good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar is responsible for some of my favorite features, I’m a big fan of Dre and Aftermath, the production on this album is brilliant, the story telling is well done, but the vocals are atrocious.

Legendary instant classic

Exceptional story telling woven through out catchy songs

One of the great rap albums of all time. Plenty of above average songs. 7.5/10 (3.75/5)

So that’s what Kendrick Lamar sounds like. He sucks.

Great album. One of my favorite rap albums I’ve heard. His storytelling is honestly incredible. Pretty good flow too

hood classic

Very very very good- not quite perfect (I’ve never really got into Real) but close enough for a big enthusiastic 5

Never got into kendrirck lamar and that proably a good thing

he’s good.

"did somebody say dominos?" Can really hear Dr. Dre's influence on the beats, so many bangers.

Complex and deep. Rap is not my preferred musical genre somewhat because most of it feels so one note and the same thing over and over. But not this, at times yes but it was still deeper, had substance, and made you want to listen to the lyrics and words not just dance along and shake your booty.

Kendrick is a fantastic rapper. I like m.A.A.d. city and Swimming Pools, and it’s fun to hear Dr. Dre in Compton. Some of the album was hard for me to get into because a lot of the rapping is accompanied by kind of a boring steady beat. That being said though, I appreciate how well crafted and well written this is, and how intentional the storytelling is. It feels like a journey that evolves in kind of a beautiful way. I liked it better on my second listen, which is always a good sign. Except…the “bitches” gets old, we are ladies dammit.

just heard it for the first time. wonderful. 12 minute track really had me feeling

hello goat

While most were extremely positive, I just wanted to provide a response of sorts against some of the more critical reviews, to put it lightly. There are some who disapprove of the sex and violence Kendrick portrays on this record, as well as his frequent usage of “bitch”. I understand why they’re offended, and as a big rap fan, even though I’ve just had to accept it to a degree, it’s still very justifiably off putting to so many. However, while I can’t say for certain, seeing as most of the reviews seem to come from after a first listen, these complaints arise from a very surface-level understanding of the album. People hear guns, dick-measuring, and drug use and jump to conclusions about this album’s message and moral character. But that could not be further from the truth. good kid, mAAd city is a complete indictment of the gang violence, hypersexuality and addiction that he was surrounded by growing up in Compton. That’s the reason why all his friends die on the track mAAd city, why he mourns on Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst, and why he turns to Jesus to cleanse his sins. Real is the realization that being gangsta isn’t what should make him a man, but rather, being there for his loved ones and giving up on the greed and hatred that his peers pressured him into. Yes, this album is violent and misanthropic in its subject matter. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. At no point on this album does Kendrick talk down on his listeners or come off as preachy. Were this album just “gangs bad” or “drugs bad” without going into detail on exactly why, it would be extremely patronizing. Kendrick Lamar is better than that. And not to mention these beats are great, and Kendrick’s flow and lyricism are exactly on point. Absolutely one of the best rappers of today, if not of all time.

I haven't listened to this as much as I have TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY or even DAMM., but it's what kicked the door open for K.Dot, so... I wish I had more to say about this album, but I really don't. It's just good-ass raps around a story where a young Kendrick realizes maybe this hood life ain't so good after all. And note: a **YOUNG** Kendrick. To the guy whose response to the Eiffel tower line in "Backseat Freestyle" was "FFS grow up": did you even understand the plot? Seriously. Anyway, uhm, I'unno. "m.A.A.d city" goes hard as hell and that's the last thing I wanna say. Well, aside fro—YAWK YAWK YAWK YAWK.

It's peak.

I knew coming in that I would give this one a 5 unless something shifted my opinion of it, and honestly, if I could give this shit a 6 or higher, I would. TPaB is still the masterpiece, the gold standard, the highest of high bars for me in terms of Kendrick’s albums, but I don’t think I’ve ever properly appreciated the narrative arc of this album until this listen; doing this whole 1,001 albums experience has made me feel more attentive to music than I have in a long time, and this album has, by far, had the biggest boost for me because of that. There is seriously not a missed beat or lyric or breath on almost every track here – the only one I’m still iffy on is Real, but I just don’t think that song will ever click with my sensibilities. I’ve also never really paid attention to the bonus tracks that are on the deluxe version, but Now or Never just feels like it should be the album closer, to just end the album on an incredibly bright note. I don’t wanna gush too much about this album, but it really is a piece of art, and it’s incredibly deserving of a 5.

Es war ok. Aber nicht wirklich etwas, dass ich weiterhin hören werde. Ich fand die Musik anstrengend, aber nicht auf eine Art, die meine Aufmerksamkeit packt.

Boring and misogynistic

I'm old, white, British, and middle class. This music is not meant for me.

yea nigga yea

This album is a true masterpiece. Kendricks storytelling and word play is unmatched. Just a perfect album.

Not my jam.

This was better than I remembered but I cannot stand when he sounds like he’s crying/whining his verse

Probably my favorite rap album of all time. Such an amazing track list that tells a pretty incredible story. 5/5

A sick album, super hype, nice beat and rhythm, makes me feel cool while im walking or riding listening too it.

fantastic piece of art. Very far removed from what I listened to. not at all a Genre I enjoy but the way the album was put together, the messages in it, the story telling. he managed to draw me in an I enjoyed this so much more than I was expecting to. one of the best albums I have listened to on this journey

I don't get the hype.

good kid m.A.A.d city money tree poetic justice sing about me

This was probably one of the better rap albums I’ve listened to recently, but I still have the same problem I normally do which is just that the lyrics simply don’t resonate with me - that being said I did still find them interesting and compelling enough for me to find some enjoyment in the album.

I've listened to this album I don't know how many times. It came out much senior year of high school and I used to party to it. Listening to it 10 years later I still love it but I understand it's not a party anthem. Absolutely beautiful album put together so damn well.

A little too long. One of the best

Money trees rly is the only place for shade these days. 4.5

Some amazing songs and some boring ones

Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter: 9/10 Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe: 10/10 Backseat Freestyle: 9/10 The Art of Peer Pressure: 10/10 Money Trees (Ft. Jay Rock): 12/10 Poetic Justice (Ft. Drake): 10/10 ​good kid: 10/10 ​m.A.A.d city (Ft. MC Eiht): 11/10 Swimming Pools (Drank): 10/10 Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst: 11/10 Real (Ft. Anna Wise): 10/10 Compton (Ft. Dr. Dre): 9/10 Top 3: Money Trees m.A.A.d city ( Ft. MC Eiht) Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst I'm not a music critic, so I'll leave it at: I really enjoy the album and how it feels different Album Score: 10/10

good kid, m.A.A.d city -Kendrick Lamar 1-Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter✅ 2-Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe✅ 3-Backseat Freestyle✅ 4- The Art of Peer Pressure✅ 5-Money Trees ✅👑✨ 6-Poetic Justice ✅👑 7-good kid ✅ 8-m.A.A.d city ✅👑 9-Swimming Pools (Drank) ✅ 10-Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst✅ 11-Real✅ 12-Compton✅👑 My top 3 1-Money Trees 2-m.A.A.d city 3- Compton Key: ✅ liked/added to playlist ❌ did not like/enjoy ✨ already known song/ already in my playlist 👑 mayhaps in my top 3

Great album

Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.

Not for me…

It was good. Lots of good songs. Some not quite as good. Overall quite good. I enjoyed it. Goof sats the same

Hiphop isnt my style, but I enjoy this

Great album!

Kendrick <3

This was such a great album in high school, but it's been overplayed. Money Trees is the best song.

The album that brought one of the best current rappers to the masses. I think I enjoyed this a lot more before all of the songs became severely over played.

This music style just isn’t for me.

disliked kendrick before this album because i was iffy about his flow, but this album was interesting. cool how he sings about rosecrans and compton a lot. didn't like a lot of the phone calls and interruptions in the music though. some cool tracks on here.

Sehr durchdachter HipHop

good listen. my son has him in his rotation regularly.

Engaging narrative flow, the voicemail interstitials set up, punctuate, and contrast the songs surrounding them. Contains a variety of bangers and pensive tunes. Excellent production. Singles that I didn't really like sound better in the context of the whole piece. An excellent album listening experience.

Not a big rap fan so didn't get crazy into it. Fun to recognize songs that I knew but didn't realize where they came from

This one surprised me. This isn't a genre I typically listen to, but I enjoyed this album. Kendrick Lamar is a great lyricist and tells a story through his lyrics.

I still remember my first summer job, installing fiberglass ceilings on a scissor lift with my dad and playing this album for him. He told me about what a concept album was. This would be a strong contender for album of the decade if Kendrick hadn’t eclipsed it himself three years later.

This album only looses points for the lyrical content and style. I do not enjoy the high-pitched, nasal sound that accompanies much of this. However, the concept album is executed extremely well, and he, or his writing team, are very skilled at writing bars. There's such an overall flow and fit to his lyrics and verses, and it's a breath of fresh air for a more modern artist. There's actually a lot of talent here. I don't vibe with the lyrics, but they're good. Beats and flow of the songs in general are great too. Fav tracks: m.A.A.d city, Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst, Swimming Pools (Drank)

BOFFF

Enjoyed one song. Two songs at the end were awful.

Not my normal style, but an interesting album that pulled me in. Much more than it appeared at the surface when paying attention to the lyrics and stories.

3/5

Wow

This album is a masterpiece, and I feel sorry for the people who mentioned that they gave up after 2 or 3 songs. The lyrics of Backstreet Freestyle are not meant to be taken seriously, they are there to set up the main character arc of the immature teenager who grows by the end of the album. I don't understand how some people will happily delve into complex layers of lyrics written by rock and folk musicians, but then they completely shut off that part of their brain when they hear a rap. The storytelling and flows on this album are some of the best I've heard from a hip hop artist. The run from Good Kid to Sing About Me is flawless. It improves on everything that the original gangsta rappers like NWA, Snoop, etc failed with, by offering a critique of the gangsta lifestyle, and describing the context behind it. Don't get me wrong, there are still some sexist lyrics here. But the difference is the narrative around them, IMO anyway. The only songs I ever skip are Poetic Justice and Real, apart from those I think this is close to a perfect album.

Top

My favourite hip hop album. Feels like you’re in the streets of Compton hanging out with Kendrick and his homie’s. The production is great, Kendrick’s rapping is on point and the flow of the album makes it feel like you’re listening to a movie.

Nice

Come a long long way since Fame Academy. Fair play 4.2

Did not enjoy the lyrics

In sich stimmig, auch wenn es nicht mein Geschmack ist.

Kendrick the goat

Quite a bit of what the golly gosh is going on here filler on this album.

I've heard lots of good stuff about Kendrick, in fact a colleague of mine teaches his lyrics as a poetry unit. I, however, remain largely unenthused.

Amazing. Kendrick truly has one of the best flows. He conveys the stories with such rhythm you want to pay attention. A true artist.

This album has such incredible singles while maintaining a strong message and narrative. I do feel that TPAB is a better album, but it does that at the cost of individual hits like Swimming Pools and Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe. I think this walks the line between DAMN and TPAB in that way. Less high concept, but just as exciting to listen to. Incredible writing and delivery, with a stacked production. I still remember how shocked I was the first time I heard Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst.

Also hell yeah! Some of the songs aren’t fully my vibe, but Kendrick has a great voice and flow, and the emotional depth and variety of the album make it something pretty special.

Absolute classic. Wish I had time at home today to pull out the vinyl copy, but was just to busy. So had this as the soundtrack to my driving around instead. A lot of the 1 star reviews are showing who some people obviously are. Not surprised tho. Some people can't open their mind to other music and use the same choice tropes to crap on hip hop.

not really my thing, but the guy is crazy talented.

It’s fine. Not my thing and I’m not listening to 1 1/2 hours of it, though.

I noped out pretty quick

A masterpiece. An album I return to at least once a year. Always gives me something new to hear.

Not my thing. But not terrible.

The more I listened the better it was. Definitely like some songs better than others.

First time listening to Kendrick Lamar. It took me a couple of songs to get used to the language but after that I started to really listen to the lyrics and hear the beats. The lyrics are very poetic and powerful. He gives us a glimpse into his reality and isn’t afraid to get raw and real. This is not my typical genre of music that I listen to but by the middle of the album I was enjoying the music. Very talented artist!

Not my thing, but I get it.

That’s an easy 5 stars.

I expected to like this more than I did. Kendrick's style is unique and there are some good lyrics here but I wanted more hooks. His monotone rhythm still creates a compelling atmosphere, but it's not necessarily one I want to immediately revisit. Standouts: the title track.

One of my favorite hip hop albums of the 21st century.

Not really the type of music I enjoy.

I wasn't really expecting to like this album, but I enjoyed it very much! The word play and music was excellent. The interludes between the tracks isn't my thing, but it changes the pacing of the album and contributes to the listening experience.

Wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. good album, not much to say idk.

I still don’t like it

I listened to two tracks and took it off. I’m not a fan of this genre but was willing to give it a shot, unfortunately (perhaps fortunately) I can’t relate to these lyrics at all. Too negative and filthy for me

Good beats, rhythms. (no comments about Drake and Dr. Dre)

Flawless, probably the greatest of the new generation in terms of storytelling and building a narrative over a whole album. Lyrically dense, with catchy beats and atmospheric production, and pretty much perfect. Anyone who hasn't seen it (or who has!) should definitely seek out his wonderful Glastonbury headline set!

4.3 probably my 2nd or third favorite Kendrick Lamar album. No skips, great songs

Great album. Overshadowed by TPAB, but has aged very well

Starts well peaking at money trees, drops slightly but come back again. Would listen to again

good album, m.A.A.d. lyrics. I prefer this album to "To Pimp a Butterfly," which I am not sure is a minority opinion or not. As usual with some rap albums, the skits are a bit long and stuck at the start/end of a song instead of as a separate track, which is a bit annoying for skipping capabilities. I have always liked "Compton" on this album and was surprised it has so few plays. "The Recipe" is a bonus track and not really "on" the album which I find to be interesting and I enjoyed the Beach House sample on "Money Trees."

4.08 per track. *clutches pearls*

Didn't listen sorry

Every time I listen to this album, I love it more. Fantastic storytelling and story progression throughout the album. And every song is banger after banger. And this is my second favorite Kendrick album! 5/5

flow nerdy

Nahh i like rap but this is not my thing.

Somewhere between 4 and 5

lol, ich höre seit 2 Tagen durchgehend Kendrick Lamar. Ich kannte sehr lange Zeit nur seine TopTracks und habe bei denen kaum auf den Text geachtet. Das habe ich nun beim Hören von "good kid.m.A.A.d City" auch nicht in voller Gänze geschafft. Der Typ könnte ohne Beats ein Album rausbringen und alle an die Wand flowen. So ein unfassbarer Wiedererkennungswert. Liebe seine Mucke komplett, habe grundsätzlich einen Faible für guten Rap/Hip-Hop. Wenn dieses Album hier drin ist, MUSS noch mehr kommen. Aus meiner Sicht wurden seine Alben nur noch besser. "Money Trees" ist einer der geilsten Rap-Tracks ever aus meiner Sicht. "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe", "Swimming Pools" und "m.A.A.d City" finden seit 13 Jahren ihren Weg in meinen Playlists. "Poetic Justice" gibt mir (ähnlich wie das Album, welches am Wochenende kommt) ein ganz krassen Nostalgie-Kick. Mehr dazu dann am Samstag. Ich möchte mich nicht zu weit aus dem Fenster lehnen, bin aber der Meinung, dass er schon jetzt zu den größten Legenden seines Genres gehört. Für mich darf er schon heute einen Platz auf dem Mount Rushmore des Raps für sich beanspruchen. Dabei kenne ich nur einen Bruchteil seiner Mucke und habe kaum Infos zu ihm (Ich hoffe, dass es keine Skandale von ihm gibt, die jetzt auf mich zurückfallen).* Empfehlen kann ich euch das Konzert bei Amazon Prime. Zieht sich zu Beginn etwas, zeigt aber seine Kreativität und seinen Willen, mehr als Hip-Hop zu sein. Mit 5 von 5 reiht er sich bei mir bei "Nevermind" und "Rainbow" ein. Nun bleibt mir nur die Hoffnung, dass noch weitere Platten von ihm hier folgen. *Ich habe nun seinen Wikipedia-Artikel gelesen und bin begeistert, dass er nicht nur bei mir so gut ankommt!

- In meinen Augen das perfekte Hip-Hop (Konzept-)Album und eines der Besten aller Zeiten. - Dass Kendrick einer der krassesten Rapper dieses Jahrtausends ist, ist unbestritten. Mit diesem Album hat er das 2012 erstmalig unter Beweis gestellt. UND WIE!! - good kid, mAAd city ist einfach vollgestopft mit unfassbar vielen Hits: "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe", "Money Trees", "m.A.A.d. city", "Poetic Justice", oder meinem all-time-Kendrick-Favourite "Swimming Pools". - Vor Allem aber wird EINE zusammenhängende Geschichte erzählt, die sich durch jeden Song zieht und immer wieder ein anderes Kapitel darstellt. Wie ein Spielfilm bestehend aus 12 Sequenzen. Unfassbar. - Der Film erzählt größtenteils einen Tag aus dem Leben des jungen (und "dummen") Kendrick in Compton. - Das Intro beginnt mit mehreren Typen, die ein Gebet aufsagen (foreshadowing, später mehr dazu). Anschließend wird in einer Art Rückblick das erste Treffen mit Sherane geschildert, ein Mädchen, in das er sich sofort verliebt. Danach beginnt die chronologische Erzählung des bereits angesprochenen Tages: Er und seine Homeboys haben nichts zu tun, außer in der Gegend herumzufahren, dabei am freestylen, kiffen und trinken. Die Truppe, alle aus armen Verhältnissen Comptons, beschließt einen Nachbarn auszurauben. Gruppenzwang. Und irgendwie muss das Weed ja bezahlt werden. Gerade so gelingt die dramatische Flucht. Voller Adrenalin fährt Kendrick zu seinem Girl Sherane um mal wieder flachgelegt zu werden - leider wird daraus nix: Dort warten zwei miese Typen auf ihn und richten Kendrick übel zu. Erstmal lässt sich das gedemütigte und schwer verletzte Lyrische-Ich von seinen Homies aufbauen. Doch er will sich rächen. Als seine Crew auf die beiden Typen trifft, kommt es zu einer Schießerei, bei der ein Freund stirbt. Die Gang ist auf weitere Blutrache aus. Vor einer Kirche kann eine Frau besänftigend auf die die Jungs einwirken und sie zu Gott führen. Hier sind wir jetzt bei dem Gebet der Jungs vom Intro. Kendricks Mutter spricht ihm ebenfalls Mut zu und gibt ihm den Anstoß dazu, Rapper zu werden. Tada - und plötzlich sind wir in der Jetztzeit. Auftritt Kendrick! - Wie geil ist das?! Das ist ein Drama à la "City of God" nur in den Straßen von Compton. Und tägliche Lebensrealität von vielen vielen Menschen in den sozialen Brennpunkten in den USA. Und so schön meta und konzeptig alles! - Man spürt neben dem unglaublich genialen und authentischen Storytelling durchgehend die Sonne, die schwüle Hitze, die flimmernden Betonstraßen und den Geruch von abgefahrenen Gummi und Vorgarten-BBQs in dem Vorort von L.A. - Musikalisch und technisch über jeden Zweifel erhaben. Rating: 5/5

- Ein wirklich unfassbar geiles Album. Bin bei Kendrick Lamar wirklich extrem late to the party. Hab mir dieses Album und To Pimp A Butterfly erst vor kurzem (halbes Jahr oder so) als Bildungsauftrag selbst auferlegt und war total begeistert. Wobei mir letzteres noch besser gefallen hat (Spoiler) - Dieser Flow, diese laid-back attitüde, diese beats harmonieren einfach so unglaublich gut aber das, was für mich extrem hereaussticht sind die Texte. Ich würde nach mehrfachem Durchhören des Albums jetzt sogar soweit gehen, dass Kendrick der wohl beste Hip-Hop Texter unserer Zeit ist. Alle Lines sind aus einem Guss, mit Leichtigkeit gereimt, überraschen einen regelmäßig und stecken voller inhaltlicher Tiefe. - Die Stimme ist eventuell Geschmackssache, ist für meinen Geschmack aber irgendwie etwas dünn - Tolles und kurzweiliges Album 4,5/5

Interesting one. I don't know loads about Kendrick, which is on me, as he's so highly respected by people whose opinion I value. I'm aware this is early in his career, and that To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN are still to come (presumably at least TPAB is on The Project), and it came across like this. There's no end of talent, but it doesn't feel like someone who's totally risen above the 'generic rap/hip-hip' template at this stage. It's mightily impressive, despite that, and got me excited for what's to come.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. It starts with Sherane and Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe - so far, so stereotypically gangsta rap. I was braced for an hour of the usual brag-rap about ‘bitches’ and guns. But then it turns into a concept album about a teenager trying to outgrow those tropes and his environment. The music is great too. Touches of jazz, smooth pop and weird Parliament/Funkadelic vibes interspersed with funny (and later on poignant) segue-ways between tracks. Admittedly, my knowledge of rap is pretty limited, but this has immediately become my favourite album in the genre.

good kid, m.A.A.d city Sherane, love the drum and bass sounds. Backseat freestyle Good Kid is superb On the surface it’s easy to just hear guns’n’bitches, but there’s definitely a lot more to it than that. Has a similar lyrical feel to Illmatic, not glorifying or wallowing in gang and street life. Some good sweating too. You know what else I like - his very clear diction. He should be applauded for that. Great sound, particularly like the bass, drums and piano combos, and the variation of drum sound from song to song. Some great little earwormy hooks, not obvious necessarily, but found myself humming them after listening to it. I’m not that up to speed on a lot of rap music of the last 10 or 15 years but I thought this was very good. It’s quite long but it didn’t drag too much. It’s between a 3 & 4, and I’m really keen to listen again, so will probably plump for a 3 for now, but scope to go up to a 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3 of 5

This album says the n word more than an African census taker.

Awesome as always.

Zo veel bangers. Kan niet geloven dat dit album al 13 jaar oud is! Doet me denken aan de middelbare school, met nummers als "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe". Tijdloos.

I was pumped to see this up next. Not sure if you call it rap or hip hop but this album is awesome. I think I love it. It’s smarter than I thought it would be. Backseat Freestyle, m.A.A.d. city, Good Kid are favorites so far.

Rock on 🤘🏻 Changes was pretty good

Instant classic. Best rapper alive. No cap. Highlights for me are Kendrick using multiple voices on the same track ala ‘Gimme The Loot.’ Overall great beats, skits that aren’t cringy, awesome hooks, and a depth that Kendrick brings together with amazing rhymes and storytelling. ‘Aw man, goddamn, all hell broke loose You killed my cousin back in '94, fuck yo' truce Now crawl your head in that noose You wind up dead on the news Ain't no peace treaty, just piecin' BGs up to pre-approve’

Surprise, hell yeah

Quite good, and I appreciate that it seems to tell a story.

Meh, not my favorite. Interesting themes of faith and family, though.

yawk yawk yawk yawk

One of the best concept albums ever made. One of the most complex and complete narrative albums ever made. One of the best rap albums ever made. Inspiring in its ambition, breathtaking in its execution. Masterpiece.

I want to like this, having heard for so long about his genius. But I can't understand what he's saying apart from something about balls and dick. When Dr Dre pops up it's a huge relief. Without any memorable beats or samples, it ends up feeling like spoken word. My biggest problem is that to me Gen X English ears, he just sounds like Frank Spencer.

Just totally fatigued with the macho, misogynist selection of rap stuff presented to me. Not cool

interesting...will take more listens

not bad

I’m mad this album forced me to listen to Drake. That’s my biggest criticism. I guess the last couple songs also kinda fell off, but if you could’ve seen me dancing and singing in my office to this.. sheesh.

Sick.

I'd give this ten stars if I could. Somehow, Kendrick instantly transports someone like me, who is the antithesis of a street-hardened teenage pseudo-gangster straight into his hometown. Without warning, I'm cruising the streets of Compton, having to decide between robbing a house to impress my friends or listening to the advice of my parents to rise above that lifestyle. I was going to list my favorite songs but then realized it's all of them. I do have to give a special shout out to "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" for the emotion it causes when I hear it. The sudden gunshots, along with the slowly fading "I'll Never Fade Away" sections really make me f e e l. Knowing he followed this up with "To Pimp a Butterfly" makes it an even better debut. Kendrick is King.

Five star album for sure. This is a storytelling masterpiece. It truly transported me to a different place and put me in someone else’s shoes.

so painful

It is okay, deep for sure, but not my cup of hip hop.

This album highlights the power of lyrical storytelling. Lamar does a fantastic job of drawing the audience in with catchy beats and samples then proceeding to spit fire

Hard to put into words how great this album is. I remember hearing it when it first came out and instantly loving it. Front to back filled with bangers and thought provoking songs interchanging throughout.

* This is the first album where I find myself not at all enthused to listen to it; just not crazy on the stuff I've heard from Kendrick before. I'll still give it its fair chance to impress me though. * The commentary in Sherane, especially the stuff about Dominoes at the end was actually kinda funny. * Finished Money Trees, the running gag with dominoes is probably the best thing about this album so far. * Overall, better than I thought it'd be going into it. Really thought I'd give it a one star... but I'm debating on two or three. -- Album Rankings -- 1. m.A.A.d city 2. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe 3. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst 4. Real 5. Backseat Freestyle 6. Poetic Justice 7. Compton 8. The Art of Peer Pressure 9. good kid 10. Swimming Pools (Drank) 11. Money Trees 12. Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter

One of the best albums and i do not care what people have to say about this. Its so sad that many people turn this off because off lyricism and stereotypes but dont do the same to their fav genre. So much perfection and construction. Makes me nostalgic and its crazy that its also over 10 years old... Still a great album with many good songs. The Pengame on Sing about me im dying of thirst still feels unmatched! for me an timeless album i mean theres money trees an generational song on it. jay rocks feature alonewashes half of the genre in 2012. somebody said dominoes???

Really started my love of newer hip hop rather than being stuck in the 90s. Incredible lyricism, storytelling, and just straight up rapping. I’ll play it once every year probably until I die

Solid.

Amazing

Very clean flow and tight beats. I could do with less of the talking interludes and "skits" especially since they're tacked on to the end of tracks and not easily skippable. Would've rated a 5 otherwise.

Zu viel "Fuck", zu viel "Nigga". Nicht meine Musik, selten schöne Beats. Verstehe nicht, warum das auf der Liste ist.

No es mi estilo

bitch don't kill my vibe good kid compton

This is the perfect background music when you are working in a very noisy industrial environment.

This album defined the early 2010s, and has stood the test of time. Sing about me, Real and Compton are not the strongest end to the album.

Buen álbum, rap con flow. Balancea bien melodías con rap para que no se sienta demasiado denso.

Not at the level of TPAB but an excellent album with a lot of good music. Probably one too many skits but I think they do add to the overall vibe of the album.

Keine Punkte! Schrott!

There’s a reason why Kendrick became the Next Great Hope for Hip-Hop and you can hear it here. It’s not really a formula, but if it were, Kendrick mixed up the medicine while warning about just that on the standout track “Swimming Pools (Drank).” His abilities impressive—each track is a verbal workout with his Id and his social conscience working in tandem. But it’s really the album as a whole that’s impressive as a conceptual piece (or “short film as Kendrick titles it). The next record would be the masterpiece with the one after that a Pulitzer Prize winning effort, but it’s on “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” where Kendrick really switches on a naked light bulb in the basement, exorcises some demons, and gets ready to make a run for the throne.

Long. Too many skits. Answering machines conversations etc… that was done in the 90s, move on. Hes good, I see why he is considered one of the best. Definitely better by miles than Kanye. Just shorten them up. Dont need the same lines repeated that much, and the 12 minute song? No. Best track was with Dre.

Wenn man HipHop Fan ist, bestimmt umwerfendes Album. Gute Produktion! Mir teilweise doch aber bisschen zu anstrengend. Muss man sich bestimmt reinhören

Storytelling. A language of bragging, raw description, violence, everyday anger and threat. Looking for the money tree, the escape. Born in a car crash, in a shooting, in a drug haze, in the sex scene, already buried. You got to dig yourself out. What you are and what you want to be. If this was made up, it would be dark--like a story of vampires--a fiction to learn something from. But it isn't. It is description of the world that is found when you wake up and when you go to sleep that some are born into and that is part and parcel of a larger world no matter how much this smaller one skews to its own reality. This album is solidly built in a place and time--captures it, accepts the world and wants more: Ain't no city like mine. And I think that is true--it spins up when you start to play it. And stays even after the songs are done.

I'll be the first to admit my own ignorance. But all I hear is robots and vulgarity.

amazing album, really enjoyed it

⭐️⭐️ not my favorite genre. It is easy to listen to, and you can definitely understand the lyrics he is rapping. I don’t get it - but it’s not made for me.

Not a huge fan of this album but it wasn't terrible

2.5/5

Musically pretty dull. The real content I guess is the lyrics but I'm not really the audience for them. I have actually seen Kendrick live and he puts on a good show, this album wasn't for me though. High 2.

Stellar production! Backseat Freestyle's use of Yo Soy Cubano is clever. Money Times, Poetic Justice, Real, and Swimming Pools (Drank) bangers. Solid

Música interesante, pero no me captura. 2/5

cohesive and well-crafted

Half the tracks were really cool, and the other half I kind of hated. Maybe I'm missing context, not being a hip.hop fan, but I didn't see the concept really come through. This wasn't for me, but I can appreciate that it exists for people who its for

The first two tracks here made me feel quite strongly that this was going to be an awful album. There were a lot of things I didn't like here, starting with some weird Jesus chanting, then some very electronic-sounding synth-beats, electronic drums, and chipmunk rap about pussy and crack. But then something clicked and I found myself liking this, then really liking it, to the point where I couldn't tear myself away until the album was done. I hadn't even heard of Kendrik Lamar before and the fact this came out in 2012 made me assume this would fall into the category of the almost universally bad hip-hop that didn't come out of the "golden age" of the late 80s and early to mid 90s. I'm now a fan and I'm even finding myself comparing this to Illmatic or other classics. I'm going to slap a full 5 stars on this album. I still think the worst of the album is the beginning and it gets way better before dipping slightly again at the end. However, as a journey/ story, it all starts to make sense when viewed as a complete narrative.

This album speaks for itself. Incredible album with incredible style, lyrics, and production.

A modern classic in the truest definition. Great for both listening all the way through to experience the story and listening to individual songs. Accessible with enough to dig your teeth into. Reading hip hop reviews is one of my favorite activities on here because you can tell who didn’t actually listen to the album and decided to give it a poor review anyway.

Not really my style of music.

J'avais pas trop de notions dans ce style, mais quand c'est posé ça régale

Not really my thing

trying to sound old skool but its just bad

4.5. so many bangers.

De grosses influences de la West Coast, on retrouve du snoop (Gfunk), du The Game, quelques sonorités Outkast. Un album qui offre plein de sonorités nouvelles via les batteries electroniques, la présence de la basse. Des morceaux très organiques, vivants, atmosphériques. Tout fait très spontané, naturel (backseat freestyle). Un mélange entre espoir et fatalisme.

I didn’t expect to like this album (I’m definitely not the target listener). But to me, the point of listening to these albums is to hear new things and maybe find some things I like. So I tried to keep an open mind. But, it’s just not for me.

Not a big fan of this type of music.

kendrick lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city is arguably a concept album. lamar tells a story with purpose. he still manages to make the songs hella catchy ("bitch don't kill my vibe"). lamar's lyrics are a crucial part of why this album is so powerful, especially with a song like "sing about me, i'm dying of thirst". the closing track of "compton" was co-written and co-sung with dr. dre, who also grew up in compton, and this choice was so smart as lamar concludes his album and that period of his life. i couldn't help but compare this album to lamar's following album, to pimp a butterfly. butterfly felt like a more mature and realized album. more creativity, too. i did like it quite a lot, and i was disappointed to not like this one similarly.

Kendrick Lamar has left his signature on hip hop music by bringing a unique take and flavor all his own to the genre, and this album is what really kicked that off for him and got him the recognition he deserved. There is still an immaturity here where you see Kendrick following in the steps of others who came before him more than leading (the typical misogynistic bullshit, for instance). But on other tracks, you can see and hear what Kendrick is capable of in terms of changing and progressing the genre, especially in the beats. In my opinion, this album is an imperfect but very strong and notable step in Kendrick's path of greatness.

Typical rap album. Less lyrical. Not for me.

9/10

Mean as concept album. Telling the story of kendrick growing up in Compton. Easily a classic

Solid 3/5

Meh Rap is fine if the beat is good. I dont understand why i would want to listen to voice messages on a machine.

Great album, one of the last that i liked from Kendric 4/5

I want to like this album, and there are a couple songs I do like. I genuinely think "Swimming Pools" is an excellent song, and "Real" is very good, as well. However, most of the album didn't appeal to me, and "Backseat Freestyle" sounds like a joke song to me. I can recognize the flow Lamar has and some of his lyrics on the album are good, but I'm guessing this album doesn't truly reveal the content that won him the Pulitzer. I'd probably give this 2 stars based on my own enjoyment, but I can see the potential in his flow and music and also recognize how much he has meant to so many other people.

When this album came out, it totally went under the radar for me, I don’t think I really appreciated this as much as I should have. I think I found it to be just another rap album, and it even had skits; I had thought the hip-hop industry had done away with skits by 2012, ugh. But while there’s still parts of this album I don’t particularly like, I think the highs on this album are as high or higher than anything on any of Lamar’s other albums. “Money Trees” and “Swimming Pools (Drank)” are among his best. That said, overall this album is less consistent than To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN., or even Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. I wouldn’t say Mr. Morale is as good as Good Kid, but Mr. Morale is more consistently good, whereas Good Kid has lower moments. In any case, I’m glad this monumental album ended up on the 1001 albums list.

Classic

Not sure

Amazing hip-hop album.

❤️

Great production and lyrics. I like the way how it tells a story and songs link between each other. Can’t really relate though. I really like the sounds that are added to the songs to complete the meaning of the lyrics. Fav song: Backseat Freestyle

A classic that will always remain a favorite. I initially didn't fuck with Kendrick back when this album came out, couldn't stand his flow but then I thought about Ornette Coleman. He had an ability to weave in and out of music because he had a mastery of the saxophone and I realized Kendrick Lamar had a similar mastery of his voice. I know have a deep appreciation for how he manipulates his voice, its refreshing.

One of Kendrick’s best, probably just after To Pimp a Butterfly.

stunning and exceeding even its own reputation. i ain’t gonna be back in this town.

Not his best work.

Possibly the greatest narrative rap album ever made. The pinnacle of the hip-hop genre (yet still Kendrick’s third best)

Peak early Kendrick with fantastic lyrics and music beds.

Conosco già l'album ma non l'ho nei salvati quindi forse non l'ho ancora ascoltato integralmente. - backseat freestyle <3 non so perché - money trees capisco perché sia così famosa. gli ultimi due feat mi hanno sorpresa in positivo. Bellissimo album.

i'd been meaning to listen to this for a while!! i've listened to damn and to pimp a butterfly a bunch and the vocals and production on this one do not disappoint. the strings!!

had a 2-3 week period a few years back where i only opened spotify to listen to sing about me im dying of thirst. measured my commute time by 4 Sing About Me Im Dying of Thirsts

kendrick lamar has always been a storyteller and this album is one of the prime examples of how he uses this ability of narrative in his lyrics. i feel like he approaches music making the way a director does. his albums all have a narrative and a cinematic feel to them. faves: good kid, compton, bitch dont kill my vibe, backseet freestyle,

An hour of insane and beautiful storytelling. The songs, the skits, man!! I do think that the last track is slightly underwhelming- it was always my least favorite and that hasn't changed. Isn't it crazy that this lost out to Macklemore at the Grammys. Life is wild. So grateful we get to enjoy music together

Lamarr is great at what he does, but listening to this in one sitting was too hard.

Nope

Absolute storytelling masterpiece. From start to finish, Kendrick weaves an endearing tale that touches on the disparate expanses of a young, black man's experience growing up in Compton. The instrumentals and the lyrics both grip the listener, daring them to look away from a vignette that is equal parts beauty and despair.

one of the better albums released in my lifetime, so many standout tracks and skits add to the album.

Not mi género, pero sorpresivamente no sufrí escuchándolo

Great Album, cool beats, cool sounds, cool flow...caught me from the first second.

good kendrick, mad album

Didn’t like.

I was fully prepared to hate this, given the number of 1 star reviews in this list, but I thought it was actually quite enjoyable and thoughtful. It went on a bit too long though.

good stuff

Álbum bom! Adorei começar o dia ao som de Kendrick Lamar

Influente pra caraaaalho

This album is incredible. Kendrick is a poet in both lyrics and flow. The production is incredible, the features are all on point. M.a.a.d city is probably one of my favorite rap songs of all time.

One of my favorite albums of all time. Kendrick is a master of story telling and deserving of all the critical acclaim this record has received. The use of 'skits' on this album gives it a feel and depth unlike so many others. You get a brief glance into the life of Kdot, and the reflections of a wiser man. If you didn't pay attention to the story being told I'd recommend going back, or watching a YT video, and focus on it with the lyrics of accompanying songs. The production on the album is another high point. While sounding good, it has another layer of matching the lyrics and almost serving as a background painting for the story being told. 'sherane' feels like a laid back story with it's loose feel. 'The art of peer pressure' feels like a young confused man riding around a hazy day in LA. And 'swimming pools' drowns the listener with Kdot. Lyrically Kendrick is a modern master. He hides so many powerful words in his songs you won't get everything on one listen. "Sing about me/dying of thirst" gave me shivers the first time I listened to it when this album was released, and when the gun shot comes, or the lady fades aways in the second verse, I still get them. I could go on about this album forever, but I feel like there are plenty more breakdowns far better than this. Fav songs: pretty much all of them since I listen to this album all the way through every time I put it on. Money trees, sing about/dying of thirst, good kid mad city, Compton are what is choose this time around though.

Pretty good. Would never have been played on any radio station when I was young. Haha. Too explicit.

If Prius and crips all got a long…we’d probably be a happier society. Absolute classic. Top to bottom. Money Trees is 6 starts. Backstreet freestyle… chefs kiss* Swimming pools when he changes to his inner monologue 🥲 The dominos Just incredible. Still incredibly pissed this album lost to Macklemore for Rap album of the year.

If I know most of the lyrics and songs off a rap album, it has a lasting cultural impact. Idk if it could get better. So catchy and memorable

I've had the whole album in my rotation since I first heard it. This is why Kendric is the GOAT. I kinda like Section 80 slightly better than this, but this is still one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time. Easily a Strong 5/5

I don't listen to this kind of music. At all, ever never, nope. I've just never been exposed to it, but I also categorize RAP as angry music which just does not resonate with my life. BUT I listened to more than half of all the songs on this album and enjoyed quite a bit of it. Some of the sounds were eerie and even mystical sounding. I don't know that I'd listen to this again, or more like it. I tried.

I love the vibe. Gives me nostalgia from 2015-2016. Relaxing and i love the plot twist on the first song. Swimming pools is one of my fav songs

Not for me. I just cannot get into rap or hip-hop

One of the best hiphop albums of all time

Didn’t mind this, but the album is too long

No notes needed for this album. Be serious.

perfect

All bangers. Perfect record. No Notes.

I liked the low key sounds. I think the lyrics would connect with many people.

I'm instantly snapped back to 2012. I just graduated college and started working a lame office job building reports for a mid-sized family business. I passed the time listening to episodes of "WTF" and "You Made It Weird" and jamming any album I could find. This was on constant repeat. The only thing keeping me from singing along right now is that my kids are in the other room. One of my all time favorite albums. I think the cultural impact and artistic depth of "To Pimp a Butterfly" is higher, but this project is so much tighter and more enjoyable. "Backstreet Freestyle" is on so many of my headphone only playlists. This is such a perfect album experience though. It tells such a compelling story from front to back of a lifestyle I'll never know. There's not a single skip. It's been years since I've given this a full listen and it's still great. Dark and depressing, but such a hopeful end. Love it.

Not my style of music, but had some catchy songs still and came to appreciate it more after learning it’s a concept album.

Explizit

I mean, did we expect this to get less than a 5?

It’s been a long time since I just sat down and listened to this album straight through and it still hits as hard as it did a decade ago

After reading some of the reviews here, I was expecting something awful. But I don’t hate this. I get that there’s a lot of strong language, and usually too much misery will turn me off, too. But this is actual music, with actual singing. There’s actually something interesting going on here. It’s good. Lots I can live without, but overall this is good.

I've loved this one for a while.

It's okay but not my style. Made decent background music while working.

I'm going to say four stars. The overall sound seems interesting and professional, pretty much what I expect from an album included on this list as an example of modern rap. I was listening to this in the background, so in most tracks, I only understood the general narrative, but a few really pulled me in with the story and got me to pay close attention to the lyrics. The circular concept of the album is also cool. Unfortunately, some tracks have examples of how women are often represented in rap - a dismissive and one-dimensional representation at best. Those are obvious skips.

Dat narrative

One of my all time favorites.

deliciaaaaaa

ебать. переслушал значится базу от ламара. раньше смотрел на этот альбом как на ретроспективу от лютого гэнгста и на то, что явно лучше горгорода, ведь Слава на баттле сказал "если уже есть гуд кид мд сити, нахуя мне горгород в плеере?". но сейчас это просто ахуй. в середине альбома я сидел с мокрыми глазами, рассматриваю эту историю через призму своей. когда я слушал впервые, мне явно ещё не хватало жизненного опыта, но вот сейчас, пережив этот "The Art of Peer Pressure", я проникся альбомом полностью, представляю какого это слушать, если ты вырос в тех же условиях что и Кендрик, в каком нибудь чёрном американском гетто. это очень по взрослому рассказанная подростковая история. это пиздец как чувственно. одно лишь это томное me and the homies меня просто убивает. по сути то это идеальный концептуальный альбом своего жанра, хотя я не главный его фанат. тут и разъебаться можно и поплакать. блять тут трек на 12 минут слушается как на 4, сука он просто читает буквы нахуй каким образом так получается. я просто в ахуе, сижу на эмоциях. обложка тоже чётко попадает в настроение, эта херня прям давит на тебя, я вот почувствовал себя во всей этой дискомфортной обстановке. по хорошему этот альбом бы понять всей такой гулящей молодёжи, да только мне кажется что не пройдя через что то подобное, ты ни хрена и не поймёшь. а так, звучит шикарно, Кендрик великолепно отыгрывает голосом, все вставки идеально вписываются, иногда до мурашек. короче лютый ахуй спустя года оценка - 9,5/10

Rap is not my thing

Oh dear …

Bitch didn’t kill my vibe Simpsons: No

Good album will listen again.

definitely need to listen to this one more, hard to take it all in the first time through. wish i didn't have to star this

It was a great album; however, the new albums from Kendric also overcame it. Even being really good, it's not possible to give it more credit than "To pimp..."

Good.

1. zherane - 1 2. bitch , dont kill my vibe - 0 3. backzeat freeztyle - 1 4. the art of peer prezzure - 1 5. money treez - 1 6. poetic juztice - 2 7. good kid - 0 8. mad city - 1.5 9. zuuimming poolz - 2.5 10. zing about me - 1.5 11. real - 1.5 12. compton - 1

Nice and unexpected.

"The Art of Peer Pressure" is the peak of this album for me, 5/5 for that song, phenomenal backing track and lyrics, just seemed to have a bit more heart than some of the other tracks. Overall a good album, 4/5. Also the bass on this one go boom boom boom. Appreciate that.

One of the best hip hop albums of all time.

I can hear why Kendrick Lamar is a highly critically acclaimed artist, and this is a fairly chilled and easy listen (at a surface level). Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Money Trees Date listened: 16/12/23

Easily the best, though tbf one of the only decent rappers I've had in the last 20 years. Take off a few dross tracks and this is a great album. A combined hits from this + pimp a butterfly would be approaching 5* which is incredible for rap for me.

Nog steeds geen fan van die intermezzo's. Af en toe wel lekker maar een remix en het nummer op 1 album?

Zo ontzettend veel bangers op 1 album vind ik gewoon goed

Did somebody say domino's? Money Trees is wel echt het beste nummer van dit album

Just fantastic

Excellent album

Cinematic

Goddammit Kendrick save some talent for the rest of us

Cleaver beats.

Teils rythmischer Gangster Rap, teils klischhafter Glam Rap.

Stemmningin er til staðar. Töffaraskapur og tilgerðin líka. Mér finnst svona tónlist bara svo leiðinleg. Ég er gamaldags.

I went into listening thinking I wouldn't enjoy this and I wouldn't choose it on my own but it wasn't horrible.

Tf is this? 0

good beats, many clever and catchy lines. really really good.

Fire

I'm really torn here. I like the narrative aspect of this album. I can appreciate the narrative persona within the context, but I don't *like* this guy -- not in an "unlikable narrative" way. It's an expression within a clear social context, but it's so damn juvenile. It feels like every time it tries to rise above and express a larger social message, it swaggers so hard the album ends up tripping on its shoelaces.

Kendrick Lamar is my favorite rapper right now. “Rapper” isn’t a good enough word to describe him. He’s an artist.

All i hear is gyat gyat gyat

I listened to about half. It was too long and Im not super into rap so IDK. What I heard was good though

Not for me-I just don't get the approach. But that's probably more my issue.

Lush, emotional, entertaining autobiography of an artist at the top of his game.

The album that made everyone ask if Kendrick Lamar is the greatest rapper of all time. It's basically perfect. My only complaint is that the features on this aren't anywhere near as good as Kendrick himself, but even still every track is great both as separate pieces and together. I hope Kendrick's next three albums are on this list too.

Not really my style, a lot of language but I can see why it is on the list.

So goof Very very high 4

Ok-but I recognize the acclaim.

Solid lyrics, great album. The vocals can be annoying sometimes though. I wish I could rate 4.5, but since I can't - 4 it is.

i like the story telling aspect, tracks flowed together nicely telling a cohesive story. rapping was great and beats were too. top 3: the art of peer pressure, swimming pools (drank), and compton.

Nice beats, didn’t fuck with the vocals

The correct evolution of hip hop

Nowhere near as good as Butterfly but I still like his style and his melodies.

Not really my jam. I think I know one kendrick lamar song and that one wasn't on this album. The album is probably fine If you into the genre of music. The only track that I liked and My listen to again is backseat freestyle. Also he seems obsessed with using the word bitch

This is an album that definitely requires multiple listens. Really enjoyed the journey and feel there’s a lot this album has to offer that I’m not fully appreciating. Great songs, not quite TPAB, but a really enjoyable album.

Pas écouté en entier mais ça va, ça s'écoute bien mais si j'ai l'impression que ce sont toujours les mêmes thèmes qui sont abordés dans les chansons...

4/12, 33%

Not to my taste.

best storytelling ever, Kendrick is an absolute talent at everything he does, the beats are perfect and some are so smoothful with nice Rhodes and guitars (something that will be even more incredible on his next album). The reviews saying this album is offensive have no respect for black history and culture

De 14 temas me gustaron 3

Very cool/10

Awesome album.

57/100 Based on this scale 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 Full disclosure, I'm not a big fan of rap. I have nothing specifically against it, but when I listen to a song, the most important aspect of it to me is instrumentation and the least important aspect of it is its lyrics. Rap is mostly about lyrics, with little regard for instrumentation. That's tough for someone like me. However, this album explores enough sounds to grab my interest, for moments, here and there. I'm not into what he does, but he's pretty good at doing it.

This entire album smells like chiefing blunts in my college apartment's bathroom with the homies. 5 stars.

Actually my least favorite album of K. But it gave him the mainstream acceptance, Section 80 is a much better album tho. His last ist great too

Sweet!

A personal favorite. I’m biased towards albums with a narrative, and Lamar’s talent as a storyteller is apparent right from the start of the record. I come back to this album often and it’s probably my favorite from his catalog.

3.5/5

3,5

goat

5/5

Buenazo.

Musically, this is good, but not great. However, that's true of a lot of rap really. But The lyrics are good enough to get it over the 3 1/2 star hump and make it 4 stars.