Review Summary: You can have all my shine, I'll give you the light
Concept albums, especially in hip-hop, are always a risky move, especially considering the cheesy rags-to-riches type tales that so often crop up in more lyrically progressive albums like
good kid, m.A.A.d city. Luckily, Kendrick has the lyrical chops to pull something of this size off, and does it gloriously well for the most part.
With his earlier material aping Lil Wayne, it was only on Lamar's debut
Section.80 that he came into his own with Kanye-like growls, nasally yelps and rich, free-flowing torrents of aggression all sliding neatly into his brisk, reckless spitting. On the (semi) title track 'm.A.A.d city' his stream of consciousness seems to cover all grounds, the ominous beat skittering behind the vicious word flow and furious delivery. It's an exploration into Kendrick's paranoid mind, talking of gang shootings and turf wars like they're everyday occurrences, which of course, for nine year old Duckworth, they were. Placed neatly in the middle of the album, the song bridges the gap between the much calmer 'good kid' (starring pop titan Pharrell in an unusually eerie vocal turn) and the epic 'Swimming Pools', the most shocking revelation on an album built on changing conventions.
With introspective lyricism focusing primarily on alcohol addiction and other taboo's in the hip hop community (Kendrick's recent single has enhanced this approach to its extremities), this album is exactly what Kendrick needed to put out after the tantalising hints of concept on
Section.80 (dealing with prostitution and drug-pushing in the most tasteful way possible). But he never forgets where he lies in the hip/hop community, and certainly proves he's far from being alienated J. Cole or Logic style thanks to his more traditional approach on 'Compton'. This song encompasses the funky production style that Dr. Dre has been known for for over 20 years into a truly huge climax, closing Kendrick's story with an acceptance of the place he's been criticising for so long.
There's no denying that Kendrick has taken full advantage of the treacherous city to further his artistic endeavours. 'Backseat Freestyle' is a booming single, jam packed with cocky one liners and dick jokes, fitting in with the theme of youth and the feeling of being untouchable perfectly. Later, 'Money Trees' sees him lamenting the very lifestyle he brags of in this song, and after engaging in a gunfight towards the end of the story, the decision to forsake this dangerous world is made. The very lengthy 'Sing About Me' might be a little corny, but only as much as the skits and layered hooks have been thus far. This latter point is most noticeable on 'Real', which is more than slightly hard to listen to because despite being such an ear worm the whole thing comes off as cliche, almost bonus track material. Indeed, cutting out this as well as 'Sing About Me' may have made for a perfect ten track album, each flaunting an entirely different lyrical and musical theme but all tying together by the explosive crescendo to prove Kendrick is one of hip-hops most forward thinking new upstarts.
