Damn | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
||||
Studio album by Kendrick Lamar | ||||
Released | April 14, 2017 | |||
Recorded | 2016–17 | |||
Studio |
|
|||
Genre | ||||
Length |
|
|||
Label | ||||
Producer |
|
|||
Kendrick Lamar chronology | ||||
|
||||
Singles from Damn | ||||
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 9.1/10 |
Metacritic | 95/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | A |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Daily Telegraph | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | A |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 9.2/10 |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Vice | A− |
Damn (stylized as DAMN.) is the fourth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on April 14, 2017, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album features production from a variety of record producers, including executive producer from the Top Dawg Entertainment label-head Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Mike Will Made It and Ricci Riera; as well as production contributions from James Blake, Steve Lacy, BadBadNotGood, Greg Kurstin, The Alchemist and 9th Wonder, among others.
Damn received widespread critical acclaim and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning Lamar his third consecutive number-one album in the United States and Canada. The album was supported by three official singles: "Humble", "Loyalty" and "Love". "Humble" became Lamar's first number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. In July 2017, Damn was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Lamar stated that he wrote most of Damn in his mother's kitchen. "DNA" was the second song from the album to be recorded by Lamar and Mike Will, after "Humble". After the first verse was recorded with the beat that Mike Will had already prepared, Lamar started rapping the second verse a cappella, requesting that Mike Will build the beat around the rap. Lamar proposed that it sound like "chaos", and Mike Will put together the second half of the song with the intention to make it "sound like he's battling the beat."