Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, m.A.A.d City

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Of all the likely First World pressures that have inevitably crept into the life of Kendrick Lamar over the past year and change –  since he and his Top Dawg Entertainment cohorts unleashed their brand of genre pushing Hip Hop on the world – only one truly matters: Releasing a successful debut album. Following 2011’s tour de force Section.80, a slew of shine-snatching featured lyrical clinics, and a downpour of cosigns ranging from Brother Ali to Lady Gaga – K-Dot’s in a position few in Rap history not named “Nas,” “Canibus,” or “50 Cent” have ever occupied. Only two of those sport initial releases that validated the hype machine; only one of those commercially. The same one that Kendrick’s current Aftermath label-head, Dr. Dre, launched into ubiquity back in 2003. Add that backdrop to the critical acclaim of fellow TDEers Ab-Soul and ScHoolboy Q this year (with #controlsystem and Habits & Contradictions, respectively), and Compton’s kid is swimming in a mote of expectation. Fortunately, at least creatively speaking, Kendrick delivers with ease. From mic to plug, Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City is stellar.

GKMC lives in its narratives. There’s the one where Kendrick’s driving his mom’s van while his girl is texting him titty shots. (“Sharene a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter”). There’s the one with MC Eiht where K-Dot talks about staging a robbery while working as a security guard and smoking cocaine laced marijuana (“m.A.A.d. city”). “And they wonder why I rarely smoke now / Imagine if your first blunt had you foaming at the mouth,” he raps over the Sounwave and Terrence Martin-produced ratchedy madness. There’s “Sing About Me, I’m Dying’s” awesome perspective flip where he spits as a gang banger, then Keisha’s sister (from Section.80) in consecutive verses and both literally speak their demise into existence. The Just Blaze produced “Compton” (featuring Dr. Dre) and the gloriously ignant “Backseat Freestyle” are the only true cypher cuts. No brain-twisting exploits like “Rigamortis” included this time around, for example. And that’s alright. Kendrick’s joy ride is as visceral as a John Singleton flick or something; equal parts Boyz In The Hood, Higher Learning, and Baby Boy, only the 2012 version told on wax. The interludes cinematically tie the good kid fighting his way through a mad city theme together and are conveniently included at the end the of songs instead of as separate tracks so they don’t clutter the listen when rocked on random. The production and engineering are absolutely impressive. Structurally and conceptually, as an album, GKMC is amazingly tight.

But what keeps this LP littered with replay value is Kendrick’s range as an emcee. Styles and cadences pivot on a dime, whether on or off beat. He’ll flip octaves like he’s harnessing first generation Dungeon Family members. Tracks like “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and the Drake-assisted, Janet Jackson-sampled “Poetic Justice” are the type of songs that should be on radio more often: Genuinely imaginative in approach. Lines like “I can feel your energy from two planets away / I got my drink / I got music / I would share it but today I’m yelling ‘Bitch, don’t kill my vibe!'” (“Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”) are not only supremely relatable under any tax bracket, but quotable enough to reach bootleg T-shirt status. He never takes a verse off, never forgets the importance of connecting as a person.

With Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City, Compton’s flag bearer unveils a group of songs equally potent individually and collectively, meeting the mainstream and rabid fans in the middle, improbably touching that thinnest slice between mass appeal and mass respect. “I’m tryna keep it alive and not compromise the feeling we love,” K-Dot kicks on that previously mentioned track-to-be Tee. “You’re tryna keep it deprived and only cosign what radio does…” This isn’t just a debut album. This is a shot at history.

1,504 thoughts on “Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, m.A.A.d City”

  8. Well, I’m somebody who never judge unless several sessions spend listening to an album, but somehow I expected more. While I know that it will grow a lot in my eyes after a few more spins, I simply cannot imagine “Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City” being a classic. Legendary albums are not just about dope rappers bringing their A-games on game-changing beats, but they somehow have a soul and a perfectionist vibe that everything is in the place where it supposed to be. That LP lacks one or two from these aforementioned attributes, I can’t really tell which now, but something is definitely missing. Still better than 95+% of the albums out there, but viewing from a bigger perspective (thus, comparing to timeless hip-hop classics), at this time I’m not really sure that it can keep up with the competition.

    Reply

    1. Illmatic had One Time 4 Your Mind, Ready To Die had Respect (lyrically it was crazy, but the production though?), Blackstar had B Boys Will B Boys, Twice Inna Lifetime, Yo Yeah. Reasonable Doubt had Ain’t No Nigga and 22 Two’s. Etc. No album is flawless. Not a single one. And if they are it’s because they are 5 tracks long.

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  11. From the samples I heard I thought it would be too downtempo for me, but listening to the full songs… that shit is masterful. Even better than Section 80. I don’t mind that it’s only 12 tracks, they’re all dope. It’s been a minute since there been a new album where I don’t need to skip any tracks. 5/5

    Wale, J. Cole, Big KRIT, and Slaughterhouse, all let me down, they all had better mixtapes than their freshman albums. K. dot was the only one that lived up to the hype.

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  13. yo yo yo dis ja ruLe yall dey letinn me use the computer in dis bitch raa quik dis album clasik no lye but ma knew album nex yeer gnna kill str8 murdaaaa .. shit gotta go dey yellin

    Reply

  14. This is a classic album… but given the nature of my recent activities I’m still required to troll on anyone occupying this post. You know how this goes. This is the part where I leave a massive space on the page so no one else can post….

    Sincerely Yours
    – Malone

    Reply

    1. That attitude will not get you far in life young man… perhaps departure from Mr. Rule’s testicles will provide you with new insight…

      Reply

  21. One X because all of the rhymes are dope.
    One X because of a solid narrative and concept.
    One X because it has hits.
    One X because the real fans will still love it.
    And one X because the beats are all very dope.

    Reply

  30. “..a group of songs equally potent individually and collectively, meeting the mainstream and rabid fans in the middle, improbably touching that thinnest slice between mass appeal and mass respect.. This isn’t just a debut album. This is a shot at history.”

    Spot on.

    Reply

  32. “I’m trying to keep it alive and not compromise the feeling we love/You trying to keep it deprived and only co-sign what radio does” -Kendrick Lamar

    one of the lines that really hit me, if you haters dont understand this GTFO.

    Reply

  36. just looked up to this site called rapgenius by understanding every line kendrick said. And it is filled with a lot of meaning that’s why people are gonna give this 5/5. to those who says this deserved a bad rating then you guys are immature bitches.

    Reply

  40. “this isnt just a debut album, this is a shot at history”….

    ….and it doesnt get a 5 though editor? have u seen the other albums dx has given 4.5s? sorry but this shit is just different

    Reply

    1. I don’t mean to interrupt your post.. I’m just looking for this idiot name Malone. Have you seen him anywhere?

      Sincerely Yours
      -Malone

      Reply

  44. the song Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe is one of the songs that could really hit all of us. It’s not about killing lamar’s vibe(in situational way” but it’s all about “mainstream” and keeping Hip hop alive.

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  48. Decent review, great album. I wish more rappers put together actual albums like this rather than just put a bunch of songs together. Only maybe Kanye is better at piecing together an album right now (which makes me wonder why cruel summer was so disjointed)

    But how hokey was that last line. “This is a shot at history” Real good journalism.

    Reply

    1. It’s not hokey journalism.. everyone has already talked about this. 50 Cent released under Dre and was a mega hit selling over 10 mil and not just selling well was an awesome album.. Kendrick is now in the position to be released under Dre. For his age and how far beyond he is from his peers it’s being talked about as “can this be the next Illmatic?”.. He’s just trying to have sight to the future. This album could, potentially, be exactly that, and only time can tell.. So “hokey”? nah…

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  53. the song “The Art of Peer Pressure” is something we teens can relate to, all of us have tried peer pressure from drinks, weed, etc. that’s the aim there, and i thank lamar for talking about it.

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  57. I thought this album wouldn’t amount to anything, and definitely sounds different from Section .80. But it’s a classic, Best Album since Outkast’s Speakerboxxx.

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  58. Love everything about the album except his voice which hurts my ears after a while he sounds like a rapping alien

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  61. I’m just asking, is it even possible to get a 5? you call it a shot at history and give it 4.5? what does Jesus need to drop some verses for you to hand the nigga a well deserved 5?

    Reply

  62. “Backseat Freestyle” was a lot different from the rest because when you listen to it, it was all about how kendrick used to do that in a van, And based on the lyrics, he was unstoppable. That was part of what molded him today.

    Reply

    1. understandable, it actually takes some time and attention to get it. you’ll get there eventually. in the mean time, let me just say for everyone for once you get there, we told you so.

      Reply

  65. There is absolutely no reason why this didn’t get a 5.

    It’s a classic record for all of the things that you mentioned. You didn’t even mention “The Art of Peer Pressure” or “Money Trees” or “Black Boy Fly” and those would all be standout tracks on ANY other MCs album.

    DX, this is one of those things that 2 years from now you’ll go back and say “Yeah we fucked up. We should have given it 5 stars.”

    Reply

  66. Every song was dope man, the lyrics is unimaginable. Hip hop has been running for decades and Kendrick still managed to squeeze godly lines.

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  68. That’s it, everyone loves the album, just gave it 5/5. who’s left? The trollers. yep, we can’t live without them.

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  72. Y’all f*cked up! 4.5!???
    I demand a re-review!
    Loved Section.80 and “knew” GKMC wouldn’t be as good.
    Maybe it isn’t…but Damn!
    I don’t have one negative thing to say about this album.

    Reply

  76. My rating is 4. Stil stand by the fact that Nas was the best album this year and he only got 3.5 that shit is farked.

    Reply

  78. This is album is so dope. It’s definitely a modern day classic, the storytelling is off the charts. Hiphopdx may as well just give it a 5 because it deserves it. And I’m sorry Lupe is my favorite rapper but this blows FNL2 out of the water and it’s waaayy better than Nas’ Life is Good. Most def album of the year material. 5/5

    Reply

  80. yall gave SLAUTERHOUSE’S WEAK ASSSSSS ALBUM 4.5 oh shittt man hiphop dx GKMC is several calibur better than that album on allll fronts dis is BULLSHIT!

    Reply

    1. ^^^Real shit tho!! Your comment made me realize something about how this site operates. Don’t get me wrong, I rock with HHDX but you can tell they over-rated Slaughterhouse’s album to appear like they represent “real hip-hop” meaning lyricism and creativity, and those guys definitely represent that BUT, the problem is, Welcome to Our House was only a 3.5 album (in my humble opinion). HHDX UNDER-rated Kendrick by a half star (easily 5/5 album) because of the perception by readers that they show Kendrick TOO much love. I knew it all along, but it turns out all the focus on him was warranted.

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  81. Outstanding CD! I like it when I can listen to an entire CD without skipping tracks. Each track brought me closer to understand what went on in his hood. I thought my hood was tough.

    Reply

  82. “Do you dudes listen to music or you just skim through it.”
    – Jay-Z

    this deserved a 5/5. why did it had to be 4.5? DX got a lot of 4.5 albums and I listened to all of it, But this….this was different, this was a total classic for fuck sake.

    Reply

  83. You put it in the same category as Nas and Fif and then give it a 4.5.

    “This isn’t just a debut album. This is a shot at history.”

    Someone explain to me what else needed to be done to get that last half star.

    Reply

  86. Damn good album, at the moment I like it more than Section.80, but we’ll see as time goes by. Kendrick has a bright future ahead of him. Wouldn’t call this album of the year though, right now I think Chino XL holds that title with RICANstruction, but both albums are two of the greatest releases in Hip Hop in a LONG time imo.

    Reply

    1. I was reading damn-near perfect assessments and comments about this album and you had to come and ruin it, lol. How dare you compare GKMC to a Chino XL release? #EpicFail. Best album in YEARS 5/5

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  90. why sing about me came after swimming pools.

    the meaning from swimming pools was the cause of the shooting, i recognize the connection not only from that but from the entire album, this deserved 5/5.

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  92. I think HHDX gave it a 4/5 so they wont seem like theyre dick riding. we all know k.dot will end up a legend because he only gets better. does HHDX rating really matter? no. GKMC may be a perfect album but that up to the audience to spread the word not HHDX.

    Reply

  95. Let’s look at this way; Kendrick Lamar is destined to be the next great rapper. The 80’s has LL,rakim and krs one. 90’s had CUBE, pac, biggie, nas/jay z. 20’s had a mixed bag but kendrick is like parting the red sea of ORIGINALITY. This is the next greatest of all time; pac would be so proud.

    5/5

    classic album.

    Reply

  96. HOW DARE YOU GIVE IT 4.5

    NIGGA IT DESERVES 5/5
    THE FUCK
    HIP HOP DX YALL DROPPED THE FUKIN BALL
    AND FUCK THE LUPE SECTION FROM KANYETOTHE
    BANG BANG

    Reply

  98. It’s been a long time coming for this young man,Kendrick Lamar. He crept his way into the Hip Hop scene starting 3 years ago when he released the Kendrick Lamar EP, then O.verly D.edicated (earlier fans knew him for his music when he dropped mixtapes as K.Dot), and that had him gain a lot of buzz. It showed people that he was a rapper that talked about his hometown (Compton, Cali-for-nye-aye) that hadn’t been heard before it was a positive light in a dark place. The most you’d hear out of Compton before Kendrick Lamar was The Game (I’m excluding N.W.A for generational reasons), and we pretty much all know his story. But, they say that good things come in threes (I have a shirt that says that). I guess 3 would be the number of years in this case: The Kendrick Lamar EP, O.verly D.edicated, and Section.80 were the stepping stones to this album. In each mixtape (if you look at Section.80 as a “mixtape” even though it’s an independent album), he references to a lot of themes & events that are brought up on this album. The production behind it, the lyrical content, and just how it’s well pieced together; it actually feels like a movie, which is why on the front cover it says “a short film by Kendrick Lamar.” He took the listener to the theatre, and we watched him evolve from a young teenager (K. Dot) to the man that is Kendrick Lamar. It’s “Menace II Society” & “Boyz n the Hood” in musical art form. Grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show oh, and thereviewtoo.

    1.Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter
    At first it sounds like the group of guys are chanting The Lord’s Prayer, but then I said to myself, “wait, this isn’t how it goes,” and it feels like the album starts off at the middle of a movie, sort of like how Quentin Tarantino likes tostartoff a movie in a deep dramatic fashion (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill Vol.1, Pulp Fiction). Master Splinter (as TMNT fans would know) is the main innovator of the Ninja Turtles; the head honcho who trained the lost turtles in the sewer to fight. Sherane, described by Kendrick is the character that is the reason why certain things happen to dictate what happens in Kendrick’s life. There’s always an originator. We all know how easy it is to be enchanted by a woman who looks good and treats us like a king; we take that treatment and run with it. It happens to women to, because men can be conniving in ways as well, but in this case, Sherane uses Kendrick’s innocence and sets him up, which is what he’s explaining towards the end of the song.

    I loved the fact that Kendrick uses his parents in the little “scenes” at the end of most of the songs on the album. I’ve seen him perform about 3 times now, and how he talks about his parents and mimics their behaviour, it was brought to life on the album. A few key things that were mentioned in the first scene: Kendrick had taken his mother’s van (front cover of the Deluxe edition), and she had mentioned that if he kept running in the streets, that he wouldn’t make it to the 11thgrade. So this tells us that he’s around 16-17 years old, and if you have ever listened to”P&P” from the Kendrick Lamar EP, he says:

    “Pushin’ in my mama van, stop for gas on Rosecrans
    Trust me these niggas rushed me for something my cousin probably did”

    At the end of the song, he got approached by 2 guys while meeting up with Sherane. The plot thickens.

    2.Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe
    Keeping with the same subject as religion (one that he usually talks about a lot since he started out), he acknowledges that he’s a sinner that will sin again (nobody’s perfect, right?), but he still asks for forgiveness for the things he doesn’t understand (forgive them, Father, for which they know not what they do). While sinning, he’s living in the moment, so “Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe” is like “dont ruin my moment,” (on Section.80, he had a song called “Blow My High”) because we all have those times when we’re in a zone, or when we’re feeling high up that that ONE person just has to try and kill your buzz. It’s annoying isn’t it? It is. Kendrick addresses the fact that he’s on a higher pedestal now that he’s hit the mainstream world, but vows to stay humble and that he’s just as hungry from before he got hot. People will look at it as him “selling out,” but he’s looking at it as another chapter being written in his life, both personally, and musically. The first two songs so far have impressed when its come to production. Smooth compositions, which would be just a taste of the variety of beats he would tell his continuing story on. We’re first introduced to his boys at the end of the song, and it’s cool that each scene at the end gives clues as to what’s coming next on the album and really it forces you to listen to every song with detailed hints.

    3.Backseat Freestyle
    I first heard this when Hit-Boy (famed producer of “Niggas in Paris”) tweeted a YouTube clip of Kendrick Lamar previewing this at a show in Atlanta. The beat was crazy in typical Hit-Boy fashion, and it was definitely a new spin for Kendrick that hadn’t been exposed before. I can understand why this was called “Backseat Freestyle,” because when you’re with your boys and whatnot and just riding around, you spit a few bars and go off on a tangent. There wasn’t a big concept here other than the fact that it was just a freestyle (it was written obviously), and he was just spazzing out on a Hit-Boy beat. It’s definitely one to get the adrenaline going, and I know many feared this sound because it’s what mainstream rap sounds like. I won’t lie, I dig this song, but I hoped that it wasn’t going to be the consistent sound on the album. It had been doing well thus far.

    4.The Art of Peer Pressure
    The first time this song leaked out, it hadn’t been completed, and Kendrick even tweeted a fan saying “wait until you hear the finished version,” so I didn’t know what to expect. The disclaimer at the beginning of the song followed by a smooth jazzy beat was REFRESHING to my ears and I thought that this was going to be the beat for the whole thing, but then the beat ended and the song that was exposed from the leaked version had started. Peer pressure is something that many people either believe or don’t believe in; having a circle of friends heavily pest you to do something that you’re not accustomed to doing on a regular basis. Many people can relate to Kendrick’s story, because we all have those friends who were telling us to: Hit the blunt (when you dont smoke), start some trouble (when you’re not a troublemaker), drink some alcohol (when you’re not a drinker), and rob a house (when you’re not a thief). Sometimes, when you’re just around your boys (or girls), you act different because you don’t want to let them down or “kill their vibe,” so you join in and live a little.”Just ridin’, bullshittin’, actin a fool, trippin'” the basic phrases to describe hanging out with “the homies.” At the end of it all, there’s a little hint that was brought up a couple of songs from now, and this album is scripted WICKED to bring the whole story together.

    5.Money Trees (featuring Jay Rock)
    Following the previous successful heist with the homies, the gang is living lavish and just celebrating the fruits of their labour. Hustling is the way of the streets and it’s a means to survive, even if it means you have to rob someone or sell drugs to get by. “Money Trees” being used for shade in the heat of the streets is what Kendrick was referencing to in the chorus, because it also reflects on him now getting money, but more things have happened since then, and also referenced to the past when he said that “That Louie’s Burger never be the same, A louis belt will never ease that pain”making reference to a line also from P&P:

    “Pain since my grandma’s death, uncle killed at Louie’s Burgers
    Hold my tears I tried my best
    Let it go trash my pullover”

    Although he’s still haunted by the pain of the past, he’s going to progress by moving on forward with life. Jay-Z said it best,”cant run from the pain, go towards it,”and that’s what he’s doing. This album didn’t have a lot of features, but Jay Rock held his own, and I’m glad that he got at least one Black Hippy member on the album, because to be fair, if it hadn’t been for Jay Rock, TDE/Black Hippy probably wouldn’t exist. It’s that simple, give the man his respect, and he’s a dope rapper as well Unappreciated. Kendrick’s parents come back in at the end and things get a little spicy towards the end of it as we proceed to give you what you need.

    6.Poetic Justice (featuring Drake)
    This was the song that everyone had been anticipating when the tracklist was announced and the top bloggers were raving about. History check for you younger cats “Poetic Justice” is a movie that featured Janet Jackson (hence the sample) and Tupac Shakur (one of Kendrick’s childhood idols). The playful flirting-turned-serious relationship that Justice & Lucky (Janet & Tupac’s characters) had is one of the more memorable ones in the black culture films much like Quincy & Monica’s in”Love & Basketball”(Omar Epps & Sanaa Lathan). On one hand, you have Kendrick serenading to a young woman, and then you have Drake who comes in spitting game that’s not as poetic, but he did it his own style, and poetic isn’t exactly his style, but I digress, he held his own and it’s a good song. Not “simpy” and “whiney,” but it’s smooth and definitely one that should make it to the radio for sure. The line that stuck out to me the most was”If I told you a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?”Something beautiful can still grow in the midst of darkness. I LOVE THAT ANALOGY! It reflects on himself personally, because being from Compton, it’s pretty rare to see or hear something beautiful in a state of madness. Towards the end of it, the familiar seemingly hypnotic voice that we first heard in the beginning of the album returns and it picks up where it left off when Kendrick was approached by 2 guys as he was going to see Sherane (you have to love the scripting). He was interrogated, and finally threatened to the point when it was either he did what they told him to, or they’d take him by force. It felt real, like it was actually pulled out of a movie.

    7.good kid
    It’s hard being the good guy in the hood, especially in an area where you get presumed to be a gang member by either other people or police officers. “Guilty by association, story of my life, nigga” is a line (“P&P”) that stood out and is very reflective of this song, because in the two verses he talks about how he was thrown down to the curb and beat up by the 2 guys that approached him, and the infamous LAPD officers that assumed that he was a gang member. When you run with the wrong crowd, it happens to hurt more than help, but that’s just common sense. Pharrell on the hook & production was surprising. It brought out that nostalgic Neptunes flare that we’d fallen in love with during the early 2000s, and this a portion of the album that is leading up to a climax. Some damage had been done, so it was time for some retaliation.

    8.m.A.A.d city (featuring MC Eiht)
    “If Pirus and Crips all got along
    They’d probably gun me down by the end of this song
    Seem like the whole city go against me
    Every time I’m in the street I hear
    YAWK! YAWK! YAWK! YAWK!”

    If you’ve listened to Kendrick for a while, you’d know that he’s been making references to good kid, m.A.A.d city for a while. One example is from the song”Thanksgiving”from the Kendrick Lamar EP:

    “Boo-yaa, boo-yaa, no one, I’ve done situated myself, I ain’t lying
    Be sure to be friend cause my foes die five times
    The good kid from the mad city
    Holding a cereal box instead of a Glock
    In a 1992 Caddilac that I got from my pops”

    In a more up-tempo beat (very Hit-Boyish/Lex Luger-ish) Kendrick gets into the gritty scenery of the dangerous streets of Compton. Recalling an incident that happened when he was a kid, there was a gang shoot out and the description of the scenario involving him was pretty real. There’s a situation, it gets heated, words get exchanged, and then (to quote A$AP Mob)”BIG GUNS GO BLAAT!”The karma that Kendrick points out is that you live life backwards when you sleep with a gun next to you or under your pillow (ain’t it evil to live backwards? Loaded Lux), basically you live by the gun, you die by it too. Just as I thought that the whole song was going to be this mock Lex Luger beat, I won’t lie, I definitely wasn’t feeling the beat, although it’s hype, it’s not something I’d expect Kendrick to rap over. When people talk about that “mainstream rap” style, THIS was it. But then you hear noise like a TV channel that had its signal cut out, and then you get this THUMP of bass and instantly you’re taken back to the Warren G/Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg type of feel, and here comes MC Eiht with his gangster demeanour really breaking down the life on the Compton streets. Dealing & doing drugs and gang banging is very common, so it was cool that Kendrick brought along an O.G to help tell the story of the nitty gritty. It was a feature that was surprising for most when the tracklist came about, so I’m glad that it worked out very well. The message that Kendrick is doing spoken word reveals the true meaning of m.A.A.d. When he does the altered pitch to his voice, it’s as if there’s another persona speaking to the listener. He did this on “Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe” and also “Swimming Pools (Drank).”He revealed it in an interview on L.A Leakers, but I already heard it the line in the song.”Compton, USA made me an Angel on Angel dust.” Now, if you were paying attention towards the end of “The Art of Peer Pressure,” the scene has the homies laughing at the fact that they got Kendrick “faded” (high from smoking). He smoked the wrong blunt and it had “the Shenanigans”; Shenanigans being the Angel dust that he was referring to in this song. See how it all ties in together? There’s also another meaning he said in the L.A Leakers interview “my Angry Adolescence divided.” Just a nugget.

    9.”Swimming Pools (Drank)”
    One of the singles of the album, but this is an extended version with a third verse. This comes right after the aftermath of the set-up and Kendrick’s with the homies, and they hand him a drink to kick back, so he can recuperate from his event. The primary focus of this song is about dealing with alcohol abuse and the fact that he had been surrounded by people that spent their lives alcohol binging (basically drinking the amount that you can fill a pool with to swim in; metaphorically speaking). People drink for various reason that Kendrick touched on whether it’s to get away from their misery or to just feel good at the moment, he talks about his experience with drinking and how through peer pressure, he did it. The chorus refers to the stages of a drinker and how they go about doing it. Pour it; take a shot, sit down to chill, stand up, drink some more, pass out, and wake up hung-over. It’s just that simple. The second verse voice pitch, which means? An alter ego, but he says that it’s his conscience speaking telling him to use his common sense so that he doesn’t go overboard with his drinking. I have to give a big shout out to Canada’s own T-Minus, who mainly produced this song, because he’s definitely come a long way since he didthat song for Ludacris a few years back. The 3rdverse is Kendrick opening up about his plateau now that he’s broken into the mainstream and that he’s able to even give a wider audience a dose of his music and the topics that he’s able to rap about. It’s something definitely able to look forward to, but just as things are going well, there’s always something. The next scene has the homies in the car contemplating retaliation to the guys that jumped Kendrick and Sherane that set him up. Just as they go and fire off shots, everything seems to be okay until one of the dude’s brother gets shot and killed. It’s definitely the defining moment of the album as the next song comes about.

    10.Sing About Me / I’m Dying of Thirst
    This is one of Kendrick’s best songs, and believe me he has a lot of them. Reason why I say that is because he takes on the roles of two characters who had speaking to him about his music and how they’ve impacted them in a way one guy and one girl. The guy was a Piru gang member and as much as he loved being a gang member and he would represent it until it killed him, he still wished that he had the positive ambition that Kendrick had with his music and that he wished him well on his musical success. Towards the end of the verse, he ends up getting shot mid-sentence (I have to shout out my boyAnthonyfor pointing this out, because I didn’t know) and it was the same ending that was used in a song released 3 years ago called”Little Johnny,” so it’s evident that Kendrick brought past elements to the present for the fans that have been there that long. Before you die, you hope that people will still remember you in a positive light, or to speak about you. In this case, Kendrick is saying the same thing, but instead of talk, it’s to sing about them. The girl in the 2ndverse is the sister of Keisha from”Keisha’s Song (Her Pain)” from Section.80. Again, bringing past elements and continuing the story into a major scale. Her tone is a bit more pressed towards him because she didn’t appreciate him airing out her business like that through song, but it’s ironic because her sister is going through the exact same thing, but she knows what she’s doing and thinks that she’s not going to have the same fate as her sister. The way that the verse ends off reminded me of”Heaven & Hell”from O.verly D.edicated when he faded out of the verse halfway without coming to an end, but instead of it being a mystery, it shows that he’s walking away from her because she doesn’t want to help herself save her own life, so she eventually dies anyway. Kendrick (as her) says in the verse that she’ll never fade away, but in the end she does. The third verse goes into Kendrick rapping as himself talking or writing back to the individuals saying that he is humbled by the love and that he does it for the city to represent them on a positive scale, and also that he didn’t mean to insult or degrade Keisha in any way; just wanted to share the story of the lives that he was around in Compton. The main emphasis is that he knows where he’s at with his status and success and that he’s now more worried than ever that he’ll die young because will try to come after him, but all he wants to do is tell the stories of the ones who’s affected his life and that one day when he passes on, he’ll be remembered for telling them. I have to say rest in peace to Alori Joh, because as much as I am a Kendrick Lamar fan, I’m still not the biggest fan of rappers singing their hooks. Alori would have done it plenty of justice (shit, even Jhene Aiko), but that’s just me. I still enjoyed the song, but that R&B presence would have been great.

    The song fades back into a scene seemingly as if it was a freeze frame and then resumes hearing the sound of the homies trying to figure out what to do now, but the guy whose brother got shot is fed up and doesn’t want to live the life he’s living anymore. Understandable for anyone to want to just say “to hell with it all” and go out guns blazing, but then it goes right into “Dying of Thirst.” The phrase “Dying of thirst” isn’t one that I was familiar with, but of what I was taking in from the song, it was along the words of being thirsty for a break and never getting it. Continuously sinning and paying for the consequences is what’ll kill you faster, and when one really needs is forgiveness from the Lord because of the things that rule around them: money, sex & drugs. It isn’t until the end of the song when he says”youre dying of thirst, so hop in that water and pray that it works,”that you know that he’s talking about holy water. Washing away your sins, starting off clean and one step in the right path of life. The elderly woman that appears at the end of the song is also a key character and she’s the one that introduces the prayer that you hear at the beginning of the album. She defined “dying of thirst” as being thirsty for the Lord & wanting him in your life. So in order to do that, you have to be baptized. Obviously they didn’t go through an actual baptismal service, but that prayer is what helped change their mindsets from that day forth to help carry on their lives. Very deep and this whole album makes you think about your own life and the things around you. Even if you don’t exactly relate to his stories, you can’t help but get inspired by how he tells them in such detail that brings it to reality before your ears and eyes. Powerful and gripping storytelling is rare these days. J.Cole is known to be somewhat of a storyteller, but Kendrick is on another level when it comes down to the finer details. He put in significant effort in this project, and this is the defining song that proves it.

    11.Real (featuring Anna Wise)
    Kendrick, as part of his storytelling, often takes on the roles of different people in his songs, and sometimes it’s not even people, it’s other fictitious characters like your own conscious or the devil (Listen to “I Hate You”, an unreleased track). The point is that, keeping with the same style as “Sing About Me,” he uses the ideal of “real” to describe a girl and a guy and just what they define as real when they’re chasing after money, power, respect, fame and glamour, but that doesn’t make THEM real, because their reality is covered up. What makes a person real? Being honest with themselves, having morals and ethics that drive them on a daily basis? That all depends on the people, but the characters that Kendrick takes on aren’t ones that have any love for themselves, they have love for fabricated things like the aforementioned money, power, and respect. It’s one of those songs that forced me to stop and listen to it just to get the bigger picture, and Kendrick’s parents’ messages at the end of it sealed the deal, especially what his father said:

    “Any nigga can kill a man, that don’t make you a real nigga”. “Realness is responsibility, realness is taking care of your motherfucking family, realness is god, nigga”

    Vulgar? Yes, but insightful? 100% Another hint is when Kendrick’s mother told him that Top Dawg called for him and want him to go to the studio, which signifies the beginning of his rap career. One day can change a lot, and on this day, it changed him so he would be able to tell this story a few years later. Learning from your mistakes and coming back as a real man is also what his mother instilled, and he heeded those words. Here we are getting music from Kendrick Lamar the man. The song was reminiscent of”Opposites Attract,” based on the whole structure. Well put together.

    12.Compton (featuring Dr. Dre)
    Ahh, our final song (Standard Version) that has a Dr. Dre feature (notice no Dr. Dre production, but he did help with the mixing). Explaining the life of Compton from two generations on one track. You can clearly tell that Kendrick wrote Dr. Dre’s verse (as well as “The Recipe”) but the comparison to what Compton was like in their respective times isn’t that much of a difference, but the raw essence that is Compton is evident between the both of them. Just Blaze did wonders on this beat, and it’s a shame that people have went on to downgrade it because it sounds like Drake’s”Lord Knows”, but that’s like saying “Niggas in Paris” sounds like “Clique” because it’s the same producer. Let’s be real here. Anyway, the main thing about this song comes at the end when you hear Kendrick say”Mama I’m taking the car. Be back in 15 minutes,”and that right there takes me back to my Quentin Tarantino reference, because if you remember in “Pulp Fiction,” for example, when Honey Bunny & Ringo rob the diner at the beginning of the movie, that same scene is what ends the movie; and that’s not the only time that a scene has come back from one particular area to tie in to the rest of the movie. It’s a cinematic album. I really thought at some point that they took clips from movies and inserted them, but they scripted it really well and it’s going to be one of those albums that will be talked about being one of the greats in a few years, if not sooner.

    BONUS TRACKS

    13.The Recipe (featuring Dr. Dre)
    Everyone talks about California being one of the best places in the world to visit, and why? According to Kendrick, it’s the “women, weed, and weather.” This song came out earlier in the year, so it was perfect summer music because of the smooth sample, and the lyrics describing California as this paradise. “California Love” had Tupac and Dre talk about Cali in the best way. 17 years later, here we are. I’m not saying that it has the same dynamic impact that “California Love” had, but it terms of anthems, this served as one, and let’s be honest, you’d rather hear”California Girls”by Katy Perry forever? I. Dont. Think. So. It’s still an enjoyable listen even after hearing it for so long before the album came out.

    14.Black Boy Fly
    This is a gem that I can understand was a bonus because it’s an aftermath of his success now. From the Kendrick Lamar EP on a song called”I Do This”, he said:

    “I used to to wanna by like Michael Jordan
    Figured that I’d hit the NBA and make a fortune
    Thank God for these rap recordings
    I can ball like him on every verse and chorus”

    Now, take those lyrics into consideration and in the first verse he starts off by saying that he used to be jealous of Arron Afflalo, because he went to high school with him and that dream Kendrick had of going to the NBA, Arron actually did it. Rather than skipping classes and doing dumb stuff like Kendrick did, Arron did well in school and went to go on to get a basketball scholarship at UCLA and then get drafted into the NBA. All of this from a kid from Compton. It just shows when you’re dedicated and passionate about something; you can make it out of the hood and be someone great. Demar DeRozan of my hometown Toronto Raptors is also from Compton, but since the age difference between Kendrick & Demar is a couple of years, it makes sense for Kendrick to use Arron. The second verse he talked about The Game and how his progression from just a mixtape rapper to a multi-platinum selling artist coming out of Compton, that also inspired him, but it made him jealous as well because he didn’t want to be the last black boy to fly out of Compton. Seeing the success of two guys from Compton make it out and be successful is relevant for anyone that lives in a city that has a lot of struggle and no hope of success. For example; Derrick Rose being from Chicago, being the youngest MVP and having a lot of positive impact for a city like Chicago and their issues of violence, it’s major to see someone come from your block and make it big. Kendrick didn’t think that he would be the next one, but he did and thus this song was made. It’s another inspirational song, because anyone can make it through adversity, no matter which area you live in. “Impossible is Nothing” (Thanks, Adidas).

    15.Now or Never (featuring Mary J. Blige)
    Why not end the album off on a high note with a soulful song with one of the R&B legends? Mary J. Blige with a great feature on this one. Celebrating the success that you have thus far with a lot of shows and more fans is something that new artists always want, so this is just major emphasis. Living out your dream is something that we all want, so go after it now or you’ll never get a chance. Simple, effective, motivational, and another good one. I see it having some radio play, but who knows?

    A lot of people have been saying that this is one of the best albums to come out not only this year, but of the past few years. I agree with both of those statements because when you take the time to tell a story, carefully craft it, and finally execute to perfection, it’s hard to disagree. The content revolved around the progression of Kendrick, but taking us back to where it all started. An eventful day that changed his life and started him on the path to making music for people to hear today. Telling the stories of themselves and others is what Hip Hop was beloved for. The life that a rapper lives isn’t all that glamorous in the beginning, because everyone struggles, so when you get a break and you have the opportunity to shine on a greater platform, you take advantage of that and tell the story of your come up, but also of the area surrounding you that inspired you to get to where you are now. I have confidence that Kendrick will continue to go to great lengths to deliver great music.

    “See y’all don’t understand me
    My plan B is to win y’all hearts before I win a Grammy” Kendrick Lamar “I Am (Interlude)”

    This is simply my opinion, thanks for reading this lengthy review (more like an Essay), but for now “Thats My Word & It STiXX”

    5/5

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  99. Best hip hop album in years this has the potential to be a classic! Cannot remember listening to a hip hop album this good, only complaint should of had ab soul and schoolboy q instead of drake

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  100. This album is beyond amazing. I don’t see it leaving my CD player, then again Section 80 JUST did. Best new artist in a long time

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  107. Great album. What hip hop should sound like. There is a message in this album and I hope the average rap consumer is wise enough to listen to it instead of whatever is on the radio that you can’t relate to. Thanks.

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  114. Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City” is everything it’s supposed to be, it’s as if everything the last 7 years of hip-hop was SUPPOSED to be collided and we were presented with this. The last 7 years in Hip Hop has been very lackluster, this is a major debut album that has creative vision, storytelling, substance, lyricism, and a message. It seems to be the fusion of so many previous styles but at the same time very different from any before it. I mean it’s like early Outkast meets the West Coast… And at the same time gangster rap meeting conscious rap. It can’t be boxed into any specific rap genre really, and that’s what makes it so great. If your somebody that appreciates well crafted songs, lyricism, and unconventional formats, it’s a must listen. Read an article that called it humanist rap, that fits perfectly.

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  115. is the only album that stands out from the rest this year, I feel this album is the start of an upcoming legend.

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  116. Pretty Ill album, funds are a little love but have no problem purchasing this tomorrow. Is it better than his first joint, I say yes because it’s more layered

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  119. Just creative way to unfold a story. Few rappers can pull this concept album off. Feelin the Dungeon Family vibe on a few of the tracks. Already listened to it a few time through. DAMN PROPS K.DOT

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  122. this album relates to everything that’s happening to music nowadays, “mainstream”. Kendrick is very aware of this, of his enemies and friends. Of what’s happening out there, everyone needs to listen to this hip hop phenomenon of an album.

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  127. The rise of Kendrick Lamar has been well covered by pretty much every physical and digital publication that even slightly touches on the world of hip hop. It’s a bit difficult to pinpoint the moment he burst through the underground with his signature lyrical intensity and seemingly universal respect from the rap community at large, but it seems safe to say most of us spent the majority of 2012 in anticipation of the release of his label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city. That time has finally come and for once, the wait was actually worth it.

    It only takes one or two experiences with Kendrick Lamar’s music to have his unique lyrical style and vocal presence etched into your mind. Even when backed by the most energetic of beats, there is a dull roar to his driven voice that echoes with the idea he is well aware of his level of talent. This would be dangerous in most cases, and it doesn’t take much of a glance at rap’s current hitmakers to find examples, but Kendrick lays his struggle with knowing he’s great to tape instead of boasting as if he’s now standing over the common man and it’s in this moment of vulnerability that he forges a true connection with the listener. He is the common man, only he has an uncommon gift and wild life that he’s learned to understand and use to a further extent than many of his peers.

    good kid, m.A.A.d city is an album that feels difficult to speak of in the sense of individual tracks, though many stand out as potential singles (“Poetic Justice” is flawless). Just as previous material have given us glances at a life laced with inner city struggle, drugs, guns, love, loss and family deeply rooted in their faith, the tracks on Lamar’s latest play like musical chapters in the latest book of an ongoing series about the life of a twenty-something on his way up. Even when Lamar touches on darker subject matter and the struggles he and those he loves continue to struggle with, there is an overwhelming sense of determination to overcome everything that reverberates throughout each track. Lamar recognizes he has a long way to go, and he uses this album to share that journey with the listener while still taking time to celebrate good.

    Perhaps the most notable aspects of good kid, m.A.A.d city is the extent Lamar goes to in order to create a complete listening experience. In addition to recurring lyrical themes and sequencing that could not be better, many of the tracks are tied together with audio excerpts from Lamar’s own life that serve to not only introduce or conclude the material, but enhance them with everything from the wisdom of his elders, to the way he and his friends interact. If there has been more effort and time put into letting listeners into an artist’s life, especially in hip hop, over few years then I have certainly never heard it.

    Hip hop needs Kendrick Lamar. Hell, music needs Kendrick Lamar. The biggest stars of the last few years have been those able to capitalize on disposability of pop music or those who choose to build their lines on words and phrases they know will piss off parents and amuse teens, but not Lamar. good kid, m.A.A.d city is a near flawless record that utilizes storytelling built completely on the human experience and the struggles we all face when trying to do right in a world that makes wrong much easier to form a lasting connection with the listener that doesn’t feel like another cheap grab at easy cash. This is real music. “Real hip hop.”

    You need to hear this record. In fact, everyone you know that claims to have any interest in urban music needs to hear this record. I don’t expect one album to change everything in hip hop, but at a time where everyone is doing their best to sound the same, Kendrick Lamar could very well be the cornerstone for rap’s next great movement. Don’t miss this album.

    Score: 9.5/10

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  128. I think this may be the best debut album ive heard since Lupe’s Food and Liquor, not sure might be caught up in the moment but still is a very good album from start to finish only flaw is the mary j blige assisted bonus track but that may be because im not a fan ive been jamming the bootleg since friday but im buying the album today after class but everyone should here this album

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  131. probably the first review by hip hop dx i totally agree with, 4 1/2 would be fair, this is a very well thought out and executed album, that i have played non stop for 3 days now-well done kendrick, he is keeping the flames of creativity and pushing the boundaries alive in hip hop..it sounds like nothing thats out today, and if you hear a negative review of this album, trust me, its hate dont believe it..lets buy this album and support quality hip hop..

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  133. If this album does well commercially, it will change the game. Major labels will now have a reason to push quality hip hop albums… hopefully closing the window on some of the awful “hip hop” out today.

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  134. Much better than the preview tracks lead on to be. I was also looking to be disappointing after hearing them, but they are a bit misleading since songs can change up in the middle. Cool album, think I like Section.80 a bit better still but we’ll see over time.

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  139. REAL hip hop is back. great story told in a very creative way, 5 outta 5 for the production, for the lyrics. 5 outta 5 overall. but i must say that i do like section 80 better.

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  147. I guess it’s pretty much consensus that this album is as good as it gets in hip-hop today, and maybe even, dare I say, classic. Fans throw the word “classic” around a lot these days but rarely is it warranted. I don’t use that word a lot, but if this ain’t a hip-hop classic, I don’t know what is

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  148. I see the interscope and aftermath people are writting much comments to sell this album.

    Album is decent and the beats suck. Section was better

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  153. Now how many of you muthafcckuhz are “BUYING” the Album and now “DOWNLOADING” from “Thieves” You “Lazy Broke Kids” today are the reason “Great Albums” FLOP! But everyone buys that weak as Wayne shid for some reason SMH!

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  158. BEEN BUMPIN THIS SHIT FOR A WEEK NOW! DOPE ALBUM! NO ONE DOES ALBUMS LIKE THIS ANYMORE. I CAN SEE ALL THE STUPID ASS LIL KIDS HERE COMMENTING THE BEATS SUCK…IS THAT WHAT U LISTEN TO? THE BEATS?? MMMAAAANNN GO LISTEN TO UR WACK ASS TRAP MUSIK…THIS IS REAL HIPHOP WITH A REAL CONCEPT. HAVNT SEEN SOMEONE PAINT A PERFECT PICTURE WITH WORDS SINCE PAC. GREAT ALBUM JUST EXTREMELY DISAPOINTED DRE DIDNT DO ANY TRACKS. THAT WAS LAME!! HE DID EM’S 1ST ALBUM, WHY NOT THIS ONE????

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    2. Well he only did 3 tracks on The Slim Shady LP. And Dre doesn’t really produce anymore, I mean look at Detox from what has been said he doesn’t seem to be producing ANY songs on it and the 2 songs that got released (although won’t be on Detox) were produced by DJ Khalil & Alex da Kid.

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  160. Amazing album. One sad thing, there’s only been FIFTEEN classics this century…

    The Eminem Show – Eminem
    Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ – 50 Cent
    Speakerboxx/The Love Below – Outkast
    The College Dropout – Kanye West
    The Blueprint – Jay-Z
    good kid, m.A.A.d city – Kendrick Lamar
    Section.80 – Kendrick Lamar
    Paper Trail – T.I.
    808s and Heartbreak – Kanye West
    My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
    Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
    Tha Carter III – Lil Wayne
    So Far Gone – Drake
    The Documentary – Game
    Teflon Don – Rick Ross

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    1. LMAO!

      Paper Trail – T.I.
      808s and Heartbreak – Kanye West
      Tha Carter III – Lil Wayne
      So Far Gone – Drake
      The Documentary – Game
      Teflon Don – Rick Ross

      Were in NO WAY “classics”

      The Eminem Show – Eminem
      Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ – 50 Cent
      The Documentary – Game

      Were certainly dope but weren’t “classics”

      good kid, m.A.A.d city – Kendrick Lamar

      Has just been released today! To claim it a “classic”right now would take away the meaning of the actual word

      Section.80 – Kendrick Lamar

      Was certainly dope as hell but didnt have the cultural impact to deem it a “classic”

      Channel Orange – Frank Ocean

      Isnt even a Hip Hop album, so if your talking about all genres then you’ve missed a fucking shit load

      And also

      The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem
      Stankonia – OutKast
      Be – Common
      Madvillainy – Madvillain
      The Black Album – Jay-Z
      Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor – Lupe Fiasco
      Quality – Talib Kweli
      undun – The Roots

      To name a few were ALL released THIS CENTURY you seemed to miss them off your shitty list.

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    3. speakerboxxx was not even one of outkast’s best albums
      808’s and headbreaks is kanye’s worst album
      carter 3 was not as good as carter 2

      Rick Ross? come on man that’s even worse than saying drake had a classic album.

      Try listening to “Mos Def & Talib Kweli present: Blackstar” and just go from there man

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    4. Does age matter? (I’m 22)

      The Black Album, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, was 99 Problems, Lucifer, Justify My Thug and Encore. The rest was very hard, I found, to vibe with.
      Lupe Fiasco is annoying as hell.
      Never heard of MadVillain (although I think there might be a reason relating to the quality of his music for that…)
      I forgot Common and Marshall Mathers LP, props on that.
      I’ve only heard Speakerboxx and ATLiens by Outkast
      Never really dug Kweli.
      Only heard of The Roots as the band on Jimmy Fallon.

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    5. This is the worst piece of shit list ever. You don’t even have each artist’s best work… An opinion is an opinion, but don’t try to come in on some factual shit and then put Drake and Rick Ross on your list. What did you just look up the highest-selling albums by your fav artists and list them? Kanye West, 3 Classics really? The Black Album hard to vibe with? Not to mention you didn’t mention one person not totally mainstream..

      I’m 21 and I been listening to every hip hop album that has dropped since i was probably 10 (Thank god for Napster, fuck parental discretion). Our generation needs to expand their horizons cuz this shit is embarrassing. Don’t bust out a list and then backpedal like “well I’v only heard 2 Outkast albums” and “I’ve only seen the Roots on Jimmy Fallon.” Thats sad son, do your homework before you even think of trying to define classic ever again.

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  161. Good Kid MAAd City is the BEST debut album since college dropout.
    Kendrick Lamar hip-hop is in your hands now. Well deserved.

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  162. Yeah it is pretty good. I enjoyed the album there are some really good tracks and i’ve listened to it a few times over now, taking them in understanding what he’s trying to say on every one. I think Section 80 was better, smoother, 80 was a classic for me but I suppose it is an objective thing. Whatever, it is a great album 10 times better than a lot of the people that make albums. 5 stars cause I can’t give it a 4.5, that peer pressure song is fuckin dope!

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  163. Its ok….not as good as Section 80 so 4.5 is good score….but for fucks sake can yall stop giving Skyzoo low scores? that shit is arguably top 5 CD this year.

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  165. Why not give it a 5? Undun definitely deserved it and this is the first album of that caliber released since then. Instead you give it the same rating that you gave welcome to: Our House. Not that a 4.5 is bad at all but slaughter didn’t deserve it. I really think DX had an opportunity to give the fans that don’t care as much about an album’s quality a reason to buy it or at least give it a second look. DX could have separated this album from the pack, which it deserves. I’m pretty sure undun got a look by a lot of non-Roots fans because it had that editor’s choice sticker on it. This album selling is important for hip hop in my opinion so you might as well support it 110%

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  168. Great Cd. I just want to know though, honestly, do you guys think this is a classc? I think Kendricks voice gets kindof hard to handle-and kendricks beats are not top notch-making for a great cd but not something on a blueprint, college dropout, or illmatic type level. Those cds I still put in to this day and love it! I think I will play this cd but its not something I will frequently come back to in the future.

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  170. “Its really just a self-portrait. I feel I need to make this this album in order to move on with my life, and I had negative vibes and demons haunting me. Its that real. I had to come from somewhere, I had to come from a place ” it could have been negative, it could have been positive but for the majority of it, it was negative place. I needed to vent and put this message out in order for me to grow as a person. I’m glad I did, because it was a venting process, you know, to tell these stories I never told.” – Kendrick Lamar when interviewed about the concept of good kid, m.A.A.d city.

    Though the album may come with 2 different covers, either one from the very beginning signifies an important aspect of Kendrick’s life and the concept of the album itself. In the standard edition, you are able to see Kendrick as a child sitting with his family, their eyes censored. Now whether this was for personal reasoning or not, it helps emit an essence of innocence from Kendrick while he was a child which is an ongoing theme within his music itself; witnessing the dangers and impurities of the city through innocent eyes. In the deluxe version, we are greeted with the image of a van, questionably belonging to his mother or father. This van holds a dominant hold as the running theme for the album as most of the skits are heard either involving the van or with it in the background. When interviewed himself, Kendrick explained the concept of the van came from his mother and her approval for his attempts at recording in studios. This may be what he explained but within the album the van seems to contain an essence of sorrow gained from it’s avid misadventures notable since the beginning of our journey into Kendrick’s life.

    We start off with Sherane, Kendrick’s love interest in his apparent 17-year old, hormone-riddled life. After meeting this promiscuous woman and their relations turning into something more we venture into a specific day where things take a turn for the worse as what supposed to be a simple booty call of sorts manages to be sabotaged by two men in black, probably her brothers who had other things in mind for Kendrick. This helps turn the entire album’s journey into a modern semi-autobiographical sequel to Boyz N The Hood as Kendrick returns to his homies bruised and broken. This entire story is elaborated upon throughout the album, reaching it’s climax by the time we reach the extended version of Swimming Pools. This also notably reaches a full circle once our young gangsters find their relief in a prayer passed down from their elder, the same prayer heard in the intro of the album, almost as if it was a cycle of finding what’s really “real” within their lives.

    I’ll give my general overview of this album. Kendrick’s main objective during this entire album was to expose his own life experiences while still representing the mischievousness of the youth of Compton and explain why they could possibly grow up into the stereotypical lifestyle of drug dealing, gang-banging, and self-survival within the Compton city limits, seeming a bit ironic with a feature from the seasoned veteran MC Eiht and his lifestyle when within the concrete jungle of California. His often referenced lyricism holds itself steady and up to expectations, only restrictive when in terms of hooks that can be seen as somewhat repetitive and lacking. The features are few and far between, helping not to dilute the album into some sort of DJ Khaled collab and helps shine the spotlight on respectable artists such as Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, MC Eiht & Jay Rock, who does represent another fourth of the Black Hippy group. The production itself has times where it brings the album’s message across as though we were not able to be blessed by a specific Dr. Dre beat, we are brought back to g-funk’s now evolved roots with songs such as m.A.A.d. city, which even brought in the traditional high-pitched synthesizer towards it’s end, Compton also with the voice box able to send shock waves of nostalgia from the days of Zapp & Roger though I do wish this influence was spread more throughout the album instead of one or two tracks. This doesn’t serve to depreciate the album although, as the sudden shift within certain tracks serve to bring completely different scenery, all recognizable with an important part in Kendrick’s life. Also with noticing Sherane being another running theme within the album, it seems as if Poetic Justice would’ve been better off as an independent single and replaced by the hard-hitting Cartoons & Cereal track which would seem more suitable in the album’s context.

    This album mainly comes as a build-up from the inner troubles of a dangerous society into a lesson about spiritual growth. I think the primary example of this can seen in Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst, which provides a narrative from different character’s viewpoints on Kendrick and how he portrays them within his music, even as Keisha’s sister before evaluating his own career and aspirations to help his people. This highlight of the album may be 12 minutes, but every last second is worth it as Kendrick manages to shed the skin of a musician and establish himself as a human being, destroying any particular ego he may have and stride for something greater for humanity’s sake while helping those that may have lost their way.

    “And you’re right, your brother was a brother to me
    And your sister’s situation was the one that put me
    In a direction to speak of something that’s realer than the TV screen
    By any means, wasn’t trying to offend or come between
    Her personal life, I was like “it need to be told
    Cursing the life of 20 generations after her” so
    Exactly would have happened if I hadn’t continued rappin’
    Or steady being distracted by money drugs and four
    Fives, I count lives all on these songs
    Look at the weak and cry, pray one day you’ll be strong
    Fighting for your rights, even when you’re wrong
    And hope that at least one of you sing about me when I’m gone
    Now am I worth it?
    Did I put enough work in?”

    After such an attempt, I can speak for myself and say yes. There are very few times in hip-hop where an artist can portray themselves as a spiritually-struggling human being, represent an entire city, create some catchy, but not overbearing singles, and still succeed while turning hip-hop temporarily back into a form of stylized poetry. Whether it’s 5 years or 5 centuries, this form of a personal soundtrack will be remembered for generation of people, despite its very minor flaws, to set a standard in today’s consciousness and conscious gangsta hip-hop. Amongst a city known for records in gang violence, police abuse, and drug tolerance, a unique hidden gem of some polluted innocence and social wisdom shines through.

    4.5/5

    Reply

  171. Yo So Icy Boi……Bow Down to the W!!!!Not only the best music comes from the West ,Real gangstas like MCEiht and no fakeass lipkissing prankstas like birdmann!!!

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    1. guys chill out…this isnt a classic. Its got greay lyrics but you need more than great lyrics for a great album. Production isnt quite there and Kendricks voice doesnt have long term replay value

      Reply

    2. @Jerryc It’s all subjective, in your opinion the album you might think the album is okay to dope. But other people love it. MOVE ON!

      Reply

  174. Instant Reminiscent Of Ready To Die For The Plain Fact Of His Storytelling And His Cohesiveness Overall Just Makes You Say Damn And As Usual This Isn’t For Everybody Who Is Just Looking For A Hard Beat To Bump In Their Car..Ya’ll Might As Well Keep Listening To The Radio
    5/5

    Reply

    1. Yeah it’s too bad too cuz I really like dope beats…you hit it on the head – this isn’t a very exciting album production wise

      Reply

  179. Can’t help thinking expectations have been lowered here…particularly considering how bad those championed as ‘lyrical’ over the past 5 years are. Don’t get me wrong; it’s good; sort of like a Fabolous, or a Freeway. But classic? Don’t start throwing that word around, please.

    There’s even a baby photo on the cover, for god’s sake. Calculated as hell. Wouldn’t be a problem if it was more artistry than hype, but, nope, no such luck. Hip-pop doesn’t know the meaning of ‘classic’, and trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the fans who are still left caring won’t change that.

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    2. I’m not downplaying your opinion at all because you have a right to it but do you hear the message? But can you not feel yourself in the city of Compton? This is the struggle of black youth with no guidance. This is reality. This is an individual realizing his position to rewrite history by taking a shot at corruption. Kendrick could not have portrayed it any better. This isn’t music, this is a lesson. This is eye opening, and it will be sad if these societies don’t grasp the message.

      Reply

    3. This album is incredibly written, rapped, and produced. Classics needs time, but don’t dismiss this album so quickly because other people hype it up. Don’t be one of those reticent older hiphop listeners that are, to quote Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, “too preoccupied with the past, they sabotagin’ the future just to dickride Illmatic.”
      Remember, the classics of today were once new and few if any were considered classics upon release.

      Reply

  182. Upon first listen I was kinda like, “Eh this is alright”

    Three listens later, this album is just excellent. No other way to put it. Let’s just hope he stays grounded and doesn’t sell out.

    Thanks for the great music Kendrick.

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  183. You can’t go wrong with this album. So cohesive. It all ties in together. This is gonna set the bar for every album that’s coming out in the next year or so.

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  185. Kendrick has done all he can do with this album… one of the most powerful pieces of music I’ve ever listened to. The message is strong – hopefully the people it’s intended for can appreciate it

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  186. as someone mentioned below, do not be so quick to throw the word classic out. This is not a classic. Its a great album, and for todays rap, its a classic, but not by our standards of all time rap classics.

    Reply

    1. It’s all about if he would fit into the concept, and of course if there would be a song that he would fit then it’s about if he didn’t get over picked.

      So I reckon he would’ve fitted “Money Trees” nice but Kendrick chose Jay Rock over Game and I doubt that Game could’ve have put in a better verse than Jay Rock did. He could’ve fitted “m.A.A.d city” but Kendrick chose MC Eiht because Eiht was a major idol to him and I doubt Game could’ve have put in a better verse than MC Eiht did. He could’ve fitted “Compton” nicely but Dre was on this one AND I doubt Game could’ve have put in a better verse than even Dr. Dre did.

      So to sum it up… Game is a shit rapper.

      Reply

  195. I haven’t bought Kendrick’s album yet, but I can tell that he is the kind of artist that just makes good music and I think that even though this is his first mainstream album, it won’t be a sell out album, if that makes any sense.

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    1. I Wonder… what do you consider a flop!?!? Isn’t a “flop” selling below the expectations of the label? So how do you know what their expectation is?

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  197. Now we know why DX hasn’t reviewed a fucking thing in 3 months, saving it all from some bullshit 30 in 30 promo. Thanks, I really wanna read a review after I’ve listened to an album 50 times…

    With that said, fuck me K.Dot is amazing. Now that I’ve listened to this shit a good 20 times straight through there isn’t a skippable track, no fat to trim here. Kept to the concept, brought the stories, lyrical ability and just overall planning and vision needed to make this kinda album. Shit is beautiful. I’ve never been to Compton, but for $10 Kendricks given us an hour-long vacation there, and shit it sounds exactly like I thought Compton would. He transports you there. Don’t compare this to Section.80, they are entirely different project and if you can’t respect his growth you shouldn’t indulge in art, period. This was a beautiful experiment, I can’t wait to hear more from this motherfucker. I’ll admit that the production didn’t sit with me well at first, but overall this album has such a dope vibe and it all flows so well, so I can excuse that. Can you honestly tell me the first time you heard “m.A.A.d city” you didn’t want shit yourself? Both beats are so hard, the beat switch is perfecto, and that last verse after MC Eiht’s where he keeps tweaking his voice, you kidding me? Idk how you can say his voice gets annoying when he almost never gives you the same cadence twice in the whole fuckin album. Ill shit, keep it up Kendrick, you earned my 10 bucks. Shit, I’ll cop two. 4.5/5, top 3 AOTY

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  204. I’m sayin…

    It’s a good feeling to see someone you listened to a year ago and become the talk of everyone. I hope Kendrick gets paid for this.

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  209. So why wasnt this ranked a 5/5 again? Based on what Im reading this should be a 5. Smh scary ass reviewers…

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  210. I’ve heard people say that rappers don’t make classic albums anymore, but the truth is we don’t let rappers make classic albums anymore. As I’ve written before, the definition of a classic album is one that stands the test of time, that sounds as good on it’s 500th listen as it did on its fifth. But in 2012 we live in a constant state of elective ADHD, jumping from Tweet to meme to album to Instragram to Tumblr to viral video to text to Facebook to the next album. We can barely be bothered to pay attention to U.S. wars for longer than a news report, if that long, so what chance does even the greatest music have? Classic albums are still being made, but we’ve forgotten how to listen to them. Maybe Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city will remind us.

    Kendrick Lamar has risen from some Compton kid named K-Dot to Dr. Dre’s protege and hip-hop’s most acclaimed voice because his music transcends any label. He’s not just a voice of the people, he’s the voice the people wish they could speak in. On his last two independent albums, Overly Dedicated and Section.80, he showed an ability to dive into abstraction without ever losing his grip on reality, to shift his flow and styles in ways that showcased a complete disregard for sounding “cool.” So there was some justified anxiety around his major label release; it wasn’t a question of if Interscope would influence the album, it was a matter of how much. Frankly, I had nightmares involving a Chris Brown hook and a StarGate beat.

    Thankfully, the answer appears to be very little. Instead, the only noticeable label influences on good kid, m.A.A.d city seem to be a higher production budget and the ability to clear a Janet Jackson sample. Speaking of which, “Poetic Justice” has to be considered the album’s most “radio friendly” offering, if only because of Drake’s presence and the aforementioned smoother-than-smooth sample. It’s a fine track, and certainly doesn’t feel forced, but it’s also one of the album’s weakest because Kendrick sounds the most confined. By contrast, “Swimming Pools (Drank)” finds Kendrick playing with the genre, taking the binge drinking-friendly environment that’s currently dominating the charts and twisting the formula almost beyond recognition, a method he uses again on “Backseat Freestyle.” While nearly every rapper alive would have bent over backwards to make that Hit-Boy beat the 2012 version of “A Milli,” Kendrick takes lyrics that aren’t particularly far from the swaggering norm and delivers them in a voice that flips from verse to verse nearly schizophrenically. Along with the epically-minded Compton, those are good kid, m.A.A.d citys solid offerings

    but I’m only so interested in solid. Really, I’m looking for “oh shit!” moments, and semi-title track m.A.A.d city is an “oh shit” moment if I ever heard one. But while the first two minutes of m.A.A.d city alone would make it eligible for banger of the year, half-way through the song the track completely switches to an equally loud but more laid-back riding tone. Who folds two songs into one track like that? The same guy who folds another two songs into a 12-minute journey like “Sing About Me / Dying of Thirst.” I’ve heard deeply personal and lyrically complex joints like “Sing About Me” before, often from Kendrick, but I’ve never heard anyone cut off a verse with gunshots like that before, never heard anyone so openly adopt a female voice like he does on the second verse, never heard anyone then simply allow the vocals on that verse to fade away while rapping about never fading away. And that’s only the first half of the track. It’s original touches like those, along with re-occurring, documentary style local voices that pervade the album, that ultimately make good kid, m.A.A.d city one of the most powerful representations of inner city life, a life where the wrong answer to “where you from?” can end everything in a moment, you’ll ever hear. “The Art of Peer Pressure?” Oh shit that’s some nice storytelling. “Sherane?” Oh shit that’s a hell of a way to start an album. Sometimes, when the music really does hit you, all you can say it oh shit.

    There are only three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and people who will say, “good kid, m.A.A.d city is dope, but it isn’t as good as Section.80″, or if they’re feeling particularly ambitious, ” isn’t as good as Overly Dedicated.” (Theres got to be at least the one dude saying “this isn’t as good the Kendrick Lamar EP.) Of course, those same people will say Kendrick’s next project isn’t as good as good kid, m.A.A.d city, and there are two reasons why they’re unable to recognize present greatness in favor of the past. First, they expected Kendrick to deliver the album of the year, so even if he does deliver the album of the year, he’ll have only barely met their expectations; who’s impressed by someone who barely meets their expectations? Second, they’ve built up a bank of memories that are triggered by Kendrick’s previous projects: the nights spent riding around with their boys banging “Michael Jordan,” the hours they spent trying to rap along to “Rigamortis.” But when they listen to good kid, m.A.A.d city and search for some memory, they come up empty. That’s not Kendrick’s problem, it’s your problem, it’s our problem. He’s given us all he could possibly give us; an album worthy of being called a classic. Now it’s up to you to make it a classic. It’s up to you to keep listening next week, next month and next year. It’s up to you to play “Sing About Me” until you understand it’s every nuance. It’s up to you to build new memories, classic memories, tied to good kid, m.A.A.d city – all I can do is help by ending this review now and urging to you listen, and keep listening.

    A+

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  211. I aint really had a full album i was feeling since dre dropped the chronic.

    And then came section 80 which has the most replay value ive ever had from an album ,now we got this great album.

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  212. I Wonder… did Kendrick actually NEED Interscope for this? I mean all he had to do is to sign to Dre’s Aftermath to get the buzz boost he got and if he did just sign to Aftermath he would’ve got A LOT more money.

    I predict at least 220,000 sold in the first week.

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  213. this is the kinda music my generation needs. now i can say i was living in a time where one of the greatest rappers of all time saved hip hop

    Reply

    1. Actually yeah! i said since the chronic i aint felt a whole album , common be i actually purchased ,since then nothing!

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  216. This album is like a fucking movie, Fuck god forgives i dont and that other shit.. This is the album of the year, respects to Nas and Lupe fiasco for their releases this year but this is a masterpiece

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  217. I first refused to download the leak. So id listen to some tracks from youtube. I was disappointed. But because the sound quality on youtube didnt do any justice, not to mention some songs were a lil sped up. I downloaded last night at 1030pm pacific. And first listen i found myself creating a film in my head. Yes section 80 is phenomenal. But GKMC is an experience. The bonus material is the credits of this short film. “Now or never” is an anthem. No dont label this a classic. (Yet) let it settle in.

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  218. NO WAY IN HELL is this as good as people are saying. I feel like hiphop is sooo fucked up right now any half way decent thing that drops in the mainstream is labeled a “classic” these days. People’s standards for good hiphop music have lowered tremendously if this is considered a classic.. This album and J Cole’s album are ridiculously overrated. (Though, I will say this was a lot better then Cole’s) This isn’t a 4.5…It’s a 3.5 AT BEST, let’s quit lying to ourselves.

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    4. They don’t love in, they love the hype and being apart of the hype. I feel like this would have gotten high ratings no matter what it sounded like.

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    5. Its faggots like you who are killing hip-hop. The pressure that new artists face from you bitch ass purist is unreal. The great artist from the last generation never had to deal with bull like this. 20 yrs ago when you were dope you were dope and the community understood. Now it doesnt matter if an artist releases the best hip-hop album of all time, ya’ll fags will belittle it and make it seem like its soulja boy.

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  221. I hate when niggas rate flawless shit a 4.5 for no reason. What is that – .5 for? Then years later when niggas wanna acknowledge it as a classic they’ll have to re-review just like they had to do with Reasonable Doubt smh. Why are niggas so scared to give credit where its due? You don’t have to use the word “Classic”, but a flawless album is a flawless album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop deducting points for NOTHING!!!!!!

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  222. I’m a huge Lupe and Kendrick Fan. This album was good, but I feel like it’s missing something. After the first listen it didn’t really hit me like lupe album I guess because it’s less content wise and I thought his rap skills were not as good as section 80 or cartoon and cereal. But overall I like the story, the second half of the album was great. Need to listen to it more. So far I give it 4 stars

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  228. In the year 2020 when trunk music and pop completely take over hip hop, you guys will recognize that this was a classic.

    Reply

  229. Lupe Fiasco-Food and Liquor(classic album people forgot how big he was some years ago)
    50-Cent-Get Rich and Die Tryin (IS a classic and widely known as one)

    Common-Be

    Kanye West-College Dropout

    Jay-Z-Black Album

    Nas-Stillmatic

    Distant Relatives(nas and damien marley)

    The Game-Documentary

    Dr.Dre-Chronic 2001

    Outkast-Speakerboxx/The Love Below

    Eminem-The Eminem Show

    Jay-Z-The Blueprint

    Reply

    1. I’m guessing you’re carrying on the discussion early on in this post and let me say.

      If were’re going with what is “widely known as one (a classic)” then how are Stillmatic & Distant Relatives in there???

      Also Chronic 2001 was released in 1999…

      Reply

  230. I really enjoyed this album. It doesn’t not have the initial appeal some may look for, but deeper down its themes/concepts/story is truly remarkable. Plus K.Dot is a great lyricist too.

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  231. I agree with the rating, but not alongside other albums rated 4.5
    This album is better than all the other 4.5’s rated this year. Instant Classic. Only wish a couple of those bonus tracks made the cut.

    5/5

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  234. This and Life is Good by Nas are tied as te 2 best Hip Hop albums of the year. Lupe’s was good but NOWHERE as good as is first 2 albums or GKMC and LIG.

    This is the 2nd year in a row that Kendrick has given me best Hip Hop album of the year, or at least tied with someone else for it. He did it last year with Section.80 when he tied with Saigon’s The Greatest Story Never Told in 2011 and now GKMC is tied with Life is Good in 2012.

    Next up, Saigon’s Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses, due out November 6th. GKMC will hold me over till then.

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    1. GKMC will hold you over until you get your next fix?

      you guys whose lives revolve around hip hop are gay as fuck. it’s just MUSIC. i enjoy listening to music too but my fucking life doesn’t revolve around it.

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    1. Rick Ross will only smoke Kendrick in an eating contest and the test to apply to become a State Trooper. Sit yo ass down somewhere, Toby.

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  241. The Illest lyricist this generation has!
    I thank Kendrick lamar and all involved because this is what we need as a hip hop community.
    its not the most original ive heard because theres alot of outkasts influence in this album.
    Erykah badu aint on this album? sounds like she somewhere in the studio like andre 3000.
    as Hip Hop gets older theres less originality. To me a classic is something weve never heard before from the flows to the beats and this album reminds alot of Andre and Antwan.
    Im not taking anything away from kendrick lamar its obvious his craft is undeniable thanks again for doin what u do for Hip Hop!

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  242. Although there is a commercial tint to this album, as expected of course; Kendrick has successfully put out a classic. The story telling is second to none and individually each song is rich in it’s texture and technicality. This man is a genius and I’m more than positive that Kendrick will be the next rapper to acquire an empire, along with an extraordinary discography.

    BUY THE ALBUM! 5/5

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  243. I’m not trolling but this album is no where near lyrical as Lupe and Nas Album. It’s too straight forward and his wordplay not as good as other projects. A classic to me is an album that makes you think and you rewind several times to decipher what the person says and a great story. I feel like the story is there, but it’s not that creative enough. I guess time will tell but if you guys claim this to be a classic Food and liquor 1 must be a triple classic then because they are not even close.

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    2. Reasonable Doubt was straight forward. There is different types of lyricism. There are those like Nas who just display absurd wordplay for 4 minutes … and then there is the Jay-Z’s, who can make you engage into what they’re saying.

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    5. or they are just their own artist…. smh everyone so simple minded you have to compare it to something that already exists. What would be the point of wanting another Nas or a Lupe, there already is one.

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    2. Is it because I’m black. If your going to hate me hate me because I’m retarded not because I’m black…

      Sincerely Yours
      -Malone

      Reply

    6. Okay so here is my registered number: 7777-fuck-777… I think this might be the number to a local bordello. I can’t be sure for certain.. kind of like my hairline.. one can never be sure.. you all give me a call when your ready to start taking things a little more seriously.

      Hey while I’m here can any body tell me the recipe for pasta? I got a couple of friends coming over next week and I want to be prepared.. This would be most appreciated. Thank you for your time.

      Sincerely Yours
      -Malone

      Reply

  245. King TD Said it best when he said……It doesn’t not have the initial appeal some may look for, but deeper down its themes/concepts/story is truly remarkable.

    Listened 4 times now, appreciate it more and more!

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  246. The hood won’t fuck with this because strippers can’t bounce they ass to it,young niggas can’t wildly shake their dreads to it, and he is not instructing them to sell dope,blow cash, beat ass, and worship/hate hoodrats. I think the album is dope though.

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  247. If you love true artistry in hip hop, you’ll love GKMC. It’s apparent Kendrick puts his all into everything he does, you can feel the dedication he puts into his songs. How many albums in this day an age are this cohesive and this creative? Hip hop has a true talent for many years to come.

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  248. Yeah i don’t mind the 4.5/5 ,thats fine!

    what isn’t acceptable is slaughterhouse got the same rating!

    you off your rocker if you think this is equal to that awful piece of shit album slaughterhouse dropped! i bet no one listening to welcome to our house anymore! least replay value ever! yeah im still hating on slaughterhouse on a kendrick album review! even if it is irrelevant to who thinks it is.

    If this album was weak i was done listening to hip hop after welcome to our house, i was ashamed.

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    1. I feel you. I stopped listening to the Slaughterhouse the day after it came out. It was disappointing to me cause i really liked their 1st album. But this album here is going to be considered a classic when they do they best albums of the decade in 2020.

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    2. Slaughterhouse lost their core fans when they released that shit and gained a bunch of children.

      Kendrick kept his core fans happy and his fanbase will increase alot from today!

      We all like Slaughterhouse , and their first album…..but that album was a joke on so many levels.

      what pisses me off the most is slaughters chip on their shoulder too! like they all that!….after that corny album you dropped shut the fuck up! ,its not even hate! its all
      real talk!……slaughterhouse was the shit to me at 1 point! now that sorry bunch better listen to this album from kendrick and realise…..we had an awful album.

      this kid nice!

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  249. Album is dope as a motherfucker bout to go cop my hard copy now…I admit doe I was one of those peeps that was hating on this as soon as heard the snippets complaining that it’s not as good as Section.80. It may not be as good, but its pretty damn close…I still ain’t feeling backseat freestyle doe and Poetic Justice is still eh but I hating…I know he has to have a little radio appeal being that he’s on a major…With swimming pools and poetic justice he has that…These two along with now or never are the the only songs I felt Kendrick “sold-out” on for lack of better words…That chorus on Money trees doe, can’t get enough of it. And the first cut on “m.A.A.d. city” is ridiculous, shit bangs for real. Overall to those thinking that Kendrick “sold-out” I’d say listen to the album again. Its the exact same Kendrick we heard before…Dope lyrics and real stories you can feel..I give it 4.7/5

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  253. I hated the snippets but when you hear the entire album, then you realize he put out a classic. At first listen I didnt love Section 80 but, after a few listens all the way thru I loved it. & that is what happened with GKMC. I had to listen to it 3x. My only wish is he had an additio to Keisha Song & Rigamortis.

    Now I gotta go get 2 deluxe copies for me & my lady

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  256. deaf ass niggaz who’s asses cnt be saved!.. this album is epic, this is actually something you can still come back to after years it has been released and still sound good. not these “realesed-today-and-forgotten-tomorow” sht we hear nowadays. GTFOH!

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  267. 4.5/5 FOR REAL!!! what happen kendrick? I loved section 80 this album sucked wish I never wasted money on it you trolls talk that shit all you want about album of the year but this shit sounds like a below average mixtape with poor production and mixings and when kendrick makes his gay sound effects it kills my vibe (get it)……Tracks i liked good kid,money trees,swiming pools,real,recipe everthing else was poorly done or lame as fuck……2/2.5 is all this gets from me and i will never buy anything from this fruit again……NOW GO AHEAD HATE ME STANS

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  268. good job kendrick, you have officially shut up the haters great album. not as good as section.80 but it will grow on me more and more, likely to surpass his last album. give me a month then i can rate for now its just good music

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  272. After listening to this album the last week or so since it leaked, I’ve pretty much decided I’mma be listening to this shit on and off for the rest of my life. Definitely a classic.

    Whats up with HipHopDX? Section 80 4.5, then Life is Good a 4/5 (a joke, i know), then today u gave GKMC another 4.5???

    DX, Grow a pair of nuts and give out some classic ratings.

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  277. classic. straight up and down. mind-blowing how a major label artist in 2012 can drop a release with 0 signs of conformity

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  279. Classic album. flawless, well constructed..just fucking amazing!! This man is on the road to greatness. this album isnt comparable to anything released by new-age rappers, it’s on a whole nother level, we are seeing a legend in the making, exciting times ahead of this genius rapper.

    Reply

  281. This album is okay. Lyrically,nothing spectacular,good story though. Classic? Ya’ll throw the word Classic around way to much.

    Reply

  283. I thought that this was amazing, this is definitely a MODERN classic. Lets see if this stands the test of time (which i think it will do) before calling it an overall classic.

    I give it a 5/5, dope lyrics, amazing transitions, great story and coherence and the production was def on point

    Reply

    1. co sign

      the album is good but do not deserve such a rate

      even life is good which to me is probably the best album of this year so far did not get such a rate

      Reply

  288. this album is easily the best of 2012. Kendrick Lamar is one of the most creative artists i have ever heard.

    Reply

  292. Sorry fellow Hiphop Dx’ers I was wrong about this album, I just listen to it again Second time…. This shit is GREAT YA BISHH!

    Only crit I have, I wish the album was a little bit more lyrical, more rewind moments and the drake song was not on the album. Not gonna say this is a classic yet because so far I like the Iron fist album just as much.

    Yoooooo what that Jeezy song say..LAST TIME I CHECKED I WAS THE MAN ON THESE STREETS lol

    Reply

  294. This is exactly why hip hop is dead. Too much dick riding, great artist but an ok album. Nothing close to classic.

    Reply

  295. you cannot understand the album in one listen. It leaking early was good thing because six days later the album grew even more on people and now it’s getting general acclaim.

    Reply

  298. Few too many people saying it’s ‘flawless’, it’s a ‘classic’, etc. Fair enough, you’re entitled to an opinion – but go back and listen to albums like Illmatic, Breaking Atoms etc – albums that were deemed classics when standards were higher 🙂

    Again: bearing in mind I’m not a “h8r” and I think it’s good, for those who are blown away by Kendrick’s lyricism – you’ve been starved of genuine quality by the last few years. Money talks, and audiences buy simplified music in their masses. There’s a reason hip-hop’s golden age is so-called – without being a snob, because there is still good music around, it’s just harder to find (and rarely ‘classic’). Seriously, check it out. If you liked Nas’s last album, for instance – Large Professor’s group, Main Source, had a genuine classic with “Breaking Atoms”. Check it out.

    Reply

  300. Definitely a classic. Good shit by Kendrick Lamar. It’s a movie with a constant instrumental flowing in the background. #ArtofStorytelling

    Reply

  302. 4.5/5 FOR REAL!!! what happen Kendrick? I loved section 80 this album sucked wish I never wasted money on it you trolls talk that shit all you want about album of the year but this shit sounds like a below average mixtape with poor production and mixing and when Kendrick makes his gay sound effects it kills my vibe (get it)……Tracks i liked good kid,money trees,swimming pools,real,recipe everything else was poorly done or lame as fuck……2/2.5 is all this gets from me and i will never buy anything from this fruit again……NOW GO AHEAD HATE ME STANS

    Reply

    3. You obviously don’t know much about what qualifies as a good mix. This album has some of the most creative and innovative mixing I’ve heard in hip-hop period. And the production is top notch layed back and hip-hop to the core. I don’t know what you smokin on nigga if you think this album aint good or at least well produced if you don’t like the lyrics or feel. Respect the work put it!

      Reply

  311. This is a true gift. Grateful that such a talented artist would put himself out there like this. Really respect what he does for his city and equally, if not more, for hip hop. No one can say for sure what will become a classic, but this one has a hell of a chance.

    Reply

  315. You guys don’t understand. Listen to the lyrics as closely as possible. He tell a story of one night gone wrong in the life of a 17 year old Compton boy. It goes from him meeting Sherane, to messing around with the homies (which he didn’t really want to do), to them robbing a place, to someone dying.

    Reply

    1. and the last words are “momma im gonna borrow the van, be back in 15” that just made me listen to the whole album over again.

      Reply

  317. Buying 2 copys of this album today , drink a brew and smoke some good weed to this new classic hip hop album . GYYEEEAH WESTSIDE SINCE THE 80’S

    Reply

  322. after giving this album a few spins over the past few days, it’s sounding like a classic. why not a 5?

    not disagreeing with the 4.5, I just honestly want to know what an album needs to be consisted of to warrant a perfect rating from DX, especially these days when rap’s losing substance exponentially with each year that passes. when you listen to it cover-to-cover, you realize how ahead of the game he is with his storytelling skills. It feels like I’m listening to an audiobook with beats.

    I have a whole new view of that minivan on the alternate cover now, lol.

    Reply

  327. Much better review than NME’s.. they though he is from Chicago and Lady Gaga is on this album (Chicago rapper Kendrick Lamar has, somehow, bagged guest spots from Lady Gaga, Drake and Dr Dre for his major-label debut.). Hahaha!
    http://i.imgur.com/LIfjP.png

    Reply

    1. he was probably better off dre NOT producing anything for him….thought i would never say that…but its clear to see dre does not have the passion for programming beats anymore.

      Reply

  334. I just can’t feel this album…It brings nothing new to hiphop. The whole “Good kid in a mad city” concept is basically the same as Nas’ Illmatic…But it’s like the heavily dumbed down version of that album…And how can you stand his voice??? He sounds like a frog with a lisp or something…

    Reply

  340. @The anonymous below me
    To each their own. Personally I think the idea is reinforced and expanded on with the skits throughout the album helping to tell the story. Which gives the concept a new persective. As far as his voice, at first yeah I didn’t vibe with it at first, but after you listen to Section.80, it starts to grow on you. I don’t think the album’s dumbed down at all, if anything it’s expanded from what Section.80 was. This album is a success and is worth the money.

    Reply

    3. its sad but soo true, it doesn’t matter how much praise this gets, and how good it really is, this will not be nearly as commercially successful as it deserves to be.

      Reply

  344. lets see game homies released major label albums this year how many of them let game on their albums? 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

    THAT CLOWN CANT RAP FOR SHIT THATS WHY

    Reply

  345. Listen to a true story told by motherfucking kendrick Lamar ya bitch. Album of the year by far. Can’t wait til he comes to Australia in December!!!!!

    Reply

  350. This is not the best album of the year. What everyone forgot that food and liquor 2 came out in september. you gotta get your shit straight this is number 2

    Reply

  352. dickriders everywhere, obviously part of the mainstream major labels’ agenda. This kid isn’t bringing the west back he is making some new abhorration (think Frankenstein’s monster). Man I am craving some old school G-Funk shit

    Reply

    1. g-funk era is dead. that was the 90s. it’s 2012 now, no one’s going to bring back parliament-funkadelic samples just to make your old ass happy.

      Reply

  353. album is 3,5 worth. Stop dickriding you meanstream fuckers. you dont know what a classic is.

    Please Interscope stop writing comments on this site its riduculous 14 pages with comments for this album. In no way rapfans are writing these comments, fuck the people from aftermath and interscope braggin about its a classic

    Reply

    1. shut the fuck up with your conspiracy theories. really, people from aftermath and interscope are coming on hhdx to brag about it? why would they waste their time doing that? i’m pretty sure these are all regular consumers who listened to the album and enjoyed it, myself included. so stop with that conspiracy bullshit, and if people call it a classic, then so be it.

      Reply

  362. i thought it was a FLOP from what i heard then i see all dick riders on this site SMH HHDX sucking dick again bet they call it album of the year but to me it was a complete disappointment and after this im no longer a kendrick lamar fan im also going stop buying records on day 1 because I felt like I threw my hard earn money away on a half azz completed album

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  365. yeah man! this gotta be the best of the year. kendrick brought it home on here. big ups k. dot and black hippy. great work. 5/5

    Reply

    1. Exactly how I feel and the crazy thing is even when they gave Undun 5 stars last year it still wasn’t album of the year which is mind boggling considering it was the only album they gave 5 stars

      Reply

  371. My only question is how can you not list a single flaw in the album review, and not give the album 5 stars? Is it politics? I don’t know, but I think that in the era of so-so hip hop you should cut the BS and give an album/artist like this what he deserves…be apart of History DX! 5/5

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  375. What i really don’t understand, is the amount of people coming onto this page and commenting negatively. It’s one thing to have listened to the album, or purchased it, and not liked it. But to come on here with negative preconceived ideas and feelings towards the album, automatically disqualifies your opinions. What’s wrong with people labeling an album classic? If they feel it is, so be it. Let it fly if you agree, or if you don’t. Half of these negative comments stem from people who are honestly jealous, because their favorite artist isn’t getting this type of shine. I honestly believe over 80% of naysayers, simply hate on something because it’s popular, or widely talked about. Kendrick hasn’t ever claimed to be the best, he just wants to give us the best listening experience. I wouldn’t put it past him that this album reaches classic status. I have yet to listen, but i’m going to wait and purchase the deluxe album. One thing that more of you should do, purchase your artists’ albums, and support them.. I’m not some “stan” or “dick rider” because i’m a Kendrick fan. I just happen to recognize talent when I see it. So you negative nancy’s should go comment elsewhere. Leave the negativity for you and your mirror next time.

    TDE!!

    Reply

    1. Your novelized argument sounds like the exact same thing you’re complaining about. Let albums breathe before you dickride the shit to hell.

      Rap listeners today are fucking stupid.

      Reply

    1. that album isn’t out yet. meek’s gonna kill his debut too, but i’m sure it won’t be better than kendrick.

      Reply

  378. people hate the album because they dont like the songs as individuals. you have to listen to the whole album as 1 song and then it all comes together. props to kendrick for taking me through his journey

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  380. People were calling Lil Wayne the best rapper alive a few years ago, and that shit was stupid as fuck. NOW THIS DUDE, is the REAL best rapper alive.

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  381. This is why we all love hip hop!!!! Album is dope!!!!! One of if not the best in a loooooong ass time! 5/5 what a debut thank you Kendrick!!

    Reply

  384. this album has an annoying vibe to it. a couple good songs but i’ve been hitting skip about half way through every song on the cd…most of this is just horrible. creative rhymes don’t make a good rapper, presentation is also necessary which this cd has terrible production and it kinda sounds homo…i feel like i need to listen to something manly after this lol why can’t he make more hits like hiipower

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  387. this album is a classic and the definition of REAL music you dudes talking about its wack probably the type of dudes who think lil wayne and drake is real music stop hating and listen harder YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND EXTENDED VOCABULARY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A FIRE ALBUM

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  390. I don’t know why y’all reply to these clowns comments! After I seen a comment saying Gucci is better than Kendrick I came to the conclusion that most of these people are retarded or want attention. 5/5

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  391. This was a well put together album..Love the innovation, creativity, lyrics were on point..Overall An Amazing album.Props to Kendrick

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  394. It’s not a classic YET, the album is amazing, it’s a 5/5 without a doubt for me, but it’s up to us to make it a classic. It’s up to us to go to the stores or on iTunes and buy this album, it’s up to us to listen to this album for years to come, it’s up to us to change hip hop (or at least, mainstream hip hop).

    Reply

    1. HAHA LMAO… i dont even know where to start, this is a garbage album for me with the most annoying flow i ever heard.. ever like worse than tony yayo

      Reply

  400. overrated, one of the most annoying flows in the world.. id rather hear some random arab, mandarin, german, alien shit over these beats… just so overrated people are just brainwashed into liking shit if you force feed it to them like most hip hop sites have over the last couple years with kendick lashit

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  401. overrated, one of the most annoying flows in the world.. id rather hear some random arab, mandarin, german, alien shit over these beats… just so overrated people are just brainwashed into liking shit if you force feed it to them like most hip hop sites have over the last couple years with kendrick lashit

    Reply

  402. I BOUGHT 2 COPIES BTW…THAT MAKES 2 ALBUMS BOUGHT THIS YEAR…TWO ALBUMS BOUGHT SINCE COLLEGE DROPOUT CAME OUT.

    Reply

  403. Whats going on Everybody. . . I just got a question. . Food and Liquor from 2006 or Good Kid Maad City. . .?

    Reply

    1. Apples and Oranges. Actually, I would compare The Cool to m.A.A.d City since they’re both concept albums following critically acclaimed debuts. But whereas The Cool takes a more fantastical approach, m.A.A.d City is more based on reality.

      Reply

  405. I listen to the album about 7-10 times now. Then came to see a review…I said that it was well put together, Already liked his style from section 80. But what gets me is the voice mails and the recordings of him and his homies how they are placed in throughout the album. each one is in the perfect spot. Each one goes with the next or previous track. let alone the tracks are off the chain!

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  412. 1.) Sherane a.k.a Master Splinters Daughter – 9
    2.) Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe – 9
    3.) Backseat Freestyle – 9
    4.) The Art of Peer Pressure – 9
    5.) Money Trees – 9
    6.) Poetic Justice – 8
    7.) good kid – 8
    8.) m.A.A.d city – 9
    9.) Swimming Pools (Drank) – 9
    10.) Sing About Me / Im Dying Of Thirst – 10
    11.) Real (feat. Anna Wise) – 8
    12.) Compton – 9
    —Bonus—
    1.) The Recipe – 3
    2.) Black Boy Fly – 9
    3.) Now or Never – 5

    Reply

  414. lets see game homies released major label albums this year how many of them let game on their albums? 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

    THAT CLOWN CANT RAP FOR SHIT THATS WHY!!!!

    Reply

  416. Straight up I ain’t even trying to hate. Section 80 was an awesome album. If anything it gave me way too much hope for m.a.a.d. city. This album was average at best. He had all the chances to reestablish a classic west coast sound like no one since Snoop in ’93 has had, and he blew it. The album should have been what it was in the review, but it’s not. Horrible beat selection, horrible use of his voice and cadences, and lots of weak lines from a truly gifted lyrical mc. This album sounded like a wannabe outkast album. Big Boi’s Sir Lucious Leftfoot absolutely kills this. I expect good music from Kendrick Lamar in the future. This however will be receiving no spins after 2013- a total throwaway album. Go bump section 80!

    Reply

  418. Yeah I liked Section 80 better too.. but this is a good ass album.. expectations are a bitch, if you were expecting the next Illmatic, then yeah you’ll be disappointed. Let the album settle for a minute, forget the hype for a sec, and open your ears. This is some real quality music..

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  419. I remember how I felt when I first listened to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Illmatic, Ready to Die, Reasonable Doubt, and the list goes on. First listen to Kendrick’s album has got me feelin those old feelings again. This guy has is going to change the rap game. The next several months is going to be crucial for a lot of rap cats in the game. Time to step your game up!

    Reply

  420. people say that pac got raped in prison and had a boyfriend in drama school. google “2pac and Eskiah.” 2pac was also used to strip and hump blow up dolls on stage yet yall have the nerve to call guys like game gay for allegedly being a male stripper and having a tongue ring. even though pac was a documented stripper and had a nose ring.

    2pac also supported queen latfifah at a gay pride concert. if a rapper like wayne or kanye did that today you guys would be all over them for it and hate mongering. yet Pac is guilty of the same behavior. and victim of the same types of rumors.

    2pac was also a documented ballerina. The point is you n*ggas live in glass houses and habitually throw stones at today’s rappers for doing the EXACT same shit that pac and biggie did! Biggie rapped about raping jesus, fukin men in the ass, and sucking his girl’s dad’s dick yet you n*ggas say NOTHING! but let kanye where leather and he’s a faggot!? You fuking hypocrites!

    Reply

  421. Very diverse array of subject matter. Overall, I would give it a 4.5 Let’s hope this is the new revolution in Hip-Hop because we need more conscious music. Lord knows …

    Reply

  422. Let me answer why I think Big is the GOAT. Not one single whack verse in his career, not a single one. Not a single bad song. Not even Nasty Boy. Greatest picker of beats of all time. Most consistent rapper of all time. His 10 best songs > any rapper’s 10 best songs. Best flow of all time. Had both underground and mainstream appeal because he was so damn good. Lyrically insane, not the greatest of all time but he could put together rhymes that could knock any cat out. And once again consistency.

    Reply

  423. fuck kendrick man
    his shit is weak man
    wouldnt listen to his song if it featured big pun, pac, and red man
    listen to wht i said man
    by next year, nigga gon be dead man
    or in jail tryin to make bail gettin caught with by the feds man

    sorry but i dont listen to a nigga wit no skill
    better chance of fndin me sober off of 4 pills
    kendrick’s music, thats that shit i dont like
    always talkin shit but when it come down to it, the nigga wont fight
    if he hears a dope line ill bet all my dope that he gon bite
    gettin his dick sucked by some nappy headed hoe
    prolly came in 2 minutes an said its time to go
    his hair look like the end of a mop
    listened to his song and asked “whens this shit gonna stop”

    Reply

    1. okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay….i wrote this like 2 months ago about chief keef and your just gonna use it and say its your freestyle diss?!?! literally theonly thing you changed was th ame o the firt line…..it took me like 2 minutes to write that and you cant even come up with our own shit that you cpy other peoplesshit..get a life

      Reply

    3. FUCK YOU YESSIR AKA I HAVE NO BITCH AKA I CANNOT RHYME AKA IMA VIRGIN UNTIL THE END OF MYLIFE AKA IWILL COMMIT SUICIDE ….

      Reply

  424. If you think about it, all of your favorite rappers are gay.

    *Jay-Z’s best friends are gay
    *Kanye West wears women’s clothes
    *Lil Wayne kisses men on the lips and wears lepoard print jeggings
    *Eminem hates women
    *T.I. and DMX kept going back to jail (they must love the prison sex)
    *Drake and Big Sean are closet homosexuals
    *Rick Ross and DJ Khaled are always together (they’re life partners)
    *Nas talked a lot of homo shit about Jay-Z on Ether (stalking Jay?)
    *Ludacris is Bieber’s butt buddy
    *Tupac was a ballerina as a teenager
    *Biggie talked about sucking a man’s dick (on Me And My Bitch)
    *Dr Dre wore some suspicious wardrobe in is time in the World Class Wreckin Crew
    *Eazy E had AIDS
    *Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa are weed (butt) buddies *2Chainz dickrides Kanye West (literally…)
    *J Cole dickrides Jay-Z (literally…)
    *Kendrick Lamar dickrides Dr Dre(literally…) and has a gay voice
    *Diddy fucked every artist in the business (figuratively and literally)
    *Young Jeezy’s voice is fucked up (from sucking too much cock) and his nickname is Jizzle (meaning he loves it when it rain jizz all over him)
    *50 Cent is super hyper-masculine (meaning he’s really a homo)
    *Waka Flocka yells on every record (from letting Gucci fuck him in the ass)
    *Chief Meet let Jimmy Iovine fuck him in the ass for a deal
    *All female rappers are lesbians

    Reply

  428. All ya’ll hatin on Wayne, dumb af. No matter which way you look at it he is and always will be the greatest rapper ever, who gives a shit if he went “mainstream” wtf do you want him to do, sell cd’s and shit outta his garage or some shit? All you haters go play in the road dumb asses!

    Reply

  431. You know what’s sad, when people dispute who the greatest rapper was/is. Just enjoy the music you listen to. Music is a personal thing. If others don’t like it, who cares? If you don’t like a rapper, why waste you’re time talking about them? Just don’t listen to them. Money Trees, in my opinion, is up there with the best songs of the year along with Diamonds (Smoke Dza) Walk In With the M.O. (Freddie Gibbs) Hangin (Freddie Gibbs) and Gold Alpinas (Dom Kennedy). Love this album. Hate my opinion? Don’t give two shits. Manchester UK.

    Reply

  432. Aye, go buy this album. Real talk. This is one of the most well put together albums i heard in YEARS. Kendrick has dropped a rare jewell for us.

    I love the fact that kendrick was able to make a dope commercial album without havin to sell out and switch up his style and try to sound like these clown ass rappers thats “hot” right now.

    My respect for dude is thru the roof. Go buy this and support a real rapper/artist.

    nuff said…..

    Reply

  434. Can’t stop listening to this album. Definitely listen from front to back at least once. This was not just a album of a couple hits and fillers. favorite track – “Sing about me”. Overly Dedicated, Section 80, now this album. I can’t ask for much more. I can’t wait for the next one to drop.

    Reply

  436. KENDRICK LAMAR RUINED HIP-HOP! HERE”S THE REAL LYRICAL MONSTER!

    [Lil Wayne]
    Bitch! Stop talkin’ that shit
    And suck a nigga dick for some Trukfit
    Okay I fuck a bitch and I’m gone
    Thats gangsta: Al Capone
    I make that pussy spit like Bone
    I’m talkin’ ’bout bone, bone, bone bone
    Im fuckin with French, excuse my French
    I lose my mind before I lose my bitch
    Money aint a thing but a chicken wing
    Bitch I ball like two eyelids
    YMCM beat that pussy up, stop playin’
    I make her ass scream and holla like rock bands
    Im a beast, Im off the leash
    I am rich like a bitch
    On my Proactiv shit, pop that pussy like a zit
    I go by the name Lil Tunechi
    Your girl is a groupie
    And nigga, you’s a square
    And I will twist you like in a Rubix
    Motherfucker I’m on my skateboard
    Watch me do a trick ho
    Im 55 but I could six nine
    Then beat that pussy like Klitschko
    Its French Montana, fuck Joe
    Its Weezy F, fuck hoes
    Its Truk the world
    Its Truk yo girl
    Its Trukfit by the truck load, biatch!

    Reply

    2. Brace yourself, I’ll take you on a trip down memory lane
      This is not a rap on how I’m slingin crack or move cocaine
      This is cul-de-sac and plenty Cognac and major pain
      Not the drill sergeant, but the stress that weighing on your brain
      It was Me, O-Boog[?], and Yaya[?], YG Lucky ride down Rosecrans
      It got ugly, waving your hand out the window. Check yo self
      Uh, warriors and Conans
      Hope euphoria can slow dance with society
      The driver seat the first one to get killed
      Seen a light-skinned nigga with his brains blown out
      At the same burger stand, where — hang out
      Now this is not a tape recorder saying that he did it
      But ever since that day, I was lookin at him different
      That was back when I was nine
      Joey packed the nine
      Pakistan on every porch is fine
      We adapt to crime, pack a van with four guns at a time
      With the sliding door, fuck is up?
      Fuck you shootin for if you ain’t walkin up?
      You fuckin punk, pickin up the fuckin pump
      Pickin off you suckers, suck a dick or die or sucker punch
      Or warn the bullets comin from
      AK’s,AR’s,”aye y’all. Duck.”
      That’s what momma said when we was eatin the free lunch
      Aw man, God damn, all hell broke loose
      You killed my cousin back in ’94. Fuck yo truce
      Now crawl yo head in that noose
      You wind up dead on the news
      Ain’t no peace treaty, just pieces
      BG’s up to pre-approve, bodies on top of bodies
      IV’s on top of IV’s
      Obviously the coroner between the sheets like the Isleys
      When you hop on that trolley
      Make sure your colors correct
      Make sure you’re cornbread, or they’ll be calling your mother collect
      They say the governor collect, all of our taxes except
      When we in traffic and tragic happens, that shit ain’t no threat
      You movin backwards if you suggest that you sleep wit a Tec
      Go buy a chopper and have a doctor on speed dial, I guess
      M.A.A.d city

      Reply

    3. Dude u sound a person who dont know shit about hip hop,u cant claim that a rapper rapps bout 3 things is dope than a rapper who rapps bout a variaty of things get ur mind right bitch!!!!!

      Reply

  438. chyea kendrick putting out some meaningful shit. it may not been like old hip hop but its way better than anything the last few years. biggie pac and them spoiled hip hop fans theyre not happy with anything. be glad that this shit isnt a distant cousin of dedication 4 and just listen. dam

    Reply

    1. but its not just biggie and pac…there were classics being pumped out every year until like 3 years ago…its the labels…all talent in rap hasnt just vanished. Producers are worse and so are lyrics..albums are all up and down. This is a great album here but yes its no classic. I do enjoy it but in 3 years I will not put it in over a 2001, a college dropout, a bluepint, etc.

      Reply

  439. Backseat Freestyle- him and homies drinking and smoking and having fun
    Poetic Justice- his thoughts on driving to shranes house
    Swimming pools- drinking after getting jumped

    Just what some of the songs are about

    Reply

  440. kendrick used to go by nipsy hustle and also starred as martins lil brother on the show martin he was a actor from new mexico and now they pretend hes from compton lol what a joke himand 2 chains aka titty puss are from las crusas NM a small town theynare both hispanic and have never been to the hood till the labels sent them there undercover to pretend to be hard all the black hippy crew are homo republicans they have sex with men in NM everyine knows that out here. nothing agaist them but he should come out,that frank ocean love song was about him and his amazing bjs!

    Reply

  441. This is on some Ziggy Stardust shit! I had to look to rock because there are so few rap albums that have successfully woven a richly themed coherent narrative throughout an entire album while simultaneously producing stellar singles. GKMC does just this.

    Reply

  442. This album sucked… Seriously, what’s with that Lady Gaga tracks and Drake is on it? No wonder why he flopped. What a sell out. Jin is a much better rapper anyways. Jin will sell more copies and is the best rapper in fact I even think that Jin is better than Tupac.

    JIN >>> TUPAC > KENDRICK LAMAR

    Reply

    1. fuck u n your Jin shit u dont know shit bout hip hop u cant compare Makhaveli n Kendrick to some wack ass rappers as Jin, get your mind right bitch this is HIP HOP!!!

      Reply

  443. Not a classic fuck outa here but one of the best lyricists out and an amazing effort..A few more of these releases and Kendrick can be one of the greats..consistency

    Reply

  444. GIVE ME A CHANCE
    Youtube is all about finding new artist, & though I been rapping for a while im still consider a new artist. I just want my music heard thats all, im not looking for no record deal, getting famous ‘r anything like that. I do music to help change the lives of others so what you’ll get from my music is all POSITIVITY! so please just spare a few sec. to check me out, & if you like what you heard please SUBSCRIBE so ill know you actually listen & support

    Reply

  448. This album sucked… First track was liked by Tyler the Creator nuff said. Lady gaga on track 2? Track 3 was lyrically awful with that Eiffel tower dick joke. Track 4 intro was too long and the track was boring. Track 5 was alright until that annoying chick started singing. Track 6 was garbage with wack ass Drake. Track 7 had wack ass Pharrell. Track 8 was by far the best track. Track 9 was a mainstream bs. Track 10 was too long and boring. Track 11 was mad wack. Track 12 was meh. The bonus tracks were terrible. Section 80 >>>> over this crap.

    But Hopsin is a way better than Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick sold out and needed a Dr. Dre cosign to get attention. Hopsin did it all by himself. Just like the LeBron vs Kobe where Kobe always had help, LeBron made his teammates better and won the championship by himself. Hopsin worked much harder and Knock Madness will be better than Illmatic, Enter the 36 Chambers, Get Rich or Die Tryin, Doggystyle, The Chronic, The Blueprint, College Dropout, Marshall Mathers LP, Ready 2 Die, All Eyez On Me, and Straight Outta Compton put together.

    HOPSIN >>> KENDRICK LAMAR
    SWIZZZ >>> SCHOOLBOY Q
    DIZZY WRIGHT >>> AB-SOUL
    JARREN BENTON >>> JAY ROCK
    DJ HOPPA >>> DR. DRE
    FUNK VOLUME >>> TDE

    FUNK VOLUME! TURN IT UP!

    Reply

    2. You’re not serious are you? This album is a fucking story of epic proportions, each song relating to the previous and bringing the entire project into one big tale. Can’t deny Hopsin being a phenomenal rapper, but you can’t call this album shit.

      Reply

    5. either you’re trolling, or a complete idiot. first off, “Hopsin did it all by himself”??? wtf did Hopsin do? Get named to the XXL Freshman class?? Dude has lyrics, but seriously, what has he done? I’m not even going to entertain that bogus ass LeBron analogy. If you dont like Kendrick or the album, that’s your entitled opinion. Those comparisons are preposterous.

      Reply

  449. album is 3.5 worth. Stop dickriding you mainstream fuckers. you dont know what a classic is.

    Please Interscope stop writing comments on this site its riduculous 14 pages with comments for this album. In no way rapfans are writing these comments, fuck the people from aftermath and interscope braggin about its a classic

    Reply

    1. How is this possibly considered mainstream dickriding to you? All of the songs have meaning bro… it’s not just shit about partying and drugs and shit like you probably listen to.

      SMH homie

      Reply

  450. This album is just astounding. The story behind the album, the complexity of each of the verses. There’s not one song or verse on this album that doesn’t have meaning to it. It’s a representation of overcoming his rough past.

    This is a classic. God damn.

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  452. The hood won’t fuck with this because strippers can’t bounce they ass to it,young niggas can’t wildly shake their dreads to it, and he is not instructing them to sell dope,blow cash, beat ass, and worship/hate hoodrats. I think the album is dope though

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  453. good kid, m.A.A.d. city is a coming of age story, beginning with K.Dot (a young Kendrick Lamar) messing around, with his only objective in the world being getting it in with Sherane. He witnesses things in the hood that he doesn’t agree with, and joins in on some of the activities as a result of peer pressure. Our protagonist goes through a series of events that change his perspective on life and take him down a dark road. I’m being vague with this because I don’t want to spoil the story. Who would’ve thought there would be a story told on an album that is interesting enough that I don’t want to spoil it, as if it’s a book or movie. That’s just the story aspect of things. As cool as that is, everyone wants something that’s just plain enjoyable to listen to. Kendrick decided to go with a different producer for nearly every track, but you wouldn’t be able to tell without looking at the liner notes. The album carries a cohesive, spacey sound. It may not hit you hard at first, but after a couple listens you’ll easily be able to appreciate the cool vibe of the beats on here, which fit extremely well in piecing the story together. There’s mellow stuff like Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe and stuff that makes you want to jam out like Swimming Pools.

    Section.80 solidified Kendrick Lamar as one of the most talented rappers around. He has a way of saying some real relatable shit and making it all the more impressive by weaving it around some clever wordplay. It’s a more difficult task to do here when trying to tell a story. good kid, m.A.A.d. city doesn’t have as many moments where you sit there in awe of some stuff Kendrick just spit, but he does such a good job with character portrayal that it shows another side of his talent while blanketing another. It just sort of goes along with this album being so different. You’re not getting that same Kendrick that you fell in love with last year, but you’re getting him doing some equally impressive stuff. It’s just a matter of whether or not you enjoy it as much.

    good kid, m.A.A.d. city is an amazing accomplishment, but I wouldn’t be able to say it surpasses Section.80 for me. Not that a comparison is necessary. It would be a disservice to look at it in that negative light, because I am going to love good kid, m.A.A.d. city to death.

    As much praise as I can give it, it’s not without flaws. By crafting such a story-driven album, it creates a conflict of what you’re looking for in a listening session. It’s hard to look at good kid, m.A.A.d. city as an album that you can just throw on for a fun spin, or something that you’re going to play in your car often. It’s more something you’re going to want to sit down and really take in to emersive yourself in the atmosphere and take in the storytelling. The skits also create a barrier for casual listening. Some of these tracks are really long, and the majority of them have skits tacked onto the end. Some of these are important to the progression to the story being told here (some not so much, like the prayer one gets on my nerves) so of course I want them here, but depending on your mood you may have to reach for the skip button often. Also, the hooks on this aren’t particularly great or memorable.

    The bonus tracks are really nice. Well, two of the three. I’m not a fan of Now or Never which makes two songs this year with Mary J. features that I’m not crazy about. The Recipe and Black Boy Fly are both just really good tracks, which I like as much as any of the original twelve of the tracklist. They got thrown on the bonus disc though because they don’t contribute to the story here. So Kendrick’s got kind of a bonus EP of songs with this vibe that don’t actually add to the good kid, m.A.A.d. city story, as I know there are more floating out there that aren’t on my Deluxe Version. Cartoon & Cereal isn’t anywhere to be found here, which is unfortunate because I also like that as much as, if not more than, anything on good kid, m.A.A.d. city. I don’t know if it got cut because it didn’t fit the story (which I feel like it does), a sample clearance issue, or because it leaked.

    Reply

  454. Amazing album. One sad thing, there’s only been FIFTEEN classics this century…

    The Eminem Show – Eminem
    Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ – 50 Cent
    Speakerboxx/The Love Below – Outkast
    The College Dropout – Kanye West
    The Blueprint – Jay-Z
    good kid, m.A.A.d city – Kendrick Lamar
    Section.80 – Kendrick Lamar
    Paper Trail – T.I.
    808s and Heartbreak – Kanye West
    My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
    Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
    Tha Carter III – Lil Wayne
    So Far Gone – Drake
    The Documentary – Game
    Teflon Don – Rick Ross

    Reply

    2. Only the Blue Print was a classic in that List,u Faggot called MBTM:
      Quick to throw that word “classic” around easily, eat a dick

      Reply

  455. Let an album breathe before you claim “classic”. & just ’cause you have a differing opinion that makes you a hater?

    Rap fans today are just fucking stupid.

    Reply

  458. This album is sweet, Kendrick and all of Black Hippy got this shit on lock both in the studio and live. Never will you get as turnt up watching him preform Michael Jordan. I hate tho that reviewers treat this as his first album as if the music he made before didnt mean anything. Even if they were indie released, Kendrick Lamar EP, Overly Dedicated, Section.80 were just as much albums as GGMC. Original west coast spitta with great vision and fire in his tongue. Kendrick Have a Dream!!!

    Reply

  460. Great album. Very well put together. Replay value for weeks. I will surely have this on repeat for quite awhile.

    Reply

  461. Goodkid,Maadcity is the dopest album that will live long, defenately is a classic.It reminds me of 2pacs Me Against The World,i gave 5/5 big up Kendrick keep it 1hunned!!!!!!!

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  466. don’t get me wrong, the album is great, but you’re forgetting, nas Life is Good, is better, its been two months since nas dropped L.I.G and I’m still banging it. Kendrick Lamar’s section 80 is slightly better, simply because he was more diverse and more lyrically inclined, LIG is clearly album of year, give good kid, maad city to cool, then well see

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  467. Good album but most of the songs don’t have replay value left alone. The album has good value listened to in its entirety.

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  468. Black Boy Fly alone is worth the price of admission!!! Incredible thoughtful poignant!! This album takes you on a journey through the mind of a young black male in a way that no other album has in a long time. Kendrick eleoquently points out so much of whats wrong with young african american men but then shows the best in us as well!!! The idea that african american men do find them selves in adverse circumstances, but yet hope for and strive for something more and ultimately to redefine themselves as well.In spite of the pressure to walk the line in terms of whats expected of the so called “real nigga”.This is what great albums do. They force you to think!! Great job Kendrick!!!

    Reply

  470. If there is is any album from the last two years or so that deserved a 5/5, it’s this. Can’t believe DX think SH’s album is this good.

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  473. Couldn’t have said it better myself:

    “Among the hip-hop community, its practically blasphemous to describe any post-millennium hip-hop album as classic. Any rap fan born before Bill Clintons presidency will be quick to shit on the slightest inclination that a classic album could exist outside of the 90s Golden Era that produced All Eyez On Me, Ready To Die and The Chronic. These hip-hop heads say that rappers today lack the conviction and commitment to make a classic LP and record labels with their artistically crippling profit motives wont get out of a rappers way to create such a body of work.

    Kendrick lamar

    good kid, m.A.A.d. city
    Interscope/Aftermath

    MORE LIKE THIS

    Nas brings sweet notes in ‘Street’s Disciple’
    Nas comes to EMU’s Convocation Center this Friday
    Cyril Cordor’s Furious Five
    Nasir not dead, he ‘Lost’
    Its very clear, however, that Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar set out to annihilate these theories with his major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city.

    Kendricks debut is a cohesive, sonically innovative and, yes classic rap album that parallels Nass 1994 masterpiece, Illmatic, in lyrical vision.” – The Michigan Daily

    Reply

  475. This album, The O.C. Apollo Brown album Trhopies and Life is Good are 5 star albums. Hip hop Dx has no logic with the reviews, just my opinion

    Reply

    1. You know what seeing how he’s doing very well right now, and you’re not I’m guessing he’s not going to take your advice.

      Reply

    1. DX do something about this shit!!! Ban the guys IP, send assassins to his crib, I don’t give a fuck just make it stop!

      Reply

  480. I love this album. I have listened to the album several times and I pick something up each time I listen to it. It is very deep and complex. K-Dot is definitely at the top of the game with this. This is a must have album. The concepts for each song go above and beyond what other artists are doing in hip hop. The sound is so diverse, complex, and innovative. In other words dope.

    Reply

  482. good kid, m.A.A.d. city, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color, Control System, The Heist, Life Is Good, Live from the Underground, 4eva N a Day, R.A.P. Music, Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them, People Hear What They See, Habits & Contradictions, This Generation, Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1, A Dream Deferred, Key to the Kuffs, REBELutionary, Cancer 4 Cure, Skelethon, The Idea of Beautiful, Habits & Contradictions, Straight, No Chaser, MA_DOOM: Son of Yvonne…

    It’s been a dope year for Hip-Hop so far.

    Reply

    1. Wow thanks for recharging my memory… Yes it has. I’m gonna have to say my top 3 are The Heist, GKMC and Control System. Life is Good and MIADIC get 4 and 5 by a close margin, just found myself knocking the first 3 more. TDE ran this year no doubt, 3 solid projects. So glad to see such a huge indie revival, thank god for the underground…

      Reply

  483. Can’t a man just troll a website in peace without having to worry if his comment will be removed?

    Sincerely Yours
    -Malone

    Reply

  485. can’t believe the hype over this album, listened to it, an it is DEAD! people actually take this shit serious? section80 was ite, this is terrible, kendrick got a shit flow, he raps retarded. people saying this album all “classic” an it on level with illmatic an that. get the fuck outta here.

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  486. can’t believe the hype over this album, listened to it, an it is DEAD! people actually take this shit serious? section80 was ite, this is terrible, kendrick got a shit flow, he raps retarded. people saying this album all classic an it on level with illmatic an that. get the fuck outta here.

    Reply

    1. yeah yeah go back to your itunes where God Forgives I Don’t, Carter 4 or 2 Chainz’ albums must be filling your playlist

      Reply

    2. Psukany, seriously? you really did not listen to the album, or the lyrics.. your favorite album was probably “Watch The Throne” lmao

      Reply

  489. Please buy this album. Its the best rap and music album ever. Fuck the beatles, rolling stones etc. Kebdrick is the best artist ever.

    Reply

  490. and then she looked at me and asked “So.. thats were birds com from?” Yo everyone was just dying with laughter. All the animal rappists and low lives were there to.. Everybody enjoyed each others company. I maean.. you just had to be there to see it for yourself.

    Sincerely Yours
    -Malone

    Reply

  501. I am a hip hop purist to the core and I just want to thank Kendrick and the rest of TDE from the bottom of my heart for showing this new generation what the culture is really about. You are keeping hip hop alive. Shout out Cole and Krit.

    Reply

  505. amazing album, in my opinion, better than expected, and the tracks that hadn’t come out a while before the album was released, are 100% better than the ones like “backseat freestyle”, etc., listen to the “M.A.A.D. City” track if you wanna hear the best one, he even gave the black hippy group two tracks to go over on the bonus tracks for remixes for those who missed the group. They went in over “The Recipe” and “swimming pools (drank)” together, and overall just a good album from K Dot, Kendrick Lamar

    Reply

  517. I’m gonna wait n watch how many of u kendrick dickriders including hiphopdx are going to actually buy this overrated album…men lie women lie numbers don’t!

    Reply

    2. hows he a hater its true… yall quick to download my album but wont ever buy the shit! its yalls fault the black hippy and slaughterhouse collab never happened!!

      Reply

  518. Strong content, detailed storytelling, dope ass skits and good production. this is what great albums are made of… 4.5/5

    Reply

  521. classic. One of them albums like college drop out that gets better every time you listen to it. Storytelling is incredible. hope he beats taylor swift

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  523. Best album of the year. Phenomenal stuff. I wasn’t as hyped about this as everyone else because i’m pretty on the fence with kendrick, but this blew me away.

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  525. It’s been a long time coming for this young man,Kendrick Lamar. He crept his way into the Hip Hop scene starting 3 years ago when he released the Kendrick Lamar EP, then O.verly D.edicated (earlier fans knew him for his music when he dropped mixtapes as K.Dot), and that had him gain a lot of buzz. It showed people that he was a rapper that talked about his hometown (Compton, Cali-for-nye-aye) that hadn’t been heard before – it was a positive light in a dark place. The most you’d hear out of Compton before Kendrick Lamar was The Game (I’m excluding N.W.A for generational reasons), and we pretty much all know his story. But, they say that good things come in threes (I have a shirt that says that). I guess 3 would be the number of years in this case: The Kendrick Lamar EP, O.verly D.edicated, and Section.80 were the stepping stones to this album. In each mixtape (if you look at Section.80 as a “mixtape” even though it’s an independent album), he references to a lot of themes & events that are brought up on this album. The production behind it, the lyrical content, and just how it’s well pieced together; it actually feels like a movie, which is why on the front cover it says “a short film by Kendrick Lamar.” He took the listener to the theatre, and we watched him evolve from a young teenager (K. Dot) to the man that is Kendrick Lamar. It’s “Menace II Society” & “Boyz n the Hood” in musical art form. Grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show – oh, and thereviewtoo.

    1. Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter
    At first it sounds like the group of guys are chanting The Lord’s Prayer, but then I said to myself, “wait, this isn’t how it goes,” and it feels like the album starts off at the middle of a movie, sort of like how Quentin Tarantino likes tostartoff a movie in a deep dramatic fashion (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill Vol.1, Pulp Fiction). Master Splinter (as TMNT fans would know) is the main innovator of the Ninja Turtles; the head honcho who trained the lost turtles in the sewer to fight. Sherane, described by Kendrick is the character that is the reason why certain things happen to dictate what happens in Kendrick’s life. There’s always an originator. We all know how easy it is to be enchanted by a woman who looks good and treats us like a king; we take that treatment and run with it. It happens to women to, because men can be conniving in ways as well, but in this case, Sherane uses Kendrick’s innocence and sets him up, which is what he’s explaining towards the end of the song.

    I loved the fact that Kendrick uses his parents in the little “scenes” at the end of most of the songs on the album. I’ve seen him perform about 3 times now, and how he talks about his parents and mimics their behaviour, it was brought to life on the album. A few key things that were mentioned in the first scene: Kendrick had taken his mother’s van (front cover of the Deluxe edition), and she had mentioned that if he kept running in the streets, that he wouldn’t make it to the 11thgrade. So this tells us that he’s around 16-17 years old, and if you have ever listened to”P&P” from the Kendrick Lamar EP, he says:

    “Pushin’ in my mama van, stop for gas on Rosecrans
    Trust me these niggas rushed me for something my cousin probably did”

    At the end of the song, he got approached by 2 guys while meeting up with Sherane. The plot thickens.

    2. Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe
    Keeping with the same subject as religion (one that he usually talks about a lot since he started out), he acknowledges that he’s a sinner that will sin again (nobody’s perfect, right?), but he still asks for forgiveness for the things he doesn’t understand (forgive them, Father, for which they know not what they do). While sinning, he’s living in the moment, so “Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe” is like “dont ruin my moment,” (on Section.80, he had a song called “Blow My High”) because we all have those times when we’re in a zone, or when we’re feeling high up that that ONE person just has to try and kill your buzz. It’s annoying isn’t it? It is. Kendrick addresses the fact that he’s on a higher pedestal now that he’s hit the mainstream world, but vows to stay humble and that he’s just as hungry from before he got hot. People will look at it as him “selling out,” but he’s looking at it as another chapter being written in his life, both personally, and musically. The first two songs so far have impressed when its come to production. Smooth compositions, which would be just a taste of the variety of beats he would tell his continuing story on. We’re first introduced to his boys at the end of the song, and it’s cool that each scene at the end gives clues as to what’s coming next on the album and really it forces you to listen to every song with detailed hints.

    3. Backseat Freestyle
    I first heard this when Hit-Boy (famed producer of “Niggas in Paris”) tweeted a YouTube clip of Kendrick Lamar previewing this at a show in Atlanta. The beat was crazy in typical Hit-Boy fashion, and it was definitely a new spin for Kendrick that hadn’t been exposed before. I can understand why this was called “Backseat Freestyle,” because when you’re with your boys and whatnot and just riding around, you spit a few bars and go off on a tangent. There wasn’t a big concept here other than the fact that it was just a freestyle (it was written obviously), and he was just spazzing out on a Hit-Boy beat. It’s definitely one to get the adrenaline going, and I know many feared this sound because it’s what mainstream rap sounds like. I won’t lie, I dig this song, but I hoped that it wasn’t going to be the consistent sound on the album. It had been doing well thus far.

    4. The Art of Peer Pressure
    The first time this song leaked out, it hadn’t been completed, and Kendrick even tweeted a fan saying “wait until you hear the finished version,” so I didn’t know what to expect. The disclaimer at the beginning of the song followed by a smooth jazzy beat was REFRESHING to my ears and I thought that this was going to be the beat for the whole thing, but then the beat ended and the song that was exposed from the leaked version had started. Peer pressure is something that many people either believe or don’t believe in; having a circle of friends heavily pest you to do something that you’re not accustomed to doing on a regular basis. Many people can relate to Kendrick’s story, because we all have those friends who were telling us to: Hit the blunt (when you dont smoke), start some trouble (when you’re not a troublemaker), drink some alcohol (when you’re not a drinker), and rob a house (when you’re not a thief). Sometimes, when you’re just around your boys (or girls), you act different because you don’t want to let them down or “kill their vibe,” so you join in and live a little.”Just ridin’, bullshittin’, actin a fool, trippin'”- the basic phrases to describe hanging out with “the homies.” At the end of it all, there’s a little hint that was brought up a couple of songs from now, and this album is scripted WICKED to bring the whole story together.

    5. Money Trees (featuring Jay Rock)
    Following the previous successful heist with the homies, the gang is living lavish and just celebrating the fruits of their labour. Hustling is the way of the streets and it’s a means to survive, even if it means you have to rob someone or sell drugs to get by. “Money Trees” being used for shade in the heat of the streets is what Kendrick was referencing to in the chorus, because it also reflects on him now getting money, but more things have happened since then, and also referenced to the past when he said that “That Louie’s Burger never be the same, A louis belt will never ease that pain”making reference to a line also from P&P:

    “Pain since my grandma’s death, uncle killed at Louie’s Burgers
    Hold my tears I tried my best
    Let it go trash my pullover”

    Although he’s still haunted by the pain of the past, he’s going to progress by moving on forward with life. Jay-Z said it best,”cant run from the pain, go towards it,”and that’s what he’s doing. This album didn’t have a lot of features, but Jay Rock held his own, and I’m glad that he got at least one Black Hippy member on the album, because to be fair, if it hadn’t been for Jay Rock, TDE/Black Hippy probably wouldn’t exist. It’s that simple, give the man his respect, and he’s a dope rapper as well – Unappreciated. Kendrick’s parents come back in at the end and things get a little spicy towards the end of it as we proceed to give you what you need.

    6. Poetic Justice (featuring Drake)
    This was the song that everyone had been anticipating when the tracklist was announced and the top bloggers were raving about. History check for you younger cats – “Poetic Justice” is a movie that featured Janet Jackson (hence the sample) and Tupac Shakur (one of Kendrick’s childhood idols). The playful flirting-turned-serious relationship that Justice & Lucky (Janet & Tupac’s characters) had is one of the more memorable ones in the black culture films much like Quincy & Monica’s in”Love & Basketball”(Omar Epps & Sanaa Lathan). On one hand, you have Kendrick serenading to a young woman, and then you have Drake who comes in spitting game that’s not as poetic, but he did it his own style, and poetic isn’t exactly his style, but I digress, he held his own and it’s a good song. Not “simpy” and “whiney,” but it’s smooth and definitely one that should make it to the radio for sure. The line that stuck out to me the most was”If I told you a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?”Something beautiful can still grow in the midst of darkness. I LOVE THAT ANALOGY! It reflects on himself personally, because being from Compton, it’s pretty rare to see or hear something beautiful in a state of madness. Towards the end of it, the familiar seemingly hypnotic voice that we first heard in the beginning of the album returns and it picks up where it left off when Kendrick was approached by 2 guys as he was going to see Sherane (you have to love the scripting). He was interrogated, and finally threatened to the point when it was either he did what they told him to, or they’d take him by force. It felt real, like it was actually pulled out of a movie.

    7. good kid
    It’s hard being the good guy in the hood, especially in an area where you get presumed to be a gang member by either other people or police officers. “Guilty by association, story of my life, nigga” is a line (“P&P”) that stood out and is very reflective of this song, because in the two verses he talks about how he was thrown down to the curb and beat up by the 2 guys that approached him, and the infamous LAPD officers that assumed that he was a gang member. When you run with the wrong crowd, it happens to hurt more than help, but that’s just common sense. Pharrell on the hook & production was surprising. It brought out that nostalgic Neptunes flare that we’d fallen in love with during the early 2000s, and this a portion of the album that is leading up to a climax. Some damage had been done, so it was time for some retaliation.

    8. m.A.A.d city (featuring MC Eiht)
    “If Pirus and Crips all got along
    They’d probably gun me down by the end of this song
    Seem like the whole city go against me
    Every time I’m in the street I hear
    YAWK! YAWK! YAWK! YAWK!”

    If you’ve listened to Kendrick for a while, you’d know that he’s been making references to good kid, m.A.A.d city for a while. One example is from the song”Thanksgiving”from the Kendrick Lamar EP:

    “Boo-yaa, boo-yaa, no one, I’ve done situated myself, I ain’t lying
    Be sure to be friend cause my foes die five times
    The good kid from the mad city
    Holding a cereal box instead of a Glock
    In a 1992 Caddilac that I got from my pops”

    In a more up-tempo beat (very Hit-Boyish/Lex Luger-ish) Kendrick gets into the gritty scenery of the dangerous streets of Compton. Recalling an incident that happened when he was a kid, there was a gang shoot out and the description of the scenario involving him was pretty real. There’s a situation, it gets heated, words get exchanged, and then (to quote A$AP Mob)”BIG GUNS GO BLAAT!”The karma that Kendrick points out is that you live life backwards when you sleep with a gun next to you or under your pillow (ain’t it evil to live backwards? – Loaded Lux), basically you live by the gun, you die by it too. Just as I thought that the whole song was going to be this mock Lex Luger beat, I won’t lie, I definitely wasn’t feeling the beat, although it’s hype, it’s not something I’d expect Kendrick to rap over. When people talk about that “mainstream rap” style, THIS was it. But then you hear noise like a TV channel that had its signal cut out, and then you get this THUMP of bass and instantly you’re taken back to the Warren G/Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg type of feel, and here comes MC Eiht with his gangster demeanour really breaking down the life on the Compton streets. Dealing & doing drugs and gang banging is very common, so it was cool that Kendrick brought along an O.G to help tell the story of the nitty gritty. It was a feature that was surprising for most when the tracklist came about, so I’m glad that it worked out very well. The message that Kendrick is doing spoken word reveals the true meaning of m.A.A.d. When he does the altered pitch to his voice, it’s as if there’s another persona speaking to the listener. He did this on “Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe” and also “Swimming Pools (Drank).”He revealed it in an interview on L.A Leakers, but I already heard it the line in the song.”Compton, USA – made me an Angel on Angel dust.” Now, if you were paying attention towards the end of “The Art of Peer Pressure,” the scene has the homies laughing at the fact that they got Kendrick “faded” (high from smoking). He smoked the wrong blunt and it had “the Shenanigans”; Shenanigans being the Angel dust that he was referring to in this song. See how it all ties in together? There’s also another meaning he said in the L.A Leakers interview – “my Angry Adolescence divided.” Just a nugget.

    9. Swimming Pools (Drank)
    One of the singles of the album, but this is an extended version with a third verse. This comes right after the aftermath of the set-up and Kendrick’s with the homies, and they hand him a drink to kick back, so he can recuperate from his event. The primary focus of this song is about dealing with alcohol abuse and the fact that he had been surrounded by people that spent their lives alcohol binging (basically drinking the amount that you can fill a pool with to swim in; metaphorically speaking). People drink for various reason that Kendrick touched on – whether it’s to get away from their misery or to just feel good at the moment, he talks about his experience with drinking and how through peer pressure, he did it. The chorus refers to the stages of a drinker and how they go about doing it. Pour it; take a shot, sit down to chill, stand up, drink some more, pass out, and wake up hung-over. It’s just that simple. The second verse – voice pitch, which means? An alter ego, but he says that it’s his conscience speaking telling him to use his common sense so that he doesn’t go overboard with his drinking. I have to give a big shout out to Canada’s own T-Minus, who mainly produced this song, because he’s definitely come a long way since he didthat song for Ludacris a few years back. The 3rdverse is Kendrick opening up about his plateau now that he’s broken into the mainstream and that he’s able to even give a wider audience a dose of his music and the topics that he’s able to rap about. It’s something definitely able to look forward to, but just as things are going well, there’s always something. The next scene has the homies in the car contemplating retaliation to the guys that jumped Kendrick and Sherane that set him up. Just as they go and fire off shots, everything seems to be okay until one of the dude’s brother gets shot and killed. It’s definitely the defining moment of the album as the next song comes about.

    10. Sing About Me / I’m Dying of Thirst
    This is one of Kendrick’s best songs, and believe me he has a lot of them. Reason why I say that is because he takes on the roles of two characters who had speaking to him about his music and how they’ve impacted them in a way – one guy and one girl. The guy was a Piru gang member and as much as he loved being a gang member and he would represent it until it killed him, he still wished that he had the positive ambition that Kendrick had with his music and that he wished him well on his musical success. Towards the end of the verse, he ends up getting shot mid-sentence (I have to shout out my boyAnthonyfor pointing this out, because I didn’t know) and it was the same ending that was used in a song released 3 years ago called”Little Johnny,” so it’s evident that Kendrick brought past elements to the present for the fans that have been there that long. Before you die, you hope that people will still remember you in a positive light, or to speak about you. In this case, Kendrick is saying the same thing, but instead of talk, it’s to sing about them. The girl in the 2ndverse is the sister of Keisha from”Keisha’s Song (Her Pain)” from Section.80. Again, bringing past elements and continuing the story into a major scale. Her tone is a bit more pressed towards him because she didn’t appreciate him airing out her business like that through song, but it’s ironic because her sister is going through the exact same thing, but she knows what she’s doing and thinks that she’s not going to have the same fate as her sister. The way that the verse ends off reminded me of”Heaven & Hell”from O.verly D.edicated when he faded out of the verse halfway without coming to an end, but instead of it being a mystery, it shows that he’s walking away from her because she doesn’t want to help herself save her own life, so she eventually dies anyway. Kendrick (as her) says in the verse that she’ll never fade away, but in the end she does. The third verse goes into Kendrick rapping as himself talking or writing back to the individuals saying that he is humbled by the love and that he does it for the city to represent them on a positive scale, and also that he didn’t mean to insult or degrade Keisha in any way; just wanted to share the story of the lives that he was around in Compton. The main emphasis is that he knows where he’s at with his status and success and that he’s now more worried than ever that he’ll die young because will try to come after him, but all he wants to do is tell the stories of the ones who’s affected his life and that one day when he passes on, he’ll be remembered for telling them. I have to say rest in peace to Alori Joh, because as much as I am a Kendrick Lamar fan, I’m still not the biggest fan of rappers singing their hooks. Alori would have done it plenty of justice (shit, even Jhene Aiko), but that’s just me. I still enjoyed the song, but that R&B presence would have been great.

    The song fades back into a scene seemingly as if it was a freeze frame and then resumes hearing the sound of the homies trying to figure out what to do now, but the guy whose brother got shot is fed up and doesn’t want to live the life he’s living anymore. Understandable for anyone to want to just say “to hell with it all” and go out guns blazing, but then it goes right into “Dying of Thirst.” The phrase “Dying of thirst” isn’t one that I was familiar with, but of what I was taking in from the song, it was along the words of being thirsty for a break and never getting it. Continuously sinning and paying for the consequences is what’ll kill you faster, and when one really needs is forgiveness from the Lord because of the things that rule around them: money, sex & drugs. It isn’t until the end of the song when he says”youre dying of thirst, so hop in that water and pray that it works,”that you know that he’s talking about holy water. Washing away your sins, starting off clean and one step in the right path of life. The elderly woman that appears at the end of the song is also a key character and she’s the one that introduces the prayer that you hear at the beginning of the album. She defined “dying of thirst” as being thirsty for the Lord & wanting him in your life. So in order to do that, you have to be baptized. Obviously they didn’t go through an actual baptismal service, but that prayer is what helped change their mindsets from that day forth to help carry on their lives. Very deep and this whole album makes you think about your own life and the things around you. Even if you don’t exactly relate to his stories, you can’t help but get inspired by how he tells them in such detail that brings it to reality before your ears and eyes. Powerful and gripping storytelling is rare these days. J.Cole is known to be somewhat of a storyteller, but Kendrick is on another level when it comes down to the finer details. He put in significant effort in this project, and this is the defining song that proves it.

    11. Real (featuring Anna Wise)
    Kendrick, as part of his storytelling, often takes on the roles of different people in his songs, and sometimes it’s not even people, it’s other fictitious characters like your own conscious or the devil (Listen to “I Hate You”, an unreleased track). The point is that, keeping with the same style as “Sing About Me,” he uses the ideal of “real” to describe a girl and a guy and just what they define as real when they’re chasing after money, power, respect, fame and glamour, but that doesn’t make THEM real, because their reality is covered up. What makes a person real? Being honest with themselves, having morals and ethics that drive them on a daily basis? That all depends on the people, but the characters that Kendrick takes on aren’t ones that have any love for themselves, they have love for fabricated things like the aforementioned money, power, and respect. It’s one of those songs that forced me to stop and listen to it just to get the bigger picture, and Kendrick’s parents’ messages at the end of it sealed the deal, especially what his father said:

    “Any nigga can kill a man, that don’t make you a real nigga”. “Realness is responsibility, realness is taking care of your motherfucking family, realness is god, nigga”

    Vulgar? Yes, but insightful? 100% Another hint is when Kendrick’s mother told him that Top Dawg called for him and want him to go to the studio, which signifies the beginning of his rap career. One day can change a lot, and on this day, it changed him so he would be able to tell this story a few years later. Learning from your mistakes and coming back as a real man is also what his mother instilled, and he heeded those words. Here we are getting music from Kendrick Lamar – the man. The song was reminiscent of”Opposites Attract,” based on the whole structure. Well put together.

    12. Compton (featuring Dr. Dre)
    Ahh, our final song (Standard Version) that has a Dr. Dre feature (notice no Dr. Dre production, but he did help with the mixing). Explaining the life of Compton from two generations on one track. You can clearly tell that Kendrick wrote Dr. Dre’s verse (as well as “The Recipe”) but the comparison to what Compton was like in their respective times isn’t that much of a difference, but the raw essence that is Compton is evident between the both of them. Just Blaze did wonders on this beat, and it’s a shame that people have went on to downgrade it because it sounds like Drake’s”Lord Knows”, but that’s like saying “Niggas in Paris” sounds like “Clique” because it’s the same producer. Let’s be real here. Anyway, the main thing about this song comes at the end when you hear Kendrick say”Mama I’m taking the car. Be back in 15 minutes,”and that right there takes me back to my Quentin Tarantino reference, because if you remember in “Pulp Fiction,” for example, when Honey Bunny & Ringo rob the diner at the beginning of the movie, that same scene is what ends the movie; and that’s not the only time that a scene has come back from one particular area to tie in to the rest of the movie. It’s a cinematic album. I really thought at some point that they took clips from movies and inserted them, but they scripted it really well and it’s going to be one of those albums that will be talked about being one of the greats in a few years, if not sooner.

    BONUS TRACKS

    13. The Recipe (featuring Dr. Dre)
    Everyone talks about California being one of the best places in the world to visit, and why? According to Kendrick, it’s the “women, weed, and weather.” This song came out earlier in the year, so it was perfect summer music because of the smooth sample, and the lyrics describing California as this paradise. “California Love” had Tupac and Dre talk about Cali in the best way. 17 years later, here we are. I’m not saying that it has the same dynamic impact that “California Love” had, but it terms of anthems, this served as one, and let’s be honest, you’d rather hear”California Girls”by Katy Perry forever? I. Dont. Think. So. It’s still an enjoyable listen even after hearing it for so long before the album came out.

    14. Black Boy Fly
    This is a gem that I can understand was a bonus because it’s an aftermath of his success now. From the Kendrick Lamar EP on a song called”I Do This”, he said:

    “I used to to wanna by like Michael Jordan
    Figured that I’d hit the NBA and make a fortune
    Thank God for these rap recordings
    I can ball like him on every verse and chorus”

    Now, take those lyrics into consideration and in the first verse he starts off by saying that he used to be jealous of Arron Afflalo, because he went to high school with him and that dream Kendrick had of going to the NBA, Arron actually did it. Rather than skipping classes and doing dumb stuff like Kendrick did, Arron did well in school and went to go on to get a basketball scholarship at UCLA and then get drafted into the NBA. All of this from a kid from Compton. It just shows when you’re dedicated and passionate about something; you can make it out of the hood and be someone great. Demar DeRozan of my hometown Toronto Raptors is also from Compton, but since the age difference between Kendrick & Demar is a couple of years, it makes sense for Kendrick to use Arron. The second verse he talked about The Game and how his progression from just a mixtape rapper to a multi-platinum selling artist coming out of Compton, that also inspired him, but it made him jealous as well because he didn’t want to be the last black boy to fly out of Compton. Seeing the success of two guys from Compton make it out and be successful is relevant for anyone that lives in a city that has a lot of struggle and no hope of success. For example; Derrick Rose being from Chicago, being the youngest MVP and having a lot of positive impact for a city like Chicago and their issues of violence, it’s major to see someone come from your block and make it big. Kendrick didn’t think that he would be the next one, but he did and thus this song was made. It’s another inspirational song, because anyone can make it through adversity, no matter which area you live in. “Impossible is Nothing” (Thanks, Adidas).

    15. Now or Never (featuring Mary J. Blige)
    Why not end the album off on a high note with a soulful song with one of the R&B legends? Mary J. Blige with a great feature on this one. Celebrating the success that you have thus far with a lot of shows and more fans is something that new artists always want, so this is just major emphasis. Living out your dream is something that we all want, so go after it now or you’ll never get a chance. Simple, effective, motivational, and another good one. I see it having some radio play, but who knows?

    A lot of people have been saying that this is one of the best albums to come out not only this year, but of the past few years. I agree with both of those statements because when you take the time to tell a story, carefully craft it, and finally execute to perfection, it’s hard to disagree. The content revolved around the progression of Kendrick, but taking us back to where it all started. An eventful day that changed his life and started him on the path to making music for people to hear today. Telling the stories of themselves and others is what Hip Hop was beloved for. The life that a rapper lives isn’t all that glamorous in the beginning, because everyone struggles, so when you get a break and you have the opportunity to shine on a greater platform, you take advantage of that and tell the story of your come up, but also of the area surrounding you that inspired you to get to where you are now. I have confidence that Kendrick will continue to go to great lengths to deliver great music.

    “See y’all don’t understand me
    My plan B is to win y’all hearts before I win a Grammy” – Kendrick Lamar “I Am (Interlude)”

    This is simply my opinion, thanks for reading this lengthy review (more like an Essay), but for now “Thats My Word & It STiXX”

    5/5

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    1. Dope brake down. Album is dope. Been listening to KL for about 2 years now and the kid gets better. Glad he didn’t sell out with a whole bunch of commercial shit.

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  526. Good album by Kendrick Lamar,but classic it is not. I don’t know what MCs ya’ll grew up or what ya’ll listen to but ya’ll throwing classic out there to much. Not better than Nas “Life is Good nor Lupe “FNL2”. The Man With The Iron Fists Soundtrack just dropped today and is much better than this.

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    1. Man…let it go…This is the best album of the year. This IS a complete album and told a better story than Nas’s Life is Good. I’m a big Lupe fan and I admit GKMC was alot better than F&L2 as far as artistry goes. The album was conceptual, sounded great, and lyrical. The downside for me was the hooks. I’m aware that everybody is entitled to their own opinion but if this album is not critically acclaimed there’s some really shady shit going down.

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    2. stop living in the past. The illmatics and Born to Die’s no longer exist, this is a classic in terms of the direction hip hop has taken and this album in comparison to other albums that came out, RZA’s album is good, but its a soundtrack, a collaberation of many of talented artists, this is a solo project from a rising artist. it’s a classic homie, as the above guy said, let it go

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    3. I agree. It’s a really good album, better than a lot of shit that has dropped recently but not the best. F&L2 is my favorite album of 2012. Nas album was good as well. I’ll def put KL’s album in my top of 2012 though.

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  527. #GKMC is a mindblowing story, it’s like a book that you are reading but wont put i down until you’re done with it. i give it a 5/5.

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  531. album is overrated like fuck, it’s not that good, he can rap, but it doesn’t stand out to me. Good album, yes. GREAT album? FUCK No. Get off this dudes nuts.

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  534. This is a great album but is it the best this year? No!!! Nas’s LifeIsGood is better and I think Lupe’s album is great too even though I hate that fucker as a human being. I see a lot of young hipster faggots dickriding the hell outta this album but the production on it isnt top notch. This doesn’t even top that lame The Game’s first two album. Not to take anything away from Kendrick, this is a decent album for this day and age but not a classic plain and simple.

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    1. I agree with you 100% the people dick riding this album are tryin way too hard to convince everybody that this is a classic. They wanna be “different” and be “cool” for labeling an album that will be forgottan a year from now. I don’t know anyone that is seriously listen to this album other than white suburban kids that don’t know what they are talking about. Kendrick can spit versatile, but his beats, subject matter, hooks, everything imo is subpar.

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  535. Beats=Meh
    Subject Matter=Meh
    Hooks = Meh
    Versatility-Good
    Overall – Meh

    Since when does rhyming versatile on the mic automatically make a rapper a great artist? You mean to tell me you can have crappy beats, crappy hooks, crappy subject matter that nobody is feelin, but if you spit versatile out of your ass than it’s automatically a 5 star album? Fuck outta here, streets aren’t feelin it. 3/5 stars that is all. Thank you.

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  537. I thought it was decent, but not what everyone is making it out to be. I surely won’t be remember this a year from now.

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  539. This album is LIGHT YEARS ahead of that DOGSHIT slaughterhouse album, and in no way do they deserve the same score. To give the Slaughterhouse album a 4.5 is disrespect to actual artistic craft that Kendrick possesses, not cheesy punchlines from 4 overrated emcees with corny pop beats. But when you got the paper that Eminem has, you can just pay your way to a high score. Like Kendrick would say, FUCK THOT. Welcome To Our House was a fail and a flop, and does not deserve to be seen in the same area as good kid, m.A.A.d. city

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  540. You fuck boys that don’t see how great this album is (yet) will understand in a few years when this album does down as a classic. This is timeless music and apparently some people just aren’t ready for it yet, they’re still stuck in the era where all these emcees use the same flow. Say 5 words, *pause*. Say another 5 words, *pause*. *Insert cheesy punchline here*. Kendrick is just ahead of his time but real heads know whatsup

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    1. Nobody will be talking about this shit a year from now. There are a ton of underground artists that make good music as well and nobody gives a fuck about it either bruh. This shit is mediocre at best.

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  542. This is a movie/documentary directed by Kendrick in the form of music….Nobody has crafted music together like this in a while. Its truly a blessing to my ears.

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    1. Sayin that shit i can tell two things bout u. 1, u aint from the streets. 2, u aint heard the album. fuck outta here u simp ass nigga…

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  544. Looking at the comments people are saying this album is “dope but not that good” adding that isn’t up to the calibre of previous releases this year namely Nas’ Life Is Good & Lupe’s Food & Liquor II. I gotta say this album is rated fairly rated at by the critics averaging around a 4.5/5 and also Nas’ Life Is Good & Lupe’s Food & Liquor II have also been rated fairly at a average of 4/5. So the album that are getting “overhyped” by the fans seem to be Nas’ Life Is Good & Lupe’s Food & Liquor II…

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  547. ****REAL TALK***** I hate when people say real hip/hop but this album is what Hip/Hop is all about, A message a story knowledge of something. I’m from the hood the real hood and listening to his album from front to back this is a throw back feel but change the game Album ***HIP/HOP CLASSIC*** Good for Kendrick for not going with the trends and doing his thing good lyrics/message Album of the Year Easy SALUTE!!!

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  548. Just because it’s getting a lot of hype doesn’t mean you have to be a dumbass hipster and say it sucks just to be a douche. It’s an exceptionally good album. But to be honest I still think Ab-Soul’s Control System is the album of the year. I’d put Kendrick and Nas at a tie for second.

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  552. Rapsody’s “The Idea Of Beautiful” Album is the REAL album of the year!!! No one, male or female, can see her lyrical genius.

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  553. Kendrick has reached a point were people are just hating on him to feel special … he has officially made it.

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  557. its just too corny for a nigga from compton , his rap style is good but yet still sound the same like every young nigga out there , it sounds like elevator mixed with skating ring music ,

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  559. Perfect breakdown. This album is one that competes with the all time laurels status.

    To the ones saying this album is trash… go listen to whatever it is. I think y’all like 2Chainz and anything on world star and shit. Meager bitches.

    A great cinematic piece of art.

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  562. Now a lot of you may know me as that asshole who leaves a lot of space between every comment to the point where no one else can post. I think we got off on the wrong foot. See I’m a nice guy. I pay my taxes on time. I help the old lady downstairs with her groceries. I like animals. I like loose women but most of all I love you all. My job here as a troll here on hiphopdx is to bring the light of love most of you probably haven’t seen before. See I honestly believe that no matter how much of you call me a faggot and tell me I should die (suicide usually is the suggestion) deep inside I believe that you all love me too which is why I’m going to continue spreading more joy and love on this site. Thank you all for the time you have spent interacting with me and talking to me. I will never forget it and I will continue doing the good work I’ve been doing.

    Sincerely Yours
    -Malone

    Reply

  563. Man this is the next best thing next to food and Liquor 1 and that’s my favorite album of all time. Only thing though this album not as lyrical as F&L 1

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  564. I’m listening to it right now, smoking on brainwreck. The music is so different and complete, I feel great about purchasing it. I think would’ve felt bad had I downloaded it. The only thing I find weird is that the deluxe edition includes 2 CDs, but the second disc only has 3 bonus tracks. Just found out there’s different editions with up to 5 bonus tracks, and I got the worst one! Damn.

    Reply

    1. the edition with 5 bonus tracks is the iTunes version with 2 additional exclusive songs. you got the ‘regular’ deluxe version which is the only deluxe version they sell at the store (i’m assuming you bought the CD).

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    2. oh wait of course you bought the CD… never mind. well that explains why you got the deluxe version with only 3 extra songs.

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    2. Fuck off! Sales mean nothing, nas is obviously the better mc. On another note I’m really looking forward to listening to this, just need to wait for them to sell it at my local CD store 🙂

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  566. Nas- Life is good

    Kendrick Lamar- Good kid bad city.

    One of these should win album of the year, if not im not listening to hip hop no more.

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  570. This is the best album coming from the west coast since the games ‘documentary’. Kendrick had a lot of potential to be considered one of the greats. I’m curious to see what direction he will approach for his next album.

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  571. This is an album that was well thought through every little detail is on point, amazing first album, after listening to it several times top to bottom, i can say that this is a classic!

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  573. Personally, I feel that the storytelling and style that Kendrick took on this here album is absolute FIRE. No-one has made an album like this in so long, and by telling the story of a good kid growing up in a maad city, Kendrick can appeal to the mass audience with his excellent beats and catchy chorus’ but also he can reach out to the more aware listener with his unique flow and lyricism which paints a perfect picture in the head of a listener. The night I heard this album on headphones, when I closed my eyes I could imagine being in his situation. As an artist, he has achieved the goal of trying to connect with the audience and allow them to feel what he feels, and for that, hats off to Kendrick. This guy right here, he’s the future of hiphop, mark my words. No dick-riding, I’m just being real and giving my opinion on this album and the future of hiphop.

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  576. kendrick lame-r sounds like kermit the frog trying to rap and alot of these songs had that homo vibe going on……classic hip hop album dont make me laugh LOL

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  577. I don’t agree with the “race” comments but I agree with some others. If you go to the hood right now and ask most young people who they listen to they’ll say 2 Chainz, Future, Rick Ross, French Montana etc.. not Kendrick, J. Cole, or Lupe.. I’m in college so I can tell that most college kids and other adults listen to less mindless bullshit and more rappers with better lyrics and music.. I even know adults in their 30s and 40s who bought Kendrick’s album.. I’m not saying the hood is responsible for these wack rappers, I’m just saying what I’ve seen..

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  578. that’s our problem though – we feel the “hood” people only listen to one type of artist and dont buy music at all – Kendrick comes from Compton doesn’t he? how more hood does he have to be? lol- is it because he is lyrical that the hood supposedly doesn’t embrace him? I dunno i’m just tired of hearing that it is only white kids that buy music when it does good and we have no joy that a hip hop artist is selling music

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  579. I wouldn’t say it’s just white kids who buy these albums, but most the time it’s kids in the suburbs or some shit, (black, or white). If you go to the HOOD, and ask people who they listen to, their tell you Lil Boosie, or Meek or some shit, they don’t say K. Dot, or J Cole etc. Anyways, glad to see Kendrick Lamar doing well.

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  584. kendrick sounds like kermit the frog trying to rap this album sounds horrible to many trolls trying to defend this clown acting like he come off deep in the head or some shit…..oh oh oh kendricks telling a story HAHAHAHAHAHAHA LOL LMAO STFU

    Reply

    1. You haters, you mad at him cos yall paper,
      need to get his muthaf-cking weight up,
      Hold up,
      waiter, I aint done,
      name one thing he aint done,
      it hurts when you say that he aint the one,
      You haters,You haters,

      Reply

  588. Come on people. If Malone could kill himself he would have. Just admit it you all love me and I love you all just as much. We’re all brothers and sisters. Getting used to me is kind of like passing your finger along your crotch just to see how much it’s scent has in common with clorox… eventually you get used to it.

    Sincerely Yours
    -Malone

    Reply

  590. Hip Hop started in the streets and it will forever be in the streets, the fact of the matter is. Nobody in the streets is listening to this guy, only kids from the burbs. I ain’t feelin this album, i don’t care how lyrical he is, it’s fuckin wack in the streets. Only people in the urban community (not suburban ) should have say to what is dope hip hop and what isn’t, this is NOTHING special. Kids from the suburbs tend to think just because a rapper is “lyrical” that makes them great! 2Pac , Too Short, Eazy E, and many many others weren’t the most complex rappers but they are more legends, why? Because they kept it street. These underground, and lyrical cats can rhyme as many words out of the dictionary that they want and it is still wack in the streets why? Wack subject matter, wack hooks, wack beats, nobody wants to listen to any of that. People wake up, street hip hop (biggie, 2pac, big l , ross ) any rapper that reps the streets, YES even Gucci will have more respect than these lyrical cats, because hip hop IS the streets, and if the streets aren’t feelin it, than it doesn’t matter how versatile you are, wack is wack no matter what, this album is nothing special, and kids from the burbs need to stop givin this shit 5 star reviews!!

    Reply

    1. Porn started in the streets too. Today you have accountants and lawyers directing their own independent films. I myself have done a few films. Are you trying to tell me that because I’m not from the streets or didn’t come up on the block “hustling” That I don’t have a right to partake in the porn culture. Like I don’t even understand your analogy dude.

      Sincerely Yours
      -Malone

      Reply

    2. i love old rappers nas and big l best rappers ever but yo u kno nothing abt kendrick he raps abt the street unlike the rest of these new rappers……u kno nothing abt tde and black hippy his group there all real rappers ur just blinded by this new school

      Reply

    3. @kenny how old are you 8 or 12 and yea i know about black hippy they act like there deep in head because they tell boring story’s and yell homo noises on there tracks with shitty production……kid what you know about these streets bet you wont learn from no bed time story

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    4. These idiots talk abt street music then u put Rick Ross on the list??? r u mentally starving or just shallow!!!! listen to the music 1st b4 u start to talk shit, ignorant mafakaz…the guy tells the story of his life n u start debating abt HOOD and Suburbs wtf??? listen to the music if u dnt like it get fuck out the kitchen…

      Reply

    4. oh so i dont like this shit so i must listen to ymcmb music? get the fuck outta here! Kendrick lame be trying to sound like Lil Wayne

      Reply

  595. There are two different types of hip hop : Hood (urban) hip hop (2pac , biggie, eazy, ross, big l etc) than there is suburban hip hop (mac miller, tech n9ne, eminem, lamar, any other corner underground artist) theres a reason why underground never gets respect from the streets, cuz it’s is garbage! Plain and simple! Nobody is feelin it! Look I understand they are “versatile” on the mic, so fuckin what!! There is more to being a good artist than just being “versatile” Wack hooks, wack beats, wack subject matter and rhyming words out of the dictionary doesn’t cut it for me ! And suburban kids are already dubbin this up there with illmatic, the fuck outta here! Why is it kids from the burbs are always the one who walk around like they know “real hip hop”? And the funny thing is suburban kids have the nerve to say that street hip hop is wack? That’s almost as funny as a white dude tellin a mexican how to make mexican food! The fact of the matter is, suburban kids can’t relate to REAL hip hop so so they substitute rhyming versatile, as qualifying them for being a quality artist, when that is far from the truth. It’s good to have skill, but rhyming complex shouldn’t be the only thing that determines whether an album is good or not, the fact is nobody is feelin it in the strets( where it counts the most)! This is not a classic, and this will be forgotten about fast trust me on this. Street hip hop will forever be dominant and you suburban kids can stop tryin so hard to prove everyone you “know” real hip hop”, you all tryin way too hard!!! LOL!! Fuck outta here

    Reply

    1. these STANS don’t want to hear the truth but hell yeah by next year this shit will have been forgotten and when he flops his next project they’ll move on to something else

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    2. I cant believe u included Ross on the Hood (urban) Hip Hop list and then put Kendrick on lost list of shallow rappers, bt hey thats yo opinion…still crazy tho ross lyrically extremly wack…wat r u smokin????

      Reply

    3. One of the reasons this album is dope is that it doesn’t fit in either of those artificial categories you just invented. Did you even listen to the album from front to back? I doubt it.

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  597. does not deserve more than 2 stars i want my money and time back from listening to this garbage then i look at this site and see all the dick riders co sighing this shit as album of year what a fucking joke!!! somebody just kill hip hop and be done with it

    Reply

  598. real talk the streets ain’t feelin it b. White kids co-signin this shit, lol some funny shit b. bk all day.

    Reply

  600. Nas life is good >>>>> this garbage

    Lupe Fiasco Food & Liquor 2 >>>>> this garbage

    Big K.R.I.T Live from the Underground >>>>> this garbage

    Young Jeezy Thug Motivation 103 >>>>> this garbage

    Rick Ross God Forgives I Don’t >>>>> this garbage

    Xzibit Napalm >>>>> this garbage

    Freddie Gibbs Baby Face Killa Mixtape >>>>> this garbage

    Good Kid m.A.A.d City album of the year FUCK NO!!!!

    Reply

  602. This is m.A.A.d yo, real talk i slept half way thru this shit, it’s corny az hell yo, how people got the nerve to dubb this shit a classic is beyond me!! I really gave this shit a listen and I was like yo , is this shit really what people are talkin bout on the net yo? Real talk, if this is what is dubbed as the next illmatic, shoot yo self…

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  604. Can someone explain why this album is boring or wack? In the same vein, may someone explain why it may have the potential to be a classic? Everyone is sounding mad ignorant when they give their opinion without giving reason to why they think that way. I’m more or less indifferent on the album. It feels like the album is congealed in a way that a person has to listen to the whole thing to like. One can’t just jump in it with shuffle or pick and choose songs, it does not flow that way. Because of this I find this album to be more of a concept album than anything else. That is not a bad thing, but not something that was expected. Then there is Compton, which doesn’t seem to fit it at all with the album (minus the excerpt the last few seconds), but the song itself was good. So I’ll ask again, why are people saying that this album is good and or bad?

    Reply

    1. Also, if possible, please pertain your opinion to the album itself. I notice the growth of just urban and suburban conflict, and how suburban can’t relate. Whether or not if that is true, you are ignoring the album and voicing your opinion over the person rather than the music that the person made.

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  605. MEEK MILLS is going to destroy this cat in sales first week!!!!!! I grew up in the same Brookslyn neighborhood as Meek. He real dude. EASY 700k FIRST WEEK EASY!!!!

    Platinum before MID NOVEMBER

    DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES BABY

    MEEK MILLSS IS AEWSOME

    Reply

  609. Listen , it’s not the fact that kenrick isn’t street enuff, it’s the fact that this suburban kids are callin this the next illmatic, when reality is, nobody in the urban community is co-signing it , there fore ,makin it impossible to be a 5 star album u feel me.

    Reply

    1. No, I don’t feel you. Which “urban community” are you referring to? What do you think it says when you judge music based on what the community thinks. Think for yourself.

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  610. I’m a child of the 70’s, started listening to rap in the 80’s, couldn’t believe the hip hop/rap we got to listen to in the 90’s, and have been struggling like hell to listen to the crap that has been pushed out on us in to 00’s. I get it, times have changed, music has evolved to something else, people have gotten more immediate in their responses to stimulus – that’s why beats are basic, rhymes are simple, and rap music is full of hooks and club anthems. Cars, Money, and Women is all people want to hear these “Rappers” talk about – because it meets human basic needs and our basic modern day minds. Now, take a step back, a deep breath, play song 1 and listen to this album, all the way through, turn off the lights, your pre-conceived notions about Kendrick and just become absorbed into the message, the music, and time warp back with me back to the first time I heard Nas, Wu-Tang, or Biggie – we are watching the next big thing evolve and become great. We needed this dude.

    Reply

    1. Born in 73′ and I agree completely. For the last few years I have been feeling a resurgence of good rap music, and this year in GKMC and Channel Orange (whatever Genre you want to place it in) the light it shining again!

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  612. @malone your a troll who will never win anything oh and this album is WACK AS FUCK sounds like kermit the frog trying to rap

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  621. if your looking for a album to hear about Money,Coke, Hoes,Bentlys and a whole bunch of features This is not for you… its like hes telling a story.. well put together.. with a different sound not Trap beats on evey song

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  623. This album was no where near a classic to me. The production on a whole was subpar though the lyrics are brilliant. I look for balance on every album between lyricism,storytelling and production but the latter was lacking. (Section 80 > GKMC)-Theme

    TOP 5
    1)Good Kid
    2)Dying of Thirst
    3)Compton
    4)The Recipe
    5)Sing About Me

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  624. i thought this album would be good but it sounds like something T pain would come up with I’ve lost respect for KENDICK LAVAGINA he should take a look at 2 chainz his lyrics and flow are just uhh i cant explain it it makes me wanna CUM so much

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  627. this is a great album and I don’t understand why people say that because it’s not street, then it’s wack. I mean is there any logic in such a statement ? according to these people chief keef is the best rapper in history … That being said, this could be a classic if it weren’t for that track “Real”, it just seems like a filler. Lupe’s Food and Liquor will remain the best debut album of this century so far, FOR ME: 4.5/5

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  630. love this album, had it on rotation constantly along with the new rza soundtrack. cant wait to cop this shit on vinyl

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  633. The groupie in me wants to jump up and say it is a classic, considering the content, production, lyrics, presentation, cover art. But the reasonable me knows that it takes time, however I do get the same feeling from this as I got from hearing Food and Liquor. And to me in a lot of ways this is like Kendrick Lamar’s version of “The Cool.” Whatever the case great album. If you haven’t copped it already you should pick it up.

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  634. Classic! One of the few rookies that can be seen as the greatest if he ever reaches his potential… Only time will tell but as of now, Kendrick is without a doubt the best rapper hands down

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  635. man i dont know why it didnt get 10 stars..probably one of the best albums.. i mean ALBUMS i have heard in a very long time. i can actually listen to every song without a skip .. and im old school so u know .. i feel some traks like old outkast feel beat wise, my fam told me i was trippin but that smooth melody just reminds me of something andre would do.. albums just bangs man .. hip hop at its puriest without any major productions.. that whats shocking ..

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  636. Instant classic!!! He has such a different style of rapping, but that’s what makes it original! Lyrics are on point too!

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  637. Ima get off topic right now. But i found it very distubing reading these comments and i come across some internet nerds(i guess from the suburbs)saying that niggas in the hood only like to hear 2 chains, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne etc. Wow i couldn’t believe i heard those words from these internet nerd niggas. Its funny cause Us people in the Hood say the same shit about you suburb niggas. Like someone said earlier niggas in the Hood don’t buy CDs like other people.

    I have no clue where you nerd niggas get yall info but i came into two conclusions. You suburb niggas don’t know shit about the hood(and vice versa) and alot of niggas that live in the Hood don’t comment on these kinds of website. I guarantee only 10 percent of the people who comment on these blogs are from people from the hood. Probably less then that. And the only reason im commenting is because Im at work and i couldnt believe what the internet nerd niggas are saying.

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  638. Now i can’t speak for every hood. But You niggas should already know that none of that 2Chains, Rick Ross(well he a fraud but some of his shit is oK) Lil Wayne(I never seen a nigga fall off so bad) Gucci mane or whoever else you niggas said. NY niggas don’t listen to none of that shit. Infact niggas in NY was fucking with J-Cole hardbody.(good Album that got boring fast in my opinion) NY radio stations(Hot 97, Power 105.1) play that bullshit all day but i can almost guarantee you no one is playing 2chains in their cars in NY. French Montana is from the BX no one in NY look at that nigga like he nice. Infact we put him in the wack MC catergory to. ASAP Rocky niggas is still feeling out. He nothing special(like K-Dot) but ASAP Rocky got some shit so we still feeling him out.

    But trust me, aint nobody in NY playing no 2Chains. Not in no NY hoods. Maybe at a strip club or party but no one is paying attention to that garbage. I guarantee you them downsouth dirty niggas are bumping that pointless shit. Anyway my point from the start is you nerd niggas sound foolish saying niggas in the hood support these young dummies, but in the same paragraph write that no one in the hood buy CDs. If no one in the hood buy CDs how the hell are niggas in the hood supporting 2Chains etc. You niggas sound like fools with those comments.

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  639. Now to this shit. Niggas in my hood, some of my peoples but more like associates niggas who i say what up to and keep it moving, went out of their way to stop me just to tell me that Kendrick Lamar shit is a masterpiece. They pretty much told me what most reviews did. The Album is perfectly put together. Then my younger brother told me pretty much the samething. Album is fire. This and LIG pretty much Album of the year type shit. Classic.

    Now i was chilling with my brother and he was playing some of the songs. And i could tell that i didn’t get the full effect of what and how the songs is supposed to be. Basically listening to each song separately i didn’t get the Classic feeling. But i just downloaded the Album and i love that story telling shit with vivid picturs. Basically this should be my type of music. So ima go in tonight and ima zone out to this shit and come back tomorrow with my thoughts.

    One more things, It seems like Hip Hop has a pulse this year. And it all starts from the underground.(Not even including Big Krit lol) But i think the GOAT set it off with that LIG album from a industry point and i hope Hip Hop follows. Save the music yall.

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  640. And before someone thinks im shitting on Big Krit hell no not at all. Im just saying it starts at the Underground and i know Big Krit got an album call from the underground.(or some shit like that)

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    1. Whatever you smoking, you need to start selling because you are tripping. “This generation’s illmatic.” GTFOH!!!

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  644. Good album, wouldnt call it classic though. And for all the dudes yellin about how it aint gettin spins in the hood, and thats why its whack, just stop it. Just cuz u looking for something else in it than other ppl doesnt make your opinion mean more. FOH with that shit. Bottom line, I cant call this classic but I did enjoy it.

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    1. Well it’s subjective but if we look at critical acclaim then Life Is Good is close but not as good as this album and F&L 2 isn’t even in the same league!

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    2. This album has no bad songs. LIG had U don’t Understand, Summer on Smash, the Mary G Blige track, and I think one more but I can’t remember. Haven’t listend to FL2.

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  646. This is the 3rd album that I heard this year that could be an classic/real hiphop coming back slowly for show u digg

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  647. This Cd is a five mic classic!!!!!!!! Your nuts if you say it wack! The best cd this ear by far and to me its better than Kanye’s five mic classic. This cd was well thought out and well put together.

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  649. Mediocre album. Overrated by fatherless dick riders who hang-glide on this nigga’s nuts just because he is better than the “shit” that saturates the market now a days. Anybody can be hip-hop’s savior when the competition is 2 Chainz, Future, Gucci Maine, Lil Wayne, damn, can even remember all the garbage rappers that hit and disappeared this year. Anyway, you dudes get my point. I give the album a 3.

    Up Yours,
    N.I.H.

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  650. Mediocre is the new classic. I’ll give this nigga 1 to mitigate you dudes overrating it.

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    2. If this is mediocre you probably are one of those hip hop elists (HIPSTERS) that don’t like brilliant concepts or vivid storytelling.. Go back to listening to Canibus or whatever garbage underground rapper you listen to that has bars for days but no flow, can’t write songs, can’t pull together a concept, etc. This is potentially a classic.

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  651. SOUNDS MORE LIKE A MIXTAPE THAN AN ALBUM. SOMEONE NEEDS TO TEACH THESE YOUNG CATS HOW TO MAKE ALBUMS. HATE TO SAY THIS BUT THE WHITE RAPPERS ARE THE ONLY YOUNG RAPPERS HOLDING IT DOWN. YOU NIGGAS ARE PUTTING OUT TRASH

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  652. True. I never thought about that. The young white rappers are making better music that the young Black rappers. Damn, that shit Kray!!

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  653. Unbelievable album, I’ve listened to it 9 times in a row now without playing anything else in between and I rarely do that. I’m gonna give it a few months but this could well pass Cancer 4 Cure and Skelethon as my favourite album of 2012.

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  656. I want some of yours opinions on this thought I have on hearing this record.

    I love this album. It is damn solid, great production, sick lyrics, the whole works.

    BUT compared to Section 80 I don’t like it as much. Section 80 had a raw energy to it that this album lacks. Section 80 was deep, thematic and depicted the youth generation with an amazing intensity.

    Good kid mad city has great storytelling. But thats it! Theres nothing else! All the songs are mellow! They are dope, but they make me feel sleepy whenever I listen to them. There’s no energy in the album.

    For example, when you listen Em, Nas or Jay, they make you fucking sit up straight and nod your head like you are having a seizure. Section 80 had that. But this album is too slow. It has no momentum. Its damn good, but not as good as the albums of greats.

    What do you guys think?

    Reply

    3. d, I feel you completely. Like in one of my comments above, I feel like the story as a whole is better than the songs themselves. For instance, some of these songs I love, but ONLY in the context of listening to the album from front to back…Otherwise I wouldn’t listen to those same songs by themselves. The sum of the album is better than its individual parts.

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  657. For die-hard hip hop fans, Kendrick Lamar has widely been considered one of the most “buzz worthy”, “interesting”, and “talented” up-and-coming artists for more than a minute now. With his first largely recognized release, 2010’s Overly Dedicated, he went from a promising, young LA rapper, to one of the “underground” blogosphere/rap Internet’s most widely embraced MC’s. With last year’s Section.80 he arguably dropped 2011’s “best” (as subjective as that term is) hip hop album, and found some serious critical acclaim from the hip hop scene, and general music junkies alike.

    However, even with all of his love from critics and hardcore hip hop fans, he’s still truly failed to move big units, or find a great deal of “mainstream” attention. Granted, any hip hop fan worth his or her headphones will at the very least recognize his music at this point, the relatively subdued (compared to most popular hip hop), yet extremely lyrically ambitious style he comes with has left him largely invisible to the masses. In an era where “hot singles” seem to drop every twelve hours, and style usually outshines substance (not that there’s anything inherently wrong with that) it’s hard not to understand where his difficulty to gain real commercial traction, or the same level of fame as many of his peers, has come from.

    While his music has always exhibited a rare mix of insight, infectious beat selection, and tenacious wordplay, his heady writing and often extensive vocabulary puts his music in a different “space” than most of what gets major play these days. Add in the fact that he seems to have firmly committed himself to releasing nothing but cohesive and consciously designed concept projects that convey a strong message, his almost throwback approach to his craft has made him an “odd man out” of sorts on the greater music landscape. While virtually no one has questioned his talent, and most hip hop fans would predict big things for him, he’s still a mostly unknown artist outside of the genre’s more dedicated listeners.

    But, fresh off of a grueling touring schedule, several dozen high profile features, and a highly publicized co-sign from Dr. Dre, good kid, m.A.A.d city, is more than likely about to mark Kendrick’s “break out” performance and just maybe a major shift in the modern popular hip hop scene tooit’s that powerful, it’s that “different” and maybe more importantly it’s that impressive a piece of art. While stylistically worlds apart, it invokes the same feeling of Kanye’s major debut, The College Dropout, in that it very well could challenge even the most casual rap fan’s perception of what hip hop can, and some would probably say “should”, be

    As previously mentioned, a big part of the Kendrick Lamar experience is the fact that his last few releases have all come with strong concepts behind them. This one is no different. On the surface, the album brings its listeners through an extremely eventful, but believable, journey through a night in the life of a young K-Dot as he navigates through the hazards of an early 2000’s East Los Angeles. Without ruining the narrative for anyone who hasn’t sat down with this one yet (which we refuse to do in this review), it’s a near cinematic musical experience, which exhibits some of the most vivid hip hop storytelling in recent memory. But, naturally, it’s a dark, at times gruesome, story. However, despite the grim realities that are conveyed, it has one of the most empowering and positive messages of any recent hip hop project too.

    To dig a bit deeper into the subtext of what Kendrick Lamar presents, he uses the concept of “one night in Compton” to tell the story of how he grew up to become the individual that he is today. He pulls no punches, and throws us right into some of the situations that are all too common in the poverty-stricken neighborhood he came up in. He lucidly, and in great detail, describes the undeniably present and intelligent thought process of his younger self an adolescent who has no choice but to live with gang violence being rampant (and often glorified) around him, crime being seen as a means to material comfort by both his close friends and potential foes, close proximity to rampant drug use, and how they all affected his development. Luckily, the story ends with these decidedly negative forces turning him into the artist, and success, that he is today.

    The result of this obvious commitment to narrative is an extremely focused album that is designed to help the listener understand the dichotomy that often exists in the youth of underprivileged areas a desire to do “good” in an often “mad” environment. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air when most albums these days are often a collection of singles, than a cohesive experience. By no means though, is the album pretentious, and it definitely doesn’t sacrifice its aesthetic or primal appeal to turn itself into a soapbox either.

    With that said, it definitely maintains its “listenability”, and never comes off as “preachy”. It’s hard to argue that Kendrick isn’t making enjoyable music, which at the same time is designed to send an obvious message. To make a bold comparison, several of the tracks here carry the same weight of some of Tupac’s most insightful work, like “Changes” and “Brenda’s Got a Baby”. They’re great listens from a pure musical standpoint, but maybe even more impressive when they’re broken down for their message.

    While the high quality of the album’s writing should be apparent by now, and is honestly the most notable aspect of the project, it shouldn’t go without saying that this one is just as impressive from a musical and technical standpoint as well. Kendrick Lamar exhibits numerous different deliveries, as he weaves in and out of different situations throughout the story he tells, and they’re all on point. While he admittedly has one of the more “unique” voices in hip hop today, his ability to effortlessly ride a wide variety of beats puts him the same league as guys like Tech N9ne and Eminem, as one of the more impressive technical rappers in the industry.

    We even got some extremely impressive feature verses, despite the fact that this one is one of the least feature-reliant major hip hop releases of the year. Drake comes with some of his best work on “Poetic Justice”, which captures the essence of the Pac and Janet Jackson film of the same name and even samples the singer. TDE’s own Jay Rock absolutely destroys his verse on “Money Trees” and might even outshine K-Dot’s impressive performance. In a nod to the “glory days” of West Coast hip hop, legend MC Eiht comes out of hiding to mark a turning point in the story, and mind state, of young Kendrick in the album’s most trunk worthy track, m.A.A.d. city. Dr. Dre even makes a triumphant appearance on the last “official” track of the album, to signal Kendrick’s emergence as an artist, and success despite his tough circumstances.

    From a production standpoint, the album is very reminiscent of Kendrick’s earlier work. While it’s definitely far removed from the sound of what typically gets play on the “pop” hip hop scene, it doesn’t sacrifice on the bass-heavy, percussion that is prevalent these days either. However the sometimes Jazzy, sometimes rough, vibe this one delivers should help this one gain some traction from a commercial standpoint. It might not have the catchiest beats compared to most major releases, and they definitely are a bit different from the established “norm” these days, but they’re all, without a doubt, quality and cater to the percussion heavy tastes that seem to currently define popular hip hop.

    All in all, and from start to finish, we get some well above average efforts from several of the industry’s most widely embraced producers on “good kid, m.A.A.d. city”, like Pharrell on “good kid”, Hit-Boy on the rugged “Backseat Freestyle”, and T-Minus on its lead single “Swimming Pools (Drank)”. But, instead of coming with their own signature styles, they seem to adapt more to the overall vision Kendrick Lamar had for the project. As a result, this one feels as musically cohesive and deliberate as any recent hip hop project, and is impeccably well done.

    In addition to the twelve tracks that make up the “official” portion of the good kid, m.A.A.d city album, the set of bonus tracks that are included with the retail version of the project are impressive and include the Dre driven “The Recipe” which might be Kendrick’s most recognizable and popular track to date. While each of these tracks stand apart from the album’s main narrative, they fit in perfectly with its concept. For the most part, they are much more positive and “feel good” than the rest of the album, and almost seem like a victory lap of sorts, celebrating Kendrick’s newfound and likely soon the rise stardom, and mark a fitting end to what very well could be an “album of the year” candidate regardless of genre.

    5/5

    Reply

  660. And stop putting it in Illmatic’s category. Listen, I’m a fan of dude but let’s call a spade a spade.

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  661. wow…has the standard fallen so low in hip hop that THIS album is getting called a classic? hip hop is falling off…this shit is 3/5 at its best times…you simple ass dudes need to fucking go to hip hop class or some shit…how the fuck does this ignorant ass shit get so much love….

    Reply

    1. I think them big words were too much for a tiny ass mind of yours. This shit is cray. Just hatin cuz u cant hear it. Clown.

      Reply

    2. lol so bro show us here ignorant hip hop heads that are probably twice ur age, how this album is not going to be a classic. listen if you have ever actually listened to albums like ready to die or the chronic you would know that an album has to tell a story. that is what this album does, if you cant see the story then your the blind ignorant simple ass dude. sorry bud.

      Reply

  663. Always going to be dissenting views on how great an album is. People callin this shit a 1 just had all those complex bars go right over their head. It’s time to get a dictionary boys, you confused on what hip hop is. Dumb fucks

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  664. The only reason you wouldnt like this album is if your a dumb shit and dont understand what Kendrick is talking about. Might as well just go listen to some dubstep or stupid shit if you don’t like this album. One of the best produced original albums since 2000…

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  665. There are really dudes on here trying to compare it to that trap shit and call it awful. Do u clowns even pay attention?

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  669. Does anyone else kind of feel like the story/narrative is better than the album itself? Or rather, I feel like the album as a whole is better than its individual parts. This might be the first album ever where not only is it better when you listen to it from front to back, but that’s the ONLY way it can be listened to.

    Reply

    1. I gotta agree with you Double R, I have a hard time listening to just one song, I feel like I have to listen to a few of them together. Every time I listen to the album I HAVE to listen to chunks of it because individual parts feel a little incomplete, though I gotta admit, Poetic Justice jams in context or out!

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  670. Finally got the chance to hear the whole Album through. All i can say is wow. I haven’t been this impressed with a new rapper(thru K-Dot been out a bit) since i first heard Nas. Of course back then i was only like 13 or 14. This Kendrick nigga is that Knew nigga right now.

    Real shit, this Album breathe life into Hip Hop. In today’s Modern day rap where everyone follows the same formula this Album is so unique and almost all the songs give me that mid 90s feel. Not only do this dude spit and paint vivid pictures mixed with clever metaphors(not corny punchlines) but this nigga Hooks is so smoothe and catchy. I love the Album. I would hold on to the classic but in todays game this is definitely a Classic.

    I still like LIG a little better thats only cause i relate to that Album a little more. But this shit Good kid Maad City this shit gets better every listen. First 5 songs on LIG i think nothing fucks with those first few songs the way there was put together, but the way Good Kid Maad City is put together from beginning to end is like a movie. I respect great vibe great feeling. Ima say its a Classic. 5 stars.

    Reply

  673. Unrelated side note to my post below – Dr. Dre’s mixing sure has gone to shit. Actually, they’ve been bad for awhile now. Sloppy ass, loose kick drums that rattle like crazy when listening to the album in the whip…

    Reply

  675. Its a shame how some niggas is coming on this site claiming that niggas in the Hood aint fucking with this Shit. More importantly this Album relates to streets in more ways then not. Actually this whole album is like a Hood movie. Sort of like Menace to Society or Boys in the hood. Its just a great vibe. Im not feeling the Illmatic comparisons, but in todays game niggas will reach for anything to compare to the bible of rap. Still a great debate Album.

    I guarantee you the young dummies claiming no one is playing this in the hood are young dudes. I think this Album you either gon love it or hate it. Cause its not a hyped up up tempo album. I love the beats. I see some people don’t like the beats. I think they are amazing. Just like when people say they don’t like the beats Nas pick out. I love the beats he pick out. Its fits the songs. But i understand and i won’t knock a nigga if he say he don’t like the Album. Its different and some people don’t like change.

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  676. Pretty impressive. I doubt that the negativity comes from Kendrick’s lyricism or message, but rather a person’s inability to realize his genius and creativity. Like with any classic, it takes a little time for the deepness of an album to truly stick into the minds of it’s listeners. It’s only a matter of time.

    10/10
    Would Consider It To Be A Classic

    Reply

  677. Way too over rated its OK but far from a classic i gave it a 3 because despite the lyrics being on point it was dull and production was slaking like that awful backseat freestyle and some songs it left me wanting a lot more that could have been done yeah hes telling a story but where it lacks is its nothing new or creative he talks about the same things other rappers do (friends,girls,money,) In the end I think if he took more time Kendrick lamar could have made his debut something special I found section 80 was better

    Reply

  678. Don’t get me wrong, this album will be VIEWED as a classic – and hell, maybe it is – but it nowhere near as memorable or impactful as a Doggystyle, Chronic, Marshall Mathers LP, or even a Documentary or Get Rich or Die Tryin’…

    Reply

  679. Great album. Not try-hard, just good music and sick lyrics with creative song writing, unique hooks, and on point flow.

    Reply

  680. Shyne is right about the Aftermath/interscope machine hypin it up. it is over-hyped and kids dont realize how brainwashed they are by big media. The album is weak. because:
    a) has no edge, too much singing, too laid back, feels more like some soul or r&b album half the time. dosnt feel like a hip-hop album
    b)the subject matter is too dumbed down and meaningless
    c)his voice tone has become way to high pitched and funny sounding.
    d)the production is talented and the album is well mixed (like the crazy snare flange effect on track 1) and sonically sounds amazing but the beats are too slow and are a pretty bland.
    e)more gimmicky i’m from compton- blah, blah, compton- is played out and annoying
    f)weak guest appearences like Drake the robot pretty boy and MC Eiht?, and Dre reciting ghost written lines by Kendrick is wack
    g) those long talking interludes every few songs breaks things up and is boring (i get the concept but- too much talking)
    h)overall this album feels waterd down and is basically empty mainstream non substance having foolishness.
    I)shit is over-rated and over hyped and that is annoying enough.
    J) all the religious talk and references and praying at the beginning is annoying and imposing religion on people- is it a christian rap album??lol

    dope shit:
    Vinnie Paz- Oct.22
    Sean Price- Oct.30
    apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson- Nov.13
    Roc Marciano- Nov.13
    you know?? real shit you SUCKAAAAAAZ!

    Reply

    1. CO SIGH 100% Thank you dude about time somebody said it right sick of everyone calling this a classic its just a mediocre album being over hyped by the industry and kendrick STANS calling him Hip Hops saviour when there are far better emcees out Today

      Reply

    2. real recognize real man. and i write this stuff to defend real hip-hop and help promote the real artists and shoot down the poison.

      Reply

    3. soo the album is mediocre because:
      a) it doesnt fit within your comprehensive definition of “hip hop”
      b) the stories of internal struggle and the realities of hood life fly over your head
      c) he doesnt hit the notes the way you with all your expertise think he should
      d) the beats that passed the Dr Dre litmus test arent quite up to your strenious standards
      e) hes prould of where he’s from LIKE EVERY OTHER RAPPER EVER.
      f) you didnt get to hear the features from MC Noname and MC Underground you would have put ont the album
      g) you dont like concepts and themes on your albums. and dont grasp the fact that the skits are at the end of tracks for a reason (so u can skip them if you so choose)
      h) youre a hipster and you “liked Kendrick before he went all mainstream and blew up”
      I) did u mention that u were jamming Kendrick before Section 80
      J) this makes no sense. are you offended when Wayne talks about fucking bitches because hes imposing misogyny on you? i mean is Wayne a Girls Gone Wild rapper? see how stupid that sounds.

      shout outs to these “real rappers” that no one has ever heard of nor ever will.
      get over yourself broham. just say u werent feeling the album. cus u didnt justify shit with your 20 degrees of compatibilty nonsense

      Reply

    4. @Blive aw did you get your feelings hurt all he was saying was why he did not feel the album and made strong points why

      A) yea its hip hop

      B) there’s no concept of this album that fly’s over anyone’s head its all pretty basic

      C) He sounds like a dead frog singing

      D) Hell no worst beats from Dre I ever heard

      E) its one thing to be proud of where you came from its annoying to hear it on every track every couple of lines(GREAT RAPPERS DON’T DO THAT they change the flow up)

      F) features don’t make a album whether there no name or well named Kendrick just used his poorly

      G) the skit are not at the end there at the start middle and end lots of filler (lots of skipping)

      H)what he was saying is it has been way to over hyped by critics and the media he never sold out it

      I) he said nothing about before section 80(but yea i liked section 80 just not this junk)

      J) talking religion and talking about girls are two different things what you compared that too made no sense

      Reply

    6. Okay you don’t know the true concept of the album, the way he changes his voice is to fit the subject of the song, this album was a bit more personal than most of his project so sorry if he didn’t throw in the punchline you were waiting for. And the skits is to bring the story much more alive, you may not like it now but just give it a a couple more years and everyone will remember how good of an album it was

      Reply

    7. I’m working on my PhD right now and I research hip-hop and pedagogy and though I disagree with you on how good the album is (because it was dope to me) I’d have to greatly disagree with you on the “dumbed down and meaningless” point. After listening to this album I realized just how much I would have to repay it to fully understand the depth and complexity to the introspection and themes of deindivualization all in the context of growing up poor and in the hood in the new millenium, I mean I can only imagine all the times I was chasing pussy as a teenager before cell phones were ubiquitous, a chick enticing me more sending pictures of her titties and shit! This is a new story told, with dope delivery and eclectic combinations I’ve never heard before.

      As a matter a fact your list is pretty one-sided though everyone is entitled to their opinion. I charge you to listen to the album again, with the interludes, as a complete story. It’s actually pretty dope, just give it another try pappa large.

      Peace.

      Reply

    8. to Kent and Blive:
      Ken: your phd means nothing Kent. your basic egotistical consciousness is apparent as you brag about a phd! ha ha- weak. and you say i was 1 -sided when you have shown that you are a highly indoctrinated conformist who can’t understand this album in acouple listens- and using 1 dimensional logic to pseudo-systematically debunk my points.. ha ha your serving the corrupt system which obviously has you brainwashed.and getting educated by a mainstream institution which is a waste of time is not impressive- you can self eduacate and learn aLL THAT STUFF ON YOUR OWN ACCORD. Enjoy your debt. The album subject matter is very basic and i found it to be boring. Not a complex album. beats are boring, album is well mixed- sonically sounds great. weak guests, too slow. subject matter is redundant and gets played out quick.

      Blive:
      Everything you said was false. most of what i said was objectively true except i do admit the subject matter is not necessarily dumbed down and it is not meaningless but its just simple and certainly is not complex like mr phd said. maybe lyrical abilty is lacking on this and he has some weak lines too. you better listen again.

      Reply

    9. Kent is right. Poppa Large you’re wrong. sorry. And who is the moron up there who said these were the worst Dre beats he ever heard? There aren’t any Dre beats you fuckin jackass.

      Reply

  681. Yo i have to take the word Classic back. I wonna say Classic but compared to some real classics this one has to at least grow on me some more. Im going to let a few months ride out before i say this is a Classic. But at the moment this is a great Album. Every song is interested cause each song is like a story or a different chapter. But if im being honest i can’t say i love every song on the Album. It some songs thats just OK to me. But all the songs fit well together.

    Also All this album is missing to me in my opinion is one or two songs that make you want to rewind it like 50 times before you get to the next song. Art of Peer pressure might be that song. Shit still hot im feeling this shit.

    Reply

  682. 3.5/5 max.
    accurate, honest and knowledgeable critic.
    people are worshiping dude because they are looking for a new huge artist to put there faith in. they unconsciously hope he is the new big thing that they can rally for and obsess over like certain culture shaking, dependable ground breakers of the past but this album has not shown that he will be one of these. see what the future holds.

    Reply

    1. i respect everyone opinion, but im 33 dawg, what do a grown ass negro like myself, would want to put my faith in a young up and coming artist? i already got quik, DA LEGEND CUBE,e40, mc eight, snoop, dogg pound,death row, nwa, digital underground, hyroglyphics, hobojunctions, volum 10, wc madd circle, man thats just to name a few. this dude is so good, he only have one major production from JUST BLAZE, and the album is still the best i have heard in years. LOS ANGELES is not only about gangsta rapping, and for L.A to have a dude that reminds me of somewhat of PHARCYDE, is madd crazy. K.DOT IS NO CROOKED I, but he will def get there as being one of the west coast lyrikal beast. i think with every new up and comin artist including drake, jcole and big krit, GOOD KID MAAD CITY is probably the most complete album i have heard in a very long time. without a skip. this is coming from a str8 hip hop head. hes no god , and damn sure no CUBE OR PAC, but i promise, you dont see west coast vets handing over the torch to young west coast rappers very often. so thats speaks more volums than our opinion on this site. ALBUM IS BEAUTIFUL AND WE CANT VOUCH FOR THAT BUT LET YOU OLD HEADS LISTEN TO IT. THE OLDER PEEPS, IF THEY FIND ONE SONG. I MEAN ONE SONG THAT THEY CAN VIBE TOO, ITS WORTH US MENTIONING HOW GOOD THIS YOUNG MAN IS.. KEEP DOIN UR THANG K.DOT. ILL SUPPORT.. L.A STAND UP ..

      Reply

    2. funny i’m 33 too. and all the legends you mentioned are important like Volume 10 the Goodlife vet. but kendrick was handed a torch by Dre who is a corporate puppet who cant be trusted. dre is becoming irrelevent since he cant put out an album to enrich the culture and has put out a ton of questionable shit and beats for corny artists.. i’m sure alot of people our age would like to have a huge new artist to praise, follow and obsess over its prooven in our society. its cultural expression. people do want a new dude with skill and substance to become huge. we are lacking that right now. Good kid maad city is just a little weak. You forgot to mention Saafir.

      Reply

  685. Completely agree. Album was solid, but we WANT to see him put out a classic, We WANT to believe it was the best album of the year. He’s dope and everything, but there were plenty of other good albums that were better that came out this year.

    Reply

  687. This album is revolutionary. One of the greatest pieces of music to hit the streets in a long time. The beautiful story that Kendrick tells through vocals, lyricism, instrumentals, and metaphors is phenomenal. This is one of the greatest hip hop albums to ever hit the shelf. The album is amazingly crafted, changed my outlook on modern hip hop, and inspired me to think more creatively. Hope it sells well!

    Reply

  696. All these people come on here and say there are plenty of albums better than this and they don’t name them. Niggas just made cuz the shit wasn’t tailored made for them.

    Reply

  698. You know what? I was trying to figure out why I did not like this album as much. I thoought about it a long time and I know why. I cannt connect with kendrick as an artist. It does not matter if you are big, pac wu -tang, outkast etc I connected with theses artists even though their subject matter was diverse.

    To me Kendrick:

    a) I think his skills as the leader of the pack in terms of new rappers are underdeveloped. People like Big, Pac, Nas, Snoop were almost finished articles when they came in.

    b) I think he has gone for a good concept but I have seen it done better think Prince of thieves (Prince Paul), Long Hot Summer Masta Ace and Autobiography of Kirk Jones.

    c) He lacks depth in what he is saying.

    d) I do find his tone of voice annoying at times. (this is a personal criticism).

    The bottom line is that the hype has not matched the final product and it seems as if artists develop while in the spotlight now and not prior to that. I think as a rapper he still needs fine tuning.

    Reply

    1. I think that your expectations may be very lofty causing your dislike for the material. To better digest any body of work, maybe you should listen to it for what it is worth a month later. I will say that one could best judge material for longevity; will it sound good 5 years, 10 years, 20 years down the line. Time will truly tell you if this is a great album.

      Reply

  702. A lot of opinions here lol. Some made good points, others are just ignorant or simply misguided. The reason why I love the album is because he’s telling his own story without commercialized persuasion. Yes, the beats are different and for the people screaming out that it’s trash and whatnot, maybe look at it from a different perspective and not try to find all of flaws within it. I wrote a review for this album as well, it’s a little more detailed, but Hip Hop DX is pretty credible and I’ve been a fan for years. Check out my review and maybe you’ll see it for something else when you listen to it again —-> http://thestixxclusiveblog.com/2012/10/22/good-kid-m-a-a-d-city-kendrick-lamar-the-stixxclusive-review/

    Reply

  703. After listening to it for a week straight, it’s my favorite album of all time. I don’t see any reason to not call it a classic.

    Reply

  705. !!!Album of the Year!!!

    I am not saying just hip hop album, I listen to all types of music genres, and this album is by far the best album that has been released.

    This will fall into the classic category with albums like Illmatic, Speakerbox/The Love Below, Chronic, Stress: The Extinction Agenda, Reasonable Doubt, Ready to Die, Long Live Kane, Straight Outta Compton, Enter the 36 Chamber, The Score, The Miseducation of Lauren Hill, 3 Feet High & Rising, Low End Theory, Below the Heavens, Fantastic Vol. 2, Fear of a Black Planet, Paid In Full, you get the idea.

    Yes, it is that good, congrats to K. Dot for your future success is well deserved.

    Reply

  706. CLASSIC. Album of the year. I haven’t been this excited about hip hop in a long time. So much so I’m gonna buy the album just to support good music. I haven’t bought a cd since the Black album lol.

    Reply

  707. now just because someone don’t say that this album isn’t a classic don’t mean they don’t like it I remember monday I gave valid points to why this wasn’t better than Illmatic and one dude act like I said what shyne said that this album was trash I like this album songs like Sherane, Money Trees,Good kid, Maad City,Sing about me I’m dying of thirst,Real,been in my head all week but it was some of the beats for me right now I give it a 4 1/2 my opinion but the beats can grow on me I can change it in the future I know this is a concept album unless you understand the plot you wouldn’t get it at first like Nas song Who Killed It? But I already Know that because on the album cover it does say a short film by kendrick lamar so if you brought the album or seen the cover it should already hit you that thisis a story stans don’t need you to confirm it for me and I still give as hiphopdx reviewer 4 1/2 which is great for a debut album especially nowadays this album is good just not an instant classic to me like some state but that’s my opinion you are entitled to yours not no one else so don’t get in an uproar if you disagree peace

    Reply

    1. Don’t let groupies phase you. When people give honest opinions, fanboys like to get overly touchy. I remember posting somewhere that I didn’t care for Dr. Dre’s ‘I need a doctor’ song and some twerp tells me to go listen to Justin Beiber. I just posted that I feel this album is !!!Album of the Year!!! and by no means do I feel it is perfect, but it is definitely a classic debut.

      Reply

    2. I think you nailed it. Its a great album, conceptually. Maybe not a classic but its very strong for a debut. Thank you saying that about it being a short film by Kendrick Lamar so the interludes make it better in my opinion, how he uses the skit where they asked if he hit the shenanigan blunt, then he uses that line in m.a.a.d city about how the first blunt he smoked had him foaming at the mouth. 4.5 is about right. TDE is making quality music 3 of the top 10 albums of the year in my opinion. Kendrick is one of my favorite ARTIST because he treats it like and ART FORM.

      Reply

  710. it is over-hyped and kids dont realize how brainwashed they are by big media. The album is weak. because:
    a) has no edge, too much singing, too laid back, feels more like some soul or r&b album half the time. dosnt feel like a hip-hop album
    b)the subject matter is too basic and gets repetitive. story about some everyday life shit.
    c)his voice tone has become way to high pitched and funny sounding.
    d)the production is talented and the album is well mixed (like the crazy snare flange effect on track 1) and sonically sounds amazing but half the beats are too slow and are a pretty bland.
    e)more gimmicky i’m from compton- blah, blah, compton- is played out and annoying
    f)weak guest appearences like Drake the robot pretty boy and MC Eiht?, and Dre reciting ghost written lines by Kendrick is wack
    g) those long talking interludes every few songs breaks things up and is boring (i get the concept but- too much talking)
    h)overall this album feels watered down and some of the beats are weak.
    I)shit is over-rated and over hyped and that is annoying enough.
    J) all the religious talk and references and praying at the beginning is annoying and imposing religion on people- is it a christian rap album??lol
    he screwed this one up but will probably do better next time. get rid of dre!

    dope shit:
    Chino XL- Ricanstruction
    Showbiz and A.G.- Mugshot music (and preloaded)
    Vinnie Paz- Oct.22
    Sean Price- Oct.30
    apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson- Nov.13
    Roc Marciano- Nov.13
    you know?? real shit you SUCKAAAAAAZ!

    Reply

    2. Most of the bullshit you talk isnt even backed up with anything. U just talk shit for the sake of talkin shit. Clown. And only about half that list of albums u put down were even worth a second glance, if that

      Reply

    3. Repetitive subject matter?? You’re gonna say that about this album of all albums? You’re a total idiot. You obviously didn’t even listen to the shit, or like I said, you’re a total idiot.

      Reply

  712. poppa large is an idiot. GKMC is a classic. Anyone can look at your list of a) to j) and see how much of an idiot you are.

    Listening the shitt outta this album. So damn good 5/5.

    This and undun remind me of how much I love hip-hop.

    Reply

  713. Poppa large is A FUCKING IDIOT! He is one of the I LOVE NEW YORK/EAST COAST and fuck everything else. Just look at the names he listed. SMH at you clowns!!!!

    Great Ablum!!!!

    Reply

    1. chino xl is from the west fool. shouts out to freestyle fellowship also and saafir and ras kass etc.
      sorry most of the albums i’m down with this month are from the east.ha ha, sensitive little fairys.
      that new sean price album is stupid dope!!!!!!

      Reply

  714. Now THIS is an ALBUM, not hodge-podge of singles labelled as an album. It’s a cohesive, engaging body of work.

    Kendrick Lamar is a breath of fresh air in an industry crowded by gangsta cliches, fakes and R&B/pop dickriders. This album felt honest and relatable, something not common these days. The album title says it all, really.

    I don’t get what people are talking about with the replay value. Personally, this album demanded another listen right after I finished it, which very rarely happens for me.

    And I agree with the notion that it’s too early to call it a classic (like with Life is Good). But right about now, it feels pretty damn close…

    Also, props to Dr. Dre for giving another exceptional talent the shine and attention they deserve.

    4.5/5

    Reply

  715. I recant all previous posts. This album is ridiculous. Anyone that says otherwise is simply too stupid to follow. Period. Fuck your opinion if you try to say this album isnt the shit.

    Reply

    1. this album is a 3.5 max- go suck your thumb. all you cry babies who don’t understand how to analyze and album have no critical thinking skills and like robots you automatically just love anything the artists you blow release.
      NEW SEAN PRICE ALBUM IS AMAZING- gkmc IS SOME WATERED DOWN PRETTY MUSIC. I BET KIM KARDASHIAN IS BUMPIN THIS IN HER LAND ROVER RIGHT NOW.

      Reply

  717. WACK AS FUCK!!!!!!!!! WHAT DA HELL WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?????? HIS LYRICS ARE SHIT…………..GUESS YALL ALWAYS SUCK HIS DICK OH WELL HAVE FUN STANS

    Reply

    1. Whenever another loser like you posts something about his lyrics being weak, you’re just telling us you couldn’t understand him. What does copacetic mean? You dont know. Go read a book bitch.

      Reply

  718. Only in hip hop are fans (especially on this site) so eager and desperate to call every major (or minor) release a “classic”. Just look at the comment pages of reviews on this site. You got people calling the new O.C. & Apollo Brown classic, Ab-Souls album classic, new Nas, Lupe classic. Even subpar albums from Rick Ross and Slaughterhouse some are calling classic. This new Kendrick barely been out a week and some are already comparing it to Illmatic (lol). I’m sorry people, but 10 instant classics did not drop this year. The fanboyism is on a level never seen before. Some of the albums I mentioned are great, but fans need to chill the f#%k out and let these albums breathe a little before calling them classic.

    Reply

    1. family i agree with you 100%. But thats how people are now on the internet. You got stans who are going to say there favorite rappers put out a classic. Personally LIG(Nas’)shit might not be the classic that Illmatic was, but in todays game its has the potential. Lupe shit was kind of a disapointment. Im not gonna say it was wack but The Cool Album was so great and Food and Liquor 1 was so great Lupe seem to be on some consious shit now. thats cool but i don’t wonna hear that shit all day.

      This ALbum the “good kid maad city” in todays hip hop game definitely has the potential to be a classic. I don’t like the illmatic comparisons myself. But this Album has that potential to be considered a Classic. Its so unique and original. Trust me give it another listen. When you play this album you going to want to hear it 5 more times before you listen to anything else.

      Reply

    2. I agree with you. After reading comment after comment (this gives me perspective on how fucked up the heads are) I have to honestly say most people don’t know what makes a classic. GKMC is a throwback to what an album should be. Kendrick gives his perspective of growing up in Compton California, and I can relate. I was born and raised in LBC and moved to Charlotte NC in my junior year of High School. This album is brilliant! From substance, to flow, to replay value, to BEATS! Yes I said it, the musical soundscape is a combination of West Coast, mixed with that ol Dungeon Family, with a taste of the New age drum and bass sound. If you can’t understand this album, cool . You ain’t ready. Folks wasn’t ready for ILLMATIC, ONLY BUILT FOR CUBAN LINKS, or THE CHRONIC. It just happened. History will tell the story of what is classic, but remember the victors write the HISTORY. Support this now , and change the program of our radio airwaves. I am a MC, POET, and Teacher. I could teach this album. Great work Kendrick!

      Reply

  724. ONE OF THE WORST ALBUMS OF THE YEAR, THAT AIN’T NO CLASSIC, KENDRICK HAS NO REPLAY VALUE, STUPID LYRICS, DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO RHYME, HAS ANNOYING VOICE AND IS ONE OF THE WORST NEW RAPPERS OUT THERE.

    ONLY NIGGAZ WHO ARE WORSE THAN THIS FRAUD ASS KENDRICK LAMAR NIGGA:
    – HOPSIN
    – JOELL ORTIZ
    – ROYCE DA FAG NINE
    – SHYNE
    – CROOKED I
    – JOE BUDDEN
    – BUCKSHOT

    Reply

    1. No replay value??? This is the type of dude where you have to listen to the songs several times to get the messages. You’re a fuckin retard man.

      Reply

    2. Nice try troll, don’t be mad because you can’t make any good music so you sit on your computer all day jacking off to rappers you hate because you wish you were them

      Reply

  725. Funny style ass haters. Im glad to see so much hate so the album has to be good if its making so many haters come out the woodworks with bullshit ass comments.

    Reply

  726. This is one of the ONLY albums (lately) that I’ve felt that just after listening to the whole thing, that “this is only the beginning.” Im talkin replay value here. That’s how you know an album is incredible. The first listen is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s gonna take several listens to fully get the messages and meanings of songs, and this album will only grow on you. Real good album, Kendrick’s voice, at first, I didn’t like, but come on, this muthafucka can RAP! The only thing that I cant fuckin understand is how he gonna be an Aftermath artist, heavily associated with Dr. Dre and not have ONE beat from Dre?? That makes no sense. I can only imagine how good the album would have been if he had been on the boards. One more thing, that Compton song should have a west coast-type beat but instead Just Blaze produces it. And Dre’s on that song. Dre shoulda produced that shit! WTF.

    Reply

  727. Great album and concept. Kendrick is the man, love how he changes his voice and tone to fit the song. A dre beat would have been lovely but it really didn’t even need one. It flows very well song to song. Be jammin’ to this for a while.

    Reply

  728. Im back to just say that this Album is probably the best Album i heard in like 4 years.(since Nas’ Untitled Album) I also think that LIG is just as good as this Album. Doesn’t matter which one was better but both Albums was flawless.

    Back to this Album. Im going to give this Album more credit then Nas’ Life is Good Album because this was Kendrick’s first major lable debut Album.(Nas is on his tenth) I can’t stress the fact of how perfectly put this Album is. Not only that but the Songs, beats, Hooks, Lyrics all put together is just amazing. Tho LIG had about 12 songs on there i like to rewind ten times before i get to the next song(thats how good that Album was),Kendrick Album is so great just listening to it straight thru. Art of Pressure, Money Tree, Good kid, Maad City, Dying of Thirst are great songs with alot of replay value.

    Reply

  729. If you don’t like this Album i understand. Its not that up tempo crunk music that some people like. This Album has great lyrics mix with a great flow(dude flow is crazy) and i love this nigga hook/chrous game. I admit the voice was annoying at first but it grew on me. This dude is special and this is coming from a nigga who raps himself. And i know im nice but thats another story.

    Reply

  731. I honestly think this album is pretty overrated. It’s one of the nicer albums I’ve heard in the last year, but I really couldn’t call this a classic. The lyrics are nice but just the fact that he’s telling stories doesn’t make him a perfect storyteller.

    Reply

  732. Im not into calling album’s classics right after they come out & usually like to give it a couple months but this album deserves the hype. I wasnt a big fan of Kendrick Lamar after Sec.80 but I cud tell he wasnt ur average rapper; he had lyricism & music w/substance. I knew he wud do it differently during this album & it’s very well balanced. Radio mainstream songs like Swimming pool, the recipe & poetice justice but also other songs like black boy fly,money trees, good kid,maad city & now or never in which Mary J.Blige just kills it. The production isnt outstanding but the beats fit his style perfectly. I was always think artist should strive for balance w/their albums & he does just that. Im not a fan of all the songs on the album but there’s way more good than bad. This is so far the best album that I’ve heard all year w/all respects to Nas LFIG,Slaughterhouse:on the house & Lupe F&L2.#10/10

    Reply

    4. I luv when i nigga come on a website and say everybody from such and such don’t play this shit. And other people come out and say. Well im from the such and such and makes the other guy look like an ass.

      Reply

  737. poppa large:
    it is over-hyped and kids dont realize how brainwashed they are by mainstream media. The album is weak because:
    a) has no edge, too much singing, too laid back, feels more like some soul or r&b album half the time. dosnt feel like a hip-hop album
    b)the subject matter is too basic and gets repetitive. story about some everyday life shit. he rambles on about nothing.
    c)his voice tone has become way to high pitched and funny sounding.
    d)the production is talented and the album is well mixed (like the crazy snare flange effect on track 1) and sonically sounds amazing but half the beats are too slow and are a pretty bland.
    e)more gimmicky i’m from compton- blah, blah, compton- is played out and annoying
    f)weak guest appearences like Drake the robot pretty boy and MC Eiht?, and Dre reciting ghost written lines by Kendrick is wack
    g) those long talking interludes every few songs breaks things up and is boring (i get the concept but- too much talking)
    h)overall this album feels watered down and some of the beats are weak.
    I)shit is over-rated and over hyped and that is annoying enough.
    J) all the religious talk and references and praying at the beginning is annoying and imposing religion on people- is it a christian rap album??lol
    he screwed this one up but will probably do better next time. get rid of dre! Ab Souls Control System album kills this and THAT ALBUM HAS INTERESTING SMART CONTENT WAY BEYOND GKMC.ONLY IOGNORANT PEOPLE AND KIDS THINKS GKMC IS DEEP OR COMPLEX. HE’S TELLING A STORY, SO WHAT HOW HARD IS IT TO WRITE A STORY- HIS LYRICS ARE LACKING ON HALF THE SONGS.

    dope shit:
    Chino XL- Ricanstruction
    Showbiz and A.G.- Mugshot music (and preloaded)
    Vinnie Paz- Oct.22
    Sean Price- Oct.30
    apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson- Nov.13
    Roc Marciano- Nov.13
    you know?? real shit you SUCKAAAAAAZ!

    Reply

    2. And so what he has religous content on his album..why would you have a problem with that? He can’t talk about his faith? You don’t have a problem with all these other artist talking about greed, money, sex, lust, murder over and over…but soon as a nigga talk about jesus its too much?

      Reply

  738. kendrick lamar is talented as fuck but …

    … this album is soooooo fuckin OVERRATED !

    out of 15 tracks merely 7 are good :
    – bitch don’t kill my vibe
    – backseat freestyle
    – the art of peer pressure
    – M.A.A.D city
    – swimming pools
    – compton
    – the recipe

    even though the lyricism on this album is fuckin good, the other tracks as far as the beat goes are wack as fuck

    this album worths a 3/5 notthin more

    stop letting your brain gettin washed by the mainstream media and stop the dickridin shit

    i always give props where it’s due but come on, there is no way this album can be considered a classic

    Reply

  739. To everybody saying the beats are weak i disagree with you….to me beats are more than just up tempto and bangin. I think they need to fit the mood the vibe and the subject matter of the song. They complemented Kendrisks flow and subject matter, and they were perfect for the mood of the album. To me I think so many people have been force fed and programmed with the same type of beats…same 808 kicks same ol cookie cutter sound. If a nigga ain’t rappin on the same type of beats Wayne, Rick Ross, drake, Wocka Flocka, 2 chains, Kanye, or any other radio friendly artist is rapping on….ya’ll think the beats are weak. Kendrick picked good beats for his album….when you listen to the album he brings you in to his world…it feels like you are not just listenening to music…its more like an experience. Which makes the album STAND OUT, in my opinion

    Reply

    1. yeah but as a hip-hop fan you always expect a certain type of beat no matter what the theme of the album is.

      I understand the album was about a storytelling, and I’m all good with this concept. but like i said below, as far as the beat goes, some tracks on the album are wack as fuck. indeed you always expect a certain melody, a certain level of creativity when it comes to the instrumentals.

      and when you listen to the tracks like :
      – sherane,
      – money trees,
      – good kid,
      – real,
      – black boy fly,
      you feel like there is something missing to support the story kendrick is portraying with his lyrics. therefore, as far as I’m concern, half of the beats used for the album are lazy as fuck while the other half goes really hard like the tracks i mentioned in my comment below

      but to everybody his own opinion man. I’m just giving mine since many people are calling it a classic i felt like they just exaggerating about this album “classicness”

      Reply

    2. ^^^Totally disagree with that but hey to each their own. I dug the mood and the tone of this album. I think uptempo beats would not fit.

      Reply

  740. Oh yeah…and if a beat ain’t got HEAVY BASS DROWNING EVERYTHING OUT…niggaz think the beats are weak…. I hate them type of beats!!!!!! LOL!!!

    Reply

    1. I agree with you my nigga. I hate all that extra bass mad drumline for nothing ass beats. This nigga Kendrick had that soulful feel to this Album. I love the beats on this album. I love the beats Nas always picks. But people say he rhymes to bad beats. Both them niggas beats take you to where their stories begins. Love that shit.

      Reply

    2. And that tells me where the mind of some hip hop fans are. They think every up-tempo jumping extra baseline teckno sounding beat is hot. I like that gritty shit.

      Reply

  745. Best hip hop album of all time. . . GKMC > Illmatic. . . Watch a whole bunch of Nas stans get butt hurt . . .! LMAO. . .

    Reply

    2. Come on son. GTFOH with that bullshit. Stop comparing shit to Illmatic. Compare it to ATLiens, All Eyez on Me, Cuban Linxx, and The Diary. There IS no comparison.

      Reply

  746. Only in hip hop are fans (especially on this site) so eager and desperate to call every major (or minor) release a “classic”. Just look at the comment pages of reviews on this site. You got people calling the new O.C. & Apollo Brown classic, Ab-Souls album classic, new Nas, Lupe classic. Even subpar albums from Rick Ross and Slaughterhouse some are calling classic. This new Kendrick barely been out a week and some are already comparing it to Illmatic (lol). I’m sorry people, but 10 instant classics did not drop this year. The fanboyism is on a level never seen before. Some of the albums I mentioned are great, but fans need to chill the f#%k out and let these albums breathe a little before calling them classic.

    Reply

    1. well i don’t think time is relevant to say if an album is a classic or not, unless you work for the rolling stones magazine

      when illmatic, doggystyle, the chronic, 36 chambers, 2001, the infamous etc got released, people already knew they were classics

      it is more a matter of having a good product than letting time deciding wether an album is worthy of being called a “classic”

      but on this album i have to say when i first listened to it i couldn’t help but say to myself “what the fuck ?!!”. i was expecting much more from kendrick than this product he just delivered. only several tracks are really good, as far as the others it’s really average. that’s why i cannot call it a classic

      to me the only album who really made this year so far is Nas with his Life is Good album

      Reply

    2. Agreed. It takes more than a couple of days or even a couple of weeks to determine whether an album is really a classic or not.

      There are only so many albums that just blow you away on the first couple of listens. To me, GKMC is not one of those albums. It is a good album but it isn’t a classic. There are just too many songs that are average and just don’t fit the theme he was trying to create.

      There have been some stellar albums this year but GKMC isn’t better than Nas “Life is Good”, Rapsody “The Idea of Beautiful”, Killer Mike & El-P “RAP Music” or Skyzoo “A Dream Deferred”.

      Reply

    3. Bunch of hipsters. This album is incredible. So much wordplay. But u know rapsody and killer mikes were iller, get real. This album dorfs Life is Good. whats next action bronsons mixtapes are better.

      Reply

    4. yeah… yall can argue about classics, whos better, or whatever. like some fuckin lames.

      or you could just listen to the music and shut the fuck up.

      and control system is dope too.

      Reply

    5. you sound bitter when you give lessons to people having a convo bout what is a classic or not

      dont get hurt if some people don’t dig this album much as you do

      fuckin idiot

      Reply

    6. nah. people listen to what they like. i know people that listen to lil b and love that shit. its what it is… not everybody is the same.

      but crying about whether an album is classic or not is fucking stupid. listen to the music, whatever it is, and stfu.

      Reply

  747. real talk the streets ain’t feelin it b. White kids co-signin this shit, lol some funny shit b. bk all day.

    Bawse!!!!!

    Reply

    2. But the streets feel and listen to Officer Rick Ross’ fake fuckin ass?? You fuckin retarded hypocrite. This dude IS from the streets, how could you not like this album? You’d rather listen to a fake talentless piece of shit like Rick Ross? Fuckin nerd.

      Reply

  748. Hip Hop started in the streets and it will forever be in the streets, the fact of the matter is. Nobody in the streets is listening to this guy, only kids from the burbs. I ain’t feelin this album, i don’t care how lyrical he is, it’s fuckin wack in the streets. Only people in the urban community (not suburban ) should have say to what is dope hip hop and what isn’t, this is NOTHING special. Kids from the suburbs tend to think just because a rapper is “lyrical” that makes them great! 2Pac , Too Short, Eazy E, and many many others weren’t the most complex rappers but they are more legends, why? Because they kept it street. These underground, and lyrical cats can rhyme as many words out of the dictionary that they want and it is still wack in the streets why? Wack subject matter, wack hooks, wack beats, nobody wants to listen to any of that. People wake up, street hip hop (biggie, 2pac, big l , ross ) any rapper that reps the streets, YES even Gucci will have more respect than these lyrical cats, because hip hop IS the streets, and if the streets aren’t feelin it, than it doesn’t matter how versatile you are, wack is wack no matter what, this album is nothing special, and kids from the burbs need to stop givin this shit 5 star reviews!!

    Reply

    1. yoyouyourself, you fucking ghetto retard. Hip-hop is more than the streets. The streets don’t even buy albums. Besides, most people love this album. Get your head outta your ass and listen to the album with an open mind.

      Reply

    2. I used to live in multiple projects in the Twin Cities, and have since been able to get out and move to a nicer place. I can tell you have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re saying things to pander because you think “being in the streets” means trying to not be smart of have a message. I heard and saw some of the most powerful things there. Just like every other group of people, there were some dumb ones and some smart ones and most people were average. Hip hop is not the streets, it’s the people. It’s about the common man. When you see people just rapping, they put themselves at the same level as their audience. You understand nothing about this album, you understand nothing about the streets, you understand nothing about hip hop. The ignorance and fakeness of your comment just pisses me off because you’re as bad and ignorant as who you’re pretending not to be. Fuck off.

      Reply

  749. If you go to the hood right now and ask most young people who they listen to they’ll say 2 Chainz, Future, Rick Ross, French Montana etc.. not Kendrick, J. Cole, or Lupe.. I’m in college so I can tell that most college kids and other adults listen to less mindless bullshit and more rappers with better lyrics and music.. I even know adults in their 30s and 40s who bought Kendrick’s album.. I’m not saying the hood is responsible for these wack rappers, I’m just saying what I’ve seen..

    Reply

    1. So True Man! I’m in college too. Matter of fact, two of my favorite rappers are Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. I’ve been listening to them since they started putting out their mixtapes.

      Reply

  750. The fact that nobody likes/has talked about “Real” makes me happy. Let me tell you why. I’ve gone through some serious shit and some serious problems in my short life. I connected with “Real” the most. It’s allowed me to open up about so many things. “Real” is about not accepting yourself and hating who you started as, who you became, and who you are now. It’s about not being able to move on with life because you are in your way. If people can’t connect to it, that means they’re in a better place than me, and that makes me happy.

    Reply

  752. everyone says this is the best hip hop album in ages but it just sounds like a crappy, mainstream version of Andre 3000 to me. kendrick should stick to shoving headphones up dr. dre’s butt.

    Reply

  756. Given 10 years, and the sales that he deserves, this is easily a 5/5 and XXL rating, a 10/10 all of that. Excellent storytelling that exemplifies all the struggles that he went through as a youngin’ in Compton, this is easily a favorite for album of the year.

    Reply

  759. Some nigga just said Dreams & Nightmares is better, haha what a joke that album sucks shit, Kendrick put effort in to his album

    Reply

  760. People in the streets listen to 2 Chains? and I quote “mustard, Ketchup!”… KL is better than 2 chainz, french. Gucci? WACK as fuk rappers. I think 2 chainz is alright not a good album. Ross his first album was good, after that maybe 3-4 songs on a album, fat fuck got lazy. KL album I listened to it and its good, don’t know about classic, but an album that i’d actually buy since its not filled with fillers

    Reply

  761. Section 80 is still his best album to date period. This album is a little more commercial for example Mary J. to me just sounds out of place and boring but the quality tracks are really good. Kendrick Lamar’s flow, thought process and delivery are to me above all rappers out now. And I believe that he is setting a new hip-hop bar for the industry. Cop it, buy it, get it, it’s heat. But if your sleeping on Section 80 that is a classic. 4/5

    Reply

    1. Mary J. was on the deluxe. The album is basically over after real but Compton his last to as an anthem to his city.

      Reply

    2. GKMC>Section 80. Not a single bad song on here, whereas Section 80 had that awful collab with Q. Plus this concept is even more well thought out then Section 80’s. And yes this had a few tracks with more mainstream appeal then the tracks on Section 80, but overall I’d say this less mainstream which is very surprising. Not that mainstream is bad when its done right, and in the case of Swimming Pools, the Mary G Blige track, etc, it certainly was done right.

      Reply

  762. it is over-hyped and kids dont realize how brainwashed they are by mainstream media. The album is weak because:
    a) has no edge, too much singing, too laid back, feels more like some soul or r&b album half the time. dosnt feel like a hip-hop album
    b)the subject matter is too basic and gets repetitive. story about some everyday life shit. he rambles on about nothing.
    c)his voice tone has become way to high pitched and funny sounding.
    d)the production is talented and the album is well mixed (like the crazy snare flange effect on track 1) and sonically sounds amazing but half the beats are too slow and are a pretty bland.
    e)more gimmicky i’m from compton- blah, blah, compton- is played out and annoying
    f)weak guest appearences like Drake the robot pretty boy and MC Eiht?, and Dre reciting ghost written lines by Kendrick is wack
    g) those long talking interludes every few songs breaks things up and is boring (i get the concept but- too much talking)
    h)overall this album feels watered down and some of the beats are weak.
    I)shit is over-rated and over hyped and that is annoying enough.
    J) all the religious talk and references and praying at the beginning is annoying and imposing religion on people- is it a christian rap album??lol
    he screwed this one up but will probably do better next time. get rid of dre! Ab Souls Control System album kills this and THAT ALBUM HAS INTERESTING SMART CONTENT WAY BEYOND GKMC.ONLY IOGNORANT PEOPLE AND KIDS THINKS GKMC IS DEEP OR COMPLEX. HE’S TELLING A STORY, SO WHAT HOW HARD IS IT TO WRITE A STORY- HIS LYRICS ARE LACKING ON HALF THE SONGS.

    dope shit:
    Chino XL- Ricanstruction
    Showbiz and A.G.- Mugshot music (and preloaded)
    Vinnie Paz- Oct.22
    Sean Price- Oct.30
    apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson- Nov.13
    Roc Marciano- Nov.13
    you know?? real shit you SUCKAAAAAAZ!

    Reply

    1. EY WHAT YOU TALKING? YOU ARE THE STUPID LITTLE BOY THINKING THAT SKYZOO/ELEPHANT/TIGER/COW ALBUM IS BETTER THAN THIS. SECTION 80 WAS THE BOMBTASTIC ALBUM AND THEN HE THE PUTTING dr. DRE ON THIS AND IT WAS EX-RATING ALBUM. LEARN THE LISTENING TRAIT BEFORE YOU LISTEN TO ALBUMS TRAITOR. NO ONE LIKEY YOUR STUPID OPINION.

      GET OUTTTTTTTTTTT OF COMMENT SECTION 80 ANYTIME I DONT WANT TO HEAR YOUR GARBAGE MY DAY WENT WELL AND THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO COMMENT ON ALBUMS

      Reply

    2. I agree with all your points. The album “concept” is weak. Lyrically, Kendrick isn’t that much better than Devin the Dude, but Devin does it better…..I’d give this a 3.5.

      Reply

    3. I stopped reading at “doesn’t sound like a hip-hop album”. nobody gives a fuck about Roc Marciano for a reason.

      Reply

    4. the fact some haters took all this time is funny to me, but its a opinion just assholes everybody got one. aleast he did it his way even in mainstream.

      Reply

  765. That “Backseat Freestyle” beat is off the fuckin chain! The whole song is! This album is dope. Just a shame no beats from Dre. All of Dre’s proteges’ albums have been produced mostly by Dre. Im talkin Snoop, Em, and 50.

    Reply

  767. THE ALBUM IS THE FANTASTICO, EXCELLENT, GREATEST CD MUSIC SINCE 1-PAC, 2-PAC, 3-PAC, 4. I CANN’T THE DESCRIBING HOW IS SO MUCH FUN TO HAVE SEXY TIME WITH MY BOYFRIEND.

    Reply

  770. Damn, this shits so good, I don’t know when i will get over it. I am a be just fiending for new Kendrick now. Last album,i expected to be this good was Cole world and we all know how disappointing that was compared to FNL. I am a huge fan of mainstream artists. Nas’s Life if Good nice but me being a 22 year old, i cant really related to most of the songs on there. So by far this is the best album since MBDTWF.

    Reply

  772. “Would you say my intelligence now is great relief?
    And it’s safe to say that our next generation maybe can sleep
    With dreams of being a lawyer or doctor
    Instead of boy with a chopper that hold the cul de sac hostage?”

    Reply

  774. Don’t believe the hype. This is a mediocre album. Just because it is better than everything else coming out doesn’t make it a classic. The rap game is trash now a days, with people like Future, Gucci, Lil Wayne and all these other lames it is easy for someone different from what is the norm be declared “hip-hop’s savior.” Everybody who offers an alternative to what is currently on the radio is praised as the best thing since slice bread. The problem with that is people are grading albums on a damn curve. This shit is mediocre not a classic. Yes, it is better than what is out now. But what is out now? Future, 2 Chainz, Gucci? F*ck, look at this guy’s competition. It is easy to be declared the pound for pound king when you boxing guys who wouldn’t even make the cut in a bar fight. SMDH.

    Reply

    1. Well, said it a ok album. But far from classic. But for these new kids I guess this is what passes for classic. Damn, yall lowering the bar. But all in all a solid album, like Xzibit’s and Lupe’s…good but nothing great.

      Reply

  775. Best pure rap album in many many years, this album is the only album that can stand toe to toe with jay-z’s reasonable doubt

    Reply

    3. LOL…you need to pass that my friend. Its a cool album, but no were near a Reasonable Doubt. But I’d give it a strong 3.5 out 5.

      Reply

  776. This album is dope. I agree with some comments that KL is better because the competition is weak. But never the less, KL put together a well thought out and lyrical album. As far as classic, only time can tell but i definitely think it has potential.

    Reply

  777. Mediocre is the new classic. Good Kid, maad city is seriously overrated. What a disgrace. Shit sounds like it belongs on soundclick not itunes.

    Reply

  778. Is it me or these young rappers can’t rhyme? I remember when Jay-Z and Nas and them were in their primes you had up and coming guys like Cassidy, Beans, Fab and Freeway. Now you got all these non rapping youngsters. What is crazy is that the new white boys are going harder than these niggas. SMDH. I give this a 2 for being mediocre, really a 3 but had to lower the ratings to offset all the hype.

    Reply

  779. i realy realy like this album would certainly put that in my top 5 favorites of the last few years of all time i dont time will tell. and people complaining about not much dre influence s a mtter of fact i love that. dre is one of the greatest for sure but still i love the fact kendrick does it by himself. the concept of this album is ill, love it, big minus about this album tho his voice, why does he does that high voice so much?, i love his natural voice, but overall a verry good album imo, im so curious what people will think of thiss album in about 5 years form now :P. next album im looking forward to is saigons new one and after that talibs one

    Reply

  780. An instant classic, will go down Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Ready to Die and Get Rich or Die Tryin as an all time classic.

    Reply

    1. It will go down as a classic but it won’t come close to reasonable doubt or illmatic. It will be up there with albums like get rich or die tryin and food and liquor but illmatic and reasonable doubt are just untouchable. All classic albums but illmatic and reasonable doubt are just above classic now. They are exactly what hip-hop is

      Reply

  781. This album is seriously over rated but on the otherhand this site is not strictly an underground site… He can rap and has good word play but his voice and delivery don’t move me…The production is to much like everything at the club, zero boom bap, soul or funk flavor for me……If you like Rick Ross and that stuff then of course this is a great album but other wise its a good 3.5 but nothing special at all…..It’s a good album for a mainsteam artist but does not touch. Styles of beyond, Tab One & Sunshine, Sean P, Epidemic, Purpose, Big Remo etc….People use the term classic all the time and most are not ever close….. Reasonable doubt was a classic but there are albums better than that….. Brand Nubian- One for all, Show biz and AG- Runaway slave, Diamond D-Stunts blunts and Hip hop, Lords for the underground- Here come the lords, Tribe Called Quest- Low end Theory, EPMD- Striclty business, Slum Village- vol 1, Lootpack- Soundpieces, Alcoholics- 21 and over, Pharcyde-Bizarre Ride, Wu- Enter the 36 chambers, Raekwon-ob4cl 1, Mobb Deep- The infamous, Organized konfusion- Stress the exstinction agenda, main source- Breaking atoms InI- Center of attention and many more !!!

    Reply

  783. haha the fuck is with haters in hip hop. Lame ass fuckboys need to quit acting like cynicism is the coolest shit ever. Kendrick is dope…this isn’t 1993 morons. Y’all sound like my fuckin grandparents…’back in the day….’, shut the fuck up

    Reply

  784. Can’t understand the hype, its not great from a musical standpoint and its not great Hip Hop. He can’t hook for shit, the beats don’t move me and he rarely goes hard, someone please tell me what’s so good about this album? BTW I’m a big Kendrick fan there’s very few if any emcees in the game that could go bar for bar with him but this album is trash.

    Reply

    1. you have to understand it’s not about the beat or the catchy hooks, he puts a much much deeper message in his music that obviously you just missed out on. Each song has it’s own vibe to it, it wasn’t the best in production but who cares it’s still a solid 9/10 album

      Reply

    2. Dude you’re absurd. This is Kendrick at his best and its pretty fuckin good hip hop. How can you be a Kendrick fan and not appreciate GKMC? The album is as close to Kendrick’s life as you can get without knowing him. He definitely goes hard when it plays into the story (ie backstreet freestyle, maad city). The production is sweet, and it plays from beginning to end seemlessly. Keep waiting for ONIFC to come out you should get plenty of “great” hip hop with hooks and shit. Don’t call yourself a Kendrick fan. That’s my rant. Preach

      Reply

    3. He doesn’t need to rap fast to have quotables he has quotables all over the album even on hooks. You were never a fan.

      Reply

  785. to all who says this album is wack needs to take theyre weak ass music choices out of here. just because its not a typical hood beat doesnt make it trash. What Kendrick did on this album was make you think. same as tupac. he wanted to paint a picture of what he went through as a child and a young adult. all you ignorant ass people cant think so you cant understand. dope album. clearly a 5.

    Reply

  786. best album iv heard in a long time, some of the beats take a couple listens to grow on you but he lyrically kills every song.

    Reply

  787. I am starting to feel the CD, it reminds me of “Undun” by the roots. Great story telling on both albums. 2 of the best cds of the year, even though Undun was released in December of last year.

    Reply

  788. Lyrically and Conceptually a historically great album! I still like section 80 more and expected a lil more when it comes to the beat selection and didnt like the parts where he was trying to sound like an alien but none the less still a great album

    Reply

  789. kendrick would’ve sold more (maybe 300k), but all you little nerdy backpacker mainstream-hating underground geeks say “album sales dont mean shit” just as an excuse not to BUY the album, yet wayne kanye jayz eminem are all selling good numbers

    Reply

  790. Fuck every hater on this website. This is the greatest debut album since food & liquor.. absolutely an album that defines a young generation and is sure to shift the thinking of many younger people to recognize good music.

    Reply

  794. Kendrick Lamar’s major debut is stellar but it is not a classic.Reasonable Doubt and Illmatic are part of the hip hop bible an they’re just untouchable lps.Thought this is a great album, it really doesn’t compare to Lupe’s The Cool or Food&Liquor. I believe Kendrick is well on his way of producing classic in future though.

    Reply

  795. I like the concept of the album. The beats are solid, nothing spectacular. Lyrically, Kendrick is on point. The only flaw in his package for me is his voice. I think his voice is terrible and a lot of times he combines it with a mechanical, almost robotic delivery which makes him difficult to sit through for long periods. I appreciate the effort he puts into his music though. There are some songs on the album I really enjoy, but not all of it. His style just doesn’t grab me like it does others. It’s just a matter of personal taste.

    Reply

  796. This is a very poorly written review. I’m not talking about the content of the words, but the way they’re presented. Not good. D-. The album gets an A.

    Reply

  797. People stay talkin shit like their opinion means more than someone else’s. And you can say the same thing about this comment. You may not like it but that doesn’t mean it’s trash, you just dont like it, plain and simple. And the comments about how it wouldnt get bumped in the hood are just stupid; useless point to try and make. I enjoyed it.

    Reply

  800. I’ll still put L.I.G. a bit above G.K.M.C. As far as west coast albums go I think Planet Asia’s Black Belt Theatre is super underrated. G.K.M.C. is worthy of the praise its getting and I’m glad to see it doing well. Now if Jay Elec would grow a pair and drop an album it would cap the year off right. I won’t hold my breath though.

    Reply

  801. Classic, the nitpicking is silly here. This album has not one pop song, and this kid can spit, flow, and rhyme his ass off, idk what you cats missing, but I’d love to see yall top albums of the year list haba
    But Forreal though.
    This nigga put his heart and soul into this album, he actually took the time to craft a actual cohesive lp with no outshining features. a deep comical interesting storyline, and the beats were perfect for each song/concept. He did all this himself in 2012..and the only reason we liked other past classics because they did the same thing with their albums(illmatic, marshall mathers lp reasonable doubt food & liquor etc)..and most importantly it was because they were one of a kind. stop comparing it to the past classics, its a whole nuva era moe, Whatchu wanna here a 21 year old rap on boom bap beats n shit in 2012? Thats ya’ll want from every rapper? Really?? Ya’ll want every rapper to be Nas? lol This kid is his own man, got his own story, his own style, his own everything, I applaud this nigga, he’s def going to be making noise in the future lol i be that’s killing Shyne, cuz he know he got about 4 months before niggas forget him completely..
    5/5

    Reply

    1. Thank you family. This nigga is special and if you don’t realize that shit fuck you. Straight up you niggas is whats wrong with Hip Hop. The beats on this shit are hot i can’t believe how many people are founding any little thing to hate this real shit.

      And the comments about how niggas in the hood don’t listen to this shit has got to be the most untrue comment i have ever read on any website. Right now this is the only thing niggas is bumping in the hood.(this and Meek Mills album)

      You nerd online niggas is getting out of line with yall comments. Niggas in NY is tired of that bull shit. Maybe in those south hoods but in NY we only play that real shit.

      This Album is a fucking classic. Fuck it i said. Kendrick is that nigga now. The Jig is up faggots.

      Reply

    2. Another thing, Meek Mills shit is mediocore but you go on his site and niggas is hating just to hate. I swear its alot of niggas with hate in their bloods real shit.

      Reply

  806. his voice is like a dozen noname mcs. his beats are nothing new. his flow is boring. his image was old 10 years ago. overall it’s just some overhyped bullshit

    Reply

  814. This might be the most overrated album off all time. A month from now when you dudes are done wiping Kendrick Lamar’s semen off your lips you are going to realize you were duped and caught up in the hype. I give it a -5 to offset the overrating and bring it back to its true score, a 3 or 3.5 at best.

    Reply

    1. to each his own taste man

      it’s ok if you don’t like it. we supposed to live in a free world so there is no issue if some people find this album “trash”

      however it goes both way. no need to bash people who really enjoy this album

      i don’t know if it ever happened to you but sometime there are some artists or some type of music you don’t like cause it doesn’t match with your state of mind at that particular time. but a few years later when you listen to the shit back it totally blows your fuckin mind

      therefore there is no need to argue bout an album wether it’s hot or not. everything is relative man

      Reply

    2. @anonymous I actually respect what you said. However, this is hip-hop which is competitive and any time someone is compared to the greats or considered a potential great their work is closely scrutinized. Nice point though, I agree with you but this is hip-hop and not rock and roll, every emcee wants to be mentioned with the rap gods.

      Reply

    4. @hay hater Learn how to spell you no father having ghetto bastard. The word is “hey” when it refers to a greeting or you are trying to get someone’s attention. “Hay” is what horses eat, dip shit.

      Reply

  817. Wouldnt call it a classic just yet but its exceptional. The people that are shittin on it really doesn’t mean anything but judging from their comments, it looks like a lot of it went over their heads. Oh well, to each his own.

    Reply

    4. Yo i aint mad at this comment at all. Diddy’s first album was a classic. I could still bump that. But thats the problem you comparing an Album now to Diddy’s shit which came out in 1997.

      Whats wrong with Hip Hop is there are alot of haters in this game. Back when “No way out”(diddy’s first album) came out and all the Albums before that came out it wasn’t at all cool to be a Hater. It seems like now everyone got their PHD(playa hater degree) Like Mase said.

      Niggas need to stop fucking hating i swear its to many haters.

      Reply

    3. Money trees my favorite joint up hea…don’t forget this lyrical shit came from NY tho…west coast niggaz did not start this lyrical shit…but overall its a cool album but dope concept tho….i’m a NY nigga living on the west…so i know what dude talkin…ppl think its trash cuz they don’t know those places…he took niggaz to the REAL compton…

      Reply

  821. I can put my little baby to sleep on this shit. I co-sign dude below me. Good kid, wack album. WEST SIDE!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

  823. I get the concept, but this album isn’t doing it for me
    I liked Money Trees to about Swimming Pools. Its an Ok album to me.I’m not sold 3/5

    Reply

  824. This album is the truth. Shyne is hating. his last mixtape was pathetic. wasnt even mastered properly, so who is he? better focus on getting a rasclart visa, yo

    Reply

  826. THIS ALBUM IS GARBAGE…LETS SEE THE FORMULA, OVERHYPED INTERNET RAPPER, BORING ASS FLOW, CONCEPT IS FUCKIN WEAK, THIS ALBUM IS SOMETHING TO BREAK WEED ON OR ACTUALLY TO BUY, OPEN AND AFTER A SKIM THROUGH FRISBEE OUT THE WINDOW OR COMPLAIN TO THE CD STORE AND DEMAND TO SEE THE MANAGER SINCE THEY WONT RETURN THE CD UPON OPENING IT, THIS ALBUM IS A 0/20 SORRY

    Reply

  832. I was just saying that the lyrical content of hip hop is weak this summer and lo an behold, here come’s Kendrick Lamar to prove me wrong. This is truly a masterpiece. It is a classic. I have to listen to this album from beginning to end, with no skips. He is truly telling a story bringing his lyrics to life making me feel like I’m watching a movie and not listening to a CD.

    Reply

  833. Hip Hop started in the streets and it will forever be in the streets, the fact of the matter is. Nobody in the streets is listening to this guy, only kids from the burbs. I ain’t feelin this album, i don’t care how lyrical he is, it’s fuckin wack in the streets. Only people in the urban community (not suburban ) should have say to what is dope hip hop and what isn’t, this is NOTHING special. Kids from the suburbs tend to think just because a rapper is “lyrical” that makes them great! 2Pac , Too Short, Eazy E, and many many others weren’t the most complex rappers but they are more legends, why? Because they kept it street. These underground, and lyrical cats can rhyme as many words out of the dictionary that they want and it is still wack in the streets why? Wack subject matter, wack hooks, wack beats, nobody wants to listen to any of that. People wake up, street hip hop (biggie, 2pac, big l , ross ) any rapper that reps the streets, YES even Gucci will have more respect than these lyrical cats, because hip hop IS the streets, and if the streets aren’t feelin it, than it doesn’t matter how versatile you are, wack is wack no matter what, this album is nothing special, and kids from the burbs need to stop givin this shit 5 star reviews!!

    Reply

    1. so the fact that he is just saying the truth, you think he isnt street but you respect rick ross “rozay” your not street.

      Reply

    2. the streets to you is probably four lame ass dudes that you kick it with in your neighborhood out in the middle of nowhere doing the same shit y’all were doing 5 years ago

      Reply

    3. @ROZAY, you a buster. You post this shit over and over and somehow you sound more and more like an asshole. Sittin there trying to talk for everybody in the “streets”, FOH with that shit. This album might not be a classic but its damn good. And no matter how much of that bitching and moaning you do, it wont change that fact. People like you need to be hit for talkin such dumb shit. Close minded little bitch.

      Reply

    4. @ROZAY

      Nigga shut the fuck up. I live in Crown Heights Brooklyn. You don’t know a goddamn thing about the streets. You probably live in a middle-class burb if you even anywhere near a city.

      There’s all types of people here. Into all types of music. Some niggas like lyrical shit, others rock ignorant shit, some don’t even listen to hip hop. You can’t sum up the hood in one paragraph. So again. Shut the fuck up. Bitch.

      Reply

    6. need to check your history on the roots of hip hop… born in the streets yeah- but the ryhmes and emcees were as diverse as the streets are. The thing that the greats have in common is not that they “kept it street” it’s that they kept it REAL. They talk about the shit they see and their experiences and what matters to them truthfully. Sounds like you’re the one with the narrow experience of the world, not ‘the streets’.

      Reply

  835. lol @ all the haterz who probably just like to bandwagon on the phrase “good kid, wack album” and think they’re all creative and shit. fuck off. let me b real. there’s a lot of dick riders out there who prob voted this shit up a 5. okay we get that and ya, they were dickriders so their rating was a little generous. and there was over 400 ppl that voted, so ya the rating might be over exaggerated. and to say it’s like the greatest fucking album ever and kendrick’s a legend is going too far. but with all that being said, judging this album at face value, it’s more than exceptional. i would rate this album against other shit coming out at this time, and compared to all the other hyped shit out there, this is pretty damn good (at least as far as a mainstream album from a somewhat upcoming rapper goes). some pretty tight beats, good substance (not fakers talking about money and clubs and shit), and solid (not great) rap skills. and kendrick (not to sound like a dickrider or anything) is one of the few rappers out there in radio music doing this shit and being real. some give credit where it’s due, shit. this album aint a ready made classic, but it aint sleeper either.

    Reply

    1. Whoa whoa whoa. Let’s slow down. This is a great album no doubt, but comparing it to Ready to Die after being out a month??? Ridiculous

      Reply

  840. This is the best album I’ve ever listened to. It’s also the only album I can listen to without skipping a song. Don’t listen to the haters. This shit was classic. 5/5

    Reply

  843. this is the best album ever !!

    it’s been such a long time since i ain’t heard such a good quality album

    it’s definitely a classic

    Reply

  845. People seem to love money trees. Fair enough, its raw. But ya’ll should check out the sample too. It’s Silver Soul, by Beach House. Probably not up your alley, but good music is good music right?

    Reply

  850. album is boring-just because dre co signs some one doesnt make them great. Shit-dre is not that good, the original chronic was all he did that was classic

    Reply

  851. album is boring to niggas who like club music and repetitive lyrics that take no thought to listen too. yeah real hip hop…

    Reply

  852. Good music, the kind of hip hop I can kick it to. If you don’t like it, to each his own. Kendrick reminds me of what we grew up listening to. Good music, dope flow, dope production. No cookie cutter BS. Youngsters growing up now don’t realize how dope this is because look who they compare him to, this generation is growing up brainwashed thinking all these clowns are Hip Hop. They will argue that Lil Wayne is the GOAT, lol.

    Reply

  857. Kendrick has alot of talent…but I have to admit, as I put the album on and kept playing it & playing it I began to get bored with most of the album. Sharane, Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe, Sing About Me are timeless songs. Great records..but there’s alot of filler on this record the more you play it. It’s still the best debut of a new artist in a long time, probably since Game’s Documentary in 2005. I say it’s a 3.75/5

    Reply

  863. Yo Poppa Large u dumb as shyt thinkin it isnt good this album has lyrical flow it tells a story and it has good beats half the albums that come out now a days dont have that shyt so learn hip hop before u post stupid shyt

    Reply

  866. This was a good album, but I still bump section 80 alot more. If I was to pick an album of the year I would still have to give it to Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music. He really said what he wanted on that album.

    Reply

  869. This album was certainly a good effort and quite possibly the best mainstream Hip Hop album of the year, I felt the production let it down a bit. At times it just didn’t feel like I was listening to a story based in Compton. Of course the lyrics ensured this, but I can’t help but wish the production was a bit more traditional West Coast sounding. Like, the beats for “Sherane”, “Backseat Freestyle”, “Money Trees” and “Real” could have done with more of a typical west coast beat or some G-Funk.. But lyrically, this album was pretty solid nonetheless.

    Reply

  872. In my opinion, weather or not you like this album comes down to how you listen to hip hop music. There are those fans that live vicariously through different artists based largely on their image and slightly on lyrics. And there are fans who really appreciate the hip hop art form. Look at how many fans Wayne lost after he started dressing all different and skating. He has the same lyrical content, they just didn’t want to emulate him anymore. Still selling to them white kids though, so he doesn’t care. You can call it dickriding, but a lot of people feel Kendrick because he represents the majority in his music. More people can say they’ve experienced his story than others. How many people have REALLY sold dope or gone to jail on a gun charge? If you’re honest with yourself you know it’s not a lot. Not only that, he’s talented. He’s definitely not an ABC bubble gum rapper. If you want to fantasize about a life you’ll never live, you will not like this album. If you appreciate hip hop from its roots, storytelling, you’ll probably love it.

    Reply

    1. I think Wayne started losing fans because they started to grow up. He had to really change his image to keep a young fan base. And he still is successful at it, not only selling to white kids, but to young black kids that dont know any better. Kendrick is talented and gots lyrical content on Section 80. This album was dumb down a bit and kept at a teens mind set, just like the Wayne albums, just better lyrics. If you go back when the 90’s rappers were making albums they appealed to kids then, and when they grew up and understood the lyrics better, it appealed even more. Thats what makes a classic. Thats why you got mixed reviews, because people with a mature sense of music know this is a great album for the time being.

      Reply

  876. Diddy’s 1st album >>>> this album , and this is comin from a huge 2pac fan

    AND

    Victory, missing you, do you know, been round tha world, pain and young g’s >>>>> every song on gkmc

    Reply

  877. Don’t believe the hype. This is a mediocre album. Just because it is better than everything else coming out doesn’t make it a classic. The rap game is trash now a days, with people like Future, Gucci, Lil Wayne and all these other lames it is easy for someone different from what is the norm be declared “hip-hop’s savior.” Everybody who offers an alternative to what is currently on the radio is praised as the best thing since slice bread. The problem with that is people are grading albums on a damn curve. This shit is mediocre not a classic. Yes, it is better than what is out now. But what is out now? Future, 2 Chainz, Gucci? F*ck, look at this guy’s competition. It is easy to be declared the pound for pound king when you boxing guys who wouldn’t even make the cut in a bar fight. SMDH.

    Bawse!!!!!!!

    Reply

  880. The Good Kid is way too overrated!

    I can state 20 rap albums i liked more this year. Okay, it’s a decent album with a few bangers, but it’s definitely NOT a classic. Even Kendrick himself said “Don’t call my Album a classic”.

    There are three major problems with this album:

    1. Some of the tracks are too long, so that the album doesn’t flow properly. If you do such long songs, you have to bring some new elements to the beat (check for instance “Money Trees” (great song otherwise), “Real”, “Sing about me”, “B* don’t kill my vibe”). Honestly, less is more.

    2. I don’t really feel some of the beats. “Sherane” and “Real” are boring, “Backseat Freestyle” is a pain in da ass, “I’m dying of thirst” is sleep-soothing.

    3. The double / triple layering of Kendricks voice gets on my nerve, i just want to hear kendrick rhyming! With that alien voice he sounds like a weirdo.

    Don’t get me wrong, i really love Kendrick’s music, especially “Section 80” and the “O.D.” Mixtape were dope, but i’m not really feeling this one.

    I guess in 6 months this album will be irrelevant and replaced by some other hyped ish.

    Reply

    3. yeah album is mad overrated, couple things i agree with you on, but i’ma just say its another mediocre album with average lyrics and above average production.

      Reply

    5. You’re out of your mind for not liking that Sherane track, but other than that I think your assessment is fair.

      Reply

    6. Just accept my opinion folks, i accept yours too. 🙂 My concern is mainly to warn people, not to buy this album without listening.

      When it comes to lyrics and delivery, i can’t deny that this album is excellent (and i like the “Sherane” track lyrically). But the length and beat selection took away from the magic. To me it just seems a little rushed and unbalanced.

      And that makes the difference between a good album and a great album.

      I think that Ab-Soul joint is much better than this one (and unfortunately less appreciated).

      Reply

  881. Shit is easy to make a classic track. Get a bangin ass beat, get someone that can actually rap or sing (like 2pac, Rozay or Hov), make sure it’s catchy to the ear but isn’t talkin about stupid shit, bang, classic joint. Too bad too many niggas can’t craft a good song.

    Bawse!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

  888. I’d have to give it time to deem it a classic. Most good albums are decent listens for a few months. It’s about having the same impact that it initially did years down the line.

    Reply

  900. its a dope album. so many songs where they completely switch the beat its like they re-defined how hip hop should sound and broke the repititve verse hook verse hook verse hook formula.
    backseat freestyle sucks but everything else was pretty dope 4/5

    Reply

  902. album is so dope its the first album in years im havin trouble spittin along to. for real lol

    it will be a classic eventually… ye bish

    Reply

  908. This album has done some justice to Hip Hop. I personally recommend Backseat freestyle, Poetic Justice, Bitch don’t kill my vibe. Screw it, I recommend bumping the whole album from start to finish.

    Reply

  912. The best albums don’t come across as instant classics, but they become classics over the span of a decade+. All I know is, I fck wit GKMC way harder now than I did when it dropped. And I fully expect to love it more next month and so on.

    Reply

  918. I’m going to paraphrase Steven Speilberg (ala Shia Lebouf)

    “He told me there’s a time to be a human being and have an opinion, and there’s a time to sell cars.”

    It’s a damn good way to describe any exceptional effort from an artist with solid output and a decent name backing him (far from the weird Kanye/2 Chainz/Big Sean venture and the terrible output of YMCM/MBM.) Dre understand marketing better than any other artist in the hip-hop industry and Kendrick can be best seen as a half-success in branding: he’s the perfect counter-measure for trite shit which charts.

    Not to say that this album doesn’t have problems (far from perfect or “classic”). Firstly, the Dre cameo does nothing but let Dre be Dre and groan about his legacy. The beats are on some Drake-type emotion, which would really force me question the overall integrity of the album if the lyrics and Lamar’s ability to sustain an internal rythim without ever losing scope of concepts.

    To be fair, this is average in comparison to the more “underground” releases which really wowed me -Skelethon, R.A.P. Music, Mourning in America and Dreaming In Color, even more mainstream bids like Food and Liqour II. (Fuck, even La Coka Nostra’s new joint was amusing.)

    Reply

  928. Not at all what I was expecting to hear. I was hoping to hear some Westcoast hip hop, not more down south trap music. Damnit Kendrick. Drake? Come on.

    Reply

  930. musically this album is dope,nicca love what he doin you can feel that.but his flow is terrible on some tracks it’s very hard to listen to all theses tracks in full…his “sherane story” he was rappin about is interesting but all theses interludes are boring.as fuck.& are not necessary..just like sum tracks are way too fuckin long & need to be edited (real,art of peer pressure,Sherane).we just want the music,fuck all that talkin..about da record im feelin

    the intro,compton,the recipe,black boy fly,now or never,dyin of thirst,good kid,madd city & of course the lead single are all dope rest is average..so when peole talkin about illimatic that’s a very great joke !!!..this album deserve 3.5 but im givin him 3…

    Reply

    1. at least the skits were at the end of the tracks. They showed how youth don’t know bout religion back then that most defintly relates to the youth know too.

      Reply

  942. DX is the hipsters of rap. How the fuck does Rapsody get a perfect 5 on 3.5-4 at most while this gets 4.5? Is the meaning of some of the songs over yall heads or something. Only flaw I see was from the album was that it wasn’t a full two disc album.

    Reply

  944. The frightening thing I know is his 2nd album is going to be much better than this masterpiece! Trust me I know this! Notice the impressive progression in sound and style with each tape released… But this is a definite classic!

    Reply

    1. This was his second album. If you haven’t already check Section. 80. Another instant classic and Masterpiece.

      Reply

  945. only weak verse of the album came from drake…good thing the lady gaga version of ‘bitch dont kill my vibe’ wasnt in it… classic album…

    Reply

  948. Best album of 2012. one of the greatest debut albums of all time; the rap world is better when shit like this comes out.

    5/5

    Reply

  950. This is that type of Album that will talked about through generations.
    It basically brought that good hip hop back and so many other things that make this Album a masterpiece.
    Not only did he raise the bar for other rappers and hip hop really high, ha also raised it for himself.
    can’t wait for 2nd Album, Kendrick is so creative.

    Reply

  965. Amazing album. When I listen to it, it was more than music, it was a story of a person just like me with dreams, fear, dangers, trouble, happiness, adolescence and maturity. He stayed true to his roots he kept it original but different. God bless Kendrick Lamar and hip hop.

    Reply

  968. Best album of 2012. one of the greatest debut albums of all time; the rap world is better when shit like this comes out.

    Reply

  972. Dr. Dre’s Rappers Always Go Classic…..Eminem, 50 Cent,The Game, And Now Kendrick Lamar. He is so lyrical…. He Is Already Killing The Rap Game With This Album…….God Damn He Is Going To Murder It With More Of His UP Coming Albums They are All Going To Rate XXl….
    This Is The Best Album I Bought This Year!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

  974. Looks like Aftermath got another classic “2001” , “The Marshall Mathers LP”, “Get Rich or Die Tryin”, now “good kid, m.A.A.d city”

    Reply

  975. Kendrick Lamar, best rapper out so far (not counting the veterans; like jay, Nas, quik), call me regionally biase if you want to, westcoast radio stations need to stop being held hostage and support their artist, i like other regions but fu@k them they’re not westcoast.

    Reply

  979. This album will go down as one of the best albums of all time for any genre just like Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Ready to Die and the other rap albums that are considered the best of all time. When those albums came out we didn’t understand how great they because were very young at the time. Now we have a chance to witness a classic and a legend in the making. The storytelling is amazing. It’s like a movie. You can’t just listen to a couple of songs or skip through. You have to listen straight through from beginning to end.

    Reply

    1. I AGREE with EVERYTHING you said @MJ . This album will go down as one of the greatest in History. It’s ahead of it’s time. Kendrick Lamar as the potential to be an All-time Legend. Good Kid, m.A.A.d City!!!

      Reply

  980. listening to this really makes section 80 (one of my favourite albums) sound alot more like a mixtape

    Reply

  981. This album is ahead of its time. Perfection from start to finish.
    The best hip-hop debut since Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor.

    Reply

  983. Good god, I havent heard an album like this in a GOOD minute. I will actually purchase this rather than download it. If hip hop artist pumped out more stuff like this, labels could move units like it was ’98.

    Reply

  986. Good Kid M.A.A.d city one word. Outstanding. Masterfully put together, tight flows, manner of delivery of sometimes morbid content done in a socially acceptable manner, this album appeals to not only dedicated hip-hop fans but also the passive ‘hip-pop’ chart listeners.

    Reply

  988. Amazing album. When I listen to it, it was more than music, it was a story of a person just like me with dreams, fear, dangers, trouble, happiness, adolescence and maturity. He stayed true to his roots he kept it original but different. God bless Kendrick Lamar and hip hop…

    Reply

  989. Wow. One thing I liked about the production of this album is that the beats are different from current hip hop albums and it sounded like all the producers were on the same page. It almosts seems as if the whole album was produced by one person. That’s how smoothly the album flows. Great Album Kendrick.

    Reply

  990. This was an amazing review. Props to Jaeki Cho. Everything was spot-on and well-written.

    best album of this decade with kanye’s album

    Reply

  995. Looks like Aftermath got another classic “2001” , “The Marshall Mathers LP”, “Get Rich or Die Tryin”, now “good kid, m.A.A.d city” ,D

    Reply

  1000. I know people hail the word ‘king’ around too often, but I can actually see Kendrick being the next big star that goes on to sell 50+ million records in his career, he just needs to get a little more international

    Reply

  1009. guess that this album is the new standard, everything is being compared to gkmc nowadays.

    10/10 album, first time I give the perfect score to an album tbh

    Reply

  1016. Kendrick’s solidified himself as a risk taker with GKMC.

    His sound has evolved over his first three projects… this album is really a masterpiece

    Reply

  1026. Cats need to focus on making great albums, not great mixtapes, not great singles, not great verses on other people stuff

    At the end of the day if you want to be remember in music history, you’re gonna be judged by the retail body of work you leave behind. Kendrick seems to be the only newcomer who really gets this

    Reply

  1027. A Certified classic!! King Kendrick!! 5/5 Perfect!!! Hip Hop wont be seeing an album this amazing for a while! King Kendrick has saved hip hop!!! AMAZING!!!!!

    Reply

  1028. A MODERN CLASSIC!! One of the GREATEST DEBUT ALBUMS of All-Time.
    King Kendrick Lamar. Best album of the decade, along with MBDTF.

    Reply

  1041. Stop riding this guy’s dick. This album sucks ass. There is maybe one good song on there and he ruined half of it.

    Reply

  1065. And their still hasn’t been a single release in the mainstream that has topped it yet, meta critic ratings further support this.

    Reply

  1068. dope .. its great that so many people responded to this album.. its refreshing that we all jus want to appreciate good hiphop.

    Reply

  1070. A classic every track is listenable there is so much to listen to every track sounds different.The only weak track is Compton (Although it gets a pardon for having that California Love feel) the rest is amazing the
    storytelling is OFF THE CHARTS. Lyricism is strong This album. One of the best albums of the decade

    Reply

  1076. After reading this, i ask myself why didn’t Justin Hunte give the album 5 stars, if he’s so impressed? Why 4.5, there’s no explanation in the review?

    Reply

  1078. I love this album. The first day it came out, I played this album 20 times front to back. I love this album so much. It’s 2016 and to me it’s still the greatest Hip Hop album of ALL TIME. I don’t care what anyone has to say about that. This told a story, it felt like a film that you can only enjoy sonically. I like Kendrick’s new shit, TPAB is a black album and I respect it. I don’t think it could ever be better than this album though. Still a great album though.

    Reply

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