October 22nd marks the date that Kendrick Lamar revived Hip Hop.  Time will show that good kid, m.A.A.d city is a classic debut album.  From the vivid storytelling to the great instrumentals, Kendrick’s debut is everything that the fans asked for plus more. Kendrick’s album gives the listener a third person view of Kendrick Lamar’s childhood in Compton.  Teachers always tried to explain to me how certain books can make one feel as if they are a part of the story and Kendrick Lamar’s debut album does just that.  Even though it is not a book, it plays out like one.  His wordplay, grimy voice, and stories keep the listener intrigued throughout the album.  With songs like “Backseat Freestyle” to singles like “Swimming Pools (Drank)”, Kendrick delivers an interesting album with eclectic beats and flows.

Many great rap albums have dropped this past year (Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Macklemore etc.), but Kendrick’s album delivers from both a lyrical and production standpoint.  The music speaks for itself, but what truly sets Kendrick’s debut apart from the few past good projects we’ve received this year is the fact that it was well received. good kid, m.A.A.d city went on to sell 241,000 copies in its first week.  For a young Compton native who doesn’t have mainstream support, these numbers are crazy.  Yes, the music is amazing (I did go as far as calling the album a classic above), but Kendrick managed to get his fans to go to the stores (or to iTunes) and actually purchase the already leaked album.  Kendrick Lamar is a name that you will never forget.  Not only is he here to stay, but he is responsible for proving that good music sells in this convoluted music industry when the artist also truly has a good work ethic.  Other artists have sold well recently, but to be near 300k on first week sales is unheard of in this day and age as a non-mainstream hip hop artist.  Yeah Ye’ and Jay may be able to sell over 400k first week on a collaboration album, but they’ve been in the game for 10+ years.  Kendrick was able to build up his name as an underground artist in the local Cali area originally under the alias K. Dot and was able to then go on and sell shows out just a few years later on the other side of the United States in NYC.  I’ve witnessed Kendrick at the S.O.Bs, Terminal 5, and even the infamous Nikon Jones Beach over the past few years and Kendrick Lamar’s progression has been impressive.  It did not happen over night though.  Fellow blogger, Justin Liao showed me a video years ago entitled “Compton State of Mind” and I wasn’t sure what to think of the rapper.  He had some nice rhymes and had a very solid flow, but I didn’t know what to expect from his other work. He didn’t seem to have a defined sound.  But closing that video on my website browser didn’t cut out Kendrick’s music from my life completely.  His free EP stormed the internet in ’09 and so did (O)verly (D)edicated in ’10 (I remember downloading it specifically from the DopeHouse).  Finally, Section .80 dropped and proved that Kendrick is not only hear to stay, but is also here to make a difference in the rap industry.  Not only had he found a unique sound, but he also built a strong fan base that supported the talented young rapper at every show.

Hip Hop has been over-saturated recently with new music releasing every day and free mixtapes dropping left and right.  Don’t get me wrong, I love getting new music, but not when it is half-assed.  Kendrick Lamar and the rest of TDE, among others, have released complete and great projects from day one and have progressed in each and every release.  There are many rappers releasing quality projects, but consistency matched with loyalty is what defines and separates Kendrick from the other rappers in the game right now.  Kendrick’s fan base along with his amazing talent and relentless work ethic are among the few reasons that hip hop’s heart is still beating in the music industry.  good kid, m.A.A.d city is proof that the Compton rapper is among the few rappers that are keeping hip hop alive.

 “Any n***a can kill a man. That don’t make you a real n***a. Real is responsibility. Real is taking care of your motherf**king family.” – Kendrick Lamar’s dad on a message towards the end of “Real”

Preview/purchase the album and listen to a few tracks that didn’t make the cut below.

iTunes

Check out two free downloads from Kendrick that didn’t make the final cut, but nonetheless they turned out to be great offerings.  The first is “The Heart Pt. 3 (Will You Let It Die?)” and second is “The Jig Is Up (Dump’n)” produced by J.Cole & Canei Finch. Enjoy and make sure to support good music.