Kendrick Lamar - Good.Kid.Maad.City

In Kendrick Lamar's debut album he lived up to the hype with this instant classic hip hop album. Being a music junkie and a fan of hip hop and good conscious rap, Good.Kid.Maad.City really spoiled me. In it's first week sales, K.Dot climbed to the top of the charts at #2 selling 246,000 units behind Taylor Swift who had 1.3 million units sold. In a time in hip hop where going  platinum is a long shot, 246,000 units is a great accomplishment, especially for a new artist.

GKMC (Good.Kid.Maad.City) is probably the most complete, content and substance filled albums I heard in a VERY long time. I'm talking old Nas (stillmatic, illmatic), old Jay-Z and back when hip hop really told a story and expressed a strong message. 

The last time I bought a cd was J Cole's debut album, which was great as well and before that it must have been since the early 2000's when I bought my last cd. Kendrick went over everyone's heads with this EP. From the beginning of the album, to the intro to the skits that followed at the end of each song, the correlation between the tracks and the smooth flowing story behind it was a breath a fresh air for a fan of hip hop like me. Hip hop has been watered down, lost it's substance and art form. Every song sounds alike. Every song talks about money, drugs, and women. It's more flashy these days.

Kendrick Lamar brought hip hop back to it's roots, back to the art of story telling. You can see the message slowly being conveyed throughout the album; a good kid in the rough neighborhood of Compton who encountered violence, death, and peer pressure from his surroundings. As the story continues and he explains his life growing up, and the things he witnessed which caused him and his friends to change their ways.

I don't want to give away too much of the album, but if your a fan of music period, you should listen to it. Each track relates to so many different situations and people. It truly is a classic. Good.Kid.Maad.City.