Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, Maad City
Sherene
She is a major person of interest n this album. Someone Kendrick was interested in, but there were more things to be concerned with. It ends with guys in hoodies and then it cuts to a message from his parents, that's hilarious.
Bitch Dant Kill my Vibe
Starts out calm with a chorus saying I am a sinner. who's probably gonna sin again. My favorite lines is, "I can feel the new people around me just want to be famous." It really speaks to being a good kid amongst bad circumstances.
Backseat Freestyle
This comes in with the big beat drums and an insane chorus. "I hope my dick get as big as the Eiffel Tower so I can fuck the world for 72 hours." It was a great open beat for Kendrick to let loose bars. He even flows later in another personality.
The Art of Peer Pressure
This track comes in with a jazzy track that sounds like a Common song that changes after the first chorus. Back beat ensues and Lamar weighs the life born to possible potential. It was kind of a song that explains how easy it is to get into the wrong thing, not expecting. He admits to not banging or being violent, until a catalyst. The interludes continue to tie the ideas.
Money Trees feat. Jay Rock
The mood gets chill on this. 'Ya bitsch" ends many lines, but it becomes infectious. Though it circles how money can change or improve situations, the song also says, "The one in front of the gun, lives forever." Brilliant Jay Rock comes in and compliments the flow, but takes the topics and gives a separate but compelling verse. The song ends with another voicemail interlude.
Poetic Justice feat. Drake
A screwed sample turns to a version of Janet Jackson Anytime. As a Jackson connoisseur I was off put at first, especially cause the sample is some soft shit. But the title, the song and the content wrapped it all together. Drake comes in with the double time flow about a girl that had the opportunity but seemed to be preoccupied. Once you soak them both of them up, it actually is a chill song with story.
Good Kid
This song opens up with his partners giving the business and trying to check hood status. The song opens up with a chorus that follows Roy Ayers "We live in Brooklyn Baby" that lays out ills that turned good kids bad.
Maad City
This song comes in trap style releasing the energy of a maad city.It flips mid song to a Hardcore drum loop and intros from MC Eiht. Kendrick then comes in with a crack voice flow. EIht comes in on the track like he never left the game! Lamar then drops a poem and the track goes G Funk Style t=into the next interlude.
Swimming Pools
This was the first single I heard. Within the album it has more context. He delves into alternate voices/persona's on the track. The visual given in the chorus makes me understand things are wavy, but with the interlude preceding it flips the whole context. I really dig it now. There are proceeding breakdowns and the verse on the end. The interlude following just turned the album upside down.
Sing About Me
I actually think I heard this before. It comes in smooth and classic. Kendrick sings the open chorus in a nasal tone. The verses flash by you because he uses the "Talib Kweli Run on Flow.". He is interweaving stories and self scrutiny in a syncopation that's masterful. I love the strings. It's a GEM. ....It fades into the next interlude creating tension then the beat comes in lead by the hi hats. I didn't hear this second half.
Real
Opening up from a Prayer Interlude opens a track with a bounce that was reminiscent of a Willie Hutch song. "Whats love got to do with it, when you don't love yourself." An essay on Love, self Love. The main hook is like,come on. The pre hook is the business. Its smooth like butter. It ends with voice messages and entrances back to the song.
Compton
Just Blaze! Oh man, just can use the same chords and it always works! The singer ties it all together. Kendrick and Dre on a Just Blaze track, The song is so huge! The following interlude just turned the album into a Pulp Fiction type of puzzle.
Bonus Tracks:
Recipe
Hear it. Cool track but we are all suspecting its that Detox material.
Black Boy Fly
Stories of who he was jealous of over a nice Rhodes piano. Serious material. "Where everything is an obstacle and two niggas making it out don't even sound logical."
Now or Never
Heard it. Got a good early eighties vibe with Mary on the chorus.
This is my fourth time listening to this album. The album itself reminds me of Ready to Die in that it gave you a full narrative and it was that you didn't want to live the street live instead of glamorizing the life. I think taking a major label release and giving music this raw is pivotal right now. This album grows on you quick. The interludes and the placement of them amongst the songs is amazing. I cant say what the impact will be, but as far as 2012 is concerned, Good Kid Maad City deserves acclaim. The lyrics were well thought out and the executions were really stellar. The songs themselves can be missed in their potency until you hear the complete work. If you like to hear SINGLES, this album is not for you. If you want a sonic feature presentation, this album IS for you.
4.5 / 5
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