"good story, M.A.A.D. classic"
good kid, M.A.A.D. city
The long
awaited, major debut album, good kid,m.A.A.d. city has finally hit the shelves, and Kendrick Lamar does indeed
deliver a classic. With Lamar's last project, section.80, we were able to get his perspective on his
entire generation; however, this latest work of KDot's gives us his
perspective of being an adolescent in Compton. Every track on the album sets up
the track to come and foreshadows the future events in which young
Kendrick is about to experience.
It all starts with “Sherane A.K.A. Master Splinters’
Daughter,” setting a strong tone for the whole album, while acting as the
perfect intro. Here, Kendrick uses detailed facts and story-telling tactics to
discuss his conquests for past love interest, Sherane. As the track opens with
him and his friends’ accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord, it follows by
showcasing his sinful behavior. He cleverly raps, “I was in heat like a cactus,
my tactics of being thirsty” as he sets the playing field for the following tracks.
A skit after the track illustrates his parents fighting, and
their overall dependence on Kendrick himself. This is used to show how
dysfunctional his family situation was. The track “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”
is a play-on-words of something his father would have shouted at his mother in
tough times. He tells how he played the role of mentoring his own parents, and
never finding time for himself. In the chorus, he admits, “sometimes I need to
be alone.” This track is highly relatable to anyone’s day-to-day tensions.
“Backstreet Freestyle” showcases his overall ability to rap,
as he uses it as an example of a freestyle track he would have used when trying
to make his name known in the streets. Here, we see an arrogant, practical, and
seventeen year-old version of KDot displaying his confidence and lyrical
combat. The raw and cocky approach is fresh and edgy, easily appealing to real
rap-heads from all around.
He keeps his rugged approach on “The Art of Peer Pressure”
as he explains his vulnerability to be pressured into bad decisions as an
up-and-comer. Telling his story from a first-hand account, he shows how even
the goodest of kids can still make
the maddest of decisions when they’re
“riding with the homies.” He shares his stories of crime and risking everything
because his so-called friends were such negative influences on him.
Realizing his life was being captured by so many ills, he
uses the track “Money Trees” to describe his realization that money could be
the cure to all his problems. “Money trees is the perfect place for shade, and
that’s just how I feel.” He begins to understand that working hard could help
him make real money. The track marks the start of a new beginning for Kendrick.
The album takes a bit of a turn, and begins to really appeal
to the ladies on “Poetic Justice.” He finds none better than Drake to help him
discuss various aspects of the modern-day relationship between a man and woman.
Janet Jackson’s “Any Time, Any Place” is sampled, providing a soulful and heartfelt
medium. After just one listen, it is easy to pinpoint this joint as the album’s
most mainstream-friendly cut on the album, even more so than the lead single
“Swimming Pools (Drank).”
Shifting back to the street, “Good Kid” sets the ground for
the rest of the album. The Pharrell-produced track features the more honest and
modest Kendrick identifying himself as the good kid. At first, he seems a bit
lazy and uninspired, but this method actually works in setting the stage for
the very next track “M.A.A.D. City.”
It is here, where Kendrick truly portrays himself as a good
kid lost in a mad city. He describes how he perceived Compton as being a place
with himself, chaos, cops, and nothing else. His feeling of being trapped in
his own city, with no clean way out, overwhelmed his existence itself. KDot
defines his acronym for M.A.A.D. as “my angry adolescence divided” and explains
how the double A stands for “angel on angel dust.” The hard-hitting, monumental
anthem of a beat serves as the bold backdrop for Kendrick to attack
aggressively, explaining street tales such as how the first time he smoked marijuana,
it was laced with cocaine, and had him “foaming at the mouth.” By the song’s
end, listeners will find themselves drooling at the mouth.
He elaborates on this mad city of his on the album’s lead
single, “Swimming Pools (Drank).” Here, he remembers how the people around him,
including his own family, tried dragging him down a path of alcohol abuse and
overall unhealthy living. This cut clearly elaborates on the “misery loves
company” prophecy, and is told from his own experience.
“Sing About Me” deals with Lamar’s obsession over death. He
directly addresses people he had mentioned on prior mix-tapes such as section.80. Some of these people were
apparently offended by how open Kendrick was in sharing the real stories of
their personal lives. He tries to justify his usage of their stories,
explaining they were being used to educate and inspire people who came from places
like Compton. He asks, “am I worth it?” in a hopeful attempt that his efforts
will be sung about when he is dead and gone.
The second part of this track “I’m Dying of Thirst” reverts
back to the intro, where him and his friends accept Jesus Christ as the Lord,
and they ask for forgiveness. He explains how “dying of thirst” really
translates to “being in need of holy water.” This track is the true location
where KDot firmly grasps the idea of carrying a positive moral compass.
At this point, Kendrick is able to see what is really
important in life, and what really is not. On “Real,” he explains what life’s
true values are, and ignores what may be deemed as “cool” in the hood. He
stresses the importance of love, family, and friends, and informs listeners as
to where their focuses really should be in life.
After Kendrick Lamar reaches his state of understanding, he
brags how he finally made it on “Compton.” The Dr. Dre-assisted, Just
Blaze-produced banger shows how after all his hard work and dedication, he
finally made it big time. He lands his major record deal with Dr. Dre on
Aftermath, and boasts on how he rose from the bottom to the top. This track
serves as the ultimate conclusion to this true rags-to-riches story of an
album.
Kendrick Lamar ultimately uses diversified deliveries, timeless bars, and a plethora
of flows in order to achieve his accomplishment of telling a story that
has never been heard in hip-hop until now. Rap listeners have heard about the
gang-affiliated streets of Compton, but they have never heard of the violence
that occurs on those same blocks from the voice of a good kid.
Lamar diminishes any cliché that says you have to gang-bang your way to
the top of a m.A.A.d. city. Thanks to
the good kid, Kendrick Lamar, we finally see what it is like to be an innocent,
vulnerable human being in the middle of a jungle surrounded by savages. KDot
will definitely have a positive influence among the future of our nation seeing
that he serves as living proof that children can survive the dangers of the
hood, and still keep their dignity. The tale of good kid, m.A.A.d. city is an instant classic, and it is one for
the ages. It is no secret that our generation has just been given a gem to be
passed down to every generation to come until the end of time.
RRR Score: 10/10
Written by Seth Kaplan and James Norman
RRR Score: 10/10
Written by Seth Kaplan and James Norman
