Good Wednesday morning, dear friend. Today, we have another request from @Rxnin The song that was requested m.A.A.d. city (feat. MC Eiht) by Kendrick Lamar. Enjoy the song as well as the read. Compared to the critically acclaimed Good Kid m.A.A.d city, the response to Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is far more polarizing. It is unapologetically honest - a hard and deeply personal look at where one of hip hop's most prolific artists stands in the current era and political climate. There is palpable tension between what Lamar thinks, who he is viewed as, and what he believes. The album is filled with fantastic production, a mix of shaky and potent lyrics, and expansive ambition. Not every track sticks its landing. However, it can be argued that is what makes the album so compelling. It's imperfect and flawed, like our album's protagonist. Kendrick Lamar derives much of his power from his flaws. Though I good go on and on about Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, today we decided to look back at the Compton artist's debut album. Why? good kid m.A.A.d city was the first full introduction many people had to Kendrick. Many of the narrative themes and personal battles presented here planted the seeds we have for the Kendrick we have today. Kendrick Lamar's debut album, good kid m.A.A.d city, introduced the world to a new breed of emcees who spearheaded the "new West" which promised a G-funk bounce with a prominent splash of consciousness not normally heard from past notable predecessors like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and others who had put California on the proverbial map in the late '80s and early '90s. Hailed as a freshman calling card as notable as the Beastie Boys License to Ill, Led Zeppelin's self-titled release, Biggie's Ready to Die, the Sex Pistols' Nevermind the Bollocks, and the Ramones' self-titled project from 1976, good kid m.A.A.d city is equally as impressive for the narrative throughline as it is for its sonic composition - and was recognized as an instant classic, although it only enjoyed its fourth anniversary this week. While it would be easy to just sit back and enjoy Lamar's oration over production by the likes of Scoop Deville, DJ Dahi, and others, a closer analysis of the lyrics and accompanying skits reveal a narrative and story behind the album which holds up when viewed through a lens reliant solely on plot. Thus, names like K.Dot, Sherane, O-Boog, L Boogs, Yan Yan, and YG Lucky serve as characters with depth and motivations that rival cinematic and literary figures steeped into tradition and reinforces why it was billed as a "short film by Kendrick Lamar" on the album cover. good kid m.A.A.d city is a coming-of-age story of "K.Dot" - a youthful teen in Compton battling maturation and gang violence - as he transitions into "Kendrick Lamar," the iteration of the emcee who has come to embody the uplifting voice we know today. Although the story isn’t completely chronological - and a few "Kendrick" tracks appear that interrupt the aforementioned narrative - there is a definitive cohesiveness to the entire project which Lamar echoed in the press following the October 2012 release. “This is a dark movie album," Lamar said in 2012. "I wanted to tap into that space where I was in my teenage years. Everybody knows Kendrick Lamar, but he had to come from a certain place, a certain time, and certain experiences. I’ve been planning this for years. Everything was premeditated. I already knew what I wanted to talk about, what I wanted to convey. I had that album cover for years. I knew I was going to use it and that it was the best description of what I was talking about in the album. It’s a long time coming. Everything we dwelled on is coming to light." As mentioned, good kid m.A.A.d city isn't packaged in a tidy bow. Lamar has always been forthcoming that it needs to be listened to multiple times to begin to see how all the coded pieces connect and can then be interpreted. “There are twists and paybacks," Lamar said. "The story is about one day in the life of me and my homeboys. I didn’t want to make it song-by-song. For each piece, I want to trigger certain points where you make a connection. It almost like a Pulp Fiction feel — you have to listen to it more times to live with it and breathe with it.” good kid m.A.A.d city has been analyzed so much that it has even warranted a collegiate course that draws parallels between it and literary works from James Joyce, James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks. Personally, here's how I see it existing in a narrative structure where a good kid gets caught up in the pitfalls of a mad city. (Source comes from What is the meaning behind good kid m.A.A.d city? Have a blessed day, take care and GOD bless.
... View more