Reviews (page 9 of 14)
good kid, long album. Not my vibe.
There are good moments on this but not enough of them. Generous 3.
Enjoyed this a lot more that To Pimp A Butterfly. High 3*
el missatge al final del primer tema....DIOS... i com va a la segona JAJAJAJA invested en la història dels missatges de veu està molt ben construït, realment el que és seguir un fil argumental... brutal. ara entenc lo de "a short film by kendrick lamar" estic segura de que la lletra és ofensiva, honestament, no me'n havia adonat. home aquí no hi ha gaire excusa, és 2012...
K-dot is my favorite current hip-hop guy, and I love the blend of politically and morally complex lyrics with some incredibly catchy beats. This is a good debut, but not my favorite of his.
Not really my thing but I get why it’s highly praised
Rap not really my thing. Certainly not gangsta rap. But this albums got a decent sound to it. Wonder how it would feel with different lyrics. Most of the stuff on this album sounds like the wild fantasies of a teenage boy. This will be a once and done album.
Incredible
This is really good you bish
HITS ON HITS ON HITS… I have previously listened to this album many many times but have loved it the more I’ve listened to it. I used to hate the song Real w Anna Wise but after relistening to it I’ve realized it’s a great song and there are zero skips on this album. Might be the greatest album of all time and It’s a 1,000,000/5 on the rating scale.
One of the best rap albums of the 21st century
Fuck this is a pretty dope album. I dont love all of it as aux shit but it has some mf bangers. Poetic justice ive been sleeping on, bitch dont kill my vibe, money trees, maad city, those are the car bangers. Its still a fjcking masterpiece
Peak
Knew the hits but had never listened to the album from end to end. Loved the back half of Dying of Thirst and Money Trees is a perennial favorite. Sets up To Pimp a Butterfly in big ways
This wasn't completely for me, and that's fine. I hadn't really heard anything from Kendrick other than 'Humble' and 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' so this was interesting. I saved about half the songs to my library. Usually because of a combination of samples and production. The lyrics weren't always...an easy listen, I'll admit that. I'm not sure if this is THE most accessible rap album ever made, but it's worth a try, just once.
enjoyed more than I expected incredible storytelling and blend of sounds two title tracks were possibly my favourites
Great!
Certified hood classic. One of my favourite albums. Less than To Pimp a Butterfly, but before that, I was obsessed with this album. I love the concept of a kid (a good kid) growing up in Compton (maad city) and being pressured into gang activity but then finding God after one of his friends gets shot from a rival gang. I think the story telling throughout the album is incredible and it paints a vivid picture to the listener. Some of my favourites is The Art of Peer Pressure and Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst. To me, this is one of, if not the best concept album I've heard. What I love about Kendrick is his ability to be able to pull an entire album together and be able to not just produce "party singles" like most hip-hop artists.
This album is really good with very good beats, production, and amazing storytelling and lyrics. The whole story was deep and I even got a little emotional on Real. It was very good at telling a story while also having bops. Fav song was probably money trees. Right now it’s a 9 but I can see it get better with more listens.
2 out of 5. This hits a little more than To Pimp a Butterfly.
Excellent album, I have never heard the whole thing but have listened to the hits. He is one of the best ever in my opinion, very nice flow and excellent lyrics. Great beats, all around outstanding. I'm sure I will be listening to this many more times.
I am aware of Kendrick but I have never really listened to his work previously. I really enjoyed the production/ beats and general pacing. His delivery is clean and precise. There's a depth to it that I am sure rewards repeated listening. My only beef is the lyrical content is a bit fruity at times and I'm not sure I'm fully buying the he's a character/ its a story angle. A naughty word is a naughty word.
8.30
it's good
Kendrick Lamar isn’t my regular cup of tea, but I have to give it up for Good Kid in M.A.A.D. City. It is a towering classic. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-good-kid-maad-city-by?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
I think it is good. Just not my jam.
Not so much. 2
VERY solid album with a few bangers, will probably listen to it every once in a while.
it’s just so so good. and even so much more foundational than I originally had in mind after hearing GNX
Love one of your bucked-headed hoes? No way. Love this album? Yes way.
I liked the beats and background better than his voice. Idk there’s just something missing from the melodies for me? Like it’s almost there but missing a spark to be good for me? Hm. It sounds like there’s some poetry to it, which is nice. I wanted to like it. Ok I like money trees ok but it still feels like it’s missing something. I’m updating this as I listen. MAAD city has great beats and I know it’s deep but… his voice takes me out of it my dudes. But also I don’t specifically hate his voice, it just doesn’t go together for me. I like MC Eiht’s voice tho.
Hip hop with social commentary on inner city living, the culture, gang hostility, violence, peer pressure, drugs, sex, individual fears and vulnerability. I don't mind gritty realism but I didn't get any pleasure listening to it. But I'm not exactly the target demographic anyway. Also hasn't this concept been explored enough already?
Mumble rap takes centre stage and with that obtuse moralising.
Couldn't find much to enjoy here.
Really good flow and production, but dubious content.
Just another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex After heavily disliking "To Pimp A Butterfly", much to the shock of one of my mates, I said I'd give Kendrick Lamar another try. The first half of the album felt like "Blah, blah, bitches, bitches. Where my motherfuckin' dominoes at?" Urgh! The second half got better, but still felt mostly drug-fuelled gangster cliche tosh. I tried, but nope!
goated album from goated rap man, not much more to say other than that. Top 3 Favorites: Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe, Poetic Justice, and Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst No bad songs 4.75/5
In the words of Andy Townsend - \"not for me Clive\". It sounded like someone with ADHD just saying random sentences as quickly as possible, while his mates messed about with a drum machine and a Casio keyboard. I am a big fan of rap\hip-hop, albeit I am in my 50's so I'm probably much more 'old school' than most, but this album did nothing for me. Maybe I need to give it a few listens to appreciate it, but I needed a tiny spark from the first listen to do that, and I got nothing. It's 2 stars for me.
Wow, I’m surprised at how uninspired and dull this hip-hop album is. It actually takes a certain kind of effort to miss the mark this badly. Definitely one of the worst albums I’ve heard in a while.
While some of the tracks are way too long for my admittedly limited attention span, I was surprised to find I liked this record a lot. I don’t even like rap. Aside from the rich storytelling and depictions of street life, I like the cadence and flow and music.
Not sure how to rate this. I can hear the skill but I don't see listening to it again.
I don't get it. This is popular enough to be the superbowl halftime show act? Baffling. I didn't like the first album we had to listen to by him, and I like this one less. It's just so boring. The last song on the album (Compton with Dr. Dre) had a little bit of life to it, but I had already made up my mind that I hated this album by then.
I listen to albums for the music, so rap is not my bag, baby. Most of the album is people talking or reciting poetry. The lyrics may reflect the artist’s background, and there’s a lot of violence. What music there is is very basic and repetitive.
The double album killed me due to time demands. Listed to most of, and will finish later. Found it very interesting!
Yes!! Yes!! I already know this one. Takes me back to 2012, which was a great year for me. When this came out, 106 & Park was still a thing (but not TRL or the Rock Countdown or the VH1 countdown). Anyhoo, I've still got it in the rotation. Highlights: I mean, Kendrick's got flow. It's undeniable. Almost all of these tracks are great, especially 'Backseat Freestyle', 'Money Trees', 'good kid' (the line "from a function that tooken place"!), 'Swimming Pools' Lowlights: 'Compton', the Jay-Z version of 'Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe', and, as you might expect from the genre, there's a lot of slurs* on this album, which is why I can't give it a 5. Imagine a (good) slur-free rap. I wonder if you can ;__; *For the pragmatics fans out there, I admit I'm using "slurs" a little imprecisely -- this album really only contains the b-word (which many (IMO incorrect) scholars say is not a slur) and the r-less n-word (which I agree is not really a slur (see Smith 2019), buut I still don't like hearing it as a white). So as these things go, it could be way worse.
This is such a difficult rating. I think it’s a 4 but I’m leaning 5. I wish 4.5 existed
My first experience of Kendrick Lamar and I will be back for more - an aging rocker did not know what he was missing - top stuff
Intense, obviously lyrically supremely sophisticated Storytelling 1000 D Hip Hop misogynie chani persönlich ned eif uusblende
Sehr geil, aber ich weiss nicht, wie ich mit den Lyrics umgehen soll..
Didn't like it
Did somebody say dominos
I think this is a perfect album and very clearly written by someone with an Eiffel Tower-sized dick.
Reminded again that I don’t really like skits on albums.
мне очень понравился саунд и сторителлинг, отдаленно похоже на горгород :):)
Banger
Belle découverte. C'est typiquement pas le genre d'album que j'écouterais par moi même, même si j'en avais pas mal entendu parler, et j'ai été agréablement surpris au cours de l'écoute. Maintenant, c'était un peu "ça passe ou ça casse" en terme de chansons. J'ai réussi à rentrer dans l'ambiance pour la plupart, mais certaines (Bith don't kill my vibe, m.A.A.d city) m'ont totalement sorti de l'ambiance. Clairement un album dont la note pourrait augmenter si je le réécoutais avec les paroles sous les yeux, ça s'entend que le texte est super bien pensé mais c'est impossible d'en voir toutes les subtilités en une écoute. Donc c'est un 3 pour l'instant, mais qui pourrait assez facilement se transformer en 4.
Non
Un album assez difficile à juger dans son ensemble tant selon les différents titres mon avis change du tout au tout. Beaucoup d'entre eux ne me plaisent absolument pas, au point que j'ai eu du mal a écouter l'album en entier et a lutter contre mon envie de skip certaine des musiques. Et puis, il y a "The Art of Peer Pressure", ce titre a lui seul redore l'image que j'ai de l'album. Quelques chose en plus de singulier, d'indescriptible, d'adictif. Au global, un album qui le laisse une impression mitigée. De trop nombreuses musiques comme "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" auxquels je n'ai absolument pas pu accrocher pour seulement quelques musiques avec une vibe pas désagréable et une seule vraiment au dessus du lot. Ce sera donc une note de 2,5
Pour être honnête, je ne suis pas un gros amateur de rap (j'apprécie énormément certains artistes/albums, mais c'est juste pas une musique qui fait partie de mon quotidien), mais cette écoute était agréable. Quelques titres vraiment sympas, d'autres moins (trop pop?) La dernière fois que j'ai écouté un album de Kendrick j'ai eu le même plaisir global. Il faudrait sans doute que j'écoute davantage !
I like some of the bass lines but otherwise I cannot relate to this. I find many of the lyrics offensive and the skits lame. Not for me.
Wow! Eso fue todo un viaje. Lo que más puedo destacar de este álbum es la cinematografía y la historia que transcurre a lo largo de él. Una de las cosas de las que me puedo quejar es que sónicamente no me pareció nada muy interesante en general, tanto que de ser por mi la mayoría de canciones serían un 5, nada que me disguste, nada que me guste. Eso sí, la letra y la historia se llevan todo el crédito, aunque desde mi perspectiva no estoy de acuerdo en la construcción de ciertos conceptos, tampoco me opongo y me parece una muy buena historia con un mensaje muy interesante y realmente te hace reflexionar. Esas grabaciones al lo largo de todo el álbum son excelentes, un poco en partes lo que me hacía querer seguir queriendo escucharlo, ver como continuaba la historia y como concluía. No me decepciono. También tengo cosas que no me gustaron, como las letras de algunas canciones, aunque las puedo aceptar dentro del contexto de la historia del álbum, y no se realmente cual fue la utilidad de toda esa parte de flashback al principio del álbum, creo que sin la mayoría de todo esto, desde “Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe” hasta “Poetic Justice” hubiese sido un álbum mas redondo, y me hubiese gustado mas, tal vez. Total (de la suma de canciones) del álbum: 71 Total real: 90 4,5 estrellas
I can see the appeal, but so much of this dragged on and on long after it was interesting. I got bored with about half of it
Probably his masterpiece ngl
Such a great album
This is the first album that has genuinely surprised me. I was so sure I wouldn't like it given I'm not usually into rap, and have listened to the odd Kendrick song before and not enjoyed them. Standout tracks were - MoneyTrees and Swimming Pools (Drank).
Henry has had me appreciating Kendrick for a few years. Though this album lacks any ‘hits’ for me, it’s solid and sets him up for his imminent genius period.
I think this album is excellent. When I first heard it I just listened to it as a straight album but on subsequent listening realized that the songs were loosely connected and my appreciation grew. Don’t know how Kendrick has the ability to write meaningful, personal songs that still sound fresh and fresh exciting. This is the album that propelled him to superstardom and for good reason.
Nope.
My kids were all up in my grill about not giving five stars to To Pimp a Butterfly. But now I’m even more glad I didn’t because this album is a much better listen! All the stars!
Even if I’m not gonna listen to this a lot, it has to be a 5. The storytelling, production, artistry are all second to none.
please don't kill my wife
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.
Hypnotising
I wanted to like this. I really tried. I must be missing the gangsta hiphop gene.
mid tbh
That was not the best.
Overall, Kendrick's best album.
I half-enjoyed this as a story of drugs and guns and violence, but I struggle to relate to those themes, and I found it a bit repetitive after a while.
Better in second half
This made me sad. Respect for the conceptual thrust. Very intense, and (for my middle-class white ass) pretty rough. I see why people are praising Kendrick Lamar. Interesting.
No me gusta este género, absolutamente
I can’t with this
If you want falsetto proto-metal
This was satisfactory at best. "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe."
This album is not my thing. Some of the music and beats are good, but i can do without the rapping and conversational vignettes at the end of seemingly every song.
The jazzy instrumentation is cool and influential for 2010s hip hop. Not a fan of his lyrics though
I mean, come on. Great storytelling of Kendrick’s life, what’s not to love here. Top 10 best rap album of all time and this isn’t even the guys best.
Meh
I find it hard to get into this genre, probably because I never got much exposure to it. That being said, I liked this and in particular, the song "Good Kid".
This is not his best but i enjoy this one the most
well yes!
This was already one of the best rap albums ever made in my book, so it was no surprise this gets the full 5* with ease. This is storytelling at it’s best with bangers and more introspective tracks fitting seamlessy together. My personal favourite Kendrick record.
After all the talk about how genius these KL albums are I was so disappointed. Everything about it felt very generic. 2.5/5
This is definitely not my style of music / rap. But it wasn’t as bad as I’ve been lead to believe. A few songs I almost liked. 2.75
First listen through. Solid outing.
Very solid
A musically impressive album with fantastic storytelling that runs through the whole release.
Ok, so this was the album ive been waiting for. I like hip hop but never found a way into kendrick. I found him a bit dense and lacking in hooks. Today i was visiting a city and put this on my headphones and walked around. The lyrics shone through, the beats were good and save for an obsession with his penis i thought that was great. Maybe i'll work through his back catalogue.
LP
Not my usual genre of music to listen to. Found it quite hard going at the start but as the album progressed found my self enjoying certain aspects of it. Out of choice would probably not listen to it again though but that’s just cause it’s not for me really.
I did not love this album but I listened to the whole thing and did not have any urges to skip songs or turn it off. There are other artists in this genre that I really enjoy. This was not one of them.
needs no introduction
Vette teksten, goede beats, maar net iets te weinig echte knallers
Kendrick Lamar es, sin duda, el artista de su generación. Este disco o cualquier otro (To Pimp a butterfly o Damm.) son de obligatoria escucha. Otros discos de 2012: TAME IMPALA "Lonerism", DJANGO DJANGO “Django Django”, The XX "Coexist", BEACH HOUSE "Bloom", CHROMATICS "Kill for love", THE SHINS “Port Of Morrow”, FRANK OCEAN "Channel Orange", DIIV "Oshin", ALABAMA SHAKES “Boys And Girls”, JACK WHITE “Blunderbuss”, SWANS “The Seer”, Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! de Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Lambchop con Mr M, Anastasis de Dead Can Dance, A Wasteland Companion de M Ward, Born to Die de Lana del Rey, Spriritualized con Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Burial Kindred EP, Los Punsetes Una Montaña es una Montaña, Sigur Rós Valtari, The Raveonettes – Observator, Un Dígito Binario Dudoso. Recital Para Alan Turing de Hidrogenesse
A great record - maybe to me not as good as 'To Pimp A Butterfly' - but it's definitely among the best out there.
el mejor de K dot
Master fuckin piece
Nunca decepciona el muchacho Lamar
good kid, m.A.A.d city is a really good album, that much is clear, I just feel conflicted about it in places because I feel like I'm supposed to like it more than I do, and the reasons I don't like it enough to give it a 5/5 are really just stylistic choices. His flow, lyrical composition, storytelling and vocabulary is undeniably top-tier, and there are some absolute bangers on here, but where Kendrick loses me is a mix of a) his voice, b) some of the songs having a 'silly' quality and b) a lot of the chorus-type hooks are just him repeating the same line over and over. I've said before that my preference for hip-hop and rap sound is for a darker, grittier sound, so the run of good kid through to the end (except for Real, which is crap, and the 'Promise that you will sing about me' lines in Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst are a good example of the silly sound I dislike) is outstanding (so is The Art Of Peer Pressure), but a lot of the early tracks just don't resonate with me in the same way. There's also a weird thing where there are almost two songs in one in a lot of places and, while I'm sure that's an intentional decision, it feels a bit jarring to me. On balance it's a 4/5 because it's all good, it's just not all really good or entirely to my preferences, whereas something like The Blueprint absolutely was a few weeks back, that was one of the best albums we've had on this list regardless of genre, like top 5, and I don't think this is quite as good by comparison.
This is really good. Hadn't really listened to any of his stuff before we got his other album as part of this, but it's a really interesting listen. Think I prefer it to the other one of his we had, but only marginally - it benefits from being a bit tighter and less diverse in terms of the genres that he brings into it. There's not much that properly digs into your ears on a first listen (Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe the only one really), but it's definitely one I will want to come back to. Lyrics are great, it's a hell of a story, it's probably not a 5/5 for me yet but I think it might be after listening to it a few more times. 4/5.
This is the greatest rap album of all time. At least top 3 for me. Anyone who says TPAB is better is either pretentious or lying. I'm also shocked by the amount of low 1-2 star reviews for it on this site. I know that rap isn't for everyone but a shocking amount of them showed a lot of closed-mindedness. (which if you're going to do a project like this seems insane, at least to me. The whole point of this was to broaden my musical horizons and discover music I never would have found before). I've seen a lot of people calling the lyrics weak (are you even listening) and misogynistic/ sophomoric and like... that's the point. Kendrick is able to portray a kid growing up in the rough streets of Compton, trying to do everything to do good in his life but constantly weighed down by every single person around him. All told in a way where this album is closer to cinema than it is music to me. I feel like it's rough to give something on here a perfect score because it always takes me a few listens to really, really truly get an album and this is the same case here but still, Kendrick is head and soldiers above almost everyone in his era of rap and this is still his magnum opus to me. 10/10
Another Hip-Hop album.
5+
Was listening just expecting some Backseat Freestyle, but instead got some Poetic Justice. This was Real.
I love some hip hop, this felt a bit too try hard. Nothing special in the lyrics and nothing special in the mixing. I know a few KL tracks and they're "alright" but this whole album felt a bit "meh".
At first I wasn't sure. I felt some songs had good beats but wrong deliveries, while others had great deliveries but horrible beats. It won me overtime and I think the overall concept is really good.
The lyricism of Kendrick is insane. The story of the album is really fully fleshed out. Excellent musicality and rapping. The guest appearances don't interrupt Kendrick's story of flow, but add to each song they appear in. The beginning of the album was a bit of a miss for me, but it picks up quickly and doesn't ever really slow down after that until the last couple songs. But an expertly created album. Favorite Song(s): The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees
Liked the album overall, will probably listen to certain songs again, just didn't love it, not my favorite genre
Nonsense
mt bom, mas tem mts músicas que eu fico "que?" não é meu estilo favorito, então não tenho mt o que falar
It was good! I really liked the majority of the song.
Never been a hip hop person but obviously heard about Kendrick. Plus I’ve heard he’s the greatest! And I agree, I fully enjoyed this album. Nice beats but mainly sick lyrics.
Kinda embarrassed it took me this long to get to this album, but sooooo worth it. Just an absolute modern masterclass of modern songwriting.
I'm not from the hood and will not ever relate, and the opening tracks seem gangsta misogyn lets sign about my dicky BUT this mellows and says something and is a damn good listen. Definitely belongs on this list.
This album has so many good songs, its hard not to give it 5 stars. Rap and Hip Hop at its finest.
Kendrick Lamar got robbed when Macklemore won a Grammy over Kendrick's own album. Even Macklemore himself said "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" should have won the award. This album is the best 2010s rap album I've ever heard. I just love it so much that I got the hype surrounding it. Hope I get "To Pimp a Butterfly Next". 5 stars for "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City".
Okay
Honest, raw, exposed, honest. I get the love for Kendrick Lamar, now.
HARTAAAAA de estos muchachos q solo saben hablar asquerosidades y cosificar a las mujeres. me paso tu música por el forro del ort*, misógino asqueroso
*no music, mostly noise and rap
Das hip hop Album dass mich am meisten berührt hat. Länger nicht gehört aber wenn das keine 5 Sterne sind dann idk was.
Musically I like it, and kudos for being catchy. As long as I don't listen to all the lyrics. Comparing MLK's dream to having sex with the entire world with an Eiffel Tower-sized appendage? Sacrilegiously portraying baptism? Not sure it's as poignant as it's supposed to be.
Ok album for a person who doesn't listen to or like rap. Few songs I had to skip cause they were too damn long for my taste.
damn near perfect album. it takes you through kendrick's struggles with peer pressure and life in compton as a young man. it has bangers, beautifully written stories, and tragedy. a must listen
One of the best of all time.
I liked the flow, the lyrics however were a huge letdown. The artist is probably looking for street cred, but if that means acting like a 14-year old and treating women like crap, I'm done.
No va
a modern classic in every sense of the word.
This had some good bits towards the end of the album. But I struggled a little with the lack of hook etc.
This should be on the list of 1001 albums not to listen too. He says niggahs and bitches so many f’n times… geez!
flawless in every way and one of my favourites of all time
The highs are high enough on this album that it makes up for some of the skits and dumb stuff on there.
Unpopular opinion. Not a Lamar fan
This album brings back a lot of fond memories. Might be the best rap album released in the past 10yrs.. I love Kendrick. What an artistic thoughtful lyricists. You can hear his past pain and struggle in his rhythm and rhymes.
Naja, ganz abwechslungsreich. Eher eine positive Überraschung - auch wenn ich kein Wort verstehe, und der Text wohl recht wichtig ist für das Verständnis
Well that was a pleasant surprise. I read the reviews beforehand and thought we'd have another puerile doggystyle album on our hands. Alas no, while there is some of that, it's not gratuitous, it's less in your face and a lot of the music is beautifully crafted and enjoyable. The lyrics don't distract from the songwriting. Some of it is quite reflective (Art of peer pressure), although not the one about the penis being as big as the Eiffel tower so he can fuck the world. Wouldn't turn it off in future, even quite enjoyed it, might return in the future, though it really isn't music I tend to enjoy.
Not at all my thing. The songs aren't really that interesting and the lyrics I don't like. Also too damn long.
3.4 1x
One of my favorites
8/10
Solid front to back
Incredible number of listens on YouTube. It’s solid stuff but don’t understand why…
My favorite Kendrick (yes, over TPAB), boasting his finest beats and top-tier storytelling. Feels like a movie about someone's home, dirty laundry and all.
Znakomite i ponadczasowe. Dużo utworów wartych zapisania, a nawet te, których nie zapisałem są ciągle bardzo dobre. Lekki, chillowy klimat. 5/5
Gave it a go but a real struggle.
I am not a big fan of modern hip hop (noted this is 12 years old now). An American colleague recommended it as an entry point. I never really went beyond this album to understand it's influence but I like it. After a few listens I feel my appreciation for it grew
This guy is talked about as one of the all time greats even being new/current but I found this quite generic. The content was pretty standard too, so while technically impressive it’s hardly unique and a bit of a disappointment. Picked up towards the end though.
The perfect palate cleanser after some of the trash we have gotten this week. Been waiting for this one to arrive, especially after it was chosen in Apple's top 100 albums. While I have a different Kendrick ranking than some and wouldn't put this above a few others, this is still a solid and powerful album. It will always remind me of hanging in the house that my brother and I rented in college as he played the vinyl in the living room. All these songs bring back those memories and that makes this more special than the songs themselves. Backseat Freestyle was my favorite from the album and something I listened to constantly as I roamed the lots in my parking services truck. Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe, Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees, Poetic Justice, and Swimming Pools are all keepers for me. I could never understand if you were supposed to listen to the deluxe version or original because there were so many versions of this and that always frustrated me too. I just want an album to be what it needs to be, I'm tired of the deluxe business.
Okay, if the price of getting an album like this is a Kings of Leon album the day before, I guess I'll pay the toll. Should be no surprise that I love this album (TPAB is one of my favorite albums ever, ever). In my mind I'd always give it a bit less than a 10, and I think the reason is the song "Real." That song annoys the hell out of me, the hook sucks. But what I forget is that EVERY other song on the album proper is a banger, 11 for 12 if you ask me. And quite a few of the deluxe tracks are incredible too. Kendrick locked the hell in on this album, and it really is a rap classic, it's a pretty expertly-woven concept, storytelling album but with enough bounce and accessibility to be a huge pop success. This one still charts on the Billboard 200, and you can tell why. So, so many bangers. "Money Trees" is probably my favorite, but in the years I've been listening to this that has changed many times. There's no denying for me, today, that this is a five star album, even with "Real." An album can have a skip and still get a 10/10. Fight me. Favorite tracks: Like I said, everything but Real, plus The Recipe, Black Boy Fly, and Now or Never from the deluxe tracks. Wait, that's all the deluxe tracks too. Good lord. Album art: The deluxe cover is a fan parked on the street. The color contrast is great, and recently Drake crushed a replica van in a music video during their beef, that was cool. The standard cover I think is even better. Little baby Kendrick being held by some family members, eyes censored out. Really cool. 5/5
One of the hottest rappers currently in the game. Very skilled lyricist.
Very good
Easy 5
I'm well aware of Kendrick Lamar's popularity and acclaim, but this was my first time listening to him. I was super curious because this album has a pretty high score for being a divisive genre. My assessment of it was that it's very accessible and palatable for someone like me, who typically doesn't care for rap. I could actually decipher the lyrics and they were neither overly explicit nor hostile nor braggadocious. In fact, what I heard was thoughtful self-awareness and observation of the imperfect world we live in. I can see why this is critically acclaimed.
i am not a fan of rap but kendrick really does know how to do it best. lyrics tell a story, the context if his time in Compton really makes it hit hard, and i can really visualize the things he talks about
Första hiphopen. Inte min favorit bland Kendrick Lamar men tjänligt vibe
Thought it was an automatic 5-star when it popped up but landed on 4 instead. Can’t tell if I’m just a too used by it to be amazed or what… I will say that some of the placements are weak. Compton in particular (Real is the real closer) but also Poetic Justice, which while a good song, never actually fits the album space, and is ill-fitting after the hopeless day-dreaming of Money Trees. Plus I’ve never too big a fan of the reliance of interludes (baked into the songs in this case) as a storytelling device. Otherwise this is still full of bangers, obviously, with Money Trees, the two title songs (good kid is by far the most underrated song) and SAMIDOT hitting the hardest. Still probably a weaker 4.5★.
I'm less familiar with this album than with To Pimp a Butterfly - I forgot about some of the great tracks here and laughed my ass off when I heard Drake on "Poetic Justice"
I don’t understand !
Picking a single Kendrick album for this list is missing everything he does. But that being said, it would be hard to pick an album over good kid, m.A.A.d city. Like very hard though.
Great album all round, MAAD City is a stand out
I've tried this album in the past, and this was easily my favorite time listening to it. The skits feel additive in a way many don't for a bunch of rap albums. And there are some killer tracks. Even the ones that are pretty long still seem to justify their length. I didn't purely enjoy this in a bunch of moments, but I appreciated it a lot more than I have before.
top 10 record.it feels so real, and it is.
Comparatively, the Eifel Tower would be a very small penis.
I liked this much better than I thought I would. It won't go in my Tidal collection, as I'm no big fan of rap music, and I probably won't ever listen to it again, but my journey through the tracks was pleasant enough to warrant three stars, rather than the one or two I expected to give up before I listened to it.
always a fine time but i'm too close to my last listen to really enjoy 6/10
Another hip-hop record. Is there no end to these on this list? Nasty words, OK rhythms and the usual boring vocal delivery.
There's nothing new or interesting here. The production is nice. Does anyone get anything out of those little conversational skits that appear on 90% of hip hop albums? They really break up the enjoyment of the musical experience for me, they're jarring. I'd be happy to never hear another talky skit again. I found this whole thing quite tedious.
8.8/10
First track won me over; the next two put me right off (really irritating vocals); four and five had me back on board and then it was fairly consistent to the end. Definitely an intriguing one, will need more listening.
3.5/5. Could've been way bettter, But Kendrick had to go with the mainstream modern rap route. Could've hit SO hard. Maybe it's just my tastes. But it felt, tacky, or like, too polished and new for what it's about. But I liked the concept. Some songs I liked, most I didn't. Rap now seems almost too shallow, too much 'fucking bitches' and whatever, when this album had the potential to be heartbreaking. 'To Pimp A Butterfly' was good, along with 'Sherane', 'Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst' and 'The Art of Peer Pressure'. Maybe there were more but I can't remember them.
Kendrick
Classic
A masterpiece, and one of the best albums of the 21st Century so far. This is a rap opera, ostensibly about Kendrick Lamar's early life in Compton. The themes of violence, redemption, community, and faith bubble and brew together to produce an album steeped in fear and hope, delivered with a lyrical ability reserved only for the greats. The album subtitle reads "A Short Film". The potency and clarity of this records imagery lend credence to this choice of words. Phenomenal. Highlights: The Art of Peer Pressure m.A.A.d city Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
Kendrick turned the rap game on its head with this record, no exaggeration.
I received whiplash reading the other reviews for this. While most to maybe half of the high rated reviews for this notice it's brilliance, I was shocked by the amount of reviews that are totally derisive. I do not listen to rap or hip-hop too much (one of my goals with this project is to expand those horizons), and from track 1, I was pretty hooked on the thematic complexity. Lamar is clearly working through a lot of ideas with this album (and if his cultural clout proceeds him, he hasn't stopped working through ideas). The interweaving and complexity of themes of religious morality and guilt, with responsibility towards family and friends, and trying to remain true to your home that you love while knowing you may need to escape. God... it just captures something so beautifully. Which is where the whiplash at seeing negative reviews minimize the expansiveness of this album into "disgusting", "trash", or "boring" totally caught me off-guard. Anyway, I don't know a lot about rap or the history of the genre, but this album was great. I almost broke into tears at the end of "Real". Such a cogent album. Great storytelling and thematics. One of my favs that I've listened to in this project so far. I expect there is some bias in the negative reviews, but I'll try to have a better outlook on humanity.
my first KL album to listen to. (and most likely my last)
En ehkä aivan päässyt tähän sisään. Muutaman viisun olin kuullut aikaisemmin. Oon ehkä enemmän ysäriräpin ystävä niin tää yleisesti vaatii totuttelua. 3/5
Erinomainen kymppiluvun räp-levy, jonka jälki näkyy vieläkin genressä. Arvoin vähän nelosen ja vitosen välillä, mut annetaan nyt femma.
The best hip-hop album of all time no questions, its perfect from start to finish
Haven't ever listened to Kendrick Lamar before and don't know why as this was an excellent album.
One of the greatest "modern" rap albums. It's a powerful narrative album that blends personal stories with social commentary.
10/10 Favourite: SAMIDOT I love this album, a literal short film. So glad I got this so early on just beautiful instrumentation, flow, lyricism.
This is the first album from this project that I already bought, so, of course I like it. It's good. Swimming Pools (Drank) doesn't get enough credit. The words, the flow, the beat, the mix... it all reinforces the point of the song. I'm saying this now, half my life removed from high school partying, it really feels like a night where you went too far. The insecurities, the peer pressure, the second guessing, the alcohol making decisions for you, it is one of those great songs that captures an experience, the level of drunk that is never fun, but feels like the right choice in the moment, and the peer pressure that gets you there. The album as a whole, in September of 2024, is hard to rate "historically." "Not Like Us" is still in the top 10, months later. I think the influence of Kendrick, and this album, is still growing, seven years later. This was a breakout album for a reason. I feel like I have to give it four as an album, because Kendrick has topped himself multiple times, to the point that this album looks merely great in comparison.
Kendrick actually making an appearance on this list is simply one of the best things ever. If I were ever to be asked to prove why hip-hop is such a powerful art form, I’d direct them to any one of this man’s records. But this major label debut is not a bad choice in the slightest. Beyond how much of a masterpiece this is from a writing perspective, it also made massive waves. It’s the longest charting non-greatest hits rap album of all time. And nearly every song on here was a hit. This shit ruled the 2010s. And Dot is arguably the most acclaimed rapper of our generation. And I’m willing to argue he is probably the greatest too. Here’s the way I see it. Any artist capable of making an album as retrospective as this one, and an album as introspective as Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is nothing short of a genius. It takes a lot of to be so honest and reflective on your own self, especially in hip-hop. Whether you like it or not, it’s an industry riddled with bigotry, racism, gang violence, an ultra focus on materialistic things, and the hyper-sexualization of women. What makes this album so compelling is that it doesn’t pretend these things aren’t problems. But it faces them head on and highlights the impact they have on the average adolescent. And more specifically the impact they had on Kendrick. The album as a whole is stylized as a short film, and the first song begins the story moving forward a bit, where he talks about his relationship with a hoodrat girl named Sherane. Gang banging runs in her family, but he chooses to ignore it. Backseat Freestyle is sung from the perspective of an adolescent kid who is stuck in the tides of a corrupt system. The Art of Peer Pressure is a perfect example of why he’s such a sublime storyteller. Kendrick and his friends plan to rob a house without getting caught, and although he knows he shouldn’t be doing it, the pressure from his friends pushes him on. I’ve never been huge on Poetic Justice, simply because I’m not a big fan of Drake. good kid shows him confronting gang violence, and how it fueled him to leave Compton behind and become something more. m.A.A.d city exemplifies the intensity and confrontation of the streets. Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst is, in my opinion, not only his best song, but the best hip-hop song ever made. And the messages left by his parents at the end of Real makes me genuinely emotional. In my mind, there is objectively nothing wrong with this album. I would say it’s the 2010’s finest rap album, but this isn’t the only time I’ll be talking about Kendrick on this list. Rating: 9/10
Repetido
As weak as the other Lamar album I was recommended. Guess I'm not a fan
This was good but not something I'd listen to again
No thanks
Goat
Very nice beats
On hyvä levy! Henk koht en pidä niin paljon ”näytellyistä osuuksista” (hälinät ja puheosuudet), arvostan vielä enemmän sitä, että tarina rakennetaan pelkällä musiikilla. Mutta onneksi se tehdään suurimmaksi osaksi tässä niin! Ei muuta analyysia, erinomainen levy.
m.A.A.d city -medley ja siirtymä Swimming Pools -megahittiin edustaa omassa, rajoittuneessa hip hop -universumissani jonkinlaista huippua: pää liikkuu täysin vastustamattomasti, ja haluaisin tiettyinä hetkinä jopa osata ajaa autoa - ihan vain blastatakseni tätä levyä. LP:n kaari kantaa hyvin, vaikka loppupuolen fiilistelyt/mietiskelyt vähän latistavatakin kokonaisuutta. Ainoa toinen kritiikkini on se, että artisti osoittaa välillä tiettyä taipumusta esteettiseen tyylitajuttomuuteen (esim. Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe, josta pidän, ja Poetic Justice, johon en ihan pääse sisälle): olen valmis kuuntelemaan kaiken - ja levyltä todella löytää alati uutta - mutta joka "vibeen" en kykene täysin varauksetta Kendrickiä seuraamaan. Mikä ei tarkoita, etteikö LP olisi itsessään verrattain lähellä täydellisyyttä. Erityismaininta: The Art of Peer Pressure. Uskomatonta miten hyvin tässä spoken word -flirtissä onnistuttiin. 4,5
good album, m.A.A.d. rapper. Kendrick has a very distinct flow. You can hear the influence of Outkast, not just his rhyming, the music too. I could do without the phone call sketches. Kendrick is super horny. This is going to date this review, but Kendrick and Drake on the same track is crazy. Poetic Justice is a great song. I know hip hop doesn't really do covers, but this about as close as you can come of a cover of Anytime, Anyplace by Janet Jackson as you're going to get from two MCs. His rhymes are amazing, I'm less thrilled with the beats. Several of these songs are made up of what seems like multiple songs, complete changes in beats. Swimming Pools (Drank) sounds like being drunk, good song. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst might be the longest rap song I've ever heard....a 12 minute song is not easy to pull off. He writes amazing lyrics but the beats leave something to be desired. I did not like this album as much as I thought I would.
4 stars
Easily top 10 hip hop albums of all time. Kendrick tells a cohesive story that feels cinematic. Excellent beats and production, well written and intricate lyrics without sacrificing on the sound. Only criticism is the Drake feature, he is not what the culture feeling. Favorite songs were: 3. Backseat freestyle 8. m.A.A.D city 10. Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst 10/10
A powerhouse album that cemented on of the biggest stars in the game.
I played the song with 1.5 Billion listens and although it's actually quite chilled and laid back it's really not that special? Surely I'm missing something? Not able to distinguish a truly momentous classic from a generic clone track? Giving this *** because I don't hate it.
Not really my thing, but I can see why he is popular.
Nerds love puddy too
Always love kendrick
Skipped the first song 30 seconds in. Subtracted a star for every time I heard "bitch" in the second song and quickly ran out of stars. I couldn't listen to the rest.
I guess I just can't put myself into the target crowd. I like the slice-of-life focus but have too much trouble hearing the words so I lose the whole point.
I preferred it to the previous KL offering. More musicality but some of it still sets my teeth on edge.
Wow. Not sure if this resonated even more than "Butterfly" because I was really dialing into the lyrics, but this is an amazing album. Kendrick Lamar includes so much of what you might expect from a rap album, but his material feels so personal and his stories seem real and I feel like, more than any other rapper I can think of, he's revealing himself in profound ways. And, as with any true artist, he reveals the listener at the same time. And while my reality may be pretty fucking far removed from his, I related to this in a way I didn't anticipate. I'm blown away. The music, the delivery, the way he blends the interstitials into the music and narrative. I don't think I've heard anything better in the genre.
Another triumph. He's not just a great rapper; he's an absolute master of songcraft. This one, Butterfly, and Damn are masterpieces, and they represent one of the greatest runs in musical history.
Well well well...look who is liking rap these days.
Brilliant rap album. Great story. Great beats.
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background The album got better towards the end, but I just don't have the time to keep going with this one. Potential to move up in ranking, but can't get beyond fuckin' the world for 72 hours with my Eiffel Tower dick.
🔥🔥🔥
Not at the link
Undeniably a 5/5 alongside TPaB
Very enjoyable -- didn't know this at all. Great vibe throughout with different sorts of songs. I'm excited about the Super Bowl halftime show.
Slightly better than his first album, still not my thing though
Good Kid, m.A.A.d City is a cinematic concept album that keeps you engaged with atmosphere and masterful storytelling. This album and To Pimp A Butterfly are absolute masterpieces. I remember first hearing this album when it was released and I knew right away it was destined to be an instant classic. Kendrick is one of those artists that has such a clear vision for the narrative that goes into the provocative statements made on his albums. His videos and live performances showcase this cinematic approach to music creation. Even the skits/interludes have great acting and are integral to the story being told. Now that he’s been announced as the next Super Bowl headliner I’m really looking forward to see what he does with that format, and I can only hope he announces a new album as well. I had the opportunity to meet Kendrick after Section 80 came out when he stopped by Stankonia to use the A room to listen through some beats. I can only assume that session went toward the making of Good Kid, m.A.A.d City given the timing. He was a kind, extremely focused and humble underground artist that was about to become an international star. This album is not only one of the best in hip hop but for me one of my favorites of all genres, alongside To Pimp A Butterfly of course.
I like Section.80 better, although the production is superior on this one. I'm always down to listen to Kendrick. He really is set apart from other artists in hip hop. He has a crazy control over his vocals, making it sound out of control at times. It's strange and unique. The music on this album is solid, really on all his albums. To be expected from a Compton artist. I love his storytelling, too. He's one of the best at it. I fell like Kendrick took the baton from the hip hop artists I grew up listening to, and he is carrying it for a new generation. I'll give this album a 5.
The writing on the Polaroid graphic says "A short film by Kendrick Lamar," but I didn't pick up on the storyline at first. As the piece moves forward, the story emerges of a youth in the streets trying to rise above his circumstances and find escape and redemption through pain and faith. The album follows a similar thread. The earlier tracks are musically lackluster, relying on mainly on beat and lyrics for rhythm and melody. A turning point happens with "The Art Of Peer Pressure," which infuses more musicality into the intro, while the remainder of the track is again a bit bleak, again displaying the harsh reality of his situation. From "good kid" onwards, we get more interesting sounds and production, mimicking the maturing of the youth contemplating what remains if he dies and what purpose it would serve. We finally get redemption in "I'm Dying of Thirst" and then follow that with "Real", reflecting on how he was not real and whole with the earlier trappings of youth and gang culture until he finally left it. I can appreciate the overall positive message and the elevation of rap to an art form, though we wallowed long through some old tropes in order to arrive here, like Andy Dufresne, who "crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side."
This was my first time listening to any Kendrick Lamar (to my knowledge). Honestly, I mildly dreaded listening to this album--I didn't think I would enjoy it and wasn't in the mood to take it on. I finally listened to it while working out/driving/sitting in my car. It was kind of a roller coaster of reactions. I know I'm far from the target demographic, and sure enough, there were plenty of moments early in the album where I was like, "Nah, not into this, not for me." I noticed that several songs I found the chorus annoying. So I started with thinking to give 3 stars, then dipped down to 2.5 for a while, then I started finding little things to appreciate, and I rose to 3.5. The last several songs of the album, I was able to sit and focus more while listening, and I found that it was slowly growing on me. I enjoyed the guests, I feel like overall he's a good lyricist with a good delivery (except for some of the choruses which sounded juvenile and repetitive at times), and the production was good. Some of the beats/production stood out as being pretty different from what I've heard before elsewhere, which I appreciated. The lyrical subject matter was kind of grim, but sometimes touching. Mathematically, I don't know whether to give this a three or four. I guess I'll go with three-point-something and round down, curmudgeon that I am.
I liked how this album sounded and I was glad to hear that Kendrick does not solely do the triplet note pattern rap and does not seem to overuse autotune on his voice. These things are so prevalent now in hip hop. So for a young guy I was glad to see him take a different direction from that. There's parts of this that sound like 'traditional' hip hop. At the same time though maybe my ears are just conditioned to associate hip hop with creative sampling from older music (Jay Z sampling the Doors's 5 to 1 for instance). A lot today's hip hop tends to have a glossy machine produced sound (like this album) that is ok, but I still think hip hop's golden era came between 1989 and 1997 or so. Kendrick is a talented guy with interesting things to say. I'll definitely revisit this album.
The greatest hip-hop album of all time. Come along for the ride on a deeply personal exploration of Kendrick's upbringing in Compton. Navigating the pressures of gang culture, peer influence, and personal redemption. The album's cohesiveness, lyrical depth, and innovative sound have cemented this record as a benchmark in hip-hop and Lamar as a musical genius. Rap doesn't get any better than this.
Fucking epic.
Not bad.
01) Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter - 7,5 02) Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe - 9,5 03) Backseat Freestyle - 9,0 04) The Art of Peer Pressure - 8,0 05) Money Trees - 8,0 06) Poetic Justice - 8,0 07) Good Kid - 8,5 08) m.A.A.d city - 8,5 09) Swimming Pools (Drank) - 10,0 10) Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst - 8,0 11) Real - 7,5 12) Compton - 7,0 TOTAL: 8,29 (83/100) Current ranking: 82/298
Each to their own and all that, but I just cant listen to shite like this.
Just doesn’t compare to the OG Death Row Records gang.
overrated big time, one of these tracks has been streamed 1.5 billion times!! I know this probably makes me wrong but there's no accounting for taste. poor mans Kanye
Fantastic album. I used to listen to this a lot a decade ago.
For me, this is one of the best albums of all time. From 2011-2012 I was in a white suburban high schooler transitional period from an "I like everything but country and hip hop" guy, to a "Tribe Called Quest are so underrated" guy. Neither of these are great guys to be, but it's where I was at the time. This album and Channel Orange both hit me in the same months and absolutely blew my mind. They were so good that for the next four years I basically listened to nothing but hip hop and R&B. Decades of undiscovered music was suddenly available to me, and hip-hop was in a really amazing place in the early 2010s. Every single song is at least great, and most are incredible. My personal favorite song is "m.A.A.d city". The beats are amazing, the features are perfect, the scene setting skits pull you into the story. I don't have a single complaint about this album. I think it changed hip hop forever. I'm writing this review in the months after the "Not Like Us" mania. I don't think you'd find many hiphopheads who'd dispute that Kendrick is one of the GOATs. 10/10
Superb - his 2nd best....
Absolutely fantastic... Makes sense that it's before TPAB - bangers are certainly there but as a full album it doesn't exactly hit in that same seamless meter. Poetic justice, money trees, swimming pools are excellent among others. 4.475.
ya un clásico, provocativo, muy buena producción, buen story telling, muchos bangers
The music’s ok but his whiny voice pisses me off and the lyrics are all beatch this and nigga that. Sad state of affairs that this is the new emperor.
whoever gave this a 1 because they dont like the language should jerk off to some more neil young or something
If it weren't for TPAB, this would've been his best work. Favourite Songs: The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees, m.A.A.d city, Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst, Compton. Least Favourite Songs: Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe.
Amazing album, listened to it a lot before this and it still holds up 12 years later. Real is still the weakest track but it's still good, every other song is great and adds to the story of the album. Incredible stuff
see, the thing is...i just don't like kendrick all that much. like, i'm sure this is great and all, i just slightly loathe everything about it. a little bit. ok, completely. and then as a white dude in the 2020s i feel real self-conscious about not liking it, because maybe it's a race thing...but then i remember i genuinely love paris (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RSQqcvvmp4) and public enemy and lord knows what all else, and i realize "ah - no, it's not race, so it's gotta be an age thing," and then i just feel like grampa simpson, and...well, i guess that's just how it's gotta be. so yeah. i don't like kendrick. and i don't like ye either, really don't give a fuck about drake...so clearly, the problem is the kids these days. that's my story and i'm stickin' to it.
When I started this project, I was very nervous that artists like Kendrick Lamar were going to be overlooked because they were too contemporary. And it may be that his best work is still left off of this list, but this choice affirms this project for me, regardless of how many times bands like Yes or Genesis have shown up. A truly superb debut album for an unignorable talent. Loved it.
Великолепный альбом, много любимых треков
Not for me
8/23/24. Outstanding hip hop album, you kinda knew right away that Kendrick would be one of the greats after this one dropped. Great flow and samples, memorable songs.
I get the point: the character in this concept album evolves/changes over each track. But Kendrick Lamar didn't quite manage to pull that off. I didn't see/hear enough change in the central character. "Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst" is great track, though.
Super Bowl 2025 half-time show let's go
Interesting contrast between this album (which is early in Kendrick's career, and talks a lot more about growing up in a rough neighborhood, with aspirations to be rich) versus the last one we heard (which is much later in his career and almost shows guilt for having succeeded as much as he did). The music and rapping is fine but it's still just not my thing.
Grading on a Kendrick curve. Still a great album, but didn't land quite as well as Butterfly, possibly owing to its more traditional subject matter.
Did someone say ‘Dominos’?
Good stuff 3.7
The headline here is I really don’t enjoy this guy’s tone. I usually rate hiphop albums on flow, production, content and tone but the other three criteria don’t get much of a look in here coz I just can’t get past his nasal qualities. The production and flow just about drag it up to a two.
This is a pretty easy one to review, since I could play it from my personal collection. This album begins a run of rap albums that may be the greatest of all time. While I'd call this album the least of that run, it's an absolute masterpiece that really shows off what Kendrick can do. His ability to be so technically proficient at rapping, assemble great producers for the music, and then weave a series of stories into a coherent narrative is unparalled 5/5
Decent rap album. I was starting to feel it on the second go around, but it feels like a mixed bag.
This felt like watching a movie. It locks you into a time, place, and feel and doesn’t let go. You can hear mistakes, dreams, aspirations, failure. It’s less developed than his later music, which has more complex beats, but lyrically it’s great.
One of the best concept albums of all time. This album is what really got me into music, so I might be a little biased. Kendrick is such a talented storyteller. 10/10 Would I listen again? Absolutely
Ugh, hip hop is just so bad. I honestly don't get how people listen to this and think that it is somehow meaningful or profound. The lyrics literally sound like something that a stupid, horny 7th grader would come up with by trying to write things that he thought the older kids would think were cool. I just can't get on with it. I mean if you like this, more power to you, but listen to the words and maybe reconsider. I get so tired of this entire genre being so degrading to women and self-aggrandizing. Please stop it. And as if the lyrics weren't bad enough, why the hell is this just absolutely laden with autotune? It really is like he stepped back and asked himself, "this already terrible, how can we make it even worse?" I'm just at a total loss as to how this kind of music is so popular. 1/5
Incredibly effective storytelling
As you know, I'm not averse to a bit of rap if done well, and this is. It comes over as a piece of social commentary better than most, and the music is performed very well too. But even with all that it's not something I'd listen too by choice or spend money on. Definite 2
I have a soft spot for Kendrick Lamar (and his mum, she nearly got me into Jesus in that interlude). He is one of the few big stars of this modern 'Nigga' shite rap that I have seen live, and not just managed to see the whole set without walking away, but actually enjoyed it at the time. (That is saying something about my self control under the influence of watered down beer at Reading Festival). As a whole, if you ignore the self centred, vanilla bollocks lyrics, the 'hard life growing up in the ghetto this sort always go on about, and just let the rhythms wash over you, and combined with the excellent instrumental arrangements - its really good, albeit a bit long. I liked the ambience of the music, I have no idea how much input a rapper has in writing the tunes but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he had a hand in it. If it had been anything other than a rap album, it would have been a 5, because of the vanilla lyrics. But, as I gave Kanye a 4 for the same reason, it would be very unfair not to give Kendrick the same. 4 stars
Killed my vibe.
wooz beats, b.A.A.d lyrics
Unparalleled
Fuldstændig gentænkning af, hvordan et gangstarap album skal lyde, ekstra imponerende fordi genren havde været død i lang tid da den kom ud. Nemt at glemme hvor unikt det her lød i 2012. Front to back bangers. Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe er måske årtusindets bedste rapnummer, Jay Rocks vers på Money Trees er måske det bedste vers. Og så er det ikke engang Kendricks bedste album
Der er godt nok nogen kæmpe bangers her.. Synes ikke helt det er en 5er fordi den bliver trukket lidt ned af konceptet og nogen meget lange numre som jeg ville ønske var kortere, men elsker de fleste af beatsene og elsker Kendrick som rapper. Havde Backseat Freestyle på repeat i hele 2012 så vidt jeg husker
This album goes from a believer’s prayer to disgusting lyrics. I’ll put this in same hypocritical category as Destiny Child. There’s a special place in music hell for this album.
Talented rapper. Need to revisit.
The original generic modern rap album.
Not My Kind of music.
daaaaamn kendrick 92/100
I think I liked this a bit more than To Pimp a Butterfly.
I liked "Backseat Freestyle" best, and "Swimming Pools." The rest definitely lacked the things I like about Kendrick though. More gangster. Also WTF Drake featured on this?
Good, but I love TPAB
Its ok....do we really need all of the answering machine messages?
Some catchy sounds and decent tracks but not a lot of standouts or gamechangers for me. I wanted to like this more...
Man, I had always heard good things about Kendrick Lamar. And I was interested in hearing this. But honestly I didn't care for it too much. Don't care for his voice. Lots of repetitiveness. Long drawn out.
MAN DOWN. WHERE YOU FROM??? 10/10
10/10 instant classic
I've heard about half these tracks before and for the most part, I liked this record. But it is really monotonous. None of these tracks really differentiate themselves in a meaningful way. It's also super relative and has a weird prayer toward the end.
Kendrick Lamar came on the scene when I wanted nothing to do with any current music, so his music has largely escaped me aside from a few major performances I’d seen, like the Super Bowl halftime show a few years back. His talent is evident from the first track. It fits in perfectly with the West Coast hip hop that I grew up with and loved (which obviously makes sense since Dr. Dre had a hand in it). This album is head and shoulders above most of the other hip hop I’ve heard from this time period. I definitely understand why Kendrick Lamar is considered so highly. I didn’t love everything about this album, but it’s solid, had a story, great production, and Lamar’s talent is evident. Definitely a worthy inclusion for the modern side of the list.
I mean come on
Classic album that I’ve never listened to through all the way and now I see why it’s been so highly touted for so long. Just flawless honesty, top tier bars, smooth production and he just paints a picture for you. I’ve been Dot’s biggest hater so this is tough to admit lol
Favourite Song: good kid
This is the first time I listened to this album in its entirety and though I'm not a rap fan, I thought this album was very good.
Really enjoyed this album. Money Trees, Poetic Justice, and B****, Don't kill my vibes brings me back to middle school!!
A lot of his best all on one album. Discovered some new ones I enjoyed too.
This wasn't my genre and didn't convince me it should become it. I knew the name, didn't know the music. Hearing it, nothing pulled me in. Lyrics didn't grab me. Most of the music was fairly basic. Continuing my original perception on the name as famous for reasons I can't explain.
I need to try and be objective as possible here. So I hate the random skits at the end of every bloody song and they go on far too long and that detracts from the album as a whole...but the subject matter, Kendricks rapping ability, the beats, all so good. Its a 4 that could have and should have been a 5 Me trying to justify why it's not a 1 too the baby boomers at work Okay going on a tedtalks here. It genuinely does tackle the issue we all have with rap (misogyny, glorifying gang culture, drug culture and the violence associated to that) and really delves into how Kendrick was influenced by all this growing up and how it shaped him into a person he didn't like and he was lucky enough to be able to escape this by focusing on his music career, but he is lucky as most young black men in the ghetto don't have the luxury. The way Kendrick can we've so many double meaning into each verse still makes me think he's lyrically so gifted. He also has Drake on some tracks which was a real surprise to me as they absolutely hate each other now. TL;dr Kendrick good rap honestly. Reader.. they still think it's a 1...
It's always nice to be reminded of the power of the album format, meaning a fully-realized unit of work in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. But in this case, is it still technically accurate to describe 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' by Pulitzer Prize winner (remember that?) Kendrick Lamar as just an album? The work is subtitled as a short film. I can definitely see listeners bristling at that seemingly-pretentious description, but I don't know, I've always appreciated it. More than ever now, we are using cinematic (or literary) terms to describe our irl surroundings (ie. "main character syndrome," "lose the plot," "advance the plot," "soundtrack of our lives," etc.) Why not produce art about the idea that your life feels like a movie? Why not be aware of this? And more than just aware, why not draw attention to this level of creative agency? I mean, of course it's still an ALBUM, but it's a short film in that Kendrick creates powerful images that have been so burned into our brains that he's now recognized as one of rap's great Auteurs (but still not on the level as Kanye). Vistas of a young man's head out sticking out of a car window waving gang signs, a POV shot of Compton from the driver's seat in a mom-minivan, two people in black hoodies next to a teenage girl, and a swarm of men that convene and disperse at the sound of gunshots. I know the focus is Kendrick's visual storytelling, but beats from eleven producers (all supposedly working under the direction of Dr. Dre) dialogue nicely with the lyrical direction and flow. Take the airiness of "Money Trees" that renders a daydream quality to the track or the murky tension of "The Art of Peer Pressure," which in the hands of a weaker producer, could have sounded like 'news-at-night' background music for a 30 second promo on basic cable. The repetitive echoing percussion on "Backseat Freestyle," produced by Hit-Boy, feels like keys in the ignition hitting into one another, swinging like a chandelier, helping lift off the idea of how most rhymes would have been written while driving around with the boys. I read one criticism of the album that singled out this track as standing out from the rest of the introspection found throughout, but that's missing the point completely. To me, this record is about Kendrick Lamar grappling with his multiple selves: son, friend, wannabe MC, current MC, criminal, alcoholic. A song in which you pray your dick was as big as the Eiffel Tower would understandably come right before a song exploring the psyche of a young man desperately seeking approval from his peers. Tying these pieces together - all of Kendrick's different selves - would be the voicemails from Kendrick's parents. Voicemail skits on rap album are not new, but their inclusion on this album is probably my favourite use of the trope, mostly because it does capture an essential part of being a teenager or young person, which is that your parents are calling you all the damn time. The album could have ended there, frankly. Not sure what was the point of including "Compton." It's not bad per se, it just feels a little tacked on to remind you of mastermind Executive Producer (he of the Grammy Awards Global Impact Award(TM)) Dr. Dre is here. Wonderful album art. A+
Kendrick Lamar is one of the few artists I can listen to all day and still be impressed by what he pulls of. 5/5 without a doubt, anyone who doesn’t agree genuinely hates rap music.
funky and cool - works really well as an album and has some really great songs YAY!
I LOVE KENDRICK (drake clears tho) i already listened to this and if you don’t like it you suck poo poo very good story telling and could be a 5 if i was just judging off rap albums but compared to other perfect albums it’s a 4.5 DRIZZY DRAKE ON TOP 😩😩
anyone rating this album below a 3 missed the entire point (@ SOME OF THE DUMBASS GLOBAL REVIEWS ON THIS) and are thinly veiling their racism through pretending to gaf about "misogyny"...! but it's okay when your old white man idols do it??? lol! this album is genuinely excellent, its super clean and polished and is the first album generated that i have already heard completely from start to finish the only place where i think this album CONSIDERABLY falls flat is that it's kendrick's SECOND best album, and having outdone himself on tpab (more musically and lyrically dense, sonically SO smooth and so much more ambitious), this pales in comparison looking back but i will gladly admit that rating this a 4/5 is a product of my own personal bias i don't think this album is PERFECT, but 9/12 INCREDIBLE tracks (NOT COUNTING BONUS TRACKS ON DELUXE EDITION!!!!) brings it close!!! 4/5
👎 Hmm nope, feels musically dull and lyrically offensive. Never a big fan of rap to start so this was always going to be an uphill battle
Starts off with a prayer to Jesus then immediately rapping about stripper ass and pussy. And he wishes his dick was as big as the Eiffel Tower. And drugs. And violence. And lots and lots of n-words. This music was not made for me, but it was somewhat entertaining at least. He's got sort of a unique delivery. Dr. Dre's rap sucked. He should have stayed retired.
I was there for this one in 2012 and it is always a trip to go back to it and try to forget everything that came next. It’s such a perfect statement on its own, a self-portrait as well as a landscape of the streets which molded the subject. K-Dot leveled up so much after this; for some artists an album like this would be the result of the transformation, but he’s just in the chrysalis here. Still wanna know about them motherfuckin dominoes