good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
2012
Album Summary
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (stylized as good kid, m.A.A.d city) is the second studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on October 22, 2012, through Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Drake, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Jay Rock, Anna Wise, and MC Eiht. It is Lamar's major label debut, after his independently released first album Section.80 in 2011 and his signing to Aftermath and Interscope the following year. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was recorded mostly at several studios in California, with producers such as Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, Pharrell Williams, Hit-Boy, Scoop DeVille, Jack Splash, and T-Minus, among others, contributing to the album. Billed as a "short film by Kendrick Lamar" on the album cover, the concept album follows the story of Lamar's teenage experiences in the drug-infested streets and gang lifestyle of his native Compton. The album earned Lamar four Grammy Award nominations at the 2014 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. The album was supported by five singles – "The Recipe", "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "Backseat Freestyle", "Poetic Justice", and "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe". All five singles achieved chart success of varying degrees. Lamar also went on a world tour between May and August 2013, featuring the other members of the hip hop collective, Black Hippy. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its thematic scope and Lamar's lyrics. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 242,000 copies in its first week – earning the highest first-week hip hop album sales of 2012 from a male artist. It became Lamar's first album to enter the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 16, and entering the UK R&B Albums Chart at number two. The album was also named to many end-of-the-year lists, often topping them. It was later certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2020, the album was ranked 115th on Rolling Stone's updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
WikipediaKendrick Lamar - changing the game since 2011, changing the use of capital letters and punctuation since 2012.
This one's taken a while to gather my thoughts on and a lot of reading through lyrics, commentary and Wikipedia… it's always a good sign to feel so invested in an album, but the result is usually a pseudo-thesis of a review that, let's face it, nobody has the time to read. Anyway, here goes! Before his instant classic "To Pimp A Butterfly", Kendrick Lamar made "good kid, m.A.A.d city": a tighter, leaner piece which begins by looking inward and gradually shifts focus to create a vivid, intense picture of inner-city living in the hood. Broader than Kendrick's own coming-of-age story, it becomes a social commentary on hip-hop, the culture surrounding it, and the pre-conceptions surrounding that. Lamar explores the origins of gang hostility and violence, covering peer pressure, fear, vulnerability and a vacuum left by the absence of state support or role models. Without a doubt, it's the most immersive hip-hop album I've heard and it's all down to Lamar's excellent storytelling. Using a thoughtfully sequenced non-linear narrative, dynamic and expressive vocal performance, and snippets of conversation with his homies and his parents, Lamar weaves a complex narrative together which has transferred to some school syllabuses alongside James Joyce. Thematically, there's real weight thrown into every song and every line. "The Art of Peer Pressure" explores how gang culture escalated Lamar's teenage life towards crime, drugs and violence. "Money Trees" covers the necessity of material pursuits for survival and the cost it might have on morality. Things reach an apex on the epic "Sing About Me/Dying of Thirst", two tracks drawn together into one twelve minute piece which Lamar uses to remember those he knows who have died. The urgency and despair mingling in "Dying of Thirst" is so potent, and Kendrick's mastery of narrative really comes into its own by personifying his deceased friends. Musically, "good kid, m.A.A.d city" isn't as sprawling and diverse as what I've heard of Lamar's later work. It's also, by nature, mellow and insular, with little to jump out as dance music or hit material. The most played tracks - including "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" and "Swimming Pools (Drank)"- are as close as it gets, and they're either a thoughtful musing on the state of the music industry or an ironic take on clubbing and partying. Even in these tracks, the music is consistently cerebral, insular. The beats are mostly low-key, muted, often trap-influenced. Samples include, of all people, Beach House lending an ethereal quality to "Money Trees" and Janet Jackson looped into infinity on the sultry slow-jam "Poetic Justice." Some tracks are refreshingly upbeat to signal a new voice or time within the narrative: for example, "Backseat Freestyle" turns classic braggadocio into a flashback, a young K-Dot using his words as a naïve dream and a survival strategy. "m.A.A.d city" and "Compton" bring the classic 90's hip-hop sounds with hard, bombastic beats, pitch-warped synth leads and a feature from Dre himself. They're tributes to Lamar's musical heritage, which tie in with the narrative as a complicated mixture of pride and fear towards his hometown. I could try to go on and on, but really the key to "good kid, m.A.Ad city" is to listen. Although it's far from my usual style of music, one of its key strengths is that none of it is as straightforward as it appears. By packing each track so full of dual-meanings, twists and turns in the storyline and more allusions than you can shake a stick at, Lamar invites listeners to unpack the non-linear story, peel away the layers, discover new ways of hearing each track and piece together the good kid in the mad city. It's not yet at "classic" status for me, but I can see it being a long time before I get bored of this one.
Boring album. Some decent bass lines. Lyrics are meh and even annoying at times. Nothing great to say about this one.
Bitch, don't kill my vibe. I have actually seen Kendrick Lamar live around the time this came out, but he was upstaged by a Tupac hologram...as we all are sometimes.
My favorite pure rap album of all time; the quintessential coming of age west coast rap album; filled with bangers and thought provoking songs; one of the best storytelling albums of all time
Et mesterværk, konceptuelt, stramt narrativ, teknisk vanvittigt, fyldt med bangers
Absolute classic. Possibly my favorite modern rap album (though it's ten years old?!) I think what I love the most is the Outkast production and storytelling vibe.
While I’m still a hardline tpab fan, holy shit this album still holds up. All of the singles are still great and everything about it is great
Tasty baked goods between the ears, but the contrasting cock strutting gets wearing. Maybe a later KL will work for me.
Meh. Production is good but I'm just way to white for this shit. Never gonna listen to this again.
People talk about this guy like he's the second coming but all I just heard was an hour and 20min of hipster dog shit. 2/5.
good flow, lyrics were meh, other shit too, most annoying was the 15 out of 60 minutes of filler, background sounds
I gave up before the album had finished. Some of the background melodies were alright but I find the ranting, language and sentiments hard to enjoy. I know that means I’m an old person but it’s not what I call music.
Beyond it's obvious objective greatness, this is also a personally important album to me. When I first became a music nerd, this was the first contemporary album I listened to around the time it dropped, or at least it was the first major one. What a way to start! Hip hop perfection, through and through.
Kendrick’s storytelling is amazing and so incredibly immersive. The production is fantastic and so is the lyricism.
Kicks balls and slaps titties. Hits for days, and its one of the rare albums where skit/field recordings add to the narrative.
One of the best narrative albums at point blank range. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst might be in my top 10 songs.
Few people can rap so grippingly, driving you deep into a narrative like K dot can. He is one of the GOATs for sure.
what a fantastic album- one of my all time favorites. It has a compelling concept with great voice acting and songs that match the way the story goes. The lyrics, productions, and Kendrick's vocals are amazing. The features are just incredible with amazing performances from Dr. Dre, Jay Rock, and IMO one of the best verse of Drake's career on Poetic Justice. SAMIDOT is a top ten song of all time for me, B Don't Kill My Vibe is a fantastic song to chill out to, and m.A.A.d. city is such an exciting song. Amazing album 10/10 and the first album where Kendrick puts his name into GOAT conversation. P.S. he better drop some new music soon its been so long
Easy five starts. The storytelling is amazing. Lost of bangers came from this album.
Awesome hip-hop album! Kendrick is a lyrical madman. Great beats, amazing flow, funny commentary/narrative throughout. Certainly worth a listen.
Mind-blowing, while being, at best, his second best album (I need more time with the new one before making a final decision, but it's level with Damn in being second at the moment). Hard to pick a best track, Backseat Freestyle maybe. And the fact he goes full g-funk at one point is like he is literally taking Compton's crown from Dre.
You already know I love this album. I remember listening to it in college. Bitch don't kill my vibe, backseat freestyle, swimming pools, poetic justice. Kendrick is a legend
el mejor album de rap de la historia, album de historia que marca al rap y demostrando de lo que esta hecho kendrck,muchas emociones y album que marca en la vida
Kendrick is the best. J'adore un 5 meme si c'est un de mes moins preferees
I read this album is no longer in the latest version of the book, this is an absolute travesty… one of the all time great rap albums the story telling through the album along with some huge bangers makes this a 5 star masterpiece.
Two A’s in a row? More likely than you’d think. As white as I may sound, Kendrick is the best rapper alive, and while his next album is more vital, this is a brilliant introduction to his craft if Butterfly is too dense for you. Incredible music all around. A
love you Nathan I'm sorry you couldn't hear the new album i think you would have loved it I will never listen to kdot and not think of you thank you for the short time I got with you IVE GOT A BONE TO PICK!
Still just as good a listen as it was 10 years ago. Easily Kendrick’s strongest, most cogent album, from features, production and lyricism. Outside of a few exceptions, skits on hip hop albums are immediate skip material. But these are so integral to the story, Kendrick’s parents bickering on a voicemail, his friends rapping young jeezy lyrics, recreating a hit. The production is so varied and interesting. Highlights: Money Trees, Back seat freestyle, sing about me I’m dying for thirst
This is a high concept album that delivers on all fronts. Kendrick's bars embody the best of west coast hip hop and pays homage to the gangsta rappers who came before while embracing an introspectiveness that adds a certain degree of gravity to everything he says. The album is a series of stories from Kendrick's like that document his struggle to stay 'good' in the midst of a violent life stuck in survival mode. The album ends by circling back to the initial phone call which starts the album off, a statement of the cyclical nature of these stories. The music itself is phenomenal. That west coast synth sound, orchestrated strings, and trap hi-hats are all present here and are used perfectly. Kendrick is a student of hip hop, and the fact that he got to work with some of the greatest for this album shows that he is already on his way to becoming one of the greats.
Masterpiece of an album, amazing storytelling. Would be the best rap album of the 2010s if Kendrick didn't have himself to compete with
Absolute banger. Fucking K. Dot making his mark after signing with Aftermath and Interscope. Stand out tracks: Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe, Backseat Freestyle, and Compton (with Dr. Dre).
An easy 5 stars. This album is simply stunning. Here Kendrick takes the seeds planted by Nas on Illmatic and grows them into an epic story of a night out with friends gone very wrong. From the moment we hear the beat drop on "Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe" we know we are in for something special, and the rest of the album does not disappoint. The lyricism is excellent, the beats underneath are dynamic, and the features are top tier (Jay rock's verse on "Money Trees" sums up the themes of most hip hop songs in 1 minute and is prefect). Additionally, these songs work well on their own, but combine into an epic rap opera with a rich narrative and well written characters (Kendrick rapping fro mthe perspective of3 different characters in "Sing about me" is always impressive. This is one of the best albums of all time.
One of the best rap albums ever. Kendrick’s story telling ability is unmatched which you can see throughout the narrative of this album and especially in songs like Sing about me. I feel that there are some similarities to illmatic but this represents the west coast perspective and the rapping is more evolved and technical. This album has some of his best hits like Backseat Freestyle, mad city, and money trees. The guest verses are all fantastic particularly Drake on Poetic Justice and Jay Rock on money trees with one of the best features of all time. And Jay Z on the bitch don’t kill my vibe remix with one of the best flexes ever “sitting next to Hillary smelling like dank”
One of my all time favorite albums. The story telling and emotion on this album is some of the best I've seen. The beats go hard but don't get in the way of the lyrics at all.
Banger! Banger! Banger! Introspective exploration of gangland crime in black neighbourhoods...BANGER
This is Kendrick at his finest. The production and features pay homage to 90s classics as well as his peers. The storytelling side of Kendrick pushes itself to the forefront track after track. While the whole album is almost perfect, the standout song is Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst. Empathetic, brutal, and honest, it might be the Compton rapper’s magnum opus; a story of heartbreak told truthfully from many perspectives, perhaps even more poignant because of its ubiquity.
93/100: Few artists reach the level of fame to be publicly acknowledged by on name. Many incredibly well respected artists never reach this level (sometimes arguably for the infortune of being given a generic name). Freddie Mercury is neither referred to as Freddie nor Mercury. Elton John is not Elton. But Tupac is Tupac, Kanye is Kanye, and Kendrick is—well—just Kendrick. This album holds a special place in my heart; therefore, I will be leaving all pretenses of impartiality at the door. This is the album that quite literally opened up the world of music for me. Before listening to this album, music was just something to be listened to—pleasant sounds, ineffable feelings, surface level appreciation. The first time I heard “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” something struck me—an imperceptible intuition that something worth understanding lay beyond the realm in which I’d hitherto been existing. By the Kendrick was boasting about having a dream in “Backseat Freestyle,” I had the rap genius app downloaded on my phone and was following along, line by line. I listened and read along to that album for weeks, maybe even months, listening to nothing else. I saw a respect for language and a mastery of music as a platform for a message nothing short of genius; in fact, orders of magnitude beyond that. Most rappers interject their albums with skits as separate songs. The good artists tie this skits smartly, maybe even humorously, into the story conveyed in their album. The great ones (if pluralizing that word is even legitimate is up for dispute), like Kendrick, weave these skits within songs, backed by musical tracks. In “The Art of Peer Pressure,” interjecting skits not only provide context—in one moment, letting the listener know that Kendrick’s and his friends’ robbery attempt has flopped, in the other, highlighting a police chase—they propel the song through its story. Beyond imaginatively clever uses of skits, Kendrick writes lyrics that reveal an incomparably creative relationship with language. In “Money Trees,” one set of three lines stands out in my mind. In the first line in this set, “dreams of living life like rappers do,” Kendrick focuses in on the topic of rap artists; however, in the third line, “I fucked Sherane then went to tell my bros,” he’s locked in on ideas of sex and women. To find a good line to fit between those two, most rappers would elaborate on what a rapper’s life is like, presumably a good way to tie sex and women into the topic of rap artists—making for a pretty seamless segue. Kendrick does something entirely different and wildly creative. As the second line in this set, connecting rappers to sex, Kendrick decides on “back when condom wrappers wasn't cool.” Upon first glance, this might seem to be a pretty abrupt transition from dreaming of living a rapper’s life of luxury to sex, but when read aloud, “condom wrappers” sounds a whole lot like “Compton rappers,” and Kendrick surely leans into this with his delivery of that line. Thus, Kendrick finds a way to deliver two ideas with one line, with both ideas tying the preceding and subsequent lines together. This is mastery. There are few albums with as much to analyze and interpret as “good kid, m.A.A.d city” (most of those few are also Kendrick albums). The fact that this album opened up that world of analysis and interpretation within music for me elevates it beyond those other Kendrick albums. This is my favorite album of Kendrick’s—it was my first—it will forever remain that way, and I am in no way surprised that this album held up to the same level I remember from my last listen through.
Genius stuff. Has like 3 or 4 contenders for best rap songs of all time. I love it.
With such vivid imagery, structure, and a compelling story, listening to this album is so enveloping it feels like a piece of cinema. It tells the story of life growing up in Compton but not always from the perspective of Kendrick and not always in order or at the same age. Kendrick's songs never seem to have one angle, there are always multiple ways of interpreting his lyrics. This is an album that requires several listens, it can’t be understood in one pass. Unfortunately I don’t have the time to write about every song but my favorite on this album has to be the the very dark “Swimming Pools”. It is an exploration of alcoholism and in true Kendrick style it not only explores the darker sides of the struggles against inner thoughts and the devastation caused to lives, but also depicts the feeling of escape and release that comes from sating the cravings and giving in to the drink. At the time of this album Kendrick occupied that rare space where someone was properly pushing at the boundaries of their genre and yet still managing to appeal to the masses. I don't think any other artist has existed to the same extent for a long time before and since. 10 years later you can still here the influence in hip hop today on both sides of the atlantic. 5/5
This is the stuff that future Pulitzer Prizes are made of. Often hilarious, bleak and just plain exhilarating, good kid, m.A.A.d city sees King Kunta approach the genesis of his ascension to the top of the rap throne with all the confidence of his then youthful ability. Hard to believe that we are nearing ten years of listening to this m.A.A.d brilliance. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Did he put enough work in? Not just yes but there will be much more to come.
10/10. Was not expecting to like this as much as I did. It takes everything I like about gangsta rap, which are somewhat few and far between, and puts them together into a very cohesive whole.
Ovo mi je u top 3 najbolja albuma 2010's - a bome ima jebačkih albuma u tom desetljeću. Konceptualno i ovako, jedan od najboljih hip hop albuma ikad.
Couldn't really think of any good reason not to give this 5 if I'm honest. One of the best around. Listened to this twice in full since it popped up on my list - couldn't fault it either time.
One of the greatest hip hop storytelling albums of all time. Brings back major memories from early high school. Wow what a breakout album for Kendrick. Instant classic.
Every time I listen to good kid mAAd city it brings me back to the first time I heard it. It's like nothing before it and nothing since. Someone once described this album to me as a visual movie, and that's always stuck with me. It's a concept album executed perfectly, Kendrick's memoir. Beyond that, every single song has something amazing about it, and the density of great songs is higher than any project I've heard except for TPAB. As with any album I love, every time I listen I find a new song to appreciate even more. This time it was Compton, which makes sense as I've been on a bit of a Dre kick recently. Just excellent, the easiest 5 I've given on this list. I know taste differs, but I can't imagine anyone who actually listened to the entirety of this album rating it less than 4.
Fantastic album. It’s part concept album and part list of mega singles. I’ve always loved this album but I never gave it enough credit for how meaningful it was. It’s so personal and raw while also applying those feelings to larger societal issues (alcoholism, police brutality, etc). fantastic production and really tasteful non musical interludes. A five for sure
Siendo el segundo álbum, y su debut formando parte de una discográfica, este trabajo de Kendrick Lamar se puede considerar como su primer gran trabajo y su debut en la gran industria musical. Considerando al disco una historia de vida, vemos a "good kid, m.A.A.d city" como un retrato de lo que fue la adolescencia y vida de Kendrick, lidiando con pandillas, drogas y lo que se encontraba en su entorno en ese momento de su vida. En este álbum vamos a vernos absorbidos por las letras, las cuales van contando a modo de "cortometraje" (como bien se describe en la tapa del álbum) la historia de vida de Kendrick. A modo de catacumbas nos vamos hundiendo en la profundidad de beats y letras. Siendo los beats en un principio más trap superficial y terminando en canciones bien progresivas algo jazz, con una densidad más marcada. Pasa lo mismo con las letras, las cuales van de más livianas a más profundas. Poniendo en cuestionamiento varias situaciones, formas de vida y situaciones que pasan muchos jóvenes. Me parece interesante y alucinante la forma que tiene este gran rapero para transmitir y llegar con sus trabajos, superándose desde un primer momento y haciéndolo hasta el día de hoy. Sin dudas, la gran estrella del rap.
I was so happy to see this album when I woke up this morning. I was in high school when it came out and I remember riding around my hometown or going to parties just banging this thing. Kendrick does so well at telling a story through the imagery of his lyrics and sound bits that pop in between songs. He also touches on a lot of relevant topics with blunt commentary that gives a good perspective to someone like me who hasn’t experience racism or gang culture. I love every minute of this record and hope I always will. 10/10
This albums awesome I love the whole connecting story deal going on. Even finding ways to make some of the not story driven tracks fit into it, very cool
This album came out before I knew who Kendrick Lamar was, so I have never heard it. Upon first listen: Most of these tracks are great. Ones I didn't really care for: the remix of Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe, Compton, and kind of Sherane. I love the regular version of Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe. I heard Backseat Freestyle a while back and had no idea what album it came from, and didn't really know Kendrick Lamar back then. But I LOVED the vibe of the song. Still do. This track is great. Money Trees - I like this. Ya bish. m.A.A.d city is such an old school sounding track. Swimming Pools is a classic. So he uses this weird alien-ish voice in a couple of tracks, and I am so not a fan of it, but other than that, this album is solid.
Die habe ich zufällig wegen einer Empfehlung bereits vor ein paar Wochen außer der Reihe gehört und fand sie im Gegensatz zu To Pimp A Butterfly richtig gelungen. Bitch Don‘t Kill My Vibe!
Kendrick Lamar raps about life growing up in Compton, around gang life and all sorts of terrible things. This was the breakout record for Lamar, before following up with the incredible To Pimp A Butterfly 3 years later. Compared to other hip hip about gang life, Lamar paints it as a horror story rather than a hardcore bragging effort. This is impactful for suburban guys like myself who already scared of inner-city violence like this, and I'd imagine it hits hard for many others as well. Yeah, it's a great hiphop album. The 12-minute epic "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" is an easy highlight, but a few songs could but cut to give it more gravitas.
I knew some songs off this album but never listened to the whole thing before. Definitely was enjoyable.
7th March 2022 Listened throughout the day while working from home. Went to see the Duke in the evening which was ok. Always knew of Kendrick but never listened. This was a real treat, lyrically and his performance is on point.
I've never knowingly listen to any Kendrick Lamar but kind of kept meaning to. The cover art paints a clear picture about what to expect, though the album title is a bit opaque. Anyway, here we go. ...I think that put me into a trance. I've definitely been through something. The first song paints such a vivid story I was completely pulled into the rest of the stories. Amazing. Not my kind of music at all. None the less, amazing.
I'm not really into much rap but I REALLY love Kendrick's voice and lyrics. Wicked good record.
The good tracks are good, but dont have a taste for the rest of the album. More personal preference, and still deserves a spot on the list
Great album. K.Dot's storytelling and lyricism is really on full display here
I like his musicality, his low-key delivery and using back-up singers and guests to create a layered, elegant sound. I was only familiar with "Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe", which I quite liked, and the songs from "Money Trees" to "Sing About Me" are great. His auto-tuned singing voice is melancholic and a nice contrast to the rap. Adding (non-sampled) choruses to the music is a big plus. I won’t comment on the Pulitzer-worthiness of his rapping but from what I can hear he’s less flamboyant and more confessional that most – and with a great sense of humour. With lyrics like “first you get a swimming pool full of liquor then you dive in”, I was leaning to a 5, but my co-judge wasn’t as enthralled. Regardless, I’ll be listening to this again.
La production est superbe. Ce que j'aime de Kendrick c'est qu'il ne se limite pas au rap. Il est capable d'incorporer de bonnes mélodies. Il a aussi un excellent flow et sa grande force est ses textes. Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe et The Art of Peer Pressure sont dans la veine des pièces qu'on retrouve sur l'excellent Damn paru en 5 ans plus tard. Backseat Freestyle est un solide "banger". J'aime beaucoup Money Trees à cause du sample de la chanson Silver Soul de Beach House. Le beat fourni par Pharell Williams pour la chanson Good Kid est fantastique. Ça fait quelques écoutes que je fais de cet album et ça vient juste de kicker-in, c'est un très bon album. On a les bases ici des 2 excellents albums qui suivront, soit To Pimp A Butterfly et Damn.
Bon album! Les beats sont cools, belle lignes de bass, je ne m'y connaît pas full dans le genre mais j'aime de plus en plus ça Quelques tounes sont moins bonnes à mon avis genre celle qui sonne comme Gangsta' paradise et la dernière, Compton que je trouve un peu quétaine Je comprends la démarche avec les messages de répondeurs et autres segments "documentaires " mais pas certain que c'est aussi efficace la quinzième fois que tu écoute l'album, ça tue le momentum un peu
I have a lot of feelings about this album and Kendrick Lamar in general. Though I don’t have the words to express them well. All I can say at this point is that Kendrick’s style is correct. His flow, the vibe, is great. To use an expression I despise, but is appropriate: I really dig his energy.
I think I'm continuing my own tradition of underrating GKMC. Truth is, I narrowly prefer the relative bloat and musical excess of Kendrick's next album. On this one, he sticks to narrative beats over expanding interludes, presides over a roundly West Coast soundscape, and embeds some of the best single tracks of his career. In defense of my rating, the last twenty minutes loses a bit of steam; Then again, everything before that revealed hitherto-hidden depths on this listen.
Instant classic - my only issue is the same with all of his albums, they could use a bit of trimming. Best Tracks: Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe; Poetic Justice; Swimming Pool (Dank)
Banger skiva, några mindre bra låtar drar ner (poetic justice, swimming pools)
Well told, well performed, accompanied by beats that fit like a glove (even when they aren’t to my personal taste). “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst” is the clear winner for me, but the rest of the album isn’t very far behind
This is the album where Kendrick really stepped up to take the throne. While he has since surpassed this album, it is the first one that really showed what he could do. Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe, Backseat Freestyle, and Swimming Pools are incredibly powerful songs.
Yeah this is great. Sick beats, flow and lyrics. Kendrick is one of the best
I remember listening to this a long time ago and it being good, but not great. I was wrong and it is great. I was feeling a 5 initially, but now I'm more like a 4. I think it's a bit overlong, but otherwise it is really freaking good. 4/5
good album. full of high energy slappers Kendrick if racism didn’t exist: 👨🌾
This grew on me as I listened to it. Kendrick Lamar's rhymes are solid and show an at times harrowing amount of depth. The beats are what drives this album for me. Having said that it gets repetitive by the end and the skits/dialogue between tracks pulled me out of the moment rather than added to the experience. If we could do half stars I would give this 3 1/2 but will give this 4 as I appreciate the importance of this album even if it ain't completely to my taste
4/5 Fantastic Album from Kendrick Lamar. Multiple 5/5 songs. Favourite Tracks: Backseat Freestyle, The Art of Peer Pressure. m.A.A.d city. Money Trees. Swimming Pools. Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe track after track it's good. Almost a 5/5 but there's a few tracks that fall short for me. Not a fan of some of the modified vocals on some tracks.
It's an iconic album and love a good proportion of this but not every song. Struggling to know what to give 3 or 4... But I deeply respect Kendrick, his style and cadence feel unique and the album as a whole is so tight
Not the magnum opus that To Pimp A Butterfly is, but good god what a major label debut. Kendrick’s got such unique flow - the album needs a cinematographer.
So good and new in many ways, though I can’t help but feel there is a little bit of “have your cake and eat it too” to the lyrics - like it’s wall to wall sinnin’, justified by a thin suggestion of personal and religious redemption. Some songs like Swimming Pools negotiate this tension very well, others not so much.
Had high expectations for this album. Never listened to a Kendrick album, but the way people talk about him, how could it be anything but amazing? And then I started listening. And I hated it. And then I didn't hate it, but parts of it still put me off. Let's start with the sexist, boring, dick-heavy lyrics. Nothing says lyrical genius like talking about having a giant dick and fucking the world. Pinnacle of songwriting right there. That's the stuff that put me off. Some songs had a good/important message, but it felt like Kendrick thought he had to hide the message between typical lyrics about sex and murder. Is the album about growth? Yeah, maybe, but where's the line between reflecting on your misogyny and shitty behavior and glorifying it? You don't see the reflection and criticism until far too late in the album. This is especially problematic when the problematic songs are the ones that become singles. When those are the ones that resonate with people. Maybe that's the problem. It's the people listening to this who aren't getting the message. I don't know. Kendrick wrote the rap equivalent of a rock opera, he told a story, an unsavory story about being a little shit and then growing up, but a story nonetheless. I think I'm just tired of the casual misogyny and hyper-sexualization of women in rap. But, maybe, so is Kendrick. I'll have to listen to the next album to actually know for sure. A complex album that drove me through a wide range of emotions and feelings. I went through the process of thinking this was a 1 to thinking it's a 4. I don't really know how to rate it right now, so I'll just stick with the 4.
I really lost track of Rap / HipHop the last decade and a half because of the insane amount of absolute garbage that is being released in the genre. I'm glad I'm catching up on some excellent albums The production on this album is superb. And what I genuinely like about it is that besides a great flow, and excellent beats and melodies, the lyrics are actually the greatest strength on the album, much more than with a lot of his contemporaries. The Art of Peer Pressure and Money Trees are great coming of age stories. Swimming Pools and Good Kid (with the fantastic Pharell beats) are superb. The only dissonant on this album I find the weak Backseat Freestyle and Compton.
This is essentially an autobiography of a young Kendrick Lamar. I can't begin to relate to his life, but I welcomed the opportunity to be invited in via this release. The lyrics are impressive and feel real. While the beats and production are impressive, this one is all about the words. On that front, Kendrick Lamar is brilliant.
Fitting that this has popped up so soon after the release of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The most interesting thing is his various voices/personas that he employees throughout every song - at points sounds like you're listening to a totally different person.
Un disco interesante, que tiene muy marcado el contexto en el que fue creado.
catchy, unique, classic kendrick, corny lyrics/structuring at times, cool samples etc
I am already a big fan of Kendrick, but I haven't listened to this album as of yet. So far it obviously doesn't disappoint, Kendrick is always good. I'm particularly loving Backseat Freestyle. Unfortunately though, my experience of this album has been tainted by Vine and meme culture as I can't help but think of them when I hear m.A.A.d city or Swimming Pools (Drank). However, As always, Kendrick excels lyrically and even though we've come from completely different backgrounds, I feel like I can understand.
I've never listened to Kendrick Lamar despite numerous recommendations over the years. Glad I finally did. I enjoyed the almost concept-album structure of this. Some real earworms here that I'll have to return to. Standouts tracks for me were "m.A.A.d city," "the art of peer pressure," and "backseat freestyle."
This album tells a compelling story through catchy flows and intelligent lyrics. Definetly makes me want to listen to more of Kendrick's stuff. 4.5/5 stars.
deffo worth a listen, not something I’d pick everyday but has some gems
I wasn't expecting too much from this album, but it's pretty catchy, will listen again
Probably his best album? I haven't listened to as much hip-hop in the past decade as I used to but after I first heard BDKMV I knew this guy was worth keeping an eye on. I reckon what sets Kendrick apart is his ability to come at traditional gangster rap themes from smart, introspective angles, (see: The Art of Peer Pressure and Swimming Pools for two examples) and be accepted/adulated equally by fans of each. Plus, while the writing and storytelling is the main selling point, the production is usually decent too. I think it's a great album and well worth a 4 or 4.5, though the full 70-minute runtime can occasionally become a bit of a slog, for me.
gutes Album, besser als die neueren, aber halt auch ziemlich anders die unbekannteren songs finde ich auch hier auch einfach schlechter/langweiliger als die bekannteren. 4/5
Good album with very sophisticated rap/lyrics. Would have liked it to maybe be a bit more melodic/better beats but overall still great
Amazing lyricism and storytelling throughout. His rapping techniques are the highlight of the album. Something rare in mainstream hip hop today. Musically, the lack of melodic hooks to generate some catchiness made the lyrics shine less, but overall his vision for the album was executed perfectly.
So, is it fair to call this a rap opera? It is dense, but Kendrick Lamar is telling a deep, inter-connected story and deserves a lot of credit for that. He really includes a lot of detail, almost like what would be in a novel with character description. I listened to the album a bunch of times and I really came to respect his lyrics - I knew he was good but he is real good. My problem with his opera, as compared to a rock opera like The Wall, is it is so complex. And in a rock opera, when the lyrics go over my head, I can fall back into the music and the flow from song to song. I felt like my head was spinning more often than it would for a rock opera (what did he just say? Is that a real audio recording or a skit? Are we returning to a previous part of the story? Where are we in the story?) and the musical stylings don't line up as well. Some tracks had great beats and others were hard to get into. Still, the man is a lyrical genius. Favorite tracks were The Art of Peer Pressure (super deep and introspective), Money Trees (great groove), MAAD city (awesome beats and pretty deep), Swimming Pools/Drank (catchy and real personal), and Sing About Me/I'm Dying of Thirst (some annoying stylings but wow, deep). I also really enjoyed recordings of his parents (e.g., on Sherane) - can't believe those are real phone messages. I have a ton of respect now for Lamar as a writer and lyricist, but still didn't totally love all the musical stylings.
It's interesting because I went from Gang Starr to this. Incredible how much the art form has evolved in the 30 years. Kendrick Lamar's rhymes even in the first song are stark contrast. There's not really a bridge, but you start to realize that the first song is more of a poem than a song. Later songs has bits interstiched in them, but it's not as bothersome as some of the skits that some rappers put in. They come together to form a bit of a story, a pastiche, really. It works on both levels here. I was hoping for hearing "To Pimp A Butterfly" first, as I have heard nothing but praise for that album, but this is really good too as well. It takes a minute to get past the swearing, but once you get immersed in what he is trying to do, you let it pass you by. The sampling is really great too, it's not overly repetitive, and still comes off with a solidity throughout. Looking forward to hearing his other stuff.
What a show of power Kendrick Lamar enters the mainstream music scene with. That I’m able to call this my least favorite of TPAB, DAMN and Mr. Morale feels almost surreal, considering just how great good kid, m.A.A.d. city is. Possibly the greatest album streak in hip hop-history! Lamar is an extraordinary storyteller and matched with his unique vocal, masterful flow and ability to convey a full range of emotions, you are left with a rapper that easily ranks above the rest of the game. It takes a few tracks, but by “The Art of Peer Pressure” it feels like Lamar has fully moved on from his earlier efforts and emerges as a fully developed artist. From there on there are no missteps. By the time of the overwhelming masterpiece “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” I’m ready to just hand this a 5 star-rating. Maybe it’s knowing where Kendrick takes his sound from here or maybe it’s the few songs I’m not fully invested in, but i gently lower the 5 stars and saves it for Lamar for a later time. Also includes the unlikely, but nonetheless extremely popular, party song “Swimming Pools (Drank)”.
Strap in boys, this is gonna be a long one. Full disclosure, I believe that Kendrick Lamar's run of "good kid, m.A.A.d city", "To Pimp A Butterfly", "DAMN." and "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers" is completely untouched in the world of hip-hop. It might be the best run of albums for a solo artist ever. The man is on a completely different level. "good kid, m.A.A.d city" is the record that catapulted Kendrick Lamar into superstardom. This is before Kung Fu Kenny and before creating a political and societal shockwave. This is K.Dot transforming into Kendrick Lamar. Both are storytellers beyond belief, though I prefer the latter. The whole album really is a long journey - into the depths of Compton and into the depths of his transformation. Starting off with a flash-forward to the ending of 'Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst' is pure genius. It lets the listener know that the gangsta-rap persona is not here to stay and also plays into Kendrick being "thirsty" - but for what? Money, power, pussy or religion? In the spirit of transformation 'Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe' and 'Backseat Freestyle', although clever, are a bit underwhelming compared to the later tracks. I realize that it's K-Dot representing his own self-image at 16, but the record REALLY takes off from the storytelling of 'The Art of Peer Pressure' and onwards. From here on out, maybe except for the less interesting Janet Jackson-featuring 'Poetic Justice', the album is a full 10/10. The one-two punch of 'good kid' and 'm.A.A.d city' is impressive - the vocal effects and panning are sick. Combining the lyrics of the latter with confessions in 'Money Trees' it's very understandable why a lot of people believe Kendrick once killed a man. I mean, at the very least that is what he wants us to believe. The darkest moment might ironically be on the abstinence preaching 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' which became the number one party anthem in 2012. And you understand why - the production is off the charts. Then you are hit with the closing 3 tracks. 'Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst' is an instant classic with rich storytelling and introspective reflections. 'Real' is incredibly personal and then the tribute song 'Compton' hits with everything you could ever want - from Dr. Dre to Tupac throwbacks. I'm going for a 4/5 and saving 5/5 for the next 3 of his albums. DAMN this was good. But he was only just beginning.
This is an album in the truest sense. Lyrically, it tells a story, pivoting from the tired, misogynistic cliches in the opening couple of tracks to discussing the structural problems with hip hop culture, to alcoholism , and to personal growth against the backdrop of growing up in Compton. Powerful stuff.
Becomes better after a few spins, and could probably grow even more on me.
Rap isn't my number one genre and I'm definitely not a connoisseur by any means, but Mike and Katie listen to enough Kendrick that I was familiar with a lot of this album. My favorite tracks were Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe and Backseat Freestyle.
Al samo zato sto smatram to pimp a butterfly bar za jednu zvjezdicu boljim albumom
Tantalisingly close to the 100 mark, but this album prompted the longest pause of this project so far. And if nothing else, it’s noteworthy for that very reason. This is a seriously ambitious album, and one which you should definitely spend a bit of time with before making a judgement. I’ve done my best, and while its genius unquestionably reveals itself to anyone willing to approach it on its own terms, I can’t say that sonically this diverges too much from what I would somewhat crudely term “modern hip-hop”. Like most of the other great rap artists on this list, Lamar tends to hit upon nuggets of profound insight in fits and spurts - “Speakin’ language only we know, you think it’s an accent”. The subtle complexity of such an aphoristic observation is really jarring, and it also sums up a lot of misconceptions held by myself with regards to this genre. The relatively sparse backing for Lamar’s lyrics don’t ever sound anaemic, even if they aren’t especially memorable. It’s all a backdrop to the overarching narrative of a young man coming-of-age in the projects. A lot of the most objectionable content, however, is subsequently veiled by a deliberate cynicism as though the fact that Lamar is embracing a character’s mindset on a particular track is enough to absolve him, and may even be read as an ironic critique of hip-hop tropes. Problem is that this has been done so many times now that it’s almost becoming a trope in itself - and the misogynistic posturing all of a sudden starts to re-assume its original bone-headed character. The fact that this record evokes these sort of contemplations is a sign of its quality. It’s a tough listen on some levels (especially give the customary obscene run-time), but it’s very rewarding.
My third Kendrick album I've listened to. It's really solid but doesn't reach the greatness of albums like Enter Wu-Tang.
A near perfect hip hop album, dragged down a bit by some songs towards the end that really bored me, and some really meh skits. 4/5 ?
Cinematic in scope on both the storytelling and production sides. The only album I've heard that feels this much like a movie.
Still conflicted on my rating system. The second half was definitely better than the first. Also, finally an album that uses skits without being annoying. Still, not really my taste.
Alweer een album die ik nooit uit mezelf zou opzetten (en dat waarschijnlijk niet nog eens ga doen). maar wel een oké album
I’ve struggled with this album in the past, but I’m glad I gave it another try. It paints a consistent picture of Compton and has strong lyrics. Musically I don’t enjoy it as much as some other hip hop.
His 2nd album but 1st major label. Rap. Interesting. Not really my thing.
vissa är riktigt bra. men vissa är rätt dåliga. Swimming Pools är dålig som fan men t.ex The Art of Peer Pressure är en banger. svårt det här.
I liked a few songs. I can see the cultural influence this album has on the music of today, but most of it really just wasn't for me.
Ce début sur une major est à écouter pour constater l'évolution de Kendrick Lamar. On y entend déjà des éléments qu'on retrouve sur To Pimp A Butterfly et même Damn qui sont ses meilleurs albums.
Nothing wrong with this record, it's listenable, though it doesn't do much for me specifically. There are some good songs on it and I didn't feel the need to turn it off, but there's only so much you can take hearing voice mail messages from someone else's mother.
Very good rapping I wish the music was more interesting...more unique. 3 🌟
Hip hop is not my favourite genre but dang, this is a great album. I also like his To Pimp a Butterfly but I think this album is almost its equal. This record is nuanced, layered and complex and that's just what I've picked up while listening to it in the background while I work so I haven't even begun to really dig into his lyrics and masterful storytelling.
I like the melodies and his flow, but again why oh why do rap albums have to be soooooooo long.
Ya know I thought it was pretty interesting, for a hip hop album anyway. Of course the lyrics are lame most the time, but it was cool enough. If I ever see gonna relisten to a hip hop album it might as well be this one
Autobiographical storytelling that was certainly more literate than the average. Okay (6/10) FT: Money Trees, m.A.A.d. City
Un dels artistes cabdals del nou mil.leni. El disc, però, està sobrevalorat. El millor de Lamar hauria de venir just després d'ell. Aquí es congreguen petits diamants ('Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe', 'Swimming Pools', 'Compton'), i es dona la forma final del que ha de ser el 'so Lamar', però és massa llarg i irregular
Love me some Kendrick. m.A.A.d city would be an awesome album… if there weren't a bunch of more awesome albums behind it. Amazing freshman effort that change the face of Hip Hop only for the better. 3.5/5.
man, I tried to like this but it just doesn’t work for me I’m sure all the fuckin kendrick stans are gonna come after me this is like a 5/10 imo I did like TPAB quite a bit more tho, that’s probably like a 7/10 I’m not really a fan of Kendrick Lamar, sorry
Not really the kind of song that I resonate with. The album itself is far from it. Though I don't hate it for what it is.
I understand that this is a "concept" record, but i honestly had a hard time following the story he's telling. I guess I have to read the lyrics thoroughly a couple of times. What is clear is that he grew up in a violent environment with no easy way out. Although the song "Black Boy Fly" is a bonus track (and I guess not on the original release), I think he's showing his admiration to an NBA player, not because of his basketball prowess, but because he was able to escape to a better life. I did like the telephone call skits; especially the first one with his parents leaving a long voicemail about bringing the car home.
Interesting and kind of unique, sound design is really cool on some songs and boring on others, really liked the style of Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst
Even reading the lyrics I didn't get what was going on. Smoking spliff, hos, the usual. Don't get the hype but enjoy the beat.
I understand the cultural impact, but I personally just can’t get into it, probably because I can’t relate at all. I didn’t know if it was ironic, didn’t get the references.
This is the first time I have heard this album. It is a good album. The beats are good. The lyrics are pretty good. I wouldn't say that the songs are memorable to the degree that I want to listen to it again.
Je ne suis pas vraiment apte à bien évaluer cet album. Je dirais qu’en tant que blanc d’une petite banlieu ben tranquille, il y a toute une réalité qui est racontée sur ce disque qui m’échappe complètement. Je pese que c’est beaucoup dans ce récit que l’intérêt principal se trouve. Pour ce qui est de la musique, il y a quelques belles choses. Je ne crois pas qu’il essaie de repousser quelque limite que ce soit, ou même d’introduire de nouvelles sonoritées, ce qui aurait été pertinent pour mon point de vue à moi.