Kendrick Lamar - "XXX." ft. U2
- Thread starter BigMacPhisto
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
superchuk5
Refugee
cobl04
45:33
roasted
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Damn is pretty innovative, honestly. I can't think of very many modern rap albums that sound like Damn or that attempt its degree of ambition and eclecticism within a mainstream context (there's The Life of Pablo and that's it really). An album this misanthropic and depressing that also tackles mainstream trends in a clever and personal way is pretty rare. It's like the Kendrick equivalent of Pop, except casual listeners have accepted it.
nbelcik
Refugee
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2011
- Messages
- 1,592
https://www.buzzfeed.com/reggieugwu...paign=buffer&utm_term=.xtxN1DmeLg#.nrwJ7PloAY
This article pretty much says that only Bono contributed to the song. There's no mention of Edge, Larry, or Adam...
This article pretty much says that only Bono contributed to the song. There's no mention of Edge, Larry, or Adam...
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
That's bizarre.
Was Bono credited incorrectly, as in he had no idea the whole band would be listed as the featured artist? It's not like people wouldn't recognize his name on its own.
Was Bono credited incorrectly, as in he had no idea the whole band would be listed as the featured artist? It's not like people wouldn't recognize his name on its own.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Looks like DAMN will hit about 530,000 units in the first week. Record for 2017
OP
OP
BigMacPhisto
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2002
- Messages
- 6,351
First off, all listen to anything that's highly acclaimed, even if it's noise or a hip hop record from someone I already know I don't like. I just love music exploration and genre is meaningless to me, just as it is for film or television. I just want to hear what people are saying is great, regardless.
But I really fucked up when I mentioned unimaginative hip hop lyrics because it really only bothers me when the music is boring. Boring MC with no flow and predictable beats. So I just kind of made myself a hypocrite there especially given that there's plenty of acts big on braggadocio and the like that I love such as UGK.
Likewise, I think the rock example is kind of a good mention of a double standard. Like nobody is going to take 80s hair metal seriously or whatever, but I feel that sort of stuff coming from white guys gets called out a lot more. Not that hip hop doesn't, but it's usually just by the moral police rather than someone wanting to make a point about sexism or artistry, but perhaps it's become so embedded in the DNA of rap and a part of black culture that it isn't what it seems at first glance.
I really don't need to post the Over/Under vids, but they really do exist. You ask some young 20 something rappers who don't play instruments who such and such white musician is and they really don't have a clue. We can talk about different cultural territories and how they may not have grown up in an environment where they were exposed to a lot of different music, but it's still a little perplexing that artists could be that unaware. I don't know, to me a lot of MCs are there to talk about their personal experiences and rap but might not even be that big of a music fan or even know the slightest thing about how to perform it. Maybe you don't really need to be if you're a rapper and someone else is supplying the beats which is fairly often the case.
Danny Brown is a genius at what he does and I loved watching the Jonah Hill directed clip the other day. But it's brilliant because it comes across more as performance art than who he really is or at least he has the awareness to self-diagnose and then amplifies it all to freak people out.
That is odd.. Why would the whole band get not only listed as a feature but also songwriting credits if only Bono was involved?
For most of Bono's previous features ("Slide Away" with Michael Hutchence," New Day" with Wyclef Jean, "When the Stars Go Blue" with the Corrs, "Joy" with Mick Jagger, etc.) he was only listed as the feature and neither he nor the band got songwriting credits.
Either Bono/the band decided it'd be more beneficial to list the whole band or there's just more to the collaboration than he's letting on in these statements.
superchuk5
Refugee
XXX may be U2's first song on the Hot 100 since Ordinary Love.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
That's not that long ago, they've only released one album since then.
superchuk5
Refugee
Still a whole album cycle where nothing charted (I'm not counting Ordinary Love as part of the SOI Album-cycle).
Perhaps we have an answer already: there's a longer 6 verse version of XXX which hasn't been released yet. Kendrick discussed it today in an interview with Zane Lowe.
Article/video here: Kendrick Lamar Said There’s A Six-Verse Version Of His U2 Collab ‘XXX’
Article/video here: Kendrick Lamar Said There’s A Six-Verse Version Of His U2 Collab ‘XXX’
popacrobat
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
Not saying they would've had a Hot 100 hit, but Song for Someone did chart well on other formats, and, it was difficult for them to chart with this album. The album was given to everybody. Charts count streams/downloads now, and there's no reason to stream/download any of the songs when most people had it in their iTunes library/on their phones.
Again, not saying they would've charted, but it's skewed as a result.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Agreed. Nothing on SOI can be compared to any other past work, or any other album from any other artist for that matter, chart-wise.
The fact that the album landed in the top 10 in about 20 countries, and at number 1 in several countries AFTER being given away for free does say something about the loyalty of the band's fans.
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
In the Zane Lowe interview, Lowe said that Bono has mentioned to him in several conversations in the past that America is an idea and it seems that's what Bono is saying in the XXX lyric.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
Kendrick Lamar - "XXX." ft. U2
Unsurprisingly, there's lots of talk about Bono and food. He's essentially always eating in the article. In fact, it seems you can only meet Bono if there's food, like you have to leave out a plate of cookies to even catch a glimpse. He's even nicknamed "lunch buddy."
I'm concerned.
Unsurprisingly, there's lots of talk about Bono and food. He's essentially always eating in the article. In fact, it seems you can only meet Bono if there's food, like you have to leave out a plate of cookies to even catch a glimpse. He's even nicknamed "lunch buddy."
I'm concerned.
Last edited:
superchuk5
Refugee
Final figure is >600,000. Quite impressive. Hope Humble hits #1 on Hot 100, mostly because I'm very bored of Ed Sheeran up there. Hot 100 can get so dull since it seems like #1s often last for months after their pop culture peak. I blame radio, which in this era of streaming constantly feels behind the curve.
Kendrick Lamar Earns Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With Biggest Debut of 2017 | Billboard
Last edited:
OP
OP
BigMacPhisto
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2002
- Messages
- 6,351
Gave U2 their first top 40 single since Vertigo, I believe, so that's always nice.
superchuk5
Refugee
I think Boots was up there for a week, but yeah still a good win. Also first charted song since Ordinary Love.
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
Interesting. So that's could be why it's credited to U2 and not just Bono; it's something hat they were playing with in the studio, either part of a full song or scraps that never worked out
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
If it's only vocals and Bono came up with the melody himself, that's still an odd credit.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
Registered Dude
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Do we know that's not Larry and Adam playing during that section of the song? Sure sounds like a Mullen Jr beat
We don't. Nobody from the band is credited on instrumentals beyond "ft.U2," so other than it obviously being Bono singing, everything else is a guess.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Yes I did, and there's nothing relevant to U2 beyond what was quoted above, unless I missed something.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
It says Bono sent him song ideas, which suggests he sent recorded pieces of music and vocals.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Depends on how you want to translate "song ideas", I guess. If he sent them studio jams, then yes.
But it still remains to be clarified whether any of that actual music was played by someone in the band and not Kendrick's team. At some point we'll hopefully get Bono's side of the story.
But it still remains to be clarified whether any of that actual music was played by someone in the band and not Kendrick's team. At some point we'll hopefully get Bono's side of the story.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
I seriously doubt Bono sent acapella humming or transcribed music, how else would you translate it?
It doesn't matter if they ended up playing on the record or not, if the song was built around their clip it's why they would be getting songwriting credits and not just Bono.
Similar threads
