Greatness!! This is a beautiful book. It is packed with great details & art. The author did such a poetic job with this book.

I received an ARC of this book for review from netgalley. Reading it, I was not super impressed with this book; there seemed to be very little formatting and so it was very difficult to read. Having seen the final, hard-copy of this book though, it is lovely. The book itself is beautiful and includes lots of photos and quotes for reference and is a visual representation of how Kendrick Lamar has affected pop culture.

Although I'm not a rap fan, nor could I tell you any song by this artist, I really enjoyed this book and what I read. To me the most interesting part of this book was about his life and up bringing. You will probably enjoy it more if you're a fan of him and his music.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review

Book Review — Promise That You Will Sing About Me: The Power and Poetry of Kendrick Lamar (2021 @stmartinspress)

Spotify Wrapped is just around the corner. It’s 100% one of my favorite annual wrap-up features. I already have a feeling that @kendricklamar will be in my top 20 artists, but not super sure just yet.

This book is not really a biography of @kendricklamar, but more significantly a critical analysis of hip-hop and its surrounding culture. Of course, as one of the most celebrated rappers and songwriters of the 2000s, Kendrick Lamar plays a significant role in the industry.

This book talks a lot about the political nature and social commentary found within Lamar’s music. Did you know that he has won a Pulitzer for his work? He’s also won 13 Grammy Awards among other accolades. His work has been celebrated as paying homage to various genres such as jazz, funk, and spoken word. This book explores the music, the culture, related artists, and the context against which this music is made (politics, social/economic factors, race, masculinity, violence, etc).

I received an ARC, but I’m sure the final copy is just as visually appealing if not more. As you can see, it’s not a very thick novel, but it’s about 250 pages including some full page illustrations and graphics. It includes commentary and interviews from prominent media critics and other public figures.

I did find the writing to be a bit disjointed in the flow and at some points repetitive. However, I do not think this detracts from the subject matter if you’re a fan of Kendrick’s. I’m sure you’d find this analysis insightful or at the very least entertaining.

The author is Miles Marshall Lewis is a pop culture critic, essayist and fiction writer. Currently, it has 3.99 star average on Goodreads with about 100 ratings. It’s published now so you can get a finished copy if you like!

While this volume has lots of interesting content, it is really difficult to get into in a digital format because of the visual aspects of the presentation. Thankfully, it looks like all Kendrick fans should have an extra bit of money since it doesn't look like an album is coming this year....spend it here instead. :-D

ARC provided

🎶A J.Cole diss, something like “there’s better out there, just not as CORPORATE”…

🎶A Drake shout out, something like “PANDERING to women from the beginning”…

🎶Even a comparison between Snoop and Lamar and Snoops inability to surpass the GREATNESS of Doggystyle.

🎶A few questions about Pulitzer award worth including who deserves it and who doesn’t.

🎶It talks of the roots of rap and new trends like mumble and emo rappers.

🎶It talks of media coverage 🆚 what should or deserves to be covered. He believes there is a grave difference.

🎶It talks of Dr Dre’s impact.

🎶It talks about Kendricks unique delivery and vocal styling.

🎶It’s talks of Lamars growth and explores his influence on culture and cultures ever evolving influence on him.

🎶It talks about a lot. Maybe too much. Which would be my only criticism of the title. It is much too long in my opinion.

🎶I loved hearing different accountings from people who are close to him, know him in different ways.

🎶I learned a lot and listened to a lot of Lamars songs while reading. I am now, much more informed on parts of his personal life, his importance and significance.

🎶I recommend this book to people who are already a fan, people who are new to Kendrick Lamar, and those who are a fan of rap in general.

🎶Also, I’m a moody listener. This book goes over a lot of his lyrics. Including ones that I do not listen to on a regular basis.

🎶It helped me to appreciate the magic of his words beyond enjoying them as lyrics. That to me is how transcendent Kendrick Lamar is. What a pleasure to have read this.

🎶Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for this advanced listening copy!

Miles Marshall Lewis offers a very readable and informative book on Kendrick Lamar, a Pulitzer prize-winning hip-hop/rapper artist. The author's in-depth research shows throughout the book as he discusses Lamar's background, influences, and growth as an artist who is continually evolving and influencing the musical scene. Readers are also given a history of hip-hop which was both interesting and eye opening.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

I've been a huge fan of Kendrick Lamar for years, so I was looking forward to this book. However, the formatting was completely off and made the book almost unreadable.

Reading "Promise That You Will Sing About Me" by Miles Marshall Lewis is an experience, I tell you. Not only does Lewis give critical, well-researched analysis of Kendrick's body of work, he gives a glimpse into the life of Kendrick by way of his environment, musical influences, and the time period that shaped him. Musical ethnography of one of my favorite rappers is a treat in the way that it feels as though you are front and center of a hip-hop seminar and this curriculum covers Kendrick. There is no stone left unturned as Miles discusses Kendrick Lamar the artist: from his unique style and flow, on down to the competitive energy that tethers Kendrick to the likes of rapper Drake.

The author masterfully weaves his own personal experiences into the mix-- where he was and what he was doing when something specific happened in the country. And what Kendrick might have also been experiencing, using his age, environment, and lyrics for reference. In reading, I was blown away by how well-researched everything was. While, however, there were times when I felt the author led me down a rabbit hole of information I had a hard time crawling out of!

Any true student of hip hop will appreciate this read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Kendrick Lamar - his lyrics and music brings me to places I have yet to explore yet so much resonates with me because that’s what great art does - brings us together. Well researched and written, this book joins the history and context of Lamar’s influences and artistry. The e-version was difficult to read at times because of shading. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. Wonderful. Thanks to St Martin’s Press for the gifted copy. I’m grateful.

For some reason I thought this was an autobiography, but it's not. It was still pretty good, but more of an ode to rap and different eras. Then how Kendrick Lamar cane up and made his mark on the scene.

Initially, I thought that this was an autobiography and was a bit confused when I realized that it wasn’t. However, I found the book interesting. I loved how the author explained how Kendrick Lamar’s life influenced his music. You can really tell how much search was put into this book. It was incredibly descriptive. The book contains images and commentary from other authors and artists.

This ebook is such a poorly formatted edition that I can't give a fair review. Some pages the typeface is pale grey; barely readable. Chapter headings are mid-paragraph.

2 chapters in and I know more about the author than Kendrick Lamar.

This is so much more than a book about Kendrick Lamar. It’s a history lesson of music, culture and Kendrick Lamar. The commentary by different people throughout the book was a great addition. The author has a wonderful way with words and story telling.