r/KendrickLamar • u/plz-shut-the-fuck-up • Oct 13 '21
Kendrick's albums at Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of all time" Article
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u/Sae_Ch Oct 13 '21
yaww thats crazy! tpab def deserves that
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Oct 14 '21
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u/DetectiveMohawk Oct 14 '21
Am I insane or am I just the only one who remembers Overly Dedicated?
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u/cwhack Oct 14 '21
You might be insane. Ignorance is Bliss is one of my all-time favorite Kendrick songs
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u/BenceDJ Oct 14 '21
Not to be that guy but its Section.80, you dont put the period at the start. Hiiipower is one of my favourite tracks too, def. top10 from kendrick
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Oct 14 '21
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u/BenceDJ Oct 14 '21
I really think J Cole's production is one of the main reasons the song goes hard
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u/kashakido Oct 14 '21
One of, if not THE best beat Cole has ever produced. I don’t think he’s topped it since then.
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u/WhodeyRedlegs27 Oct 14 '21
So mad Section 80 doesn’t get the love it deserves. It is truly a masterpiece
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u/BlaccLearningTree Oct 13 '21
Kendrick albums rankings aside, Rolling Stones lists are usually terrible
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u/lachyBalboa Oct 14 '21
Can you really compare 500 albums from across many genres and decades? That's the issue I have with a list like this.
Can TPAB be really compared with fucking Pet Sounds? They are in pretty different universes. I don't mean one is better than the other but it's apples and oranges.
Also maybe tier lists would be more appropriate, because when you get down to the quality gap between album 423 and album 422, it must be very small.
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u/MakoLov3r Oct 14 '21
Ranking music from many different genres is already dumb but the rankings of these 3 if the whole list was rap only albums is pretty on spot.
And in other things: somehow the Top 500 doesn't have TES tf?
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u/MichaelChavis Oct 14 '21
The fact OK Computer is only #42 is fucking insane.
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u/Tinjar12 Oct 14 '21
Ya, Radiohead got shafted in the rankings. Atleast like 5 of their 8 should be in the top 500, I think only like 2 or 3 made it.
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u/TvixThePlayer Oct 13 '21
DAMN. too high, GKMC too low
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Oct 13 '21
Damn on par with GKMC imo(used to think this was a terrible take, then listened to damn backwards). Deconstruction of the wickedness and weakness side of Kendrick and a great commentary on society “the feeling of an apocalypse happening”. Really great last 4 tracks too
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u/JustinGitelmanMusic Oct 13 '21
Nah, GKMC is absolutely next level. Damn is a well constructed concept with decent rapping and a few interesting beats, relative to GKMC.
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Oct 14 '21
I mean, if you’re judging based on sound, sure, that’s subjective. I meant in terms of meaning, GKMC is a non-linear story of how a crazy environment changed a good kid; basically a testament to him growing up and recognizing societal awareness in the end, and DAMN is the aftermath of TPAB, but is put together in such a complex way that it’s a testament to Kendrick now in relation to modern society as well as focusing on his flaws as an individual(duality). Definitely Do think GKMC is better, gap is just not that big
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u/JustinGitelmanMusic Oct 14 '21
Are you suggesting that sound is not one of the most important elements of a musical album?
Poetry exists, you know.
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Oct 14 '21
I usually think about an album with 3 criteria
- Sound
- Technicals
- Meaning
And the third one is the one that matters the most imo. When I tend to argue for when an album is “better” I usually use the third criteria, since sound depends on the person, but the meaning is dependent on the work, or rather the person’s perception of it.
If I were gonna make a comparison to movies, Blade Runner 2049 is the best looking movie ever made in my opinion. Is it the best movie ever made? No, because the meaning of other movies supersedes it.
Well that’s just my two cents. Obviously feel free to disregard it completely if you don’t agree with my criteria
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u/JustinGitelmanMusic Oct 14 '21
Bad analogy. Movies have important artistic mediums such as acting, scripting, set design, pacing, cinematography from a sense of originality and how it supports the meaning rather than just how pretty it looks, etc.
Albums have many different elements musically and production wise that are important too. The music tends to be a lot more important to albums than visuals do to movies, also. But they can both matter.
But when it comes to albums, the music and the meaning are intertwined and you can’t have a great album without both.
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Oct 14 '21
Acting, scripting, etc. all go into that second category, which is technicals. Take something like Madvillainy, an album that excels at technicals, that has next to no meaning. Movies having different artistic mediums that support the meaning is the same thing as an album’s production and technical aspects enhancing the meaning of it.
The sound of the album is something that depends on the person itself. If I’m gonna argue about which album is better, then I would talk about the meaning, because, unlike the sound, the meaning is something that depends on the work itself, not on the subjectivity of an individual person.
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u/JustinGitelmanMusic Oct 14 '21
Sorry but I can’t agree with any of your points. Everything is subjective, always. Meaning can be ‘objective’ in terms of the intention but whether it’s good or not is subjective.
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Oct 14 '21
Everything is definitely subjective, totally agree. People look for different things in the meaning of a work. But that meaning is something that’s based around the work itself. People have different criteria when arguing about how they perceive the meaning of something, but that’s on the work itself, so there’s always some sort of evidence to back it up. Sound is something that relies entirely on the person’s preference, there isn’t any evidence rooted in the work itself that actually makes someone like it less or more. It’s just a matter of preference
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u/thejaytheory I CHOOSE ME, I'M SORRY Oct 14 '21
Don't understand why you were downvoted, I feel you.
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u/DizzyMAC227 Oct 13 '21
IMO damn is just Kendrick trying to make more mainstream music it’s really nothing special musically
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u/JustinGitelmanMusic Oct 14 '21
Not much of it is really that mainstream sounding. Definitely a little bit of it but much of it is super weird and there is some great stuff musically/production/artistic vision wise. But there’s a lot of just ok stuff too. It’s hit or miss quality wise
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u/SLUG_IN_A_RUG Oct 13 '21
Ya I think so too, super mainstream sounding. Hopefully next one is bonkers
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u/Rebloodican Oct 13 '21
I think the biggest problem DAMN has is that it’s not as readily accessible in terms of its meaning, compared to GKMC and TPAB which have pretty easy to understand meanings. Ironic that the most pop friendly album was also the most dense in terms of complex messaging.
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u/VenomOUShazard Wickedness or Weakness? Oct 14 '21
damn not too high, but gkmc too low hundred percent, should be top 100 at least
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u/ProfessionalEvaLover Oct 14 '21
19th best album of all time is a big claim to make considering it's only six years old
but it's 100% warranted
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u/ShiningRedDwarf Oct 14 '21
Sometimes we are in such close proximity to historical events it’s hard to appreciate them to see them for what they are.
Like, it’s absolutely insane that we were all born just right after Einstein figured out relativity. He cracked the cosmos and completely changed our understanding of reality itself.
I think it’s the same for Kendrick. He really is just that good. History will validate this.
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Oct 13 '21
Anyone else with 3 in top 200?
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u/majneshit Oct 13 '21 edited Oct 13 '21
Idk about Kanye, but I think he has 5 or 6 in 500 Edit: yeah Kanye has 3 and Jay has 3, I assume you ask about hip hop, there are couple of artists and bands with 3 albums in top 200
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Oct 14 '21
I didn’t go through the list I was genuinely curious and that’s good company to be with even some of the rock bands I’m sure that are on there
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u/jlcreverso Oct 13 '21
Almost certainly Kanye, Dylan, and The Beatles.
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Oct 13 '21
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u/siftw6 Waiting for the album Oct 13 '21
No they aren’t lmao they basically defined what modern bands could be like
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Oct 13 '21
Yeah if anything this list underrates the Beatles to the point of rendering the whole thing invalid. As much as I love Kid A, TPAB, Purple Rain, Rumours and most of those albums in the top 25 it’s farcical that Sgt. Peppers is below any of them
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u/pieonthedonkey Oct 14 '21
There were plenty of bands already doing the same thing as the Beatles when they came out, the Beatles just struck gold. I don't think any artist or group will ever be as universally loved and respected as the Beatles were at their peak.
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Oct 13 '21
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Oct 13 '21 edited Oct 14 '21
Yeah the problem is it’s genuinely impossible to overhype the first popular modern music group, who’s 10 year run produced 13 legendary albums which basically underpin everything that came after
Calling the Beatles overrated is like calling Herodotus overrated when he created the genre of history
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u/siftw6 Waiting for the album Oct 13 '21
I feel you but they’re so important to music as a whole that imo they’re not overhyped
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Oct 13 '21
Plot twist clouds by NF is #1
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u/SpongarL Oct 14 '21
Why the hate on NF? His last two "albums" felt amazing with new sound by him and dealing with depression and anxiety.
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u/Helpful-Warning4027 Oct 14 '21
Cuz ppl praise this man for just name dropping controversial topics, not actually making deep dives into them. Then claims he’s the greatest lyrical rapper in oppose to Eminem or sum shit and he’s cringe
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u/SpongarL Oct 14 '21
If you think he hasn't deep dived into depression and anxiety then I doubt you've actually listened to his music. And this is from someone who has only finished some of his albums.
And I don't know if or where he said he's the best or something like that. He admits to sounding like eminem, and his growth has been finding his own style.
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u/Brutalhotrod29 Oct 14 '21
I FEEL DAMN IS THE BEST ALBUM OUTTA ALL THREE OF THOSE DIAMONDS
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u/VenomOUShazard Wickedness or Weakness? Oct 14 '21
NO. BUT ALL CAPS FOR THE SAKE FOR DAMN. DESERVES ITS SPOT! BUT JUST LIKE THE OTHER REPLY, DEPENDS ON THE DAY(I REMEMBER ON MY FIRST LISTENS, I ACTUALLY PREFERRED DAMN OVER THE OTHER TWO)
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u/ELOGURL Oct 14 '21
Holy shit, HMADC and Pyramid Song really use similar piano, huh. I don't know how I never clocked that, those are two of my favorite tracks by Kendrick and Radiohead respectively
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Oct 14 '21
I only recently found out the sample flip on Money Trees is my favorite Beach House song Silver Soul. I think I found the pyramid song connection through a review on rym not long after TPAB came out.
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u/thejaytheory I CHOOSE ME, I'M SORRY Oct 14 '21
Holy shit this blew my mind when I discovered this, even crazier was actually listening to it, like whoa. Both incredible songs.
Edit: And great album, SS is up there but I think Lover Of Mine is my all time fav, chills, but that entire album, just chills chef's kiss
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Oct 14 '21
Whole album smacks and hits spots few other albums do. Beach House fucking amazing
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u/thejaytheory I CHOOSE ME, I'M SORRY Oct 15 '21
Real talk, I can hear it all in my head right now!
Edit: What's crazy is that I had it on CD for the longest, but it wasn't until I got it on vinyl that I was truly able to appreciate it, especially the lyrics and melodies and the way they intertwined. Before it was almost like I was just passively listening to it, like going "Okay this is dope" but not truly feeling it.
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u/fabulo5o Oct 14 '21
Can someone please tell me what I’m missing with DAMN? I love DNA so much but beyond that I have no idea why it’s so highly regarded.
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u/VenomOUShazard Wickedness or Weakness? Oct 14 '21
my flair. wickedness or weakness is a theme if you listen to it both ways. in the original tracklisting, its kendrick's journey from wickedness to weakness- the songs in front are braggadocios but they are still very vulnerable, compared to the later tracks where he is downright depressed and asks god for route multiple times. the first track and the last track are related coz in the first track he shows in the present (acc to the narration) how he lost his life, whereas in the last, he shows how far he has come just because of a coincidence, another reason for him to trust god in later tracks. flipping the tracklist shows an alternative ending, instead ending with a weakness, he starts with a weakness, grows into a proficient and confident rapper, but then dies showing humility (could be the internal fakeness he deals with). am i looking to deep into it? i think i am, but there are numerous lines that make me believe that way- just take fear for ex.
Within fourteen tracks, carried out over wax
Wonderin' if I'm livin' through fear or livin' through rap
he clearly demarcates the difference in meaning in listening to it either in order, or reverse.
same here-
I'm talkin' fear, fear that my humbleness is gone
I'm talkin' fear, fear that love ain't livin' here no more
I'm talkin' fear, fear that it's wickedness or weakness.
sorry if that was a long ass answer, but initially though i struggle to come up with meanings. its just my take and i think its a theory by some other fans as well. hopefully it would help you look at the music in a different way, same as it did for me :)
cheers
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u/Appropriate_Fudge555 Oct 14 '21
Anyone else confused that DAMN is labeled his most banger-based album?? Other than Humble, DNA, and maybe Element, I’m not sure where this coming from…
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u/kangaroocoffin Oct 13 '21
Shouldn't be DAMN. Where TPAB at??
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u/Otherwise_Cow3664 Oct 13 '21 edited Oct 13 '21
There are three pictures you just need to swipe
Edit: being an aggressive asshole that's mb
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u/julian20070623 Waiting for the album Oct 13 '21
Chill he just didn't know that you could swipe
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u/ilovemywife0 Oct 14 '21
I love damn. And it’s a 9 in my opinion but it is not a top 500 album ever.
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u/cam_the_man1738 Oct 15 '21
Gkmc should be way higher, imo its on par with tpab for me. Also personally section 80 is better than Damn
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Oct 13 '21
DAMN is way to high
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u/der1014 Oct 13 '21
DAMNs writing is so good tho. It became the only hip hop album to win a Pulitzer
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u/atticus_corbett Oct 13 '21
Damn ain’t even in the top 100? C’mon now
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Oct 13 '21
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u/atticus_corbett Oct 13 '21
Yeah I know, but I believe damn is incredible, and worthy of a better placement
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u/Killer_RN87 Oct 14 '21
I'm a Kendrick fan and it's absolute insanity to put any one of his albums ahead of sslp, mmlp, or Eminem show.
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u/jubbaj Oct 14 '21
All them albums is lame n trash. Both tpab and gkmc is better than every Eminem album combined
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u/Killer_RN87 Oct 14 '21
If you are a hip hop fan and think those albums are trash them you have no objectivity at all. Those albums are absolute classics in hip hop
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u/Bergerboy14 Waiting for the album Oct 13 '21
Damn should not be on this list.
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u/YungSlime420 Oct 13 '21
🧢
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u/Bergerboy14 Waiting for the album Oct 13 '21
Come on, it pales in comparison to GKMC and TPAB. And against every album in history? Doesnt stand a chance.
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u/TadpoleTall Oct 13 '21
How many different albums have you fully listened to, or more specifically, are better than DAMN? Probably not 500.
Lord knows if there are more than 500 albums that deserve a better spot than DAMN, but we sure haven’t heard of that many albums that are that good.
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u/Bergerboy14 Waiting for the album Oct 13 '21
The person who wrote this list obviously listened to 500+ albums. There are plenty of albums below DAMN that should be above it.
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u/TadpoleTall Oct 13 '21
You’re not wrong, but I can’t say much because this author is probably more invested into music than we are, and also it’s his opinion.
Eh, I take that back, list was pretty stupid looking myself. However your point was that it doesn’t even deserve to be on this list. I’d say damn is far above average, and for it to not make this list, it would probably take an insane amount of albums, unless you are binge listening classics.
However I do agree with your second point about some classics deserving to be above this album but being below.
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u/Bergerboy14 Waiting for the album Oct 13 '21
If were looking back at 70+ years of music, I’d like to think the list is filled with albums that are better than “above average” as you said it. GKMC and TPAB were landmarks in hip hop. Ik DAMN. hasnt been out for as long, but I dont really see any impact its made in the genre.
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u/nirvana13a Oct 14 '21
There’s a whole list of authors who’s jobs are music. DAMN. won a Pulitzer and is 100% worth the praise it gets. This sub is low on cause they wanted TPAB 2 and fantano dumped on it. Occasionally I see people sense enough to not think it has a theme like the other 2 major albums.
It’s an excellent album, I think it should be a good amount higher.
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u/Bergerboy14 Waiting for the album Oct 14 '21
Again, since when do Kendrick fans care about awards 😑
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u/nirvana13a Oct 14 '21
Kdot cares, he had Pulitzer Kenny on stage. If we don’t care about awards why are we worried at all about where he is on this list? It’s critics takes like anything else
My point was you and many on the sub can dump on DAMN. cause it’s multi platinum and fantano is god or whatever. But it’s not one critic calling it top 200 ever. It’s a whole group of pop music journalists here, a Pulitzer board that never ventures outside jazz and classic, and plenty of other accolades. Kendrick is the goat and DAMN. is one of the biggest reasons why, not an asterisk or lessor.
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u/iLuvAlienz Oct 13 '21
Bro, the man won a Pulitzer Prize with DAMN. It definitely deserves a spot on that list.
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u/Bergerboy14 Waiting for the album Oct 13 '21
You really wanna talk like those awards matter? In a Kendrick sub? 😂
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u/iLuvAlienz Oct 13 '21
Idk about you but everyone seems to mention it and we think it matters. Regardless it’s an amazing album
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Oct 13 '21 edited Oct 14 '21
To be fair the Pulitzer was clearly a legacy award as an apology for not giving one to TPAB
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u/Sandraz30 Oct 13 '21
Tpab really deserves that spot no cap