Album Review: good kid, m.A.A.d city

Introduction

Good kid, m.A.A.d city is the amazing sophomore album from Grammy award winning artist Kendrick Lamar. The project is one of the best rap albums of the past decade, period.

Summary

The album is a masterpiece, containing stories of growing up in Compton in an era where artists like Tupac and Biggie were witnessed in their prime and where Hip-Hop as a genre went through some of its biggest changes yet. The project shows Kendrick’s past, laid over perfect west coast beats and flawless flows.

The nineteen track release is seamless with giant hits scattered throughout. It is undeniable that the talent of Kendrick as both an artist able to create perfect Hip-Hop tracks and club bangers is very prominent on GKMC. Tracks such as ‘Sherane A.K.A Master Splinter’s Daughter‘ tell the story of Lamar’s first love in a seamless flow, this is followed up by the massive club hit ‘B*tch, Don’t Kill My Vibe‘ and later another hit ‘Swimming Pools (Drank)‘ telling the story of the artist’s struggle with alcohol in his past.

It is clear that the industry saw Kendrick’s talent early on. Being taken under Dr. Dre’s wing early on, the west coast sound is almost nostalgic, reminding listeners of the late 90s sound of Dre and his counterparts, where Dre features on ‘The Recipe‘ the connection between the old-school and the new is clear and coherent. The new-school also cosigns the artist on tracks such as ‘Poetic Justice‘ featuring the massively successful Drake.

Conclusion

GKMC is in my opinion a staple in Hip-Hop and will remembered for decades. It is my idea of the perfect rap album and a project which any fan of music should listen to. Front to back the project is a seamless, flawless and enjoyable listen.

The Verdict (Rated out of five):