- As someone that tries his downright darnedest  to keep in touch with global hip-hop happenings I can honestly and with no reservations claim that Kendrick Lamar is flat out the best thing to happen to rap music in the last decade. Lamar is one of the few legit hip hop artists that can boast huge commercial success with equally overwhelmingly positive critical reception, and unlike -say- Kanye West, whom I also adore, he appears to be legitimately not batshit crazy.

After 2015's grandiose, powerhouse record that was To Pimp A Butterfly, all eyes have been on Kendrick and how on Earth he'd be able to get close to reaching the same, lofty heights as the aforementioned LP. One third of the way through an already tumultuous 2017 and with only a month of hinting and speculation, most of those who give a shit have probably already wrapped their earholes around Kendrick's latest, the simply and aptly titled DAMN., which was let loose digitally on Good Friday; a surprisingly perfect Easter present even for those heathens like myself that aren't overly fussed on the notion of Jesus and his whacky adventures throughout time and space.

Everything from the cover art (basically Kendrick standing in front of a brick wall looking stressed out with DAMN. in massive red font), to the title itself, to the song names (HUMBLE, FEEL, PRIDE, LUST, LOVE etc) all feels like Lamar operating in deceptively simple terms. After even one listen to the record, you'll know just how deceptive it is, revealing something intrinsically deep and profound, something Kendrick's music has always imparted but never shoved down the listeners throats. After a good dozen listens or so, there's no denying that DAMN. is every part the worthy successor to the sprawling masterpiece that was To Pimp A Butterfly.

On DAMN. the vocal features are sparse and implemented extremely well, with huge names like U2 and Rihanna used subtly and only to help Kendrick craft a record that truly transcends the idea of "rap" music towards something that by no means going to appeal to everyone, but regardless, even if going off a limited sample size, seems to be speaking directly and wholl-heartedly to a generation (myself included) that could use a voice of reason and understanding to make some sense of these tumultuous times.

If you had told me that the best hip hop record of 2017 would feature an original Bono guest-spot I would have likely spat in your eye in shear and utter confusion, but life is weird and here we are; with the world continuing to spin despite itself there are very few constants that keep me sane, luckily one of those constants is that Kendrick Lamar can basically do no wrong and for whatever reason, that helps me sleep a little better at night.

With just his third studio record under his belt (excluding his early mixtapes and independent records) Lamar has firmly cemented himself as the unquestionable king of Compton, doing more in the last five years than most could hope to achieve in a lifetime. Whilst shoving Dr. Dre from atop a throne it feels like he's just been keeping warm, waiting for a true successor to emerge from the shadows and help steer a nation of disenfranchised towards a common goal. DAMN. feels like the long-form anthem for humans across the globe, I for one will be banging this record for a long time to come, at least until Lamar's next classic drops.

- Jay Edwards.