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Imperial, An Album Deconstruction
Today I will be breaking down the meaning and concept of the album brought to us by Denzel Curry, Imperial. I will be dissecting the meaning of the album and the songs, and how they contribute to the album's concept in this thread. Hope u Enjoy!
Today I will be breaking down the meaning and concept of the album brought to us by Denzel Curry, Imperial. I will be dissecting the meaning of the album and the songs, and how they contribute to the album's concept in this thread. Hope u Enjoy!
Introduction
How this works is, I first break down the meaning of the songs and explain how they tie to the concept of the album.
How this works is, I first break down the meaning of the songs and explain how they tie to the concept of the album.
Note:
I will not be including the tracks “Narcotics” and “Pure Enough” since they were on the original album but were replaced by “Me Now” and “Good Night.” Now with that note out of the way, let’s get started!
I will not be including the tracks “Narcotics” and “Pure Enough” since they were on the original album but were replaced by “Me Now” and “Good Night.” Now with that note out of the way, let’s get started!
1. ULT
ULT Serves as the intro track for Imperial. With a very lo-fi trap beat in the background, it is a perfect tone setter to the start of the project. Denzel starts off by setting himself from the rest, by explaining that he’d like to be different by being real (1/3)
ULT Serves as the intro track for Imperial. With a very lo-fi trap beat in the background, it is a perfect tone setter to the start of the project. Denzel starts off by setting himself from the rest, by explaining that he’d like to be different by being real (1/3)
and explaining crimes that go on around him. This is a track which Denzel reflects on himself essentially, explaining how real he is. This song also serves as a diss to Spaceghostpurrp, his mentor (but this is separate from the concept of the album). Denzel himself has (2/3)
stated that ULT means all 4 of these things:
Utilizing limitless talent
Understanding life’s teaching
Ultimately liberating together
Unity, love, trust.
ULT starts the albums concept immediately, as it is it both a story of his upbringing and a journey into his mind. (3/3)
Utilizing limitless talent
Understanding life’s teaching
Ultimately liberating together
Unity, love, trust.
ULT starts the albums concept immediately, as it is it both a story of his upbringing and a journey into his mind. (3/3)
2. Gook
Now, Denzel really starts to develop the mindset of a Gook, as Denzel states himself, is to feel “Odd or not in the crowd.” He raps over a very aggressive beat with a fast flow, talking about his differences from the rest, stating he was too smart and so he (1/2)
Now, Denzel really starts to develop the mindset of a Gook, as Denzel states himself, is to feel “Odd or not in the crowd.” He raps over a very aggressive beat with a fast flow, talking about his differences from the rest, stating he was too smart and so he (1/2)
skipped classes. As Well as how good he is at rapping, how real he is with people and surpassing people. In the end we get others stating that he couldn’t be real since fame and money would change him, which leads into the next track. (2/2)
3. Sick & Tired
The song is a two-part song about Money and the Cycle of Violence. The first half/skit talks about living in the hood and the mentality of a “poor” person living in it. The first person talks about wanting money because he is upset without it, and even (1/3)
The song is a two-part song about Money and the Cycle of Violence. The first half/skit talks about living in the hood and the mentality of a “poor” person living in it. The first person talks about wanting money because he is upset without it, and even (1/3)
willing to kill someone for it so he can get rich. The next part is a contrast to this as instead, it shows a “rich” thug but still has the “hood mentality” even though he is rich, venting about how others want his name, carrying a gun for protection, having jewelry, (2/3)
and suffering from paranoia. The final skit shows Denzel wanting revenge for killing his homie, taking the spot of the poor thug and talking about being a “Knotty Head” which goes into the next track. (3/3)
4. Knotty Head (ft. Rick Ross)
Now we transition into Knotty Head, in which Denzel explains and talks about the environment that Curry grew up in. He starts off by talking about the violence in his area, the distrustful neighbors, drug dealing, Sexual acts, and the (1/3)
Now we transition into Knotty Head, in which Denzel explains and talks about the environment that Curry grew up in. He starts off by talking about the violence in his area, the distrustful neighbors, drug dealing, Sexual acts, and the (1/3)
poor “hood” mindset as he has and explained on Sick & Tired. On the hook he feels so unhopeful in this spot in life, that he just wants to stick to Writing and hoping he becomes a professional rapper. Rick Ross then comes in, to deliver a verse along the lines of Curry’s, (2/3)
talking about gangs and violence. By this point, we have traveled in Denzel Curry’s mind, from wanting to feel indifferent, then to how he feels poor and sad. It also advances the story of how he has grown up as a result of the environment and people in it. (3/3)
5. Me Now
Now we are truly starting to get deep into this journey. This track is a reflection on Denzel Curry’s Hope in God as well as love, as it is failing him. He acts very pessimistic on this track, opening up about how God is failing him, how he is sinning to the (1/2)
Now we are truly starting to get deep into this journey. This track is a reflection on Denzel Curry’s Hope in God as well as love, as it is failing him. He acts very pessimistic on this track, opening up about how God is failing him, how he is sinning to the (1/2)
devil, and how he feels weak as a person. However, he does show hope in the track, briefly though, about striving to be better but feeling these types of ways that make him think otherwise, as a result of his negative Environment and peers. (2/2)
6. Story: No Title
Transitioning from “Me Now” where he feels in a very negative spot, he further goes and explores this negative consciousness and compares his life to a story with “No Title” or rather, no conclusion. (1/2)
Transitioning from “Me Now” where he feels in a very negative spot, he further goes and explores this negative consciousness and compares his life to a story with “No Title” or rather, no conclusion. (1/2)
Though, he provides introspect about his come up in the first verse and the second verse. On the third verse however, he finds some sort of optimism and compares himself to a normal kid at the end, rather than feeling like a terrible kid. (2/2)
7. This Life
Even though he finds hope at the end of “Story: No Title,” he still indulges in hopelessness and pessimism. This is essentially a result of Denzel feeling hopeless after he finally starts to find hope and happiness in a girl. He vents on the track about (1/2)
Even though he finds hope at the end of “Story: No Title,” he still indulges in hopelessness and pessimism. This is essentially a result of Denzel feeling hopeless after he finally starts to find hope and happiness in a girl. He vents on the track about (1/2)
feeling Numb, sad, and not feeling at peace after this. Though he still manages to find some hope YET again, and manages to grasp onto the fact that he is still a real one. Though he Is disappointed in the end of the relationship, he takes this as a learning experience. (2/2)
8. Zenith (ft. Joey Bada$$)
Transitioning to “Zenith,” Denzel talks about the issues with others, and how they aren’t real. He talks about how others are too distracted to reflect on a real note, and thus setting him apart from others again, just like he did on (1/2)
Transitioning to “Zenith,” Denzel talks about the issues with others, and how they aren’t real. He talks about how others are too distracted to reflect on a real note, and thus setting him apart from others again, just like he did on (1/2)
tracks such as “ULT” and “Gook”. He claims throughout the track as well as the hook, that he is the best in the game as a result of this. Brooklyn great Joey Bada$$, then comes into to deliver that he is as well on top of the game and how he has risen to greatness as well. (2/2)
9. Good Night (ft. Twelve’len & Nell)
Now Denzel truly starts to find himself in Hope and happiness. He reflects on his journey thus far, and the things he has felt. This track serves as a “happy recap” for the album. He expresses the newfound love for his (1/3)
Now Denzel truly starts to find himself in Hope and happiness. He reflects on his journey thus far, and the things he has felt. This track serves as a “happy recap” for the album. He expresses the newfound love for his (1/3)
city and his peers that he said on “Knotty Head” whom he thought were bad. He even sings on the hook “Even if they hit me on sight, Everything Gon be alright.” Nell then comes in and talks about the issues in the city, though he does it in a manner where (2/3)
he provides a solution at the end of the verse to show some light on how being raised in this environment is good, and that he will become a higher being as a result of it. (3/3)
10. If Tomorrow's Not Here (ft. Twelve’len)
Now we end the album in a fantastic, yet somber way with “If Tomorrow's Not Here.” He has now learned everything from the hood and takes on the perspective of his fellow friends, Ruben “Slikk” Thompson and Darnell “Nell” (1/4)
Now we end the album in a fantastic, yet somber way with “If Tomorrow's Not Here.” He has now learned everything from the hood and takes on the perspective of his fellow friends, Ruben “Slikk” Thompson and Darnell “Nell” (1/4)
Bulter, who were actually jailed, as a way to explain all the lessons he has learned on his “Imperial” Journey. He starts off by explaining that if Tomorrow isn’t Here, he would write down the things he fears the most, such as losing his peers, changing as a human (2/4)
, and losing his peers. He then develops into the belief of God, and how fearing him ultimately means that you are afraid of being yourself as a human, as well as you fear something that is out of your control, and in this case, God. Curry then by the end of the (3/4)
second verse explains the whole reason he set out on this journey, is to become a better person. He at the end of the track, sympathizes with Slikk and Nell, wanting them to enjoy the life Denzel has now obtained, as a result of this journey. (4/4)
Conclusion:
Imperial tells a story of how one can feel as a result of a poor environment, and how it can affect you as a person. It showcases the highs and lows of being a part of this environment and provides introspect into it.
Imperial tells a story of how one can feel as a result of a poor environment, and how it can affect you as a person. It showcases the highs and lows of being a part of this environment and provides introspect into it.
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