed out and high quality). It's topical. It's socially conscious. It's a west-coast album. To further that point, he incorporated TONS of funk into this album, even including George Clinton (I'm a huge p-funk and subsequently, g-funk guy. HUGE). The album touches on a ton of civil rights and human rights issues which I'm always a champion for.

But I just can't get into it. It's grating to listen to. Again, can't really explain it cause all the elements are there, and I love Kendrick in general, and I've tried so many times. I just don't like it. I MUCH prefer GKMC.