Reviews (page 13 of 14)
A true modern hip-hop classic. Kendrick’s lyrics are street poems that show love to his neighborhood while starkly telling tales of what his experience and existence was and is. A top to bottom gem of contemporary hip-hop
Feel like it could go down or up with more listens but low 3 stars based on first listen
some tracks better than others
San Andreas vibes
Just not my thing
Love it. One of the best albums ever made.
Not diggin modern hip-hop in general, but this one is damn good
Not for me
Yeah, I still really don't get this.
Hmmm, this didn't grab me nearly as hard as "To Pimp a Butterfly". Appreciated the storytelling in some of the tracks, but others left me cold. Fave track - "The Art of Peer Pressure", probably, and maybe "Sing About Me / I'm Dying of Thirst"
Fajne
álbum maravilhosoooo, letras e melodias incríveis e mt coesas, o álbum inteiro se ''completa'' minhas favs: m.A.A.d city bitch, don't kill my vibe money trees backseat freestyle
Great storytelling, very good album…… it’s like a 4.5 so I’ve rounded it up Fav tracks: Money Trees, Swimming Pools (Drank), Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst Least fav: Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter
This is my favorite rap album. Top tracks include Backseat Freestyle, Money Trees, and The Art of Peer Pressure. There are no bad tracks, although some are meant to be listened to in the context of the album. 5/5, hands down
All you can say about this album is wow, what a story. What is truly amazing about this album is it is the record which catapulted Kendrick Lamar to superstardom despite the fact that it is so different from the popular rap music being released at the time. The story of the album is drastically impactful, even bringing tears to my eyes at times, that it can be understood and lauded by people that could never personally relate to the experience of a black man from Compton. An album that will never fade away. 10/10
nothing new
3.5/5
One has to admire building a song around comparing a dream to Martin Luther King's, centered around a catchy refrain that boils that dream down to having a dick as big as the Eiffel Tower so he'd have the opportunity to fuck the world for 72 hours. If anything, Kendrick should have dreamed bigger. Why limit his dominance to just 72 hours? Perhaps this alone is proof Kendrick Lamar isn't as narcissistic as Kanye. Even if he doesn't have that kind of ego, this album is miles better than all of the Kanye albums that appear on this list.
Unbelievable. Sooooo intensely evocative and gritty and gorgeous. Overwhelmingly amazing. Love love love love!!!!
Modern hip hop doesn't get much better than this. I'd say it's about as good as TPAB honestly.
Great modern rap album. I really should take some time to read the lyrics.
Saw Him live and it wasnt as powerful as studio version. Great album
I'll need another listen to confirm that, but I think that's one of the best hip-hop album I've ever heard. The beats are insane, the delivery is unique. It's the third album I discover from Kendrick and I understand now why he's becoming a legend of our times. Nice feature by Dr. Dre, also!
3.9/5
Really enjoyed this, good combo of very good beats, good flow and lyrics.
I know nothing about rap, but this feels different. In a good way.
Masterpiece
4.5
Not a rap fa
Excellents textes, pas de cette posture appuyée qu'avaient les rappeurs plus anciens. Le flow, le rythme, l'intonation, tout conspire à retenir notre attention et à ce qu'on n'ait pas l'impression d'entendre du prémâché ou du cliché
Interesting. Not bad. Can see where Blackstar got inspo from.
i don't really get why this is always cited as such an important album.
Just cant get into it.
This is a really strong album and a solid debut. I'm only going with a 4/5 because I think his next couple of albums are even stronger and I enjoy the direction he goes from here. This is impressive though and totally sets the vibe for his sound and how it will expand. Standout Tracks: Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe, Backseat Freestyle, Money Trees, Poetic Justice, Sing About Me I'm Dying of Thirst, Compton
Insanely good front to back
Where's my damn dominoes!? Big fan of Kendrick. I only knew a few songs from this album, and enjoyed listening from start to finish.
I love so many parts of this album. I think the first time I heard Kendrick was when I was sent the music video for Swimming Pools. Cool track but I think I like some of the other songs better from this album. The bass and instrumental on Sherane is tight. It’s small, but I like the trappy snare in Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe. Kendrick’s story is in the periphery of the gangsta shit. I realize that he is coming out of Compton but this album is purposely juvenile. The skits are part of the overall vibe and experience of the album but I think they are skippable after hearing them. Fav track is Backseat Freestyle because it’s RUDE. The track with Dr Dre, Compton has a BIG SOUND and reminds me of some of his old music from the 90s. If it was up to me, I would have cut out some of the skits and perhaps a couple of slower songs (Real). I would have added a couple of Kendrick’s older songs from Section 80. I listened to these two albums a lot together and I find that they have a synergy but that’s just my own experience and perspective with them.
This is one of the best rap albums I've heard. Kendrick is a genius lyricist and has excellent flow. It's a fascinating album that tells a story of himself as a teenager growing up in Compton, surrounded by the gang violence purported by the Crips, Pirus, and Blood gangs, but not participating in it. He grew up surrounded by pressures to get involved in crime and gang lifestyles, but stayed out of it, having the dream to make it big in the rap game, and he did just that. Tracks like The Art of the Peer Pressure and maad city (certified banger) give a detailed look into growing up around that violence and his tone and flow (especially on maad city) make you feel like you're in it too. Swimming Pools (Drank), a song that has likely played at thousands of clubs and has been danced to by millions of drunks, discusses the connections between peer pressure and alcoholism that Kendrick was surrounded by growing up. The closer track, Compton, has an awesome Dre feature. Musically wise this album is solid - excellent beats and samples throughout. But the real instrument on this album is Kendrick, his rapping is one of the best in the industry, and his socially conscious lyrics are what make really enjoy it - it's rap music that makes you sit down and think about what is being said. Not to disparage gangster rap, I just prefer lyrics that reflect on the real issues rather than "get money, hit em up, y'all gonna make me lose my mind" lyrics.
YA BISH! This album is perfect for getting your Nissan Sentra detailed up real good. Kendrick Lamar is one of the finest (and Realist) musicians of our time. A true artist and poet(ic justice). The album is so well thought out and took the listener on a transparent journey of his experiences growing up, from track to track. This is exampled by my favourite on the record, The Art of Peer Pressure. Which is just a badass title. What I love about his style is that he adjusts his voice to give the effect of multiple people singing on one track, when it’s just him. And he uses creative inflections and sound effects that ensures every track has a different feel and is as deep as a swimming pool. Couple things: the hook on Backseat Freestyle is elite. Plus, Bitch, Don’t Kill my Vibe is my new life mantra.
This album is pretty amazing. Kendrick is a great rapper, lyrics are great. I'm happy I sat on this one for a few days because it gets better with each listen. Only complaint is that I hate the trap snare on a couple songs but it's not very prevalent so I can deal. Excited to listen to more from his catalogue!
I have heard that the lyrics on this album are really great. That's very cool but it's just not what I'm here for. I didn't find the beats to be terribly interesting, and I didn't find much to listen to in the music, so there really wasn't much for me on this album.
Not really my jam but I still enjoyed it for the most part.
This just kept getting better and better. Iconic.
5.0 - Of Kendrick Lamar's incredible run of albums, this one stands out for its storytelling and the way he intermingles conversational interludes to immerse the listener into his past. I know I'll need dozens of listens to more fully ingest what's on here and I'm just so excited to add this album into my rotation. "Backbeat Freestyle" is an immediate standout.
Not my thing
As a hip hop fan there’s certain albums over the past 40 years or so that can be considered as benchmarks or ‘instant classics’ if you will and even if you’re not a fan of rap it’s hard to argue Kendrick Lamar’s discography is not familiar with this. I’m already incredibly familiar with this album but a re listen didn’t go a miss as there’s always something about revisiting this body of work that makes me smile as it really is everything that makes hip hop brilliant which is what I’ll break down in these thoughts. The record opens up with ‘Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter’ where Kendrick opens up the album by introducing a reoccurring person in this timeline of tracks, a love interest (Sherane), who Kendrick is on his way to meet. It opens up with a bible verse that we come to visit later on, he details the moments up to meeting her and also tells the listener how he met her and what his intentions are, he specifically left the house because he wanted to hook up with her, he took his mothers car and went to go see her until he reaches her house and there’s 2 guys in hoodies which transitions into the phone call from his momma asking where he is with her car, this voicemail dialogue continues throughout the album as Kendrick’s mother shows her concerns for the type of activities he gets caught up in. The beat has this slightly laid backed but eerie tone to it with some sort of short electronic style beats and a mix of piano and guitar in the background, this track sets up the story for the rest of the album. The following track ‘Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe’ is a slight detour from the story as it’s a bit of a time jump to present day Kendrick as the rapper explains on how much things have changed around him since starting to reach fame. It’s also a social commentary about the current state on rap music as, and I quote, ‘Die in a pitiful vain, tell me a watch and a chain is more believable’ is a node to rappers that just want to get rich fast and focus on the materialistic gains rather than focus on something more substantial. This track brings back some of the guitar from the 1st track but a bit more up beat with some vocals from Anna Wise that make the hook evermore infections “Bitch, don’t kill my vibe”. The 3rd track ‘Backseat Freestyle’ is pretty self explanatory, it’s Kendrick rapping off the top of his head from the perspective of a 16 year old version of him who is striving to achieve everything someone young in Compton would want. The track is one of a few hard hitters on the track list as it is submerged in this bass and ringing bells which makes you want to bump to it in a car. ‘The Art of Peer Pressure’ has a stronger return to the storyline that was introduced in track 1. The first minute or so is a nice drum fill with some static that gives a vague idea of the tracks direction in a more melodic rap style with some smooth background vocals, the line ‘But I’m with the homies right now’ is paraphrased and repeated throughout as Kendrick tries to explain that he’s not usually like all of his friends but when he’s with them he doesn’t want to ruin the buzz of them altogether so he partakes in getting faded and pulling up on other people. The rest of the track brings the best down and follows the story of a usual day that Kendrick has chilling with his friends but this is followed by a house robbery on a house they’ve been scoping out for 2 months which they misjudged when they find someone inside who presumably calls the cops on them, showing their youth by this mistake, and the track closes off with their journey speeding away from the house and a short dialogue when they’ve escaped which reveals this is before Kendrick plans to meet up with Sherane. ‘Money Trees’ is another social commentary about the life of growing up in Compton, an impoverished area, where young men like Kendrick and his friends strive to reach what’s seemingly out of reach for them due to where they live, this could be money, power, respect etc. The chorus is another comment on activities within Compton and how people who grow up there choose what type of lifestyle they’ll live, ‘But the one in front of the gun lives forever’ tells how the person who falls victim to a shooting is the one remembered despite how respected the shooter may be. The title ‘Money Trees’ is very fitting as it is a metaphor, “being shaded under a money tree” shows how if you have reach the point of comfortable wealth in Compton it takes a lot of weight of your shoulders, you can relax in a sense, but also the term Money Trees refers to the age old saying ‘money doesn’t grow on trees’, Kendrick releases this is a hard goal for someone from an impoverished community and thus that goal is not only incredibly challenging but evermore desirable. This is also seen in the chorus by the line, “A dollar might just make that lane switch”, people wold turn their back on you for money and that’s how rough it gets. The track is lead by some smooth humming background vocals and bells with appearances from Anna Wise on the chorus and a top tier verse from Jay Rock on the back end. In the middle of the album we have ‘Poetic Justice’ which is an addition to the opening track about Sherane as it’s a smooth track about Kendrick’s love at the time with a very appropriate Drake feature who really suits this topic of rap. The track is lead by a gorgeous Janet Jackson sample that gives the whole song a sort of sensual feeling to it which definitely shows Kendrick’s feelings for Sherane. The outro to the track links directly back to the first track as the 2 hooded figures start to interrogate Kendrick as they seem to not want him messing around with Sherane, they can tell that he’s not from around there and so Kendrick tries to keep his head down to avoid confrontation but it doesn’t work. The 2nd half of the album is kicked off with ‘good kid’ where Kendrick displays his innocence of being a good kid whilst growing up around a certain type of culture where he couldn’t escape gang activity, drugs, police racially profiling etc. It highlights that no matter the type of person you may be in Compton you can’t escape these things as shown in the previous track where Kendrick is confronted by the 2 figures he doesn’t know. The track is beautifully filled with background vocals and a guitar riff patterned with a nice chorus from Pharrell Williams, one of the more underrated tracks. The following partner track ‘m.A.A.d city’ is the album heavy hitter and is split in 2 parts, the first part is an aggressive, almost harsh sounding, instrumental filled with these eerie, what I believe to be, strings or possibly a keyboard paired with Kendrick’s ruthless rapping a fast paced delivery almost out of frustration about some of the things he’s witnessed as growing up in Compton. The best switch gives room to some hard hitting drums whilst Kendrick continues with stories about getting a job and planning to rob it, this part also gives room the the feature MC Eiht who gives a powerful verse on the back end which is followed up by a distorted Kendrick almost giving light to what he’s actually like as a person, he’s saying yes he is the good kid but he’s also done some things you wouldn’t expect from him. ‘Swimming Pools (Drank)’ is all about the pressures of drinking, on the surface if you casually listen to the song you may think it’s a drinking anthem of sorts but it’s actually the complete opposite. This song relates to ‘The Art of Peer Pressure’ as it details people drowning their sorrows in alcohol, almost swimming in it, if you will, due to the large amount consumed. It also shines light on that there is no such thing as casual drinking, from Kendrick’s perspective anyways, you don’t want to be that baby that’s sipping your drink when you’re with everyone else. The track ends with some more dialogue where we find out Kendrick was set up by Sherane and got beat down by the 2 hooded figures, Kendrick’s friends come to pick him up and shoot the 2 guys that beat up Kendrick but also losing their friend Dave in the process, this is a turning point for Kendrick as he realises his actions have consequences. The following 12 minute masterpiece ‘Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst’ is split into multiple parts. The first is a continuation of the end of Swimming Pools as we hear Kendrick rap from Dave’s brother’s perspective who appreciates that Kendrick was there to hold Dave as he bled out, he doesn’t blame Kendrick for what happened he now just has his eyes fixed on getting revenge against the shooters. The 2nd part is from the perspective of Keisha’s sister, Keisha in question Kendrick wrote about on his mixtape Section. 80, he argues for her about the role of being a prostitute and that she shouldn’t be criticised for being in that line of work when there is little else available for her, that was her life and she doesn’t need people to look down on her for that. The verse ends with Keisha’s sister saying that Kendrick didn’t help her by making that song, being outspoken isn’t helping the women that are in that situation, she argues it would be better if he pimped her out instead so she could get some money. The 3rd part returns to Kendrick, he self reflects about life in general which is a reference to the 2 perspectives he just rapped from, he’s desensitised to death from Dave’s passing but he feels guilt for speaking on Keisha’s death even though he felt that her story needed to be told. Although not directly said he alludes to the question of ‘what if I wasn’t a rapper?’ as he believes he could’ve been put in a similar situation to some of the ones he’s seen. There is a beat switch separated by dialogue of Dave’s brother and friends wanting to seek revenge, you can hear the pain in Dave’s brother’s voice as he says he’s tired of this shit, this revenge is a thirst that will lead them to their deaths if they follow. This is exactly what Kendrick raps about as it’s so easy to be lead down the life of sin by giving into temptations. The track ends with dialogue of an older woman, one of Kendrick’s neighbours, that interrupts Dave’s brother and his friends to lead them down a path of Jesus and religion to stop them enacting revenge. The song ‘Real’ is a mature moment for Kendrick as his self reflection has led him to a realisation that he must do things for himself too, you can’t strive for all these materialistic things if you don’t love yourself. The track is filled with a relaxed guitar riff and some gorgeous vocals from Anna Wise. The dialogue at the end is Kendrick’s father who gives some sincere advice after hearing of Dave’s passing, his mother can also be heard at the end as an almost promising end as she mentions Kendrick’s music career hoping that he’s able to make it out of Compton but also fearful that he might not be alive as he hasn’t picked up his phone the whole time he’s been out. The final track ‘Compton’ sees Kendrick team up with legendary hip hop producer Dr Dre for an epilogue of sorts as we see present day Kendrick look back on his life as he is now proud of the person he’s become and hopefully can lead kids that are in a similar situation that he was in to a better life. It’s a sort of optimistic ending to the album as we’ve heard a lot of pain through it we now know that is in the past and it’s better to focus on what can be done now. The track ends with Kendrick saying he’s going to borrow his mothers van and that he’ll be back in 15 minutes, chronically this fits right before the first track and so the album works in a cyclical manner. To conclude, this album is nothing less that legendary, I urge anybody who didn’t click with it on first listen to go back and listen again as this is one of those albums I’ll defend till the end of time, this is one of my favourite rap albums if not one of my favourite albums of all time. Absolute perfection. 5/5
Ok. I enjoyed how story driven the songs were, but the music didn’t do much for me. Probably won’t listen to this again.
Kendrick's run from this to Damn is one of the greatest of any artists ever. I need to revisit his latest album, I wasn't into it when it came out but maybe if I give it another shot I'll appreciate it more. good kid, m.A.A.d city is a total masterpiece, though
Misogynistic
Great rap album. Kendrick has shown that he's one of the best lyricists out there and this album was just the beginning for him.
I'm just a casual hip hop listener, but so far Kendrick Lamar hasn't been high on my list, and probably it will stay like this forever. I understand why he is so highly regarded by American popculture, but unfortunately it has no appeal for me at all. I'm not particularly fond of his style, I find his flow hard to follow, which makes it hard to focus on the lyrics as well, which are most likely not really aimed at an audience like myself anyway. Still, I think this album is better than the previous one I've listened to from this list - To Pimp a Butterfly. Slightly better rating, but not much improvement.
One of the best albums of all time.
The more I listened to this the worse and more repetitive it becomes. No idea what he’s jibbering on about.
Love this one, still my favourite Kendrick Lamar album
Kendrick Lamar está sobrevalorado ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
A classic of my post-college experience in NY. Even though this came out in the fall of 2012, I remember by the summer of 2013 this was playing on every speaker and headphone in the city. It had universal appeal. We played it at parties, we played hanging out with the homies, we played it with girlfriends, we played it and it never got played out. This is essential.
Bullshit
"Good Kid, m.A.A.d City" is a remarkable hip-hop album that cements Kendrick Lamar's status as one of the most talented and innovative rappers of his generation. The album is a masterful blend of personal storytelling, social commentary, and innovative production that sets a new standard for the genre. The album's opening track, "Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter," immediately sets the tone for the rest of the album, with its vivid and evocative storytelling that transports the listener into Lamar's world. From there, Lamar takes the listener on a journey through his upbringing in Compton, touching on themes such as gang violence, drug addiction, and family dynamics. One of the standout tracks on the album is "Swimming Pools (Drank)," which features an infectious beat and a catchy chorus that belies the song's deeper message about the dangers of alcoholism. Other standout tracks include "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe," which features a powerful and uplifting chorus, and "Money Trees," which features a memorable collaboration with Jay Rock. But what sets "Good Kid, m.A.A.d City" apart from other hip-hop albums is its thematic coherence and attention to detail. The album is structured as a narrative, with each track building upon the last to create a compelling and emotionally resonant story. The production is also noteworthy, with an innovative blend of classic and modern hip-hop elements that create a unique and cohesive sound. Overall, "Good Kid, m.A.A.d City" is a true masterpiece of hip-hop, and it deserves every bit of critical acclaim and commercial success it has received. Kendrick Lamar is a true visionary in the genre, and this album is a testament to his talent and artistry. Five stars, without a doubt.
mwah love you kenny
I really don't like this sort of drugged out hip-hop sound. Something about it just makes me feel bad, sort of stretched out and depressed. Every single song seems to be about drugs, his penis or comparing women to dogs, but somehow this is considered socially conscious and thoughtful rap. It simply doesn't make a good impression on me, not being receptive to the sound and outside the culture being rhymed about. I hope that the people who enjoy this have used it to work through dark personal issues and become better people. But for me, it is the sort of thing I would turn off if I heard it on the radio.
3.75/5
C'était évidemment à prévoir, cet album bien qu'exceptionnel à tous les niveaux, a été survendu par ce buveur de chicoré qu'est eltrapeze. Son père le groupie.
Y a pas à dire, Kendrick Lamar est exceptionnel, bien loin des carcans du ice cub hip-hop.
A smart, clever evolution of the G-Funk style with some killer storytelling. Modern classic. Best track: Backseat Freestyle
Very good
Obra maestra, cualquier cosa que escriba sobra.
Tenés que ser un genio para manejar los hilos narrativos de un álbum de la manera en que lo hace acá Kendrick. Es tan profunda la visión que lo guía, tan incrustada dentro de sí la historia que narra, que todo sonido parece la manifestación definitiva de una vida o un momento. Kendrick construye memoria, un nuevo testamento para su ciudad; después renacería ya muerto y bañado en snobismo. Y sin embargo, ya había realizado aquí una de las últimas expresiones comunales de un mayormente vil mainstream musical. Porque no es por su genialidad ni por su inventiva que Kendrick hizo grandes álbumes, sino por crearse una historia para sí y enraizarla en la de sus amigos, vecinos y pueblo.
no se si es que no estoy preparado para este tipo de musica, o es que soy un hijo de remil puta o que, pero me cuesta mucho que me guste kendrick en general. Las letras estan muy buenas bla bla bla pero cuadndo me olvido de la letra y escucho la musica, no me cierra, desde que no me gusta la voz del chabon, hasta los coros que cantan otras personas (sing about me, i'm dying of thirst x ejemplo), me parecen medio inbancables. En lo instrumental, no me parece nada del otro mundo tampoco, salvo good kid por ejemplo con los vientos esos falopas. :/// perdon nnahuel y chiki lmao
11/10. Es un antes y después, almenos en mi vida. Maad City fue el primer disco que escuché completo de kendrick a los 16. Back to back bangers, todo el disco en un disparo en la carrera del kdot, el primero con aftermath y aunque ya tenía notoriedad como independiente, este disco es el que lo da a conocer como el artista de la puta madre que es. Todo el disco habla de su vivencia como un pibe creciendo en compton y como eso lo curtio para ser la persona que es, y lo que no quiere ser en su vida. Muchos rapero tienden a "idolatrar" su vida como gangsters, kendrick le da una perspectiva de un pibe que tenía miedo, con todas sus inseguridades que tiene un adolescente de su edad combinados con la vida de alguien que pareciese que si no siguen la vida de las pandillas no iba a sobrevivir. El escribe como tupac en su época más aboliciónisya de la violencia en las calles, ve como eso no lleva a nada más que los excesos y la muerte por nada. Cada canción cuenta una historia y todo está muy cuidado para dar, desde mi opinión, unos delos mejores discos de su década. Must listen para cualquiera que quiera adentrarse en la discogria de kendrick( aunque todos en este grupo son lamares). Mi tema favorito es swimming pools, al filo con maad City y sing about me, im dying of thirst.
en mi opinion de los mejores discos de los 2010s incomparable desde cualquier punto de vista una obra de arte de la mano de uno de los mejores artistas del siglo 21 no hay ningun aspecto debil en todo el album
Hoodrat shit.
good album, b.A.A.d mixing
One of the best records of all time. Everything is on-point: the storytelling, the lyricism, the pacing, the beats, the themes...this is just impressive on every single level. "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" has always been one of my favorite rap songs of all time. This is an absolute, modern masterpiece. And TPAB is somehow even better!
Not sure what the fuss is about, so... not for me.
food kid h.A.A.d ziti
Closer to my type o' genre! I love Kendrick. Would love to give it a 4.5 but going 5 because I did like it more than my 4 rated albums!
I feel like I don't get into modern hip hop easily but this album felt like something I could put on and enjoy any day.
awesome sauce
Rap in general is not my cup of tea but I can hear the talent in something like this. To me, ok at best.
The way I was stoked to hear this one today daayyuummmm Such a powerful narrative, incredible collaborators, beats and samples Cannot wait to see him at Bonnaroo in June
Kendrick 5/5, sollte klar sein
Not for me.
This was my first album in this project. Definitely something I would never have thought of for myself. Was nice to read the glowing, detailed and poignant reasons that others are so taken with the work and the artist. Was too raw for me.
Rap the good way
Too many shitty intros and outros ruining the songs/album. If they were separate intermissions and could be skipped from the album, then maybe it could be saved. 2/5. Shit.
Started off strong but fell off in my opinion
Classic hip hop album. Has everything --- polished yet interesting hits, introspective cuts. Somehow simple and complex at the same time. Absolute classic.
Mastahpiece - 10/10, might be my absolute favorite rap album of all time. Bonus tracks or GTFO
Album is amazing front to back!
This album made me want better headphones. Really liked “sing about me, I’m dying of thirst” “backseat freestyle” and “real”. Was surprised by the amount of religious motifs but after a quick google search, everything made a lot more sense hahah. Enjoyed the variety of instruments! It may be that I’m listening to it at work and not really able to focus on the lyrics, but the production really shined over the lyrics on this album IMO. I would equate it to a book where the author does such a great job illustrating the scenery that you get lost in the description and pay less attention to the dialogue/plot. Not a bad thing just my personal experience with the album.
Man...I came close to giving this four stars, as some elements of the production scream 2012, and I think To Pimp a Butterfly is overall better. But damn. His flow is unreal here, even relatively early in his career. The songwriting, while not yet at its peak, is still really strong here. And "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" remains one of his best. Kung Fu Kenny is the best rapper of our generation, and this is our first piece of evidence.
This album of Kendrick's, especially, is responsible for expanding the hip-hop genre in a way that was desperately needed. The start of creating music of truth that transcended all genres. The influence of this album will be felt for, I don't know, but probably a long time, right? Lyrically, Mr. Lamar is one of the best in the game, ever. Production and structure is beautiful. I can't think of thing not to like about this album, it's so darn good. 5/5
Hip hop. Soul. No está mal.
Confusing experience here. On my first listen, it took a few songs to warm up to. The second half of the album was fantastic. The beats, production, delivery, artistry, musical composition were really fresh (to me...I'm a decade behind on this one). I took a second listen and was really looking forward to it growing on me more. First few songs...same. Then as I got into the later songs I really liked previously, they didn't hit the same the second time through. I'm not sure why. A quick novelty that wore off just as quickly? We'll see. After this project ends (only a quick 880 to go), I really want to dive deeply into hip hop. I'll come back to this one, I'm sure. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding
I feel like I should enjoy Kendrick but maybe I'm just too stupid.
Classic already heard it
Interesting to hear this immediately after Notorious B.I.G. Hip-hop just evolved so much; the sound and production here is incredible, almost Rundgren-esque in places, and I really like it. Such a unique voice, in both ways, as well.
This is shitty hiphop on another level. I can't find anything I enjoy on this album.
Perfect concept album. The storytelling here is just so good.
Not my kinda music but liked some bits of it
Kendrick made me love hiphop, could listen to this any day.
One of my favourite rappers. This is one of his better albums. Has a few lows but overal an amazing piece of work
Awesome8
One of the best hip hop albums ever made, standard edition is two tracks too long away from being perfect. Personal narrative makes this one more engaging than TPAB for me.
I've heard Kendrick songs before, but I've never really given his music a listen. Outstanding modern rap album. 4/5. Favorite Tracks: Backseat Freestyle, Swimming Pools, "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst"
Кендрика надо будет ещё изучать, пока не поняла хайп и нашла только гудбай Америку
I mean, come on.
Schöne, trockene Beats, die man aber schon öfters gehört hat. Von daher auch nichts besonderes. Thematisch gehts nur um typischen dicke Hosen Kram, was auch irgendwann nervt. Für Hiphop-Fans ist das aber bestimmt was. Für mich 2-3
It's been a bit of time since I last listened but it holds up
Standard version is ridiculously vulgar, clean version is mid
Of its genre it's a really good album. Obviously a bit full on lyrically but goes with the terrain.
There's a lot of good stuff here but it feels over long. I know this album is held in pretty high regard but there could have been some songs cut. I said what I said.
Fine album just not my thing
Not bad, just not really anything I enjoyed that much. The interludes really turned me off.
Kendrick Lamar albums are generally cinematic and expansive in scope. ’Good Kid, M.A.A.d City’ is no exception, with its non-linear narrative that demands you listen to it closely, piecing together the storyline as you go. There’s a couple of missteps, ‘Backstreet Freestyle’ I find jarring and not Kendrick's strongest work lyrically, and ‘Compton’ which feels strangely out of place (and an excuse for Dre to make an appearance) tacked on to the end of the album, when the penultimate track ‘I’m Real’ is for all intents and purposes the real (and spiritual) ending. Minor gripes aside, ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.d City’ is for the most part excellent and well worth your while.
Nope.
I first heard Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe in a remix and I thought he was saying "please don't kill my vibe." Album has fewer skit/random-chit-chat tracks than average, which is the truest sign of quality. Also Swimming Pools.
Highlights: "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" Even though it would be easy to lampoon him, what makes Kendrick is his range. He has an impulse for changing voice and perspective; this album even carries a musical motif for the principle in the ramping of his voice through peaks and valleys ("mAAd City," "Backseat Freestyle"). Calling this album a "film" is key; unlike any other rapper at the time, Kendrick tries to be a cast of characters, and the director looming over them, and his own harshest critic. Although this is definitely a retro album, it deftly bridges the wild playfulness of E-40 with Tupac's arch seriousness from moment to moment. The opener "Sherane" flips the tired trope of the rap skit inside out by having it yank the listener out of an eerie, foreboding story at the height of its suspense. Kendrick gets principles like 'meanwhile, back at the ranch...' He has theater kid chops, but this is also his story to tell. His introspection gives the album's morality tale weight and complexity. Kendrick has never made a perfect album, with some ponderous, annoying jamming and corny self-indulgence, but the peaks are among any of his heroes. His characters divide his sympathies. His inner conflicts always pull him back in, and the listener along with him.
Second half of the album hit my sweet spot
I would say I knew about half of the songs, and those were the ones I enjoyed. I think overall the album was unpredictable but not necessarily in a good way. I don’t think there was good rhythm so if I didn’t know some songs I wouldn’t have liked- but since I did that caused me to sing along and enjoy.
The hiphop I enjoy most has either great funky sampling and/or jazz or otherwise organic music and the actual MCing has got to be rhythmic. Right away in the first track the rhythmic rapping is thrown right out the window - I know it's a preferential thing but there's no sense of rhythm to this, it's stream-of-consciousness words that I've no doubt I'd never be able to do but it all exists completely independently from the music. As if they're 2 completely unrelated parallel entities that were just placed together almost randomly. Like - could you tell or would it matter if the chorus were the verse or vice versa? And these lyrics are junior-high level immature trash. That reaction was all from one track - yikes. BUT ... track 2 starts out almost completely differently; I like the music and the weird vocals. The lyrics are not interesting to me but there's a noticeable step up in tying the vocals to the music. The "real-life" voices (I hesitate to call them "skits") get distracting and for me lessen the impact of the songs. Have I mentioned these lyrics are weak? They're weak - come on pussy this dick that yeah yeah giggle giggle. OK the album definitely improves as it goes on - full stop - but ehh I had a real hard time getting through this - aside from the eye-rolling lyrics his voice is difficult to digest. As for my rhythmic critiques early, that aspect definitely gets much better on many of the following tracks - I know it's a stylistic choice and I choose to avoid the freestyle/stream type songs/rappers. "Money Trees" - I do like this one. I've heard some of Kendrick's later work which I do recall liking considerably more, but this one is not only not my bag but I would and will avoid this. 3/10 1 star
Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
Hell yeah.
if you said this was better than TPAB I would not be mad at all. cohesive, brilliant, nearly flawless. I have nothing to add to the conversation about this album I just simply love it. best tracks: bitch don't kill my vibe, maad city, sing about me im dying of thirst
Es perfecto, la definición de un álbum perfecto, fácilmente dentro del top 5 álbumes de rap/hip hop de la historia.
Interesting, but also not engaging - I was hooked by the Pimp Butterfly one, not by this
Lyrical flow of someone with years of experience behind them. Consciousness in full flight. Bangers abound. Modern classic and then some
Albumi, jolla tuntuu olevan vahva replay arvo. Lyyrisyyttä en ole ottaen huomioon mutta antanen ymmärtää, riittävää.
Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?: Yes, it’s very solid throughout and uses interludes to perfection which to my mind no one does well apart from Kendrick and Kanye. Only thing I don’t like about Kendrick and this is me alone but sometimes his vocals sound god awful and it makes the song almost sound cringeworthy, I know I’m on my own there but that’s just something I can’t unhear Favourite song: Track 8 - m.A.A.d city
Bitch don’t kill my vibe
One of my all-time favorites
buen álbum
Este es de esos discos que hay que digerir con tiempo, especialmente porque no es un género con el que estoy familiarizado.
Not a big rap fan but quite like Kendrick Lamar. Think I preferred ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ but this is also great in its own right, and I imagine it’ll grow into a classic one day. Lyrically, it’s superb. Doesn’t follow the usual / stereotypical rap template - manages to easily mix the simple with the complex. I read a while ago that this album was being used in Universities to study language, alongside books by Hemmingway (I think Hemmingway anyway, my memory aint great). Only downside is it’s a bit long for a casual rap fan like myself, but regardless of that he’s the best of the best in his area (especially since Kanye West decided he was actually a massive bellend)
Given Kendrick Lamar a good few chances and still don't understand the status he's given. Clearly a talented rapper, lots of impressive lines here and there, but the constant posturing gets tiring and those parts tend to be the weakest lyrics. Good kid and mAAd city were the standouts in terms of production and flow.
Irritating
I found it difficult to enjoy this album the first time I listened because I wasn't paying enough attention. On a second listen I realised it was far more interesting than initially thought. Especially after I read the background about the album. I think I'll like this album more and more with subsequent listens. It's got a really good production so everything is really clean and easy to hear. I listened to the "Deluxe Edition" to hear the bonus tracks and "The Recipe" is a fantastic track that should have been on the original. Highlights were "Backstreet Freestyle", "M.A.A.D City" and "Money Trees".
I've been meaning to give Kendrick a proper listen for ages. I love hip hop but generally not a big fan of "gangsta rap", especially the more recent way it's gone, post 80s and 90s. I think this is approaching the stuff I don't like so much..... At the risk of sounding my age, rapping about money, "bitches", bling and violence doesn't really appeal to me! I know that's probably what he knew and grew up with, but it's old and I've heard it all before. I wasn't sold when I wrote the previous bit but by the end and another listen I've completely changed my mind! He's got great flow and some tracks I thought were quality and more of a commentary on the stuff I don't like. "The art of peer pressure", "Sing about me, I'm dying of thirst" and "good kid" were my favourites. Didn't like the singles so much! Maybe on later albums there is less of the "gangsta rap" tropes. I liked this enough that I'll be going to find out!
Sorry it just wasn't for me.
Yeah this is gonna go in the rotation. first time listening to OG Kendrick albums. won't be the last
I had to do some research into the order and reason for track listening but overall a really intense listen with an incredibly strong impact.
I have mixed feelings about this album there is some ugly sounds which I really dislike especially in Backseat Freestyle but on the other hand there are strange sounds that really work like in the song m.A.A.d city, which is by far the best song on this album where somehow the strange sounds make the song even better. I have songs I don’t like on this album, but also songs I really enjoy. The highlights of this album for me are, B***h Don’t Kill My Vibe, Poetic Justice, m.A.A.d city, Swimming Pools (Drank) and Compton. In total I liked 7 out of 14 songs on this album but the songs I did like I really liked. I can’t give an album that has Swimming Pools (Drank) and m.A.A.d city on it anything less than a 7/10.
Fucking great album
Favorite album of all time.
Despite being a long album, it is exceptional. Kendrick never wastes our time, he's present, and everything he says seems important, seems worth saying. Confessional, true lyrics, and things that only he can say because they're so personal and particular to his experience, yet speak to something larger. Only a track or two that I wasn't into. I love how he has so many voices, taking on characters and throwing us off balance song-to-song, even within songs.
Though I don't like this as much as "To Pimp A Butterfly," in many ways this album is more down to earth and, if not relatable, authentic. You can tell it's coming from a very real place of friends, family, and environment. One thing I always love about Kendrick Lamar is his ability to have these reflective, almost confessional verses that somehow interweave the usual rap bravado with a brave vulnerability.
Yeah, in terms of gansta-rap Kendrick is definitely my pick. There's some great artistic choices through the album that subvert the earlier clichés of gansta-rap, like playing the entire voicemail at the end of the first song and not using it as a little throwaway interlude but rather as a storytelling tool. Everything sounds great but there's some needed restraint in production that elevates it all to be more than a "I'm so hard and I party hard album". Some tracks are "take or or leave" it for me, and Money Trees goes a little long for me. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe is prob my fav. good kid also sounds great, that instrumentation and bass-line feels like some 70s odd synth/krautrock or some early electronic experimental stuff. Interestingly enough there aren't many songs on here that feel like they can be played in isolation or on some random playlist, the material is definitely best listened in an album format, which is probably the best compliment you could get for this list.
3.75
The little I listen to Hiphop the more I admire Kendrick. His tales from the hood always contain the certain amount of melancholie that takes off the grim heat of the less adventurous but more or less pathetic heroism the big mouths in this boasty Business like to proclaim. Only „To Pimp a Butterfly“ can and will top this oeuvre. 4.4
Absolute banger, the soundtrack of my 2011-2012 or whenever it came out.
Kendrick is one of the best when it comes to storytelling through his lyrics and flow. The tracks are cohesive and are kinda connected together due to the narrative which are told through the lyrics as well as the skits at the end of each song. I like the jazzy instrumentals in the songs and the female vocals from Anna Wise elevated the hooks and the verses. Overall, the album has a lot of bangers and practically no skips.
The first time I ever listened to this, I recognized it as a good album, perhaps the best of its time, but I was really in unknown territory, as I knew nothing about modern hip hop, Kendrick Lamar, or the tone of the album in general. Now, I find myself thinking this truly is one of the best albums of the 2010s, and only cements Kendrick's role in music as an essential part of its history. Nearly every song has some sort of hook that is instantly memorable, and the storytelling throughout this whole album is stronger than most other concept albums. The album doesn't pull its punches, giving you concepts to weigh yourself upon with each step, and its long length is hardly noticeable among its brilliant pacing. You'll find yourself at the home stretch without really thinking about it, and Compton as a finale, sonically, couldn't be a better fit, even if it makes the story a tad more streamlined. That sacrifice of storytelling to focus on the music is what rises K-Dot above the rest for me. This decision not only built more intrigue within the story, but shows that Kendrick isn't only an immaculate rap artist, but knows what makes music, music. Despite its leanings into the more downtempo, the album constantly feels like it could be the soundtrack to a party and to sitting at home in the dark, and to be able to bridge that gap so well is fantastic. My only slight gripe is that the album doesn't experiment as much as his later projects, and while that could feel more thought out as a result, I find it making it so no one song truly stands out above another. Again, more consistent, but fewer things to truly blow the listener away. I will note, however, that I heard this album nearly a decade after its initial release, and so I was plenty exposed to tracks like Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe, m.A.A.d city, and Swimming Pools years before a proper listen. If you can help, go in completely blind, it will do wonders for the writing, and will show already how on top of the world Kendrick was even on his second proper outing.
This is a great album. Kendrick's flow, story telling, and beat and rhythm work are all top notch. I too wish I could fuck the world for 72 hours. m.a.a.d city does a great job of spinning an engrossing yarn of a terrifying existence, and then totally flipping the atmosphere less than halfway through. A story of violence, redemption, and retrospection. Wow.
No skips on this album! This is absolutely my favorite album of the 2010s. Masterpiece!
The voicemails at the end of each track ruined this album. At least have them as separate tracks. The beats were good, flow was good.
Not a fan of this album. Too much gimmicky stuff.
- Considered a modern classic for a reason
I know that Kendrick Lamarr is viewed as some sort of god, but I cannot for the life of me work out why. "Bitch, don't kill my vibe" makes me want to question why he's putting that voice on. The flow vacillates wildly between "hey this is pretty decent" and "ohmygod, what is this amateurish tosh?" The whole album seems to delight in wobbly bass, which doesn't half get tiring after a while. TBH, not sure I'm going to sit through the rest of this.
Not my style, but not bad at all
8/10
In my opinion easily one of the best and most influential hip hop albums of all time and one of my personal favorites from Kendrick 9/10
One of the greatest Albums of all time
I kind of missed the Kendrick Lamar glory days, wasn't really a golden era of hip hop for me. But yeh I can hear the polished graft but it's not for me.
This was a fantastic album. I was a bit worried in the opening 2 or 3 songs that it was going to be a bit too ambitious for its own good and outstay its welcome. But as soon as the album hits its stride with "The art of peer pressure" (My personal favourite) it doesn't let up. Enough has been said about how good Lamar is as a wordsmith and rapper that at this point its almost become a cliché. But its only talked about so much because its true, he seamlessly shifts between styles and tones with such mastery its very impressive. But to me the true genius is how he puts an album together and who he surrounds himself with to do it. A great example of the fantastic sound design on show is on the titular "m.A.A.d city" which starts with quite an aggressive gangsta style beat and gradually morphs into something that would be quite at home on DJ shadow's "Endtroducing" but does it so totally seamlessly and without sounding out of place. I could keep writing for ages about this and while it doesn't fit into my usual criteria for a 5 (being usually reserved for my all time favourites) I've decided to promote it for being so engaging it makes me excited to do the review.
It's GKMC, genuinely one of my fav albums ever and I'm buzzing I got to revisit it, just as good as I remember, easy 5 stars
Well produced but not my vibe
Didn’t listen
The talent is obvious. The lyrics provocative and insightful. The vibe relaxed and cool, with tempos rarely rising above mid. Musically there is not much to catch my ear ,generally pretty simple and light with little to obscure the star of the show which is Kendrick's poetry. Personally I would prefer a higher level of musical intricacy perhaps but the understated jazzy vibe is pretty compelling and as I say it helps spotlight the poetry. I'm glad to have been introduced to this fine album. 4 stars
This is a truly extraordinary album, Kendrick delivering a modern classic. Kendrick is peerless right now- nobody else can match him for style, lyricism, artistry and flow. It’s thrilling to listen to an artist have a concept in mind of sounds and themes and deliver so convincingly and boldly too - few rap artists would risk sounding so vulnerable, so minimal and catchy hook free. The maturity from such an early album, the intelligence and insight. Simply stunning.
Best ok
Geloof wel dat dit goed is, als 't je ding is... Maar voor mij 2 te heet gewassen en dus kleine sterretjes.
Zoals ik gisteren al zei: Niet veel aan.
Arjan sloeg gisteren de spijker op de kop met de woorden: ‘niet veel aan’.
A bit long, but definitely better than I remember it being the first few times I tried to listen to it. And, I mean, the chart record kinda speaks for itself. Standouts: Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe, Backseat Freestyle, Money Trees, m.A.A.d city
Meh... Don't understand what makes it great. I only liked about 1 or 2 songs. And even those we just okay. Not mind blowing. The phone/conversation bits are a bit too much and they're all over the album. I couldn't find enough hooks on this album. Highlights: - Backseat Freestyle -Swimming Pools (Drank) -Compton
Kendrick Lamar AKA Comptons human sacrifice
c.r.A.A.p city
Fighting talk, Swimming Pool (Drank) is Kendrick's second best song, ever.
Objectifies women and gets his rocks off fantasizing about violence against women. Pathetic and sick.
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
A classic
listened to again a classic
The GOAT
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.
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
Classic
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.
Nope
before we get started i already know kendrick isn't my favorite, have listened to some of his other stuff. - bitch don't kill my vibe don't love the tone on the "bitch don't kill my vibe" - backseat freestyle just made me laugh, was that the intent? "wish my dick was as big as the Eiffel tower" alright - ~in the thunder and rain~ - oh i've heard Swimming Pools (Drank) before - cool that tone i don't like is back in Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst overall thoughts, yeah not my favorite, i understand why people like kendrick lamar though. just not my style, and i found a lot of the songs a little repetitive.
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.
Enjoyed it, but it's not for me
Enjoyed a lot of this. Lyrically really interesting
I've never been a fan of the genre, it's probably a cultural thing. While I've been able to listen to several albums and enjoy parts of them, this proved impossible with this one. I got three tracks in before decidiing life is too short.
But where is the ninja turtles?
Cinematic in scope on both the storytelling and production sides. The only album I've heard that feels this much like a movie.
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 ?
I really dislike music like this: lyrically uninteresting, unamusing braggadocio, misogyny and unconstructive violence; musically lightweight, dull and meandering pointlessly. Sadly, 0 stars isn't possible.
I have never listened to anything from Kendrick Lamar before. I know he's famous and admired, but I don't have time for the content of his work. No thanks.
Not for me.
My third Kendrick album I've listened to. It's really solid but doesn't reach the greatness of albums like Enter Wu-Tang.
Auto tuned junk. No idea what the big deal about this is. Not even bordering on interesting.
good rap album
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.
Can we just rename this genre "Narcissistic Gun, Dick, Pussy Rap"?
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
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.
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.
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.
AN ALBUM I'VE HEARD BEFORE GOTTA BE THE FIRST ONE TO GENERATE YET
Al samo zato sto smatram to pimp a butterfly bar za jednu zvjezdicu boljim albumom
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.
I didn't dislike this.
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.
Goated
Fucking banger
Not amazing but ok
I was expecting better for how much this album is hyped up
10/10 one of the best
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.
Lost to Macklemore at the Grammys. 10/10
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.
Trying hard to like this because it's an hour and 20 minutes long and he's respected like. I'm not doing very well. The 2 singles down are comfortably the worst of the 4 songs so far. Why does he keep rapping while holding his nose? Art of Peer Pressure was the first song I thought was OK. Money Trees was good too. Actually, that was genuinely good, I enjoyed that one. If we can avoid more garbage I could get into this. Good Kid is good so far, yeah, really good. That’s 2 songs enjoyed. Maad City – ok I think I’ve actually heard this. Not for me at all but I guess it’s good. Oh ok its two songs in one without giving the second part a title. Weird move but OK. I like this bit lots better. Swimming Pool I think is the first single I haven’t thought is utter shit. Just seen the last 2 tracks are remixes of one of the shit songs so I’m getting out of school early, this is good. Emeli Sande, what happened to her? Oh you fucker, a 12 minute song. Except ok, its really good and affecting. Not sure I need the full minute of prayer at the end to get the effect. A 7 minute song now, this guy is pissing me off. So it’s not for me obviously, there are some good songs here no doubt and I’m glad I listened, but it’s too long and plenty of stuff I just don’t like at all.
I'm feeling nauseous after that.
Becomes better after a few spins, and could probably grow even more on me.
I may be a middle-aged white woman but I do enjoy a bit of rap / hip hop, I just prefer mine with a lot more oomph and significantly less meh. Not for me.
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.
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
Genius stuff. Has like 3 or 4 contenders for best rap songs of all time. I love it.
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.
Okay, but not up with To Pimp a Butterfly.
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.
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)”.
Having been a longtime hip-hop fan, this album is still so confusing to me from moment to moment.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Good album with very sophisticated rap/lyrics. Would have liked it to maybe be a bit more melodic/better beats but overall still great
Listened Before? N Pretty meh. Better than the last one I got by him... Still infantile. I didn't like it enough to even remember a single song when it was over. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
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
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.
Epic album, what to say more?
I want to go to this ‘Maad’ city
Ok as background music, did not engage me, but not my taste so I can't review unbiased
I wasn't expecting too much from this album, but it's pretty catchy, will listen again
Another solid outing from Kendrick
Absoluter Klassiker. Seit 2013 unter meinen all time favorites!
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.
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
great storytelling
deffo worth a listen, not something I’d pick everyday but has some gems
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.
Mezcla de hip-hop suave y mezclas con rap. Suave y tranquilo de escuchar. Para los muy amantes del género
I went into it excited but came out with the definition of mid. Kendrick voice is dope and he got bars but sadly just talking over beats doesnt do it for me. Dre was the highlight of the album
Not my style. I did know more songs on that album than I was expecting. Don't really like his voice
fire (fire fire)
Love the Story being told Here. Evers Song ist unique and great.
Nope. Could not hold my attention at all. Gave up half way through. Just not my style.
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.
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."
I see a lot of praise regarding this somewhat autobiographical album by Kendrick Lamar. I gave it a shot but it is just not my thing.
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.
Great
Just not my vibe. Liked that one about the homies though
Banger! Banger! Banger! Introspective exploration of gangland crime in black neighbourhoods...BANGER
An absolute classic
Preeety goood.
catchy, unique, classic kendrick, corny lyrics/structuring at times, cool samples etc
Un disco interesante, que tiene muy marcado el contexto en el que fue creado.
Lots of beats, repetitive, but really good
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.
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.
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”
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.
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.
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.
ça s'écoute en fond d'ambiance mais ça ne me fait pas aimer le genre pour autant.
It has a few great cuts
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).
Masterpiece of an album, amazing storytelling. Would be the best rap album of the 2010s if Kendrick didn't have himself to compete with
Alap
Good
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.
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 know it’s critically acclaimed but I find it hard to connect with and then appreciate the lyrics and writing. It’s not unlistenable but not something I’d chose.
Not my thing, but listenable for what it is.
Nah not my jam. This level of casually explicit lyricism and the style is not for me.
Listened to it, 2 tracks I could get into. Most not to my taste , too much profanity
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.
I'm not a real big fan of rap but this was a good listen.
Some nice grooves and real smooth rapping here, but the content was a bit much for me at times. Totally get we're decades into the shock-language era, whether it's AM radio hosts, artists in all media, public discourse, etc., so it's not like the language and content were too much for my ears on a sensitivity level; it's really a matter a personal preference.
Not even sure what that was. Terrible!
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
please don’t kill my wife
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
great story, lyrics, music.
not my jam
Heyrðu, bara ljómandi fínt. Áfram veginn.
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.
Yuuuuuurrrrrrrpppppppp