October 22, 2012 · Kendrick Lamar introduced his major-label debut as a story with a specific place and cast.
2012 – Kendrick Lamar releases good kid, m.A.A.d city
Voicemail and conversation connect the tracks, and the family van becomes a recurring detail. “The Art of Peer Pressure” follows a night whose mood changes as its consequences come into view. “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” lets other voices complicate the narrator’s account.
The sequencing gives the album its momentum. Songs that can stand on their own also carry information about the people and decisions around them, which is why the full record rewards a front-to-back listen.
“Money Trees” shows what the album can do with a more relaxed surface. Its floating production gives Lamar and Jay Rock room to describe the pressures that the surrounding story makes increasingly hard to escape.
Release date and album details · Hear a track on Apple Music.
1991 – Black Sheep release A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Dres and Mista Lawnge brought a mischievous edge to the Native Tongues orbit. “The Choice Is Yours” became their signature, while the album uses humor and quick shifts in tone to keep listeners guessing. Its release shares a date with Kendrick Lamar’s major-label debut, 21 years later.
Read next · Browse Today in Rap History or explore Raptology documentaries.
Natalia is a Rap and Hip Hop enthusiast. After graduating from The New School of New York’s Public Relations Program and taking a course in Journalism at Michigan State University, she decided to dedicate her life to the music publishing business and to the discovery of new talent. She helps new artists gain exposure to the masses via online marketing and publications.
Leave a Reply