As you probably already know, Kendrick Lamar's debut record has been the hype in the music world this past week. Good Kid M.a.a.d. City has received high critical acclaim from a 9.5 on Pitchfork and 5 stars on XXL Mag. I would have to agree myself that this album deserves an A easily. I admit I was not to fond of the leaks prior of the release. Hearing Compton or The Art of Peer Pressure for the first time were solid tracks, but did not wow me. But when you listen to GKMC in it's entirety from start to finish your ears would be introduced to pure good music. The narrative direction Kendrick took was a refreshing using skits and having all the tracks relate back to one another. Instead of putting random tracks together, he creatively used the concept of an "album" to tell his transformation as a good kid in a maad city. K. Dot is truly a wonderful storyteller as feel the authenticity of all types of emotions conveyed in the album whether it's love (Poetic Justice), violence (Art of Peer Pressure) or realization (Real). He also delivers positive messages throughout the album from anti-alcohol (Swimming Pools) and finding God (I'm Dying of Thirst). The wide variety of tracks and the change flows to tell others perspectives also keeps it interesting. The features were also perfectly chosen and placed as they added more to the album (wish we got an Ab-Soul featured though). Even though you might have lived in Compton, you can still sympathize and relate to the journey he goes through and the lessons he learns. The Hip-hop community is puzzled if this record goes down as a classic, which is big accomplishment within itself. Will GKMC stand the test of time and be said in the same sentence has 36 Chambers, Illmatic and The Chronic? Only time can answer this question, but Kendrick brings lyricism back to the mainstream and it's great to see people are digging it as well rather than listening to rappers strictly rap about blunts and hoes.
Kendrick came through Rasputin Music in Berkeley last Wednesday to give a free "performance" and signing. You had to buy the album to gain access to the event. There was only a limited amount of wristbands available and people were even offering to trade as high as $70 or A$AP Rocky tickets for one. He performed two songs (Backseat freestyle & Money Trees) and freestyled a bit. The signing was quick as you couldn't really say much or take a picture with K. Dot. But I was satisfied getting the vinyl signed by Kendrick to add to my collection knowing this record could go down as a classic. Thanks Mr. Lamar for putting out good music. I know the year isn't over yet, but Good Kid M.a.a.d. City is the best album of 2012.
