Reviews (page 2 of 13)
Outside of my general taste, but I liked it for what it was. Also, seeing Kendrick and Drake on a song together is a weird experience in 2026 6,8/10
This isn't my genre of music at all, but it sounds like good music nevertheless. Impressive sampling and track layering throughout the album, with a compelling and consistent theme. It's clear that this album was the product of many talented contributors.
It's a vibe, but not my vibe. Preferred the other one.
It's genius but I don't like listening to it
Not his best album, but a classic for a reason.
I know a guy called Kendrick and obviously he’s not as cool as this one
My second Kendrick Lamar LP after To Pimp A Butterfly, and I like this one more. The production is as immaculate and confident; the content less ambitious and maybe the better for it. Still shows a preference for cleverness over tunes that scrapes against the pop superstructure. Asks a lot of a listener and pays back, but doesn’t follow through on the bravura opening.
The Art of Peer Pressure and Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst are remarkable songs.
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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not a huge fan of this album but it wasn't terrible
Tasty baked goods between the ears, but the contrasting cock strutting gets wearing. Maybe a later KL will work for me.
Did not enjoy. Found it to be pretty mediocre. This is flacid hip hop - I like it garish and in my face or buttery smooth. There's no inbetween. This was inbetween.
i like the sound, the flow. However i couldnt get over the fact how he talks about women , it irked me and made it hard for me to listen
3/10 Jeez, what a slog. There is nothing here for me. No tunes, no bass lines of bot. Rythms are about as tedious as they can get. Stupid answer phone messages. And lyrics? That's all it's got and I don't care for them. At all It did lift me at the end cos I thought it was 1hr18, but the last two tracks were bonus repeats, so I didn't need to listen to those. The nobber out a 12mins track in near the end, but that couldn't deter my glee at knowing I was going to make it to the end! Never will I need to listen to this album again. Hoorah!
Again, I am not a big rap fan, but I did not hate this one. I read some reviews before hand so I really listened to the lyrics. The story telling stood out for me. It felt less like a collection of songs and more like a movie about his life. Overall I get why people love this album. I can appreciate the creativity.
Como me gusta mucho el de pimpear la mariposa, creí que iba a disfrutar también este disco de KL. Sin embargo, me pasó como me pasa con casi todos los discos de rap: me harto a la mitad de la primera canción. Considerando que este disco dura casi 80 minutos, puedo dar fe de que la experiencia no fue placentera.
I wanted to like this. I really tried. I must be missing the gangsta hiphop gene.
Incredible number of listens on YouTube. It’s solid stuff but don’t understand why…
It was alright
good flow, lyrics were meh, other shit too, most annoying was the 15 out of 60 minutes of filler, background sounds
Why should I care?
No, I don't need your random post song conversations. And bish is just such a terrible word to hear over and over.
Terrible. Rap died with MF DOOM.
Nigger this, nigger that, fuck this audio waterboarding.
Nup, this sucks. 1/5
if i could give it zero stars i would
Nonnonnonononononono
Hip-Hop. 1/5
I'm sure Mr Lamar won't care about a review but I can only wish that zero stars was an option. Mr Lamar is clearly not an artist for me. Seeing as it's full of swearing I feel ok saying "What a pile of Misogynistic wank."
Didn't like this one at all.
Meh
I really didn't enjoy this.
Do not like Lamar.
Nah
Tf is this? 0
Derivative trash.
Shit!
Utter garbage
yawn. when will it end? It's not my vibe. Minus 1 point because of the lyrics
I really don’t like rap or hip hop, and this album hasn’t changed my mind. Completely accept that this Is probably the pinnacle of the genre but for me it is largely unlistenable
hard pass
Misogynistic
Bullshit
This is shitty hiphop on another level. I can't find anything I enjoy on this album.
Irritating
Didn’t listen
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.
I'm feeling nauseous after that.
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.
Just not my vibe. Liked that one about the homies though
Take out all the niggas, bitches & muthafuckas, and what have you got left? I hate this stuff.
No matter how hard this list tries, hip-hop and rap are still not types of music I can tune in to. Sorry (I keep trying, every time)
Absolute classic. Always gives me a big nostalgia hit as I got into it when I first started working at ZOO - probs 2013ish.
5 sterren, chille beats. Goede teksten. Het hele weekend heb ik geluisterd naar deze plaat en wat spotify daarna voor mij genereert aan muziek, genieton
Het gebeurt niet vaak dat je een album luistert dat alles overstijgt. Dit album gaat wat mij betreft verder dan een goed album. Het was daarom fijn dat dit een weekendalbum was, omdat het wel de aandacht nodig heeft die het verdient. De eerste keer luisteren was ik vooral gefocust op de nummers, de beats, de flow en de energie die het geeft. De tweede keer luisterde ik het vooral omdat ik het gewoon lekker vond klinken. Het riep ook wat vragen op, want als je casual luistert, gaan er ontzettend veel details aan je voorbij. Het album heeft me dusdanig gepakt dat ik video-essays ben gaan opzoeken op YouTube. Daarin wordt de hele verhaallijn van het album doorgenomen en uitgelicht. Dat heeft me geholpen het album beter te begrijpen en laat mooi zien hoe Kendrick als tiener te maken krijgt met constante gewetenskwesties. Kendrick is een good kid, maar door de m.A.A.d city, de homies, groepsdruk en de drang naar rijkdom komt hij steeds weer in de problemen. Daarna nog maar eens een derde keer luisteren. Het album is niet zomaar een aantal liedjes bij elkaar. Kendrick vertelt het verhaal van zijn jeugd, en het raakt diep. Het is authentiek, grappig, ontroerend en vooral een album dat je keer op keer opnieuw wilt luisteren om het steeds beter te vatten. Ik denk daarom dat dit een geweldige introductie is in zijn muziek. 6 sterren.
9/10 Easily one of the best modern day rappers and this isn't even his best album
Det här albumet är helt otroligt. Mitt femte mest lyssnade album någonsin och det är också ett av mina topp fem favoritalbum någonsin. För den som inte vet bygger hela albumet på Kendricks uppväxt i Compton, LA och varje låt visar en sida av den uppväxten. Det kombinerar otrolig storytelling, med sjuka instrumentaler och enligt mig bär albumet på en helt unik stämning som jag inte ens kan finna spår av i andra album. Nu tänker jag gå igenom låt för låt och berätta om låtarnas syfte och mina tankar kring dem. Varje låt skulle kunna få en lång analys i sig, men jag ska försöka hålla mig kort. Först och främst inleds albumet med ”Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter”. Denna låt är absolut inte den bästa på albumet och är inte särskilt catchy, men den sätter direkt den mörka stämningen med rå storytelling där man verkligen sätts in i perspektivet av tonåriga Kendricks upplevelser när han blir kär i en tjej från sitt gängs rivaler. Bara låtnamnet har massor betydelser så jag rekommenderar att ni läser lite om det. Låten avslutas av ett telefonsamtal från modern och fadern, vilket snyggt leder in i nästa låt. ”Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” är en riktig hitlåt som onekligen är en riktig banger. Enligt mig är det fortfarande inte en av de bättre låtarna, utan den är mer en skön lyssning på albumet. Låten handlar i grunden om begränsningar av konstnärlig frihet och kreativitet. Det är lite ironiskt då att Lady Gaga först skulle vara med på låten, men inte kunde vara med pga tidspress från skivbolaget. Låten avslutas av ett kort inslag av lite snack mellan kendrick och hans polare: ”Get your freestyle ready”. Nästa låt är som väntat ”Backseat Freestyle”. Det är, som namnet antyder, en lekfull låt som ska efterlikna den typen av freestyles som kendrick och hans polare ska ha gjort i baksätet på bilen medan de åkte runt i compton. Låten är inte nödvändigtvis den bästa, men har ändå sitt värde i albumets sammanhang. Nästa låt är en otroooooligt bra låt. ”The art of peer pressure” är återigen en storytellinglåt som, precis som namnet antyder, handlar om grupptryck och de effekter det har på ungdomar i grupp. Låtens beatswitch är helt otroligt bra, och den rapp som följer är bland den bästa jag känner till. Den gör något med mig som jag inte förstår. Mörk vibe, flowig rap och samtidigt så otroliga texter. Den förmedlar verkligen funktionen av gruppen, hur den skapar sin identitet, hur den skapar fientlighet samt hur den får kendrick att göra saker han inte hade annars. Det är verkligen en av mina favoritlåtar någonsin. Den avslutas återigen av snack mellan polarna där man hör skitsnack, hård jargong osv. MONEY TREEEES!!! Ett mästerverk till, som har fått klart mer uppmärksamhet streamingmässigt. Jag får alltid rysningar så fort låten börjar och man hör det otroliga samplet av beach house. Låten i sig handlar om målet att bli rik och framgångsrik och hur det drev kendrick och hans vänner som ungdomar. Jay rock-versen är otrolig och allt bara är magiskt. Älskart!! Sen har vi en relativt mid låt i ”poetic justice” med drake. Låten är liiite för lång och för tråkig, men samtidigt catchy och trevligt. Låten visar en ny aspekt av livet som ungdom i Compton. Den spelar på sårbarhet, känslor, lust och hur poesi kan vara en form av flykt från de tuffa förhållandena i Compton. Slutet på poetic justice tar oss tillbaka till början på albumet, vilket signaleras med samma ljud i bakgrunden. Den tar oss alltså till konfrontationen då han ska träffa Sherane och blir utfrågad om sin bakgrund. ”Good Kid” är ännu en bra låt, producerad av Pharell Williams (som man hör i introt). Låten pekar på de problem som uppstår när en bra unge möts av ett tufft klimat med systematiska fallgropar och kriminella gäng. Han är just a ”good kid” som möts av ett ”maad city”. ”Maad city” är nästa låt på albumet och den hör till stor del ihop med den föregående. Det är albumets kanske tyngsta låt men också en av de absolut bästa. Den skildrar hemska händelser under Kendricks uppväxt, som att se döda människor och sin kusin du 1994. Låten är full av historier och förklaring av hur svår uppväxten var som alla värda att analysera djupare. Beatswitchen är så jääääkla fet!!! Låten har för många referenser för att skriva här men snälla läs på mer!!! Efter förra låtens avslut med klirrande flaskor och snack om att dämpa känslorna med alkohol kommer låten ”Swimming Pools (Drank)” som ganska självklart handlar om alkoholproblem till följd av den hemska omgivningen. Låten är inte den bästa men ändå braaaa. Sista orden i låten är ”and just when i thought i had enough”. Därefter spelas en till snitt från hans kompisgäng där en kille blir ihjälskjuten i bilen. Nästa låt är ”Sing About Me, I’m dying of Thirst”. Helt ärligt är det här en av de mest invecklade låtarna som finns och jag tänker inte sitta och beskriva allt här. Men låten är vad många anser bästa raplåten genom tiderna där varje vers har olika perspektiv. Första versen berättas från perspektivet av han vars brorsa blev skjuten, andra berättas från en prostituerads perspektiv (vars syster kendrick har skrivit om tidigare) och den tredje versen är kendrick själv som tvivlar på sig själv och sin omgivning. Efter beatswitchet kommer hans insikt där religion blir en väg ut ur gängkriminaliteten. Låten avslutas av att kendrick och vännerna får hjälp av en äldre dam att acceptera religionen i livet, och samma bön upprepas som i absoluta början på albumet (ALLTING KNYTS IHOP). Låten slutar när hon säger att deras Real life kan börja. Då startar nästa låt ”real” som är en av de, enligt mig, svagare låtarna på albumet. Den handlar om att stöta bort de dåliga sakerna i livet och omsluta sig av positivitet och hälsosamma vanor. Låten slutar med ett röstmeddelande igen av Kendricks föräldrar. Pappan beklagar Kendricks förlust och förklarar att gänglivet inte är något att sträva efter. Mamman pratar istället om hur han bör komma tillbaka hem eftersom Top dawg (en producent) vill ha honom i studion. Hon uppmuntrar honom till att satsa på musiken och hjälpa andra genom att berätta om de upplevelser han har haft. Sist men inte minst har vi ”Compton” med ingen annan än Dr.Dre. Detta anthem har ett maffigt beat och är tillägnat staden där bland annat Kendrick och Dr.Dre växte upp. Låten är ett perfekt avslut på albumet för att runda av allting (jag räknar inte någon jäkla remix som en del av albumet). Jag älskar detta album mer än jag kan beskriva och jag rekommenderar starkt att läsa på om alla referenser och förklaringar till allt. Det finns alltid mer att lära sig. Dessutom rekommenderar jag deluxen eftersom extralåtarna också är otroliga. ”Black boy fly” och ”Now or never” är grymma. Jag älskar albumet och det är bland de mest självklara tiorna jag kan dela ut. Mitt slutgiltiga betyg: 10/10!!!
10/10, inga skips, kendrick i hans bästa element, otroliga beats och storytelling.
just fun listening to a rap album all the way through and Kendrick is the goat
Yak yak yak yak
Flink han Lamar Går ikke lei Hørt desidert mest på money trees så d er nok favoritten men du det er mye bra her. Mmmmm Nammenam i øret
Heilt gull Lyden av VG1, e fortsatt ikkje lei... Bitch, dont kill my vibe... eie Money trees, kanskje ein av de beste sangene ever? POETIC JUSTICE, hellyess Vettkje ka som var i luftå i 2012 som gjorde at all musikken produsert då blei totalt banger. Maad city og swimmingpools e legendarisk åg sing about me, im dying of thirst... fortellerkunst as Beste sang: vettkje, heile albumet bortsett fra backseet freestyle og real
I greatly enjoyed listening to Kendrick's first of many masterpieces today. What I love so much about the delivery of this album is it feels like I'm watching a movie in my mind while I listen to it. It's easy to follow if you pay attention but it's not so straightforward that it feels dumbed down. It's immersive. Good Kid Maad City is Kendrick's coming of age story. It's so personal that as the listener you feel like you are getting a first person perspective of this man's life. His thoughts, his vices, his innocence, and the influence of the world around him. I can't stop saying enough good things about this album. Kendrick deserves all of his flowers for this one.
Really really enjoyed this one. Kendrick has great flow. The beats were nice. Music popped. Definitely in my top 2-3 so far. Only album 20 though.
Money trees ARE the perfect place for shade. Such a brilliant track. He's made up for having Drake on a track by making 'Not Like Us'. Not that I hate the track, but I just get a horrible shiver when I hear him now. This album started a journey to the throne of hip hop, and it was a hugely significant and superior piece to what else was about in 2012.
Ah yeah! I’ve been looking forward to this one. I’ve likely listened to this album at least 500 times and possibly in the thousands. I’m a bit surprised the album Damn didn’t make the list though. Since Damn is the album Kendrick won the Pulitzer Prize with. Which he is the first non-classical or jazz artist to ever receive this award for their music. Good kid, m.A.A.d city is an absolutely incredible album still. It also holds a record for remaining on the billboard top 200 charts since its release in 2012 That’s over 700 weeks without dropping off! The only rap album to ever do this. Yesterday I had to drive to portage early in the am to deal with the shitshow that is my dads property. I wasn’t looking forward to the day or the drive and was cueing up some music. So I was debating playing something familiar or the album of the day. Turns out I could get two birds stoned at once. GKMC tells the story of a kid who grew up in Compton and was influenced by the streets. Who later ends up accepting responsibility for his actions. Kendrick Lamar since growing in fame has spent lot of money and time in Compton to enrich the community. By supporting various events, his childhood school, and programs to benefit the neighbourhood overall. Including an annual Christmas party where he provides food and gifts for family and kids. It shows through Kendrick’s music catalogue his personal learning and growth. While recognizing his past and what that has taught him too.
Bangers, so creative, the sampling, the architecture of the album. Bangers. So much thought put into everything here with so much behind it. Almost feels weird man to bop my head to some of these songs knowing what he's actually singing about. Real shit. Its Kendrick, you know I'm already gonna give both of his albums a top score. Although my favorite of his isn't on this list... Damn...
Still a masterpiece
Incredible
Amazing
What is there to say about Mr Lamar that hasn't been said a million times before. A modern rap and lyrical master, there's a reason he has a Pulitzer Prize (though not for this record). This is definitely not my first listen to "good kid, m.A.A.d city" and it definitely won't be my last. While it took a few listens to click when I first listened to it, once it clicked, oh it clicked! A brilliant album with such a profound story to tell. Full of bangers and no skips. Fav Songs Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst m.A.A.d city Money Trees Is it Top 1001 Worthy (is it essential)? 100% Yes. One of the greatest rap albums made, a masterpiece of the modern era (and it's not Kendrick's only one). Would absolutely recommend to listen to it NOW if you haven't, it's that good.
“I pray my dick get big as the Eiffel Tower So I can fuck the world for seventy-two hours” 🗣️
All the people calling this offensive and misogynistic are misreading the whole album, or they only listened to one song and decided the whole album was like that. This is Kendrick rapping about his teenage self and his thoughts and experiences and depiction does not equal endorsement. Ignorant motherfuckers TPaB is probably his best album but Sing About Me is his best song
Kendrick had a great run of albums in the 2010’s. Not every song is good, in fact I would argue he’s pretty hit or miss. But this album is full of great songs, and even the misses have some listenability. Fave tracks: Bitch dont kill my vibe, backseat freestyle, money trees, maad city, swimming pools
nb
chills. literal chills.
easy 5 stars. whole album's a vibe, the storytelling's incredible, and i even found a fun youtube video afterwards talking more about it. bitch don't kill my vibe!
such a layered project, classic
Such a brilliant work. The music itself is so interesting with many different instruments. It feels very versatile and relates to common sense. I like it so much, and it's a shame that I hadn't listened to this album before yesterday.
This album is 10/10
C: alr a fav
One of the finest albums of any genre and this generations ‘What’s Going On’. Kendrick’s best in my opinion. Easy 5 stars Also, if you are offended by the language and content you are missing the point of this album. You’re not supposed to okay with the life that Kendrick experienced. This is not glorification, he is just telling you the too common story of being born into a world shaped by decades of systemic racism. That should make you upset, not how the participant is describing it.
This is not a good album. This is not a b.A.A.d album. This is a one hell of an album! So: 5/5
This album will live in infamy. "m.A.A.d city" is one of the songs that introduced me to hip-hop and rap when I was younger. No notes.
Took me a couple of full listens to start appreciating the genre and the album.
Kendrick is the greatest rapper of this generation and it's not particularly close. No I will not concede to anyone else.
What a fucking masterpiece, the storytelling, the production, its so emotional and so so well written The only reason this doesnt have an average of 4/5stars here is racism and because boomers hate rap
Fantastic through and through
My fav kendrick, it's peak
If you give me a kendrick album it's an automatic S-tier album. Holy shit listening to this whole album is such a vibe. Loved every second of it. Songs I liked Bitch don't kill my vibe Backstreet freestyle Money trees Poetic justice Good kid Swimming pools Sing about me I'm dying from thirst So many bangers it's a first 10 Review - 10/10
Beautiful 🔥
5/5. There is a reason why this is the longest charting rap album, and it’s because it is just that great. It perfectly strikes the balance between extremely engaging storytelling and high quality songwriting with hooks that will always remain in your brain after you’ve heard them. In terms of the narrative of the album it follows Kendrick’s teenage years navigating growing up in Compton and his interactions with the areas gang culture and drug trade. There really isn’t a weak track on this album whether we’re talking the massive hooks of “Swimming Pools” and “Money Trees” or the amazing storytelling of “Sing About me in dying of thirst.” If you put a gun to my head, I’d maybe say the weakest song is “Poetic Justice” just cause it isn’t as interesting as the rest of the album, but even then I love the beat on it and even as a long-time Drake hater he gives a solid verse. But yeah, Good Kid Maad City is an all-timer album, and it’s only Kendrick’s second-best album.
I thoroughly enjoyed this record. We’re taken on a lyrical journey through the trials and tribulations of a young man’s life growing up in Compton, and along the way are treated to impeccably produced and memorable tracks that I shall be coming back to many times.
Wow
The chokehold this album had on my collective university experience… being at a house party and yelling the the lyrics to Backseat Freestyle at the top of our lungs. WIFEY GIRLFRIEND AND MISTRESS
Fire.
10/10
So much raw emotion + Back when Kendrick f'd with Drake. 😹
music is love
I am not shocking the world here with a 5 star rating. When I moved to LA in 2013, you would hear this record everywhere; spilling out of car windows, booming from house parties and ringing from phones. It was a true soundtrack of the city moment and revisiting this 'short film' as its described, proves we were seeing a master getting to their peak. 'Real' hits the themes too on the nose, which was the only track that felt a miss to me. For all of this album's specificity, the struggle of a young man attempting to become something more, avoiding the temping vices of his world, is relatable.
sly, bouncing, relentless
A modern classic. I remember listening to this album in high school after it came out. Kendrick’s storytelling is so vivid and powerful. Sing about me is in the pantheon of great hip hop songs.
^______^
A straight up masterpiece. Sincerely one of the best albums of the past 20 years.
was there even a question? cmon. money trees is the perfect place for shade and…
man, fuck them damn dominoes Always forget drake is on this for a lowlight but legendary album that holds up
songs i like: 1 - like the baseline 2 - absolute banger, love the guitar in the beat 3 - not bad, some corny lyrics but good flow 4 - great, good storytelling 5 - solid track, good hook too. 6 - solid track, drake verse was the highlight by far tho wth. 7 - highlight so far. amazing flows, cool beat. 8 - goes incredibly hard, great hype song. Great beat switch / 2nd half too. 9 - absolute banger - already know and love this song. 10 - great storytelling and lyrics. not for easy listening! 11 - decent - not fave. Hook a wee bit annoying. Grew on me though. 12 - strong ending, grand beat. feels like victory lap. Never listened to a full Kendrick album but i do get it, although rap isnt always my favourite. Good variety of beats but its the flows and storytelling that gets me. Felt like I was there myself growing up in compton with him. Few songs I'll defo come back to as well. 9/10
I’m deeply nostalgic for this album, it came out when I was in middle school and developing my own music taste for the first time, so honestly, this is the blueprint for me. Bias will never be higher than right now. All that being said, I think this album would find its way to 5/5 even if I hadn’t been etched into slabs of my lore. Tpab is the album people point towards when they want to explain the acclaim that Kendrick deserves. I love that album, everybody does, deservedly, but this one should be everyone’s first introduction, even if tpab is a better album. This shit is a literal bildungsroman in album form, it’s so fucking sick. Kendrick flaunts his penmanship while articulating the feeling of being young and being introduced to sex, drugs, the pressures of masculinity, and the traumas and joys that all three lead him to. There is a constant contrast between youthful swagger and grim fates as the climax of this album comes as Kendrick’s friend dies in front of him. Every song is a piece of him that informed the artist he would eventually become. It is THE foundational album. And, I mean fuck, Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst is one of the greatest songs of all time. To turn one of your worst moments into a song where you spend the runtime empathetic to the people you’ve wronged and those who have wronged you is so powerful. It is a deceleration to try everything he can to do to be a voice for Black Americans so another generation won’t have to go through the same shit. It is beautifully followed by Real, a song all about self love and self respect. The way it his parents console him during the song works so well after hearing them be funny as fuck in every other call. I could wax poetic about this album for hours on end, it is a masterpiece. 6/5 stars
Nunca lo había escuchado completo y me sorprendió la verdad
This album was massively important to me when it came out as it was the first "event" hip hop album I was aware of after finally starting to like the genre and then it came out and it was this good. I listened to it so many times and still know a lot of it by heart. It still holds up and it's weird to think now that the production sounds so distinctly 2012; it gives me a weird sense of time passing.
its kendrick
Amazing beats and great production. My favourite album by the best storyteller and lyricist of all time
The other Kendrick albums are good and all, but this one has always been my favorite. It's hilarious that some people are talking about it like it's Thong Song or something.
The storytelling is flawless, the picture he paints is so vivid and coherent, and the beats are great. I’ll be honest, I’ve always found Kendrick’s voice off putting, but especially on this album, that’s truly the only thing I can fault him for. It comes off as so authentic in areas where other artists come off more corny.
A first time listen for me (although I love DAMN. and To Pimp A Butterfly), and it’s absolutely cracking. Favourite track: Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst
Bangers
One of those albums that perfectly fit in the category "I get this is important and appreciate it, but it just won't be on my shelf". The performance is stellar, the beats innovative and cool. No denying it's a rap classic. But I am not going to listen to it again just because everyone else says I should.
This is a great album. Upon my first listen, I didn't understand what it meant or the concept that Kendrick was trying to introduce. But as I relistened to the album and again and watch some youtube videos explaining the album and dissecting each of the songs on it. I realized this album is revealing a story about the artist (Kendrick Lamar) about his adolescent days as a good kid growing up Compton which is known for its criminal activities. It showcase the traumatic events kendrick went through which played a vital role in his rap career and how he grow as a person, especially since he witnessed the death of his close friend by a shoot out. My fav song on this album would be real, as it mostly signify who I am as a person and the integrity I'm trying to display. Other songs would be Sherane, Swimming Pools, and Sing about me, I'm dying of thirst. These songs mostly captured my ears as I could relate to them plus the lyric and production are beautiful
He’s a poet
Devestatingly beautiful. A much more low-key Kendrick than I'm used to hearing. There's a lot in here that speaks to his style and later works that he's carried throughout his career. I loved the low-fi beats mixed with old elements of funk and jazz. Sets the scene for West Coast rap/hip-hop. The overarching story hits hard. You can almost get lost during the meat of the songs, but the intro/outro reels you back in, sometimes so suddenly it gives you whiplash. It's immersion in that way, like hearing life-changing news in the middle of a perfectly ordinary day. Usually I dread albums over an hour, but this one kept me hooked the entire time. "Money Trees" has always been a favorite closely followed by "Backseat Freestyle." In the context of the album, though, "Compton" came out on top.
Excellent, insane, so many tracks that you just immediately fall in love with.
MONEY TREES HALLE BERRY HALLELJUAH
My favorite Kendrick Lamar album
The one-star reviews on this (and most rap albums on the list) are pretty funny
Such a great early album from Kendrick
One of the hip hop albums I’ve most listened to. Around the time when this came out is when I was probably at my peak of exploring rap music. I feel like this album was the tail end of a peak in the genre. I don’t think I’ve found a single hip hop album since that’s kept my interest the way this did. I’m sure it will hold up on re listen. The rhymes on this album. It’s so smooth and every track is a top notch beat and rhyme yet with simple catchy production. There’s a natural flow from track to track and it all seems to be telling a story and it is all thematically connected. It’s legitimately a great album. Kind of crazy this album is almost 15 years old. I remember listening to it when it was released and was kind of the breakout of Kendrick. Now it’s considered a classic and rightfully so. The Art of Peer Pressure might be my favorite track on the album. It’s a great story in a song and it’s what Kendrick does best here, tell a story. It’s the recurring theme through the album. Album doesn’t let up at all. Good Kid and MAAD City are two great tracks back to back. Then the 12 minute Sing About Me, Im Dying of Thirst, what a track. Love this album. 5/5 and it holds up. You can make an argument this is a top 5-10 rap album of all time.
The sheer cinematic quality of this project completely blew me away, it feels way more like a short film than just a collection of rap tracks. The storytelling is on another level, and the way he uses those voicemail skits from his parents really pulls the whole narrative together. The production is super dynamic too; it flips perfectly between the chilled out vibe of "Money Trees" and the aggressive, high stakes energy of the title track. I know the heavy subject matter can be a lot, but his honesty about growing up in Compton and dealing with gang violence and the pressure to survive is incredibly powerful. It’s a dense, challenging listen that gets better every time you peel back the layers. Easily one of the best debut albums I’ve ever heard.
One of the best hip hop albums of the era In a time when everyone was listening to drake, Kendrick came along with a proper hip hop album. Masterful storytelling and incredible production, my favourite of his and in my opinion in the top 3 hip hop albums of the decade Favourite track: the art of peer pressure
If anyone were to ask me „What are the best hip hop albums of the millennium“ this album would certainly be included in my answer. A Truly mind-blowing contribution to the genre that helped push its boundaries
Magnificent storytelling, tight lyrics and musically satisfying.
Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant
Kendrick truly is one of the greatest to ever do it.
My bf loves kendrick lamar. was listening to this album and he told me he saw him live once in germany.
love every song in this. some favourites- maad city, money trees, swimming pools concept albums have some different kind of pull on me. i had somehow never realised the genius of kendrick lamar until i heard this album start to end.
Dieses Album ist echt gut, wahrscheinlich so eine 9,3/10. Grund das es keine 10/10 ist, weil ich Backseat Freestyle einfach nicht ausstehen kann. Gleichzeitig gibts auch so gute Songs auf diesem Album grade so good kid ist ein absolutes Brett.
Fantastic
Awesome album from start to finish. Especially love MC Eiht's feature. Glad to see this album on here, and happily surprised by the high worldwide ranking and all the 5-stars. Was not expecting that at all.
One of the best albums ever
This is really good. I know its less popular than To Pimp a Butterfly, but I had a better time with it. Kendrick really has mastered his craft. I must say, the number of people who hated this album for its misogyny while LOVING Bon Jovi, who's discography is as misogynistic as this if not worse, is large... I wonder what the difference between Bon Jovi and Kendrick is... I WONDER????? The number of insanely racist users of this site is sickening. 5/5
One of the best stories in hiphop history
I was legit excited when I saw this was my album of the day. I have always loved the incredible storytelling on this album....There's a reason this guy is a Pulitzer Prize winner. It is so interesting how his credentials in gang culture are completely legit, but he makes it clear it was never by choice, just a byproduct of the environment he grew up in. "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" is just a fantastic, smooth track to completely chill out to. "Poetic Justice" is an awesome collaboration with Drake, too. "Swimming Pools (Drank)" was the exact song that got me into Kendrick in the first place, and it still hits just as hard today. You can really tell across this entire record that he uses music as his ultimate therapy to confront his own demons, his heavy background, and the dangerous lifestyle he narrowly avoided. It is just beautiful, cinematic storytelling from start to finish, and I am a massive fan of his work. Favorite song: "Poetic Justice"
Aw yeahh. One of the best rap albums ever
Another Kendrick album, another banger. I just listened to TPAB last week. I think this album has more songs I would go back to, while TPAB is more politically charged and lyrically complex. Both albums are great though.
Kendrick lamar is one pf the best story telling rappers ever. These are rap concept albums with a chronological narrative insane work.
Nothing hits harder after a long day at the office than blasting this hard pipe hittin music in my Kia Soul on the way back to my nice suburban home.
Within two minutes of listening, you know that this guy just has IT.
Yes please and thank you Kendrick Lamar!
What do you mean “all my life I want money and power” wasn’t written for the Bad Blood remix?
This is just so damned good, kid.
These echoey, synthy beats sound so dated in a good way. Kendrick is so energized. Just has something special, maybe it’s the nostalgia.
Those bass lines, though. I keep getting distracted by them. Great storytelling too.
butterfly
o Kendrick é realmente de outro mundo, não tem o que falar do cara, genial demais
goated kendrick
Kendrick’s best album, SAMIDOT is the best rap song of all time, great beat selection, and fantastic storytelling.
Viva kdot, que buen álbum dios mio
One of the greatest of all time!
10/10
This will go down as a legendary album in hip hop. It tells the story of a young Kendrick Lamar growing up in Compton and the struggles with it. The mix of storytelling and the ability for him to make trendy rap songs with mainstream appeal is what makes this truly special album. 9/10
I think it’s his best album
What makes a great rap album? I don't really know but I know that this is one of them. I do find it funny that Drake in on here I know that the beef started after this album but you know pretty funny.
Ooh, a Kendrick album. Never listened to one in full before so I’m quite excited. Actually, this is great! I always knew Kendrick was one of the great modern hip hop artists, but because I didn’t love the genre I never really checked him out. The first track, Sherane, was awesome! Its lyrics, its beat, it really surprised me. Going into Bitch, don’t kill my vibe, I thought it was an absolute bop! I thought his voice was slightly monotone at times but it didn’t take away from the track. I really liked the beat with Kendrick Freestyle. The clanking was funny to me, but the lyrics were fantastic. Referring to his scrotum in a freestyle is definitely a choice. The art of peer pressure again was just all around a good track. Beat, lyrics, everything. Money trees was so funny to me, cant have a hip hop album without talking about screwing someone else’s woman. Ah, this is also the track where that one Tik Tok sound is from. Poetic justice again had some great lyrics. “To right my wrongs I write them down” was a great lyric. Good kid was heartbreaking, and then mad city continued on with it, just more angry. Swimming pools was a vibe. Sing about me, I’m dying. Oh my god. That was brutal. It deserved every minute of those 12 minutes. Real was a great follow up. Compton was a lovely closer to this honestly fantastic album. 5/5 ⭐️ 148/1089
goat
One of my all-time favourite hip hop albums. Tells a gripping story while simultaneously being an intensely satisfying musical experience. "Swimming Pools", "Poetic Justice", "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe"... single after single, just amazing stuff. "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" is probably my favourite. It's incredible, the track is twelve minutes long, but whenever I listen to it feels like it's gone in a moment. Great tracks off the deluxe edition, like "The Recipe" and "Black Boy Fly". Got to see Kendrick tour this album at Pemberton Festival years ago. The energy was incredible.
Simply incredible, lyrics like reading a book.
Great beats, vocals, very interesting thought provoking and well constructed album, like a bit more now than when it came out
All bangers. New faves are backseat freestyle and maad city.
Genuinely one of my favorite albums. The storytelling is incredible, and depressing. Swimming pools being a drinking anthem in the early 10s is always wild to me considering it's a song about the dangers of alcoholism.
Ram Dass, a spiritual leader and adaptor or eastern mysticism (fka Harvard professor Richard Alpert), often preached about a psycho-spiritual technique he called "cultivating the witness". It's a method by which you attempt to "observe" your emotions and reactions to them, instead of just feeling them. By cultivating a witness, in theory you have a better ability to reflect on your situation at any given time. This may also lead to a quieter mind and, in turn, a newfound sense of clarity. On GKMC, Kendrick Lamar has cultivated a witness not just of his own self, but in the form of the voice of his mother over the phone. He uses this technique to such perfection, it allows him to vividly express every dynamic of his adolescence in Compton. "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" and "Backseat Freestyle" have a youthful, brash energy to them. Of all the highs and lows Kendrick went through in his youth, these songs are wonderful expressions of the high's, the volatility of said highs, and some of the self-recognized false-promises of the high life Kendrick is aspiring for / finding himself apart of. "The Art Of Peer Pressure" touches on the culture of gangbanging, with Kendrick acknowledging that this is something he doesn't really want to be apart of, but succumbs to the worst parts of a social situation he finds himself steeped in. "Poetic Justice" is the only song that isn't a timeless classic to my ears. Not because of the now-ironic Drake feature, but because of the prodduction on the beat just sounds very 2012. Kendrick is seen steeped in the hysteria and desperation of life in Compton on both "good kid" and "mAAd city". Friends dying to gun violence, the confusion on where he stands in such an unsafe space. "Swimming Pools" is a particularly good witness testimony to the use of alcohol and subsequent addiction that follows, all in response to a need to numb one's senses. "Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst" is my personal favorite here - a lengthy opus that's more introspective, reflective, and lyrically free-flowing. Kendrick speaks for his whole community on the second half of this song. His lamentations likened to a spiritual and emotional drought, the reason he believes is causing all this senseless violence and death around him. "What are we doing, who are we fooling?" he asks. Some eerie female vocals float behind him, elevating the sense of death and desperation he's feeling both externally and internally. Absolutely, tragically beautiful. The cultivation of a witness comes to a head on "Real", where Kendrick can be heard literally looking in the mirror and reflecting on what he sees and feels. Much of what he observes is a facade, someone who uses material items of cultural status/wealth to convince himself he's 'real'. Within this reflection is a recognition that all of these things are fleeting and ultimately unfulfilling. What's real is who you are and how you act. The father figure over the phone comes in to confirm this, saying "real is responsibility, real is god". A man is measured not by what he has, but by who he is. What's real is the love of those who surround you. The album closes in an inevitable fashion. Being the newly-crowned king of West Coast rap (look up the concert where this figuratively and literally happened), Kendrick joins forces with former Compton torch-barer Dr. Dre to pen a love letter to their city -- the good AND the mad. Such an insular, focused effort that comes to life over the course of an hour. The older I get, the more I hear Andre 3000's influence on Kendrick's wild-but-personable delivery. Kendrick Lamar is a generational talent who's pumped out multiple classics that are essential 21st century listening. This one of those works of art. 5/5
This album is on a whole other level, succeeds in many different ways. Outstanding as a concept album, apparently somewhat narrating the artist's own journey. Music hugely varied, mesmerising - works exceptionally well as hip hop on the non-obvious end of spectrum. Lyrics poetic and confronting. Delivery exciting for rap flow, filling out a dramatis personae. It's tough and bitter but uplifting rather than crushing. It's Astoundingly Wonderful, 11/10.
Early Kendrick is sending me into a high-school based war flashback. I can taste the house party jungle juice and smell the hookah smoke. BITCH DONT KILL MY VIIIIBBEEEEEEE 🤪 Basically just a masterclass in storytelling. Fav song: good kid & Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst
seeing the drake feature on this felt like finding the itchy tasty journal entry in a survival horror game favourite song: good kid
Best album yet favourite was money trees or good kid
Part of what makes Kendrick Lamar so compelling as a rapper, beyond his considerable wordplay skills and storytelling, is his range of inflection, able to sound alternately paranoid, tender, wisened and chastened, not merely braggadocious or tough. It’s rare in hip-hop. And while this is obviously not the first hip-hop album about (or set in) Compton, Kendrick treats his hometown with nuanced reverence, clear-eyed about its problems and dangers but also wistful for how it grounded him in family and faith (perhaps he was wise to keep Dr. Dre’s role limited to a single cameo). There’s also a dramatic arc to this album that makes it work as a concept and story. The songs get more soulful as the album goes on, and the whole thematic experience feels incredibly human.
great album, outside of my usual genres but I loved it
Good Kid, M.A.A.d City It's a masterpiece, a rhyming film that tells the story of Kendrick and where Overo Compton was born. It's a narrative that tells a coming-of-age story, but the icing on the cake is the production, a true masterpiece that ranges from jazz to trap, through funk and neo-soul.
What's this, a MODERN (ish) hip hop album showing up in this generator?! Or at least closest thing to modern I've seen so far, haha. Maybe they're all tucked away later, but there's a REAL disregard for modern hip hop I've seen in this generator so far, and I'm hoping that changes, especially for modern day classics like Good Kid MAAD City. To Pimp a Butterfly better be here!!
My personal favorite Kendrick album. It's such a tightly packaged story of his upbringing. The fact that this lost to Macklemore at the Grammys is absolutely heinous. This is one of the greatest rap albums of all time.
One of my favorite hip hop albums of all time. It’s an absolute stunner.
LFG
Obviously its a 10
I really like this so far I've only really listened to Kendrick's more recent and popular stuff I honestly can't catch all the words, like I am with every first listen ever, so I want to take this in at another point in life too. (Sherane) I think that Backstreet Freestyle isn't my vibe as much, loved Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe, and am really taking in the Art of Peer Pressure right now. This feels like an album that changes people I'm realizing that I haven't truly and fully listened to many albums in my life. good kid really got me. Oh my God. m.A.A.d. city I understand why the album's named after these two I remember liking Swimming Pools, but not truly listening (note to come back), and Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst, I was trying so hard to listen to, but there's so much there. I think it's my favorite song on the album. and I cried Damn. Just damn. Oh wow, Real Okay I feel like my brain is changing, even if just a little bit. I'm realizing how powerful it is to get into an artists head I like Compton too, but, again, it's just not as much something I'll prob come back to and listen in my free time, beat's awesome though (Bonus Tracks: Listening to all the bonus tracks this summer fs Really feeling it with them, it's uplifting me, and it's cool hearing him with all the different collaborators) Man, this album, It's just so fucking good. It's well done. And there's so much life and truth packed into it. I don't listen to enough music I'm realizing. I'm rating this art a 4.8 I can't listen to something the first time I listen as a 5.0, so much emotion gets layered on the more I listen, but this one is starting high. This is something I'm coming back to.
I'm def Team Kendrick (and Team Edward if you must know) and gotta give at least one of his albums a 5*. This one is chock-full of hits. Backstreet Freestyle is one of my all time favorite "nobody's home, let's turn the speakers up to 11 and enjoy some bass" songs. Drags a bit at the end but still lan amazing album. 4.25/5
I thought the song structures were really interesting, lyrics were great and the production was fantastic. there is just so many good things that could be said about this…5!!!
The first time I listened to this album, I thought it was really good! It had some good rhyme schemes and great beats. Then I watched a video explaining the story of this album and I understood it further. Now, I'm relistening to the album and I'm realising just how great this album is. The lyrics, the themes, the interwoven stories between the characters. Not to mention how catchy this album is because the beats are on point and Kendrick's rapping over them is just supreme. It may not be my favourite Kendrick album, but it's still so incredible. It would be a disservice to give it anything less than a 10/10. As an additional comment, Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst is a perfect song and I will be hearing no arguments otherwise.
BETTER THAN TPAB not really but sometimes
This is one of the best hip hop albums of all time, and debatably one of the best albums of all time. This is a must listen and is such a greatly cohesive album. I've come to appreciate it more and more over the years. How Kendrick Lamar tells a story of gang violence mixed with banger songs is beyond me. Best Songs: BDKMV, Backseat Freestyle, Money Trees, good kid, m.A.A.d city, Swimming Pools, SAMIDOT, Compton Worst Songs: NA
It was nice to revisit this album... I think what sets this apart is how introspective and honest it is. The way Kendrick tells the story of his childhood is so nuanced and gives so much perspective into his experience growing up in Compton. It also just sounds great, and I love the range of Kendrick's lyrics and delivery. Favorites: Backseat Freestyle, Poetic Justice, m.A.A.d city, Compton
It's funny he calls this a "a short film" because he does really remind me of Scorsese here. A nerdy, overachieving kid watching the gangsters from his doorstep, at once horrified and enticed by everything happening around him. And then making art that some people see as glorifying that lifestyle, but really are just ways to process their complicated feelings on the milieu of their upbringings. Anyway this is fantastic, and will probably always be my favorite of his. It just feels rawer than his other work in a way that I prefer, as good as TPaB is.
Fantastic album from one of the greatest artists of all time
un peu misogyne des fois
all i want in life is to find the one thing i was put on earth to do just like kendrick did
Ламара вже викупав після досить успішного Section 80 (який трохи недоціненний на фоні наступних двох-трьох альбомів). Пам'ятаю, що дуже сильно завалив від альбому, від сторітелінгу, відсилок до історії з іншого альбому, гостьових виходів MC Eiht та Jay Rock, біта Just Blaze на Compton. Хоч і TPAB кращий альбом Ламара, цей теж безсумнівний топ і вже класика.
I already listened to this album.
to come out swinging this hard on the debut and only to improve year after year.....daaaamn.
Haters will say it's fake.
Listened in the car and countless times since it came out. An incredible coming of age story on the streets of Compton told in three acts. Unmatched lyricism and flow, great guest spots (hearing that Drake spot in a post Not Like Us world is always a bit of whiplash), and incredible beats and production. It's a perfect album and I'd give it 10 stars if I could. And yet it's not even Kendrick's best album.
Knew this was getting 5 stars from the go. The single most snubbed album of all time at the Grammies, and probably my favourite Kendrick project? Though we will see how I feel about that when we hit TPAB. Banger after banger after banger. I've thought "oh I should highlight this track in my review" for quite literally every song.
Kendrick is king
um álbum q moldou o futuro da indústria e dá pra ver pq, storytelling impecável, tem um peso cultural enorme, e rap BOM, parabéns kendrick tu é artista
excellent album. one of my personal favourites. so many bangers
My First hip hop album that i fully listened btw i gotta say its Genius one listen for now so its not final opinion but no skip not a single pause just some minor moments that Werent perfect but no album can achieve that the whole concept behind the album bits where almost perfect lyrics really hitting hard this album is not only for vibing but for experiencing once again or for the First time the beauty and pain of growing up going with bad groups and realizing your mistakes
Our American Dickensian hero, equal parts *Oliver Twist* (street urchin of diminished noble parentage), *Great Expectations* (inheritor of the gift and burden of being West Coast rap's Next Big Thing), and *A Christmas Carol* (sinner who mends his ways after being shown visions of what his life will be if he doesn't). Lamar begins with the Sinner's Prayer and proceeds to show us why it was necessary in the first place, running through the sins of lust ("Sherane"), sloth ("Backseat Freestyle"), greed ("Money Trees," which borrows story beats from Oliver, Fagin, and the Artful Dodger), gluttony ("Swimming Pools (Drank)"). At a critical moment ("Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst") he rejects wrath - and then, on the positively sentimental "Real," he asks his beloved, "What love got to do with it when you don't love yourself" - Pip realizing that he isn't the problem, Estella is. By the time Dre officially hands him the baton on "Compton" it's clear we're in the presence of an essential literary voice. And the raps are fucking glorious, because of course they are.
Back to back Kendrick and back to back 5/5. Might like this more than TPAB at the moment. Fav tracks: Backseat Freestyle, The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees, Poetic Justice, Mad City, Swimming Pools, Sing About Me, Black Boy Fly. RYM: Y (#6) Saved a song: Y
Bagus bat jir
God Kendrick
Oh god! This is 5!!!! Maybe the best album ever? When I say that I mean an album that works both as a whole - is composed as an album- and still pulls off “hits” - songs that can stand alone and people love. But when you put those hits into the context of the album as a whole, they’re meaning changes, and perhaps they’re popularity is almost a conscious commentary on society. I know most that would agree think TPAB is better. And maybe it is. But this was the album that broke Kendrick open for me. It has compositional elements like What’s Going On- which probably IS the best album ever. I listen to this regularly. It honestly took me time to get into Kendrick, but now… I know he’s the 🐐 So glad to listen to it again. Boolean rating? Yes!!! Oh yes I needed to hear this before I died. So glad I can hear it many times before I go…
God I love this album. My first five star!
SÅ fik vi endnu en masterpiece, BUM. Moderne tids ubestridte konge af konceptalbum fyldt med ørelir, der også virker på egen hånd. MED DET SAGT, så er første 2/3 bedre end sidste 1/3 som enkeltstående sange, men som samlet værk er havner vi stadig helt i top. 4.8-ish
Det her behøver nok ikke ret mange ord. I min optik Kendricks magnum opus. Highlights: - Jay Rocks vers er et af de bedste vers of all time - Drake er ikke ulidelig - Alle sange slapper 4.99
First couple of songs were good, the rest of it was okay, there were a lot of familiar songs. I liked m.A.A.d city a lot, solid 8.5/10
Think this might be the first album here I've listened to most of the songs before lol, but now I had the chance to actually listen to it in full and appreciate the lyrics and production more. I love this album. The tracks were very well written and the melodies are so memorable and it really captures that film aesthetic. I loved every song from this album but Backseat Freestyle and Compton are my standouts. Great album in Kendrick Lamar's discography. 9.4/10.
10/10
Je l’ai en vinyle ✌️
Kendrick Lamar was at his best in this album storytelling and lyrics everything was a 10
Whilst I think I prefer To Pimp a Butterfly, this is still a great album. Storytelling is something which I really enjoy in all music and this album does it particularly well.
I have heard this album quite a few times before, but it's one I've been meaning to revisit recently. Sherane AKA Master Splinter's Daughter: a haunting start to the album that lets you see into what happens when you meet the right girl at maybe the wrong time. The ending speech about dominoes makes me so happy every time I hear it. Bitch, don't kill my vibe: who isn't a sinner, and who won't sin again? This was probably the first Kendrick song I remember hearing in my life. It really sparked my love for him; being able to be this serious and yet control the vibe of the song to be upbeat and interesting to hear is a skill that was not expected of Kendrick at the time of this album's release Backseat freestyle: what has not been said about this song yet, it's catchy and strong and makes you feel the dichotomy between the Kendrick that loves Master Splinter's daughter and the Kendrick who is alone with himself, which plays into the next song The art of peer pressure really showcases Kenrick's storytelling power. The homies that are making Kenrick ruin his life, but protect him. he is not unfamiliar with the gangbangers, but he doesn't want to be a participant in the actions of the gangs. It is hard not to be in the middle of the issues, though. The leaving-the-house scene is visceral, and you can feel the tension in the car as they make lefts and rights. Money trees: one of my favorites on the album and fav rap tracks in general, the hook and chorus are instantly recognizable, and the bring back of the domino plot is great Poetic Justice: Back when Drake made a good feature and wasn't embarrassing, both rappers on this song were heroes of the time, and the fact that Kendrick was able to get a 2012 Drake on his second album is impressive to me. I would kill to have been in a frat when this album came out, but specifically, this song and "Money Trees" make me feel the most jealous. Good Kid: the story of a kid who wants to be good but is trapped in the circumstances he is surrounded by. MAAD CITY: I lied, this is the one I want to hear in a Big 10 frat basement the most I lost track of what song I was on, so I'll stop my song-by-song list there, but this album is full of so much love and heart that the first time I heard it in its entirety, I cried. to sing only about things youu claim have happened and have this be the story told is incredible from a song perspective; each track brings you deeper into the story, like chapters of the great American novel
Encore un no skip. Je découvre Good Kid et je plonge dans swimming pool. J’adore money trees. Jaime les changements de style sur les beat, parfois très hérités de la culture sample parfois pas du tout avec de grosses basses. En parlant de basse celle de Good kid justement est formidable dans un tout autre style.
I am not really into modern rap but Kendrick is definitely different
I really like that Kendrick made it look like a movie in a way that it represents different periods in his life. The songs were made to mean exactly that, 'cause they represent, alongside the lyrics, the emotions and the story that's been told. So the music adjust to match and maintain the vibe of the story. Looking this album as a whole makes it successful, and looking into each song shows the attention they put to detail. Great album.
Endlich mal ein geiles Album. Total mein Vibe!! Kannte einiges davon schon. Aber cool auch mal so das ganze Album durchzuhören. Bitte mehr davon!
Still as good as when I first heard it at its release. Narrative, beat, production all excellent
listen, i was 15 when this came out. it is therefore just genuinely impossible to overstate this record's impact, prevalence, quality. i think it's perhaps my first real-time encounter with a masterpiece, a feeling i chased for years, staying up on a school night for a first listen i was anticipating, wanting to react along with the internet to the emergence of something new and exciting. i wasn't early to this record - i think it took til end-of-year lists for 2012 came out for me to really engage with it - but when i did, it was breathless, comprehensive, filling up my ears and eyes and mind. 13 years later.......fuck, man, it's just as good. it is genuinely That Good. the most obvious analogue for Kendrick Lamar on this album might be a short story writer, but i think he moves more like a film director here - everything hangs together, true concept-album style, but he's so exacting about his framing, the voices he harnesses, the amount of a scene he needs to give the listener before he's out towards somewhere else. the use of perspective here is just insanely ambitious - the way the journey to see Sherane from the first track is recontextualized, quickly, casually later on, or how Backseat Freestyle becomes an entirely more self-conscious song with its little spoken word intro. i think, at 15, i was conscious of my status as a pretty casual hip-hop fan, as a young person, as someone maybe somewhat easily impressed. i think i wasn't entirely confident that this record was as good as it seemed. more than a decade on, with this album calling to me more often than many of my other most cherished records from that part of my life, i think my rapt, hanging-on-every-word first listen was just a fair reaction to a record that's fuller, more purposeful, more confident than most anyone's musical output. the mass anointing of Kendrick as a star is perhaps the most confident i've ever felt re: contemporary mainstream culture, and GKMC stands as an example of something very sophisticated and well-crafted wearing mainstream clothes becoming ubiquitous through sheer undeniability. towering 21st century masterpiece that, despite how foreign its content might be to me, feels deeply entwined with my adolescence and young adulthood. love love love
this is so damn great. It took me way too long to get into Kendrick but i'm having so much fun exploring the albums.
Damn
Really good, really can replay every song, amazing story telling
Our modern west coast rap, will be looking upon in 20 years as continued greatness.
Favorite Kendrick's album
Back to happier times for Kendrick and Drake. 💔 This is basically a movie. Kendrick refers to it as "a short film" on the cover, but there's enough here for a feature-length. It's dense and non-linear, the kind of album that benefits from headphones and repeat listens to digest it all. "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe," "The Art of Peer Pressure," "Money Trees," "m.A.A.d city," and "Swimming Pools" are particularly great, though there isn't a dud on here. And the phone call interstitials actually serve the story instead of dragging it out. I need to return to this more often.
One of the greatest hip hop albums of the last 2 decades for sure. Fascinating lyrically, flows nice and a lot of memorable moments. 4.5 on RYm, probably 5 stars here
Best Song: Money Trees Least Best Song: Compton
Love Kendrick. I've listened to this album quite a bit over the years.
Good
5/5. TPAB clears tho
Yay glad to relisten, and it totally holds up even though I'm not listening to too much rap at the moment... There's a mix or club trap stuff, and loads of introverted stuff, which I think he is brilliant at both, and I think is his strongest strength, to make really thought-provoking and introspective stuff and make it catchy. The storyline is also really great, and I think its partially a biography, but also about what he feared he could have become if he didn't pick up rapping. Also the way that the story recontextualises some of the songs for example backseat freestyle in a vacuum is a bombastic and egotistic song which you might take at face value and think he's actually bragging about that stuff (which maybe he is to some degree), but the added context that its his younger self freestyling in his friend's car. The beats are great as well, and although some of them feel certainly of an era, they are quite unique, and fit the rapping very well, as quite a lot of them are partially 90s inspired, like the second half of maad city. features are great as well, even the Drake one is fine, but all the features on money trees, and dr dre on compton are all brilliant. I think maybe in terms of density, sing about me I'm dying of thirst is probably his best song, and I love the beats. I feel like this is his second best album after TBAP (not an unpopular take I know), but this has some of his best songs, which are also a bit more 'accessible' than some on TBAP (accessible at least compared to other rap at this time). Favourite songs: all. Overall around 9/10
Damn, with this right after Led Zeppelin II, I think I’m on a roll! Now, full disclosure, I’m a late millennial, and a high-schooler when this came out, so this record was basically inescapable in when it released; everyone I knew was bumping “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”, “Backseat Freestyle”, “Swimming Pools”, “m.A.A.d. City”, “Poetic Justice” and “Money Trees”. From the popular kids, to the hipsters and hip-hop nerds, to the radio. Can’t blame them for all but one of them (coughcough “Poetic Justice” coughcough), those are great pop-rap songs that still make space for some very clever writing for Kendrick. But for me, the deeper cuts really stand out to me. The cinematic detail of “The Art of Peer Pressure”, the sheer emotion of “good kid”, the earnest beauty of “Real”… and don’t even get me started on “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of First”, words just don’t do that song justice! There’s times where I feel that this is better than TPAB. I’d say today’s one of them.
Kendrick have a DREEEAAAMM
Masterpiece!
Depending on the day and my reasoning its anything from a 4-5. I think Money Trees playing while I write this convinced me to give it the final bump.
Cannot BELIEVE I pulled both Kendrick albums back to back on this thing. What are the odds???? I think TPAB is better, but that's not to diminish the quality of this album. TPAB is a statement, but this one has all the hits (and does a great job of telling a story in its' own right). Sing About Me is the best song Kendrick has ever made and one of the best rap songs of all time. Gotta give this one a 5 too, right?
A1
5 Incredible. Been a long time since I listened the whole way through and forgot how it all connects so well with the story throughout
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Closed Artwork: 👤/🚗 Production: 😌🩺𝄢 Music: 📖🧭🏚️ Rating: 🗼🗼🗼🗼(🗼)/5
It's Kendrick.
Dug this. I could listen to it on repeat a few times. Good beats and flows, all with variety of delivery and voices. Nothing was mumble wrap. Solid work
Exceptional
A personal favorite and a true masterpiece. Not much to say beyond great storytelling and lyricism that all perfectly flows together.
A film in an album’s clothing
Listened to this a billion times so just gonna say FIVE
Incredible album. One of the best hip hop albums
One of the best rap albums ever made. If this doesn’t get 5 stars what will
Fuckin classsiccc. An auditory movie.
I haven’t listened to an entire rap album that was made post 2000. I don’t think I would attempt it with another artist just to give grounding of my disdain for this “new” generation of rap. My only complaint with this album was that it wasn’t longer. Songs were great, lyrics incredible, track numbering impeccable. Easy 5.
ik a lotta songs on this but never put them together as being on one great album
I’ll never get over listening to this. One of the best albums of the 21st century.
Excellent. I hope to hear more rap albums in the mix
Very personal with Kendrick. Engaging beat and rich.
Really great album I haven't listened to in too long
this is probably blasphemy but sometimes Kendrick's flow on here sounds like Gmcfosho half the time on Money Trees I just hear imdabes
YESSSSSSS
Classic love it
Damn. I'm not a big fan of Rap but this album is an absolute exception. The production is meticulous and creative, the songwriting is varied and inspired, and the mixing is delicious. The first few songs have a minimalist arrangement that leave a lot of room for a few well placed production ideas to shine, which I really love, but the album doesn't lean into the minimalist approach, the songs grow in complexity as the album progresses. Love this approach. Further, the album is a concept album with storytelling. I gotta be honest that I didn't really follow the lyrics too closely but the album title&art and what I've read from other commenters filled the blanks: It's not just an albu in the sense that it's a bunch of songs, it's storytelling. In short, let's see if I can get over my newfound mancrush on Kendrick so that further albums I review don't suffer by comparison.
Modern day masterpiece
His best. All-time hip hop classic for suuuure. 9/10
One of my fave albums - love Poetic Justice, Money Trees
De los mejores álbumes de rap que escuche
Is Kendrick the best rapper to come out of Compton since N.W.A Crew? I think so and its not even close. I remember my Dad talking about Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and how he couldn't wait to hear their newest album because it changed the game for rap music. Kendrick is the successor to them and this album is a testament to that.
É certamente uma vibe. Cumpre o objetivo de contar uma história e fazer uma introdução ao estilo para quem não conhece. Muito tasteful
Maybe my favorite Kendrick album. A cinematic modern rap classic. 5/5.
Zero skips. 10/5.
Absolute banger!
The production, rhythm and lyricism are all fantastic. A breakthrough album from an amazing artist.
one of THE contemporary hip hop albums. the diversity of sound, the depth, the involvement, all of it on such an unbelievably great level. TPAB is a bit better for me, but this one was one of my fav hip hop albums for quite some time and it’s impossible to underestimate its impact on me and on the whole hip hop discourse of the early 2010s
good shit
next time i want to feel something je vais aller lire les reviews du monde qui donnent UNE étoile à l’album saying it’s "stupid" or "offensive". unable to enjoy a song without a two minute guitar solo and a long haired white dude reminding us of how much he loves to fuck teenagers, gramps? chansons préférées : m.A.A.d city ; Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst ; Money Trees mentions honorables : Ariane qui rejoint notre groupe vraiment awesome (je m’excuse j’ai l’air méchante dans mon review but i’m actually so niceys) ; la mère à Kendrick qui a l’air au bout de sa vie dès la première toune ; les 4 dernières minutes de SAMIDOT ; the m.A.A.d city beat switch
One if the best modern rap albums
An absolute fave of mine from the beginning. I like the way Kendrick raps, the song structures, the way it was produced, the story…I like everything about it.
Kendrick really knows how to tell stories. Love the contrast between the chill beats, the realities of growing up in Compton, and the religious motifs. Super immersive too! (4.5-5)
Episkt album. Tillagt i min lista.
Poetic and beautiful storytelling. Production is also amazing and I loved every element that when into creating this work of art. From well-written verses to compelling structure there really aren't much flaws in this album. 10/10, Favorite Song: Real
Arguably the greatest rap album ever I'd say.
Perhaps his best album. Definitely an all-time fave of mine. KL is the GOAT.
Finally, an album that I've always loved. This is the best rap concept album ever. Kendrick is an once in a generation talent. 10/10, I will definitely copy this review when To Pimp A Butterfly eventually pops up.
Uno de los grandes albumes de la década pasada.
Este album tiene "sing about me I'm dying of thirst" ergo es una obra maestra. Nada mas que agregar.
Never quite got Rap/hip hop. Middle class white boy, so probably not surprising. Listening to this album objectively, this is a pretty impressive piece of work. It's a concept album, a biography, a piece of social commentary. It would be easy to dismiss it as a homage to gang lifestyle, but this is not that simple. Listen to the lyrics. Amazing! Exactly why I'm doing this excercise. To be open to styles of music I don't know, but have likely been missing out on.
A narrative runs through Good Kid, m.A.A.d city in the form of connective skits, and while the overarching story isn't particularly complex (you can imagine it as an afterschool special, although Maya Angelou saving all the gang bangers with prayer might seem a little far-fetched even for that) each moment has a song that contains it's own complex back story, that is both literal and suggestive of the external pressures surrounding our protagonist, illustrating how he got here. (Also, learning that Kendrick's parents on the album were voice by his actual parents tickled me, those recording sessions must have been a lot of fun.) Kendrick's character runs the gamut of emotions, encapsulated perfectly in lyrics, delivery and background music. The production on this album is stunning, not just from the standpoint of casual listening, but in the variety of soundscapes that all come together. In many ways, it feels like a musical, with a narrative cohesion that makes it particularly compelling as a single listen. There are many concept albums, or albums that push a single story across multiple tracks, but nothing that I can think of that works quite as well as this does.
Fine album.
AK, AR, aye y’all, *quack*
Peak
As always, a 12 min medley is a bad idea (Sing about me), but am willing to overlook. A few great songs, just that 1 unplayable and threads needle between cohesive vibe without being super repetitive sonically
BOOMMMM SHAKALAKA
Mis lieblings kendrick album, eifach nur peak🤩.
Selbsterchlärend
GOATED 5
5/5
Omg
This album came out when I was a junior in High school - I think at about the right time I might have been having an identity crisis of the same manner. While I think TPAB was Kendrick's magnum opus, this was his first real masterpiece. It's a perfect balance of club banger and 'thoughtful' rap that mixes anger, fear, humor and introspection in a way that TPAB didn't. I think this one of the modern pillars of west-coast rap, one of the greatest hip hop albums of the last 20 years, and one of the top 3 albums of all time for me. Everyone should give this album a listen.
a masterpiece
Classic rap album