Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City [LP] [Bonus Tracks] (Vinyl/LP)

Good product

review from from Sam Jackson @ hilltopviewsonline.comThe young rapper's major label debut "good kid, m.A.A.d city" starts out with a group of men reciting a prayer asking the Lord to come into their hearts. Usually in this business it takes a drug/alcohol induced flameout to get artists on a spiritual kick, but Lamar seems to have skipped some levels.Not that his ascent has not been quick either. After putting out his first mixtape at 16, he started rising in the hip-hop world, both by himself and as part of the four-man super group Black Hippy, who have two remixes on deluxe editions of "good kid, m.A.A.d city." His first album, the critically acclaimed "Section.80," caught the attention of legendary producer Dr. Dre, who executive produced this album.So why does someone who has become so successful at 23 need aid from above?Judging from the lyrical themes of "good kid," Lamar's trying to exorcise the ghosts of his past, mostly eschewing typical hip-hop braggadocio for deeper lyrics about things like girl trouble, the death of close friends, and his Compton upbringing.The whole album is cloaked in beats from a variety of producers, ranging from big names such as Just Blaze, Pharrell and Hit-Boy, to past affiliates from "Section.80," with sounds ranging from seductive synths and drums ("Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter," "Swimming Pools (Drank)"), and old school West Coast bombast ("Backseat Freestyle," the "California Love" rip-off "Compton"). The songs often end with little skits, snippets of dialogue that range from "Friday"-esque hilarity to disturbing violence.Lamar seems to prefer rapping on his own most of the time, which is fine since this is his story and he tells it with incredibly deep, meditative lyrics and an expert flow, but he does make room for others to drop verses as well, bringing in Drake, Dr. Dre, and his Black Hippy comrade Jay Rock, along with a few others.All in all, it is a brilliant album that soars above the standard for rap. Kendrick Lamar was running from his past on this album and not only did he manage to leave it behind, he has left his competition in the dust as well

First off, Kendrick Lamar is a phenomenal storyteller and this album is more like an autobiography than a simple body of music. If you listen to every track in order a few times first you will begin to get a feel for the story and how each of the tracks link together, but the joy of it is that even after listening to it for many weeks, I am still hearing new bits I missed the first time round and am understanding more and more about the music as time goes on. My only warning would be that this album is as I've described above; it is quite hard work. The singles Swimming Pools and Compton are great 'stand-alone' tracks but the vast majority of the other songs can only be fully appreciated in context of the rest of the album. You do need to listen to the record 'properly' and give it time in order to get the most enjoyment out of it, and for that reason it's probably not for everyone. But if you are patient with this CD you will not regret the time you invest, I've no doubt this will be regarded a modern classic in years to come.

Well what can I say, If I could give 6 stars, I would. The whole album is a masterpiece and the best thing I've heard in 2012, without a doubt. It's set out to be an ALBUM, not just a bunch of tracks on a disc. Kendrick tells a story all the way through, hence the album is appropriately named, 'a short film by Kendrick Lamar'. It's genius, it's almost like a movie experience on an album. There's some skits at the beginning and end of songs as a tactic to get you into the right mood for the following track, and to lay out the topic/issue that Kendrick wants to talk about.I can safely say, from amazing heart felt tracks like 'the art of peer pressure', to the incredible Hit-Boy produced track (N****s in Paris, Goldie), 'Backseat Freestyle', Kendrick kills every track, as you would expect from such a talented lyricist.Best album of 2012, easily.

Don't get me wrong, this, by the standards of mainstream hip-hop in 2012, is a really good album. Maybe even a great album. So why only 4 stars? Largely because it just doesn't sound as good (to me at least) as Section 80 did after a similar number of listens; it isn't as varied in tone or as different from the majority of contemporary hip-hop releases and I think, ultimately, that was always going to be my problem with this album. This is an album that needs to sell in order to recoup its budget, which is why it sounds just that little bit more commercial than Kendrick's earlier stuff. The kids seem to love him though and he isn't compromising his undeniable talent too much...yet...

I didn't know much about Kendrick Lamar before purchasing this album, at first I felt like he sounded like a mix of Kanye and Lil Wayne, though, while listening to the album I soon noticed that he's got his own style...It's always a matter of taste, in my opinion, if you're expecting another "straight outta compton" rapper in the style of N.W.A. or Dre's old days you might get disappointed... though if you're expecting a great rapper of "compton's next generation" with great storytelling and rapping skills you will definitely not be disappointed!I think good kid, m.A.A.d. city is one of the greatest albums of 2012 and we can expect a lot more great albums by kendrick lamar!In conclusion: a must-have for every rap music fan!