Easy Street Records

Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid: M.A.A.D City

Details

Format: CD
Catalog: 1837702
Rel. Date: 04/03/2013
UPC: 602537362721

Good Kid: M.A.A.D City
Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Format: CD
New: Not currently available
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Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (stylized as good kid, m.A.A.d city) is the second studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. The album was released on October 22, 2012, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and was distributed by Interscope Records. The album serves as Lamar's major label debut, after his signing to Aftermath and Interscope in early 2012. It was preceded by the release of Kendrick's debut studio album Section.80 (2011), released exclusively through the iTunes Store independently. The album was recorded mostly at several studios in California with producers such as Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, Pharrell Williams, Hit-Boy, Scoop DeVille, Jack Splash and T-Minus, among others. Billed as a "short film by Kendrick Lamar" on the album cover, the concept album follows the story of Lamar's teenage experiences in the drug-infested streets and gang lifestyle of his native Compton, California. Upon it's release, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised it's thematic scope and Lamar's lyrics. Good Kid M.A.A.D City earned Lamar four Grammy Award nominations at the 56th Grammy Awards including Album of the Year.

Reviews:

By Matt Campbell

Looking at the album cover you might think this is a Black Keys follow up to El Camino (with the picture of an old minivan and all). But it's not, it's actually a hip-hop album, and a very good one at that! Kendrick Lamar is fairly new to the scene and good kid, m.A.A.d city is his major label debut. One of the first things you notice about the album is how everything seems to flow together. With "skits" in between songs, you get the feeling he is telling a story. Turns out that's exactly what he is doing. Lamar refers to the album as a "short film," and this one is mainly about what growing up in Compton, CA is like ("The Art of Peer Pressure," "Compton"). He actually raps about his own experiences instead of the life he would want everyone to believe he has. It's the difference between art and imitation.

His words are also allowed to take center stage, mainly due to the fact that the majority of the beats don't overpower the songs, thus allowing the listener to actually listen to what he has to say ("good kid," "Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst"). I mean I could talk about this album all day! If everything I mentioned above wasn't enough, did I mention that one of the album's executive producers is Dr. Dre? Did I also mention that Dre appears on "The Recipe," and "Compton"?

Grade: Look under the hood of the minivan and you'll find one of the best hip-hop albums of the year.

        
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