Album review: Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City

Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City is a concept album, detailing Lamar’s memories and thoughts as a young adult living in Compton over the course of the listen. All tracks are interspersed with recordings of phone messages from his mother and father, adding an interesting theatrical element to the listening experience as well. The anecdotal intro track “Sherane A.K.A. Master Splinters’ Daughter” sees Lamar rap over an eerie, downtempo beat, telling a story of meeting a girl at a party one evening in his youth. The mood quickly shifts with the arrival of the laid-back second track, “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” with Lamar waxing poetic on his career in the present day, and the current state of rap music (I’m trying to keep it alive and not compromise the feeling we love/You’re trying to keep it deprived and only cosign what radio does).

“Backseat Freestyle” is a song that Lamar has described as being the mindset of a 16-year-old, without a care in the world and a fascination with money and power. With its thumping beat and clever lyrical hook, the song succeeds in bringing just that to the listener. “The Art of Peer Pressure” follows next, changing the mood once again to deliver an emotional, profound internal monologue in which we learn of Lamar learning about peer pressure the hard way as a young man. With its menacing beat and incredibly vivid lyrics, this one is undoubtedly an album highlight.

“Money Trees” is another laid-back jam noted for its cool sample of “Silver Soul” by Beach House. It also features an appearance by Lamar’s fellow labelmate Jay Rock, who lays down an excellent verse to close out the song. “Poetic Justice” features Canadian rap sensation Drake, joining in with Lamar on a song centred around the subject of the girl from the party mentioned on track one.

With “Good Kid”, the album takes a turn for the serious, with the remaining tracks focusing on Lamar’s thoughts and involvement in gang violence and street culture within Compton. The track offers up a sobering look at the impact of gangs on Lamar’s everyday life (“But what am I supposed to do/When the topic is red or blue/And you understand that I ain’t/But know I’m accustomed to”). It’s a perfect way to segue into the album’s climax, “M.A.A.D. City” – a blistering track that sees Lamar speak on the corruption of Compton and the numerous experiences that made him see this. Talking about living in one of the most dangerous cities in the world, the deaths of his uncle and cousin, and bad experiences with drugs all help in painting a picture of Lamar’s rough youth in California.

Ethereal instrumental work and a catchy hook make “Swimming Pools” another album highlight, with Lamar speaking on his relationship with alcohol, peer pressure, and its destructive tendencies. The ambitious “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” is up next, clocking in at 12 minutes in length and showcasing Lamar’s incredible rap skill in full force. The verses in this song are perhaps the most lyrically dense on the album, telling a story in a way that only he can. The album wraps up with “Real”, a song of self-realization and love for oneself, and “Compton”, a stomping tune featuring the godfather of gangster rap Dr. Dre. It is, without question, a fitting closer to the album.

An excellent major label debut, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City proves that Kendrick Lamar is much more than your average rapper. He is a storyteller, expertly weaving dense narrative and intelligent lyrics together with ease to create a beautiful finished product. If this young man is who the experts are calling the future of hip-hop, then the future certainly looks bright.