Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid m.A.A.d city” is Good.. But Not Classic @ WeSerious.com
Don’t get me wrong. Kendrick Lamar is definitely a good rapper. His new album, “good kid m.A.A.d city”, slated for an October 22nd release, is undeniably well produced and sequenced better than anything released in recent memory (Dr. Dre, anyone). I’d go as far as saying that it’s GREAT as a conceptual album. But make no mistake, the album is NOT a classic and Kendrick Lamar is NOT the savior of the west coast. As a matter of fact, I’d say that’s the main problem with “good kid m.A.A.d city”… the album has no regional sound whatsoever. If I had to guess without knowing, I’d say it came from Atlanta, possibly even the midwest. But it doesn’t have a distinct regional sound, and when it comes down to it, all the classic albums of the past have had a regional sound to them. Think about it… If Kendrick put the same album out claiming any other city, no one would know the difference. A rapper cannot “bring back the west” when their sound does not identify with the region. It’s impossible. Not that Kendrick isn’t a good rapper, because like I said, he is. Is he the greatest rapper? Technically, he’s everything you could ask for in an emcee. He’s got the lyrics, the flow, the concepts. What holds him back from being amongst the elite, though, is his current lack of identity. The charisma is not there, as Kendrick raps his verses in a similar monotone manner, track after track. The flow is definitely there. Ask Andre 3000, he’ll tell ya (though Andre did it better). Lyrically, as well. I gotta’ tip my hat to Kendrick as far as the lyricism goes. But if I could explain the overall sound of this album in three words, I’d say “Outkast meets Drake”. Which brings me to my next problem with Kendrick. The voice he uses and the often whiney cadence he raps with is reminiscent of the signature Young Money style. The flow and lyrics are lightyears ahead of any Young Money artist, but the hipster image is still there. Lets not pretend like it isn’t, because it’s borderline hipster rap. The technical aspects of his rapping skills are all on point, and I thought the album was solid. Some stand-out tracks include “Good Kid”, “m.A.A.d City” (nice to see MC Eiht on the album), “Money Trees”, “The Art of Peer Pressure”, to name a few. But sorry to those hailing it as a masterpiece and claiming the album “the return of the west coast”…because you’re wrong, to put it politely. FINAL RATING: 7.5/10
Don’t get me wrong. Kendrick Lamar is definitely a good rapper. His new album, “good kid m.A.A.d city”, slated for an October 22nd release, is undeniably well produced and sequenced better than anything released in recent memory (Dr. Dre, anyone). I’d go as far as saying that it’s GREAT as a conceptual album. But make no mistake, the album is NOT a classic and Kendrick Lamar is NOT the savior of the west coast. As a matter of fact, I’d say that’s the main problem with “good kid m.A.A.d city”… the album has no regional sound whatsoever. If I had to guess without knowing, I’d say it came from Atlanta, possibly even the midwest. But it doesn’t have a distinct regional sound, and when it comes down to it, all the classic albums of the past have had a regional sound to them. Think about it… If Kendrick put the same album out claiming any other city, no one would know the difference. A rapper cannot “bring back the west” when their sound does not identify with the region. It’s impossible. Not that Kendrick isn’t a good rapper, because like I said, he is. Is he the greatest rapper? Technically, he’s everything you could ask for in an emcee. He’s got the lyrics, the flow, the concepts. What holds him back from being amongst the elite, though, is his current lack of identity. The charisma is not there, as Kendrick raps his verses in a similar monotone manner, track after track. The flow is definitely there. Ask Andre 3000, he’ll tell ya (though Andre did it better). Lyrically, as well. I gotta’ tip my hat to Kendrick as far as the lyricism goes. But if I could explain the overall sound of this album in three words, I’d say “Outkast meets Drake”. Which brings me to my next problem with Kendrick. The voice he uses and the often whiney cadence he raps with is reminiscent of the signature Young Money style. The flow and lyrics are lightyears ahead of any Young Money artist, but the hipster image is still there. Lets not pretend like it isn’t, because it’s borderline hipster rap. The technical aspects of his rapping skills are all on point, and I thought the album was solid. Some stand-out tracks include “Good Kid”, “m.A.A.d City” (nice to see MC Eiht on the album), “Money Trees”, “The Art of Peer Pressure”, to name a few. But sorry to those hailing it as a masterpiece and claiming the album “the return of the west coast”…because you’re wrong, to put it politely. FINAL RATING: 7.5/10
