Kendrick Lamar is a West Coast rapper from Compton. He is currently one of the biggest artists in the world. One of his most famous albums is good kid, m.A.A.d city. This was his second studio album and was produced by Top Dawg Entertainment and Aftermath/Interscope Records. It was released on October 22, 2012. This is a Hip-Hop and West Coast Rap album that cemented Lamar as one of the best rappers in the game. Without this album, Kendrick would most likely not be the star that he is today.
Although Kendrick is the only main artist, there are lots of features on the album. Some of the notable ones include Drake, Dr. Dre, Anna Wise, Jay Rock, and MC Eiht. All of these features bring a different feel to the songs that they are on. Drake and Anna Wise bring soothing vocals, well Dr. Dre and MC Eiht bring some great old school rapping that blends well with Kendrick. Kendrick’s strong suit on this album is his ability to have lyrical depth and storytelling. It feels like every song has a deeper meaning when you look at the lyrics and really start to pay attention to what Kendrick is saying.
One song on this project that I like is Swimming Pools (Drank). This song talks about Kendrick’s struggle with alcohol addiction and how it is affecting his life. It has such a catchy chorus and will get stuck in your head after listening to it just one time. Another song that stands out to me is The Art of Peer Pressure. This is my personal favorite Kendrick Lamar song, and it is all about Kendrick and his friends as they grow up in Compton. Kendrick talks about how his friends are negatively impacting him and how he acts differently around them. One of the most unique things about this album is that it tells a whole story throughout it. Throughout the album, it shows a day in the life of a good kid as he is growing up in the mad city of Compton. good kid, m.A.A.d city explores themes of innocence, violence, a struggle for survival, and redemption.
Many people consider this album to be one of the greatest (if not the greatest) hip-hop albums of all time, and I completely agree. This album is so unique and special with its ability to tell a story well, having almost every song feel different and special in its own way. I recommend this album to anyone who has time to listen to it. This is my personal favorite album of all time and I would give it a 10/10. Favorite Tracks: Swimming Pools (Drank), The Art of Peer Pressure, m.A.A.d. city,
