Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (stylized as good kid, m.A.A.d city) is the second studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar.
The album is Lamar's major label debut, after his independently released first album Section.80 in 2011 and his signing to Aftermath and Interscope the following year.
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was recorded mostly at several studios in California, with producers such as Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, Pharrell Williams, Hit-Boy, Scoop DeVille, Jack Splash, and T-Minus, among others, contributing to the album.
Billed as a "short film by Kendrick Lamar" on the album cover, the concept album follows the story of Lamar's teenage experiences in the drug-infested streets and gang lifestyle of his native Compton.
The album received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its thematic scope and Lamar's lyrics. It earned Lamar four Grammy Award nominations at the 2014 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 242,000 copies in its first week – earning the highest first-week hip hop album sales of 2012 from a male artist, along with the best-selling debut from a male artist of the year.
The album was also named to many end-of-the-year lists, often topping them. It was later certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in June 2018. By April 2018, the album had sold 1.7 million copies domestically.
Shyne may have been harsh with the, "his album is traaaaash!" comments, but I do think he had a point. The production on enough of this doesn't warrant the praise it has received which was Shyne's argument. Since I heard 'Section.80', K Dot's style hasn't grabbed me. The kid can rap, but his 'alien' style at times doesn't leave me thrilled. Furthermore, I've said it before but I'll say it again, skits slow albums down, particularly if they are attached to the start or the end of songs like they are during this album.
The first two songs are okay without blowing me away, the beat of 'Backseat Freestyle' ain't my thing, and Kendrick gets annoying toward the end vocally. 'The Art of Peer Pressure' features some good storytelling, but the beat isn't great. 'Money Trees' is another improvement, but I'm over it by the six-minute mark and why oh why does Drake have to be on everything?
I finally start to get into this album though from there. 'good kid' to 'Sing About Me. I'm Dying of Thirst' is easily the best portion of the album. The content of 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' is also something rarely heard in hip hop with most rappers promoting the drinking culture. The album then finishes with two songs that I haven't felt the need to listen to again. Overall, Kendrick is a great rapper, but his style doesn't always grab me, and the production on a good half of this album could be A LOT better. 3-3.5 / 5
Beats: ★★★
Rapping/Bars: ★★★★
Hooks: ★★★☆
[b]Best Tracks:[/b] good kid, m.A.A.d city, Swimming Pools (Drank), Sing About Me. I'm Dying of Thirst
Absolute masterpiece of an album! Thoughtful, clever, awesome beats, so few missteps.
I remember the first time I realized that "this is my favorite rap album" was in "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst," when he just kept repeating "I'll never fade away, I'll never fade away." I just got it.
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