Fighter: Kendrick Lamar
Trainer: Dr. Dre (Aftermath, Top Dawg Entertainment, Interscope)
Cut Men: Dawaun Parker, DJ Khalil, DJ Dahi, Hit-Boy, Jack Splash, Just Blaze, Like, Pharrell Williams, Rahki, Scoop DeVille, Skhye Hutch, Sounwave, T-Minus, Tabu, Terrace Martin, Tha Bizness & THC
Weight Class: Rising Star, Lyrical Heavyweight
Notable Fire: Money Trees (Feat. Jay Rock), Poetic Justice (Feat. Drake), Sing About Me-I’m Dying Of Thirst, Swimming Pools (Drank), Black Boy Fly, Real (Feat. Anna Wise), Compton (Feat. Dr. Dre)
Notable Trash: None
Tale of the Tape: Pressure bursts pipes, and of course, can also make diamonds. The high expectations that hip-hop fans had for Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d. city album was far more than any rapper should have to endure for their major label debut. The bubble started last summer when several rap legends from the west coast dubbed Kendrick the future of the game. This summer, the buzz kicked into high gear when he dropped the hit “Swimming Pools (Drank)”. Then by the time BET crowned him Lyricist of the Year at the Hip-Hop Awards (basically for his work on the stellar independent album Section.80), the anticipation was at a fever pitch— almost unfair levels even.
What would follow would be the release of one of the most complete works hip-hop has seen in a long time. As debuts on a major go, GKMC is on par with The College Dropout from a conceptual standpoint and Get Rich Or Die Trying from a impact standpoint.
The album is quite literally a collection of short, stories that when assembled informs listeners of Kendrick’s personal vices, insecurities, near self-destruction, and ultimately, his rebirth. K. Dot does this by specifically walking you through his world of weed smoke (unknowingly laced with coke), peer pressure, skirt chasing, breaking and entering, freestyle rap, gang warfare and Ramen Noodles, with Compton, California serving as the backdrop. However, GKMC goes far beyond the hood antics of his youth; it touches on how those Compton influences effected him (or anyone with a similar upbringing) on an emotional level. Pain, love, envy, deceit, death, greed, the need for acceptance and spiritual enlightenment are all on the table as Kendrick Lamar Duckworth bares his soul to the world.
The production on GKMC brought a bit of everything to your speakers. From tracks that will make your head nod like “Backseat Freestyle” and “Compton”, to songs that your girl is guaranteed to enjoy, like “Poetic Justice“. Kendrick uses one of the more impressive beats to show where his head was during his home invasion days on the song “Money Trees”. He uses this metaphor to highlight the double-edged sword of money and its never-ending chase. While “a dollar might, turn to a million, then we all rich”, one cannot ignore the horrific costs often involved with the pursuit of the all mighty dollar. Besides, “Money trees is the perfect place for shade”.
While Kendrick made it a point to feature some intense beats, such as on the “Good Kid” and “M.A.A.D. City” tracks in the middle of the album, where he really gets into the near-impossible task of escaping the hood, he also provides listeners with some softer percussion on “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” and “Real”. It’s an eclectic selection of beats to say the very least, but mostly all of them were hot, and more importantly, they served a purpose.
Specifically, “I’m Dying of Thirst” was the apex of the story and the album. Kendrick losses a friend in a shootout (retaliation for the L Kendrick took after Sherane set him up on the intro) and his slain friend’s brother breaks down in a emotional confession, as the gang lifestyle has eroded his entire existence. K. Dot then authors up a masterful flow over a beat that would typically be reserved for the Black Thought’s of the world.
In the end, Kendrick and his friend obtain the relief they desperately pursued via an older woman (voiced by Maya Angelou) in the community, who ushers them into a “new life” of spiritual enrichment, which then allows Kendrick to open his eyes to what is “Real” and what is not. His conclusion of the record contains the stellar and brutally honest “Black Boy Fly” where Kendrick explains his jealously of the rapper Game and Orlando Magic swingman Arron Affalo. These two men made it out of Compton, which led Kendrick to believe he was destined to not make it out. Consequently, he beats up himself as he beats up the track.
Fight Night: Second Round KO
If you read between the lines of negativity of the Kendrick Lamar story, you can find many of the positives that we must acknowledge, for they helped Kendrick get to where he is today.
Kendrick is from a two parent home. His parents called him constantly and showed an interest in his future. They also showed compassion after the death of his friend and frequently would drop jewels on him about life. His father told him about what it meant to be a real man, while his mom shows him love and indicated that he was in fact in need of spiritual healing. She also stressed the importance of giving back to his community and emphasized the importance of telling his own story, which is manifested in the song “Sing About Me”.
While his friends were responsible for much of his slip-ups, they genuinely loved him and would die for him. In that same song, Kendrick (while speaking from his friend’s perspective) says, “A demon glued to back/Whispering ‘get him’, I got him/And I ain’t give a fuck/That same mentality had told my brother not to duck.” The moral here: Discretion is the better part of valor, a hard lesson that many still haven’t learned. And the old lady who “quenches his thirst” via The Word of God, was showing an interest in her community, and it takes a village to raise any child.
Any rapper that is following good kid, m.A.A.d. city in the fourth quarter must really be rethinking their project. GKMC is on the short list for album of the year and has exceed everyone’s wildest expectations. Many hip-hop heads are left drawing comparisons between it and Nas’ legendary debut Illmatic that dropped nearly 20 years prior.
Of GKMC, my brother articulately stated, “It was ‘conscious rap’ without all the trappings. He had a message, but it wasn’t condescending. It’s artsy without being over people’s heads. It’s got some club bangers, without sounding ignorant. It was west coast without being off-putting to anybody else. It’s lyrical but not to the point it compromises the songs. The beats are hot, but they don’t overshadow the words or the story. He’s got it.”
Well said. And if this track (not on the album) was any indication, Kendrick Lamar definitely has a whole lot more of “it” in store.
HHSR cannot wait.