BACKGROUND:
This is the first major album released by Kendrick Lamar. This album is a conceptual album that stands on the legs of lyrics and skits to narrate the story to the listener. The album is a young adolescent kid growing up in an area where gang violence, prostitution, and criminal activities is routine. Kendrick's compelling writing and story telling has made this one of the best albums to be released in Hip Hop. It sold 241,000 units in it's first week and now has reached over 1 million sales certifying it as a platinum album. It's considered a classic album
CRITICAL REVIEWS:
Pitchfork: "The miracle of this album is how it ties straightforward rap thrills" to its "weighty material" and narrative."
XXL: "One of the most cohesive bodies of work in recent rap memory" and wrote that each song is "both complexly arranged and sonically fitting, foregrounding Kendrick’s vivid lyricism and amazing control of cadence."
Allmusic: "Besides all the great ideas and life, this journey through the concrete jungle of Compton is worth taking because of the artistic richness, plus the attraction of a whip-smart rapper flying high during his rookie season. Any hesitation about the horror of it all is quickly wiped away by Kendrick's mix of true talk, open heart, open mind, and extended hand. Add it all up and subtract the hype, and this one is still potent enough to rise to the top of the pile."
LA Times: "Nearly a quarter-century after N.W.A's eye-opening "Straight Outta Compton," Lamar isn't re-sounding the alarm — he's looking closer, showing us in deeply considered detail how those conditions affect individuals and families over the long term."
THE ALBUM:
01 - Sherane A.K.A. Master Splinters Daughter:
Background: The story opens as a flash-forward. K.Dot has known Sherane for a number of months by this point. He met her at a party where they flirted and exchanged numbers. They kept in contact with each other over the summer and got to know each other pretty well. He also talks about her family’s history of gang-banging that made him wary but didn’t stop him from hooking up with her. At the end of this song K.Dot is driving to Sherane’s house in his Mother’s van, he has sex on the brain. But when he turns up Sherane is outside waiting with two dudes in black hoodies (possibly her two younger brothers, or her cousins.
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-she ... ter-lyrics
02 - Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe:
Background: The content of this song doesn’t advance the narrative of the album. It is told from the perspective of present-day Kendrick Lamar, who isn’t happy with the state of rap music, and strives to be different by maintaining his vision. He also discusses his career so far and how it has changed his life, for better or worse. It introduces him as the narrator of this album, which mostly contains tales of past events.
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-bit ... ibe-lyrics
03 - Backseat Freestyle:
Background: “Backseat Freestyle is being in the mind state of being 16 years old, and not having no cares in the world. Not giving a damn about nothing, but life and money and what you see in front of you. It’s not me talking now, it’s me talking then.”- Kendrick Lamar
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-bac ... yle-lyrics
04 - The Art of Peer Pressure:
Background: The song where the albums narrative truly begins to set itself in motion, Kendrick takes you through a vivid story of how he learned ‘Peer Pressure’ the hard way.
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-the ... ure-lyrics
05 - Money Trees feat. Jay Rock:
Background: K.Dot recaps the story so far. He talks about robbing the house, “Home invasion was persuasive/From 9 to 5 I know its vacant.” He mentions fucking Sherane and bragging about it to his homies, “I fucked Sherane then went to tell my bros.” He references Backseat Freestyle when he talks about rhyming to beats, “Park the car then we started rhyming, ya bish/The only thing we had to free our mind.” And he talks about jumping dudes who looked like they had more money than them, “Then freeze that verse when we see dollar signs/You looking like an easy come up ya bish/A silver spoon I know you come from ya bish." The line in the chorus “Everybody gon' respect the shooter/But the one in front of the gun lives forever.” is deeply important, not just as a life motto, but in regards to the events that later take place in this story regarding Dave and his brother. It’s also a reference to Kendrick’s Uncle Tony, who was shot and killed at Louie’s Burgers; this event is a snap back to reality from the “dreams of living life like rappers do.”
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-money-trees-lyrics
06 - Poetic Justice feat. Drake:
Background: K.Dot has been dropped off back at home by his homies and is about to go see Sherane. He’s probably driving on the way there in his Mother’s van. He talks about her and their relationship so far — it appears they may have had some arguments, he talks about her meeting up with her girlfriends to curse him, and going out partying rather than talking with him.
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-poe ... ice-lyrics
07 - Good Kid:
Background:
This song sets off the theme of the second half of the album — which plays of the motif of realization
K.Dot talks about getting jumped, “for the record I recognize that I’m easy prey/I got ate alive yesterday.”
He discusses the negative effects of gang-culture and being unable to escape the question of gang-affiliation: “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.” Red or Blue obviously refers to the LA gangs of Bloods and Crips.
The red and the blue in the second verse changes into police sirens. K.Dot talks about getting no sympathy from the cops because they stereotype him as a gang-banger, making him lift up his shirt in order to look for a gang affiliated tattoo (“I heard them chatter: "He’s probably young but I know that he’s down/Step on his neck as hard as your bullet proof vest.”)
K.Dot is trapped in a violent culture and can’t get a reprieve from the gangs or the police.
This leads into the following song, “m.A.A.d city.”
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-good-kid-lyrics
08 - m.A.A.d city:
Background: The two meanings of “m.A.A.d.”:
my Angel on Angel’s dust
my Angry Adolescence divided
More self-awareness and realization of the corrupt city that Kendrick lives in.
Kendrick’s recent beat-down brings back early memories of similar situations, witnessing someone with their brains blown out at a burger stand back when he was 9 (Probably talking about his Uncle Tony, or someone in a similar situation), he thinks he knows the person who did it but he censors his name. He also talks about how his cousin was killed back in 94.
He talks about his Father telling him to get a job but he got fired after his friends pressured him in to staging a robbery. He gives his reason for why he doesn’t smoke when he tells a story of smoking marijuana laced with cocaine and “foaming at the mouth.”
In the final verse he tries to let the good shine through and offer respite for the youth and how they don’t have to succumb to the temptations and pressures of the street. He hopes that his experience and intelligence can do good for the youth living in similar situations. “Compton, USA made me an angel on angel dust.”
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-maad-city-lyrics
09 - Swimming Pools (Drank):
Background: Successfully walking the fine line between maintaining his artistry and appealing to the masses, the good kid details his relationship with Ms. Liquor and peer pressure.
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-swi ... ank-lyrics
10 - Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst:
Background: In “Sing About Me” Kendrick takes on the perspective of two people he knows — one positive(verse 1) and one negative(verse 2). Then, he offers his own perspective(verse 3): he tells stories not to offend or please anyone else, but to be realistic; and he hopes that his story will continue to be told, too. Storytelling can bring an eternity to stories that counteracts the ephemeral nature of life.
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-sin ... rst-lyrics
11 - Real:
Background: This is Kendrick disregarding the street life and turning his back on gang-banging, drugs, alcohol, violence etc. The different meanings of being “real”. Are you real because you represent your hood and shoot people? Are you real because you try to escape that life and make something of yourself?
Verse 1 – about certain girls (but could be Sherane). She loves handbags, French Tip, bank slips. But what love got to do with it when you don't love yourself?
Verse 2 – about certain homies (but could be Dave's brother). He loves fast cars, fast women, beef, streets, ducking police, hood-life. But what love got to do with it when you don't love yourself?
Verse 3 – about Kendrick. He explains the previous two verses - “I love first verse cos your the girl I attract.” and “I love second verse cos your the homie that packed burner.” “I love what the both of you have to offer.”
He wonders if he should hate her for what happened or should he hate his homies for convincing him to seek revenge. Or should he hate the fact that none of that shit makes him real.
The ending skits is a voice-mail from his Father. He tells Kendrick not to make the same mistakes he did, and that none of this stuff makes him real and that he should get out and make something of himself. His Mother tells him that Top Dawg called and wants him in the studio – she tells him to take his music career seriously – that it is his chance to get out and tell his story to the kids of Compton so that they have hope. This is technically the end of the story in a narrative sense - the tape is ejected and then rewound.
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-real-lyrics
12 - Compton feat. Dr Dre:
Background: This song is about Kendrick reaching the pinnacle of the rap game, hence the Dr. Dre feature. This is just straight rap with lots of witty metaphors and amazing wordplay. In the skit at the end of the song Kendrick tells his mother he will take the van for 15 minutes. In the skit at end of Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter you can hear Kendrick’s mother saying he said he was going to be back in 15 minutes. So this is right before the first skit. If you put this skit in the beginning right before the first song it works perfectly in a cyclical manner. Brilliant way to close out a brilliant album.
Lyrics: http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-compton-lyrics
ENJOY THE ALBUM
