AOTY 2012 Revisited - Good Kid: mA.A.d City

"Lord God, I come to you a sinner. I believe that Jesus is lord...." This simple prayer lead by Maya Angelou lays out the foreshadowing that is Good Kid m.A.A.d City, a short film by Kendrick Lamar.

I've never heard an album paint an entire tale in the space between my ears the way this did.  I remember where I was the first time I heard this. It was October 2012 and me and my roomate held a listening party in our dorms. We had two sets of Logitech speakers and a splitter because he was a producer and I DJ. So we invited all our friends to our room for our own listening party. Kendrick was an up and comer but when he gave us The Heart Pt 3 the day before the album dropped, I knew this was something I shouldn't miss. I knew Kendrick was dope; what I didn't know is he was special. Let's get into it.

This project was received very well and made comparisons to Nas' Illmatic which I could argue is the Greatest Hip-Hop album of all time. It was done with little promotion to the few singles they had. Impressive. When I first heard this young man from Compton (Section.80)  I had no idea what caliber artist he would eventually become. Before this album I thought he was a smart, very concious spitter signed to Aftermath and TDE. This was a winning combination because he wouldn't get too much label pressure and would essentially be able to make the album he wanted to make. That didn't jeopardize the art and that is what hip-hop is about. Each song was placed intricately with skits both serious and funny to accompany the music. No matter how much time passes I'll always remember the narrative. A young boy finding his path in life balancing relationships with family, friends, women and struggling in his pursuit of manhood in the Mad City that is Los Angeles. His mom want the van back, his dad wants Domino's, his homies looking for trouble, and Sherane might just be too. I swear you have to listen to every song in order to really get the album. The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees featuring Jay Rock, Backseat Freestyle, and Maad City featuring MC Eiht stood out the most to me. Each song telling a crazy tale about a day in the life of Kendrick Lamar. Music is supposed to make you feel but sometimes I felt like I was passenger in the seat next to him. This could have easily been the soundtrack to any John Singleton movie. Some days I feel like it could have been the soundtrack to mine (or Tre from Boyz in the Hood). Read the original review in it's entirety here.

Sidebar: I didn't really start liking my ex until she rapped Backseat Freestyle start to finish in my ear. I thought that was the sexiest thing someone has ever done to me.

Kendrick Lamar Preview - @Best_ofda_Worst

"Lord God, I come to you a sinner and I humbly repent for my sins……"

Kendrick Lamar by "Rolling Stone"

These were the first words spoken on Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid MAAD City. With favorites such as Money Trees and MAAD City people claimed that it is with this album that has invigorated hip-hop with comparisons to great works such as Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation. Classic after classic song, all being tied together through skits in between, the album felt like more of an audiobook rather than visual story, where the listener was in attendance in that van with Kendrick and the homies. It can be said that no one expected such a great work from Kendrick at first. Regardless it was greatly loved by fans, critics, and general hip-hop heads alike. Believe it or not that was a little more than two years ago.  Present day we have not heard much from Kendrick other a few singles and a features. What has been released has caused some waves with his message of self love on I, his intoxicating feature on Flying Lotus’ Never Catch Me and of course his inflammatory verse, that shook up the whole genre of rap on Big Sean’s Control. Fans and listeners have been waiting for Kendrick’s next album with little patience and high anxiety. The question is, what can be expected?

Previously with GKMC, His EP, mixtapes and singles, they kind of alluded to the fact that Kendrick would be telling the story of his life and then we heard it on his album. With this new album we haven’t heard much from Kendrick lyrically, but from going from his interviews he has told us that this album will be more “raw” than what it has ever been before. Rumors has it that it has some elements of section .80 and Good Kid MAAD City, as well as beats produce by Dr. Dre and Pharell this album could potentially outstanding production wise.  As far as songs go you definitely will hear “I” but I fell like the single will sound better on the album than it does as a single as did Swimming Pools. Both are commercial records but Swimming Pools had a new feel to it once it was heard on the album compared to as a standalone track. Within the album it was part of the story and included a part two that wasn't heard on the single. I also feel like there might some trippy tracks on the album as well such as his performance on the Colbert Report which you can peep below.

The Colbert Report
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With a song like that I can see how I could fit on the album. All in all this album will be greatly produced with lyrics to match of course there will be those who compare it to the first and say GKMC was better but I feel like this new album will be more focused on sending a message than just be a story on Kendrick.