good kid, m.A.A.d city

I didn't really vibe with To Pimp A Butterfly as much as most hip hop heads seem to, so this probably won't be my jam. That said, it is interesting to see how Kendrick polarizes the site's user base like few others do. Many seem to either love him or hate him, yet I felt neither about TPAB. And I don't feel either about this, but simply see a passable rap album. Sometimes it has great storytelling, sometimes it leans into gangster cliches, sometimes it's interesting, sometimes it's boring. I just don't click with Kendrick like many people do, but I don't think it's bad music like many others do. His music, on both this and TPAB, just falls into that space of utter mediocrity for some reason. He's a good lyricist with occasionally good sample choices, but his music just doesn't inspire any feeling in me. I want to like him, but I just can't get into his stuff.

This album is the top ranked album of 2012 globally. Other 2012 albums rated by me:
Blunderbuss(2/5)-4
Django Django(4/5)-3

Pasados los 2000 no escuché mucho rap ni hip-hop, conforme se convirtieron en estrellas mediáticas deje de interesarme por su música. Confundo a todos: Kendrick, Kanye, Jazzy, ... no me gusta cuando cantan con voz de pito como Eminen o como los Insane Clown Pose (pero al menos ellos eran honrados y vestían de payasos). Escuchando esta lista he recuperado algo de la música que me perdí. Hay grandes cosas y otras que siguen pareciendo una broma. Al menos si hay algo evidente que es una evolución: las bases sonoras y rítmicas. Casi siempre son más ricas, con profundidad, no cuatro samples en loop y una caja de ritmos.

“To Pimp A Butterfly", is an instant classic so the previous album "good kid, m.A.A.d city" has a lot to live up to warrant being on this list . “Good kid” is a tighter, leaner piece that is looking inward focused and social commentary.

While not as musically deep as the sequel this still needs to be on this list

This is a great album and I know it's a bit sacrilegious but I would rank this as one of my lesser favs from Kendrick. For context, I was absolutely PUMPED when this album came out and bought it on CD at Amoeba Records the day it dropped. I liked it, but for whatever reason I continued listening to Section.80. I probably had a hard time adjusting to the big changes in the production style -- the two big singles are probably my least favorite tracks on the album. But overall there's so much heat on this album you gotta respect it.

Eh… killed my vibe…

The sheer cinematic quality of this project completely blew me away, it feels way more like a short film than just a collection of rap tracks. The storytelling is on another level, and the way he uses those voicemail skits from his parents really pulls the whole narrative together. The production is super dynamic too; it flips perfectly between the chilled out vibe of "Money Trees" and the aggressive, high stakes energy of the title track.

I know the heavy subject matter can be a lot, but his honesty about growing up in Compton and dealing with gang violence and the pressure to survive is incredibly powerful. It’s a dense, challenging listen that gets better every time you peel back the layers. Easily one of the best debut albums I’ve ever heard.

Kendrick truly is one of the greatest to ever do it.

good album but i don't need this relgious stuff on the album

i dont even know tbh, i was sick when listening yo this, overall okay but i thought it was going to be more fun and experimental considering how people glaze kendrick

The most carefully constructed hip-hop record encountered in this project, and the one that addresses the recurring friction points most directly. The voicemails, skits, and interludes that derailed OutKast and others earn their place here — they’re serving a narrative rather than interrupting one. good kid, m.A.A.d city is a coming-of-age story set in Compton, told with cinematic precision and emotional honesty that gives the album a coherence most rap records never attempt.

Kendrick’s delivery is the other distinction. Where Common’s flow faded into the background and became texture rather than presence, Kendrick commands attention throughout — varied, emotionally present, and shifting registers in ways that match the story’s emotional arc. “Money Trees” in particular shows a storytelling gift that operates at a different level from almost anything else in the genre, and “Swimming Pools (Drank)” demonstrates how to make something genuinely complex work as pure pop simultaneously.

The Compton geography connects this directly to NWA — same streets, completely different artistic approach. Where Straight Outta Compton documented with rage, this excavates with empathy, which is the harder and ultimately more lasting achievement.

A five for a lot of people, and the craft absolutely justifies that reaction. For this particular listener, very good stops just short of irreplaceable — which is an honest four rather than a manufactured five.

Buen album, yo creo un album que la mayoría de la gente ya habia escuchado en la vida, sin mucho que decir, un album buenisimo

Yeah, i don't think good kid, m.A.A.d city was that great of an album. In my eyes, there are two major things that drag this album down a lot. First, the lyrics, for the most part they are very immature and rely on the same old rap stereotypes that you commonly see among rappers like this. Another issue is the identity crises these songs have. There are so many times where the songs, at odd points no less, will randomly change to a completely different song yet still be part of the same track which makes me ask "Why don't you just make them different songs at this point?". The only reason that this album does not get a 1 is the fact that if you ignore the odd song changes, there are points where the production is very good. That is about the only good thing i can say about this album though as i still find it rather hard to recommend.
Best Song: Real
Worst Song: Backseat Freestyle
Side note: It is pretty funny seeing Kendrick Lamar collab with Drake on this album considering the relationship those two have now

BETTER THAN TPAB not really but sometimes

Класика!

Great album. I love the understated paranoid beats. Somewhat let down by guests they should give another verse to Kendrick rather than lesser rappers like Drake and Jay Z.

Did somebody say "Domino's"?

One of the greatest hip hop albums of the last 2 decades for sure. Fascinating lyrically, flows nice and a lot of memorable moments. 4.5 on RYm, probably 5 stars here

5
Incredible. Been a long time since I listened the whole way through and forgot how it all connects so well with the story throughout

Once again, I HATE HIP HOP. I gotta admit this has a few elements that I like; it sounds more interesting than older hip hop. I know that some of these songs were massive hits and trends, and maybe that influences me a bit. This album is good, though. I think it's the first time I've said this about an album pertaining to this genre. It's not as monotonous. I can distinguish between songs. There isn't much more I can say. I don't love it; I don't hate it. It's fine for what it is.

Modern day masterpiece