Song of the Week: Kendrick Lamar Surveys Hip-Hop and Declares “It’s Time to Watch the Party Die”

The post Song of the Week: Kendrick Lamar Surveys Hip-Hop and Declares “It’s Time to Watch the Party Die” appeared first on Consequence .

Every week, Consequence’ s Songs of the Week column looks at great new tunes from the last seven days and analyzes notable releases. Find our new favorites and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for other great songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, digging into Kendrick Lamar’s surprise song.

During the MTV VMAs earlier this week, Kendrick Lamar returned without warning and dropped an untitled track on his Instagram page. The timing of the release was likely no coincidence, as the song goes beyond his Drake beef to run down the state of hip-hop and the music industry as a whole.

Bringing the black Air Force 1 energy from the accompanying artwork, Kendrick opens with the chilling line, “I think it’s time to watch the party die.” Continuing a general throughline from his Drake disses, Kendrick unloads his frustrations with the state of “the culture,” taking more subliminal shots at Drake and his associates, as well as unnamed rappers turned podcasters.

As Kendrick sees it, hip-hop is too focused on materialist goals and gaining clout over seeking substance: “So where the soldiers at?” he asks. “The one’s that lost it all and learnt to learn from that/ A thirst for life, head inside a book ’cause he concerned with that/ Information that’ll change his life because he yearns for that.”

Kendrick’s disgust for some of his cohort is so strong that he would “trade all of y’all” for the late Nipsey Hussle, and he’s lost in a “sunken place” haunted by ghosts. Seeing no way out of hip-hop’s malaise, his only solution is to burn it all down and build it from the ground up.

With an upcoming headlining appearance at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, speculation for a new Kendrick album is at a fever pitch. After rapping in the new song that he’s “not enthused to drop,” there are no guarantees, but it seems like Kendrick still has plenty to get off his chest.

— Eddie Fu
News Editor

Staff Picks: Best Songs of the Week September 7th – September 13th

clipping. — “Run It”

Recent years have seen noise-rap trio Clipping. embrace remixes, cover club staples, and re-issue arguably their danciest project to date, the Wriggle EP. Now, as they return with the brand new song “Run It,” it seems as if Clipping. have rediscovered their love for rave-ready bangers — at least Clipping.’s fucked up version of a rave-ready banger. “Run It” is a relentless, skittering, up-tempo rager complete with noisy embellishments and Daveed Diggs’ technical flows. In other words, it goes nuts. — Jonah Krueger

Homer — “Rollin'”

Homer Steinweiss first blew me away as a session drummer (his work on Fleet Foxes’ “Maestranza” is stunning). But on “Rollin’,” the first single from his debut solo album Ensantina , drums are hardly part of the equation. Instead, “Rollin’” is as lush and soulful as it can be, with Kirby’s honeyed vocals and Homer’s grandiose brass popping out the most. It’s moving and patient all at once, evoking both a Sunday morning coffee and a midnight glass of red wine. — Paolo Ragusa

Miami Horror — “Together”

In the nine years since Benjamin Plant’s band Miami Horror released their last album, he spent years crafting lush, euphoric house under the name Mild Minds. Now, back under the Miami Horror moniker, Plant is combining both projects’ warmest impulses for the aptly-named “Together.” Against soulful piano chords, kaleidoscopic synths, and a couple infectious vocal samples, “Together” is the earworm that keeps on giving. In short, it’s great to have Miami Horror back. — P. Ragusa

RAYE — “Worth It.” (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival)

Anyone who has been lucky enough to see RAYE perform live can confirm that the vocalist radiates unbelievable levels of star power. Now, for those of us out there who adored her wonderful 2023 album, My 21st Century Blues , a new treat has arrived in the form of recordings of her performance at Montreux Jazz Festival. It’s hard to pick a standout moment when the same set included a performance of her stunning, expansive 2024 single, “Genesis,” but “Worth It.” still takes the cake. It remains the perfect introduction to the whimsical world of RAYE, and the live version places her freewheeling vocals front and center against the backdrop of incredible horns. — Mary Siroky

Special Interest — “Nothing Grows Here”

For their first single to follow their acclaimed 2022 effort Endure , Special Interest have doubled down on their electro-hardcore fusion. “Nothing Grows Here” is just as frantic, chaotic, and irresistible as the best moments of Endure, thanks in part to a particularly unhinged lead vocal performance from Alli Logout. It’s a wild ride from start to finish and a tune that should be of special interest to the rave kids and punks alike. — J. Krueger

Umarells — “One More Day”

Whether they meant to or not, Manchester-based five-piece band Umarells are making a statement with their latest release. Clocking in at nearly six minutes long, “One More Day” bucks the algorithm-friendly expectations of the streaming era in favor of a lengthy, simmering conversation amongst friends. The song is the title track for their forthcoming November album, and it’s a meditative, intimate dedication mined from personal experience; by the time it wraps, we feel like we’ve been invited to spend time in their inner circle. — M. Siroky

Song of the Week Artwork:

clipping.'s "Run It" Single Artwork Homer's "Rollin'" Single Artwork Miami Horror "Together" Single Artwork Raye's "Worth It." SIngle Artwork Special Interest's "Nothing Grows Here" Single Artwork Umarells' "One More Day" Single Artwork

Song of the Week: Kendrick Lamar Surveys Hip-Hop and Declares “It’s Time to Watch the Party Die”
Consequence Staff