Kendrick said that this album showcases the influences of his home town. He was the kid that was trying to escape the influence, trying his best to avoid that influence, but always being pulled back in due to certain circumstances.
The album title mainly refers to Kendrick's childhood innocence and how the notorious city of Compton, California affected his life and growing up.
After the release of this album Kendrick revealed that m.A.A.d in the title of his album is an acronym with two meanings. Either; My Angry Adolescence Divided or more importantly, My Angles on Angel Dust. He stated that that was him, and that he had been laced in the past and thats the reason he doesn't smoke.
Here is what Kendrick himself had to say about the album...
https://soundcloud.com/rapgenius/kendrick-on-good-kid-m-a-a-d
This is the cover art to Kendrick's album...
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| I really like the cover art that Kendrick had used for this album. I think it's really cool the way it's a little bit grungey and also in the style of a Polaroid picture. This makes me what to use film in my assignment as I want my work to have the same kind of feel that this cover does. I also think it's interesting that he has a hand written title on this album (the caption on the picture) instead of the usual big in your face fancy font. The creases and scratches add to the picture making it feel old and used. I also like the yellowish and green tones that are in the picture, when I take my pictures I'll have to try using different filters and coloured tones ect to create something similar to this. The reason that the photo looks this way is because this is an actual childhood picture of Kendrick, the other people in this picture are his granddad and two uncles. I think the reason they're eyes have been blacked out is so you know that the concentration in this picture is Kendrick as a child. |
1. Sherane a.k.a Master splinter's Daughter. - The description of this song is the story opens as a flash forward. K.Dot has know Sherane for a number of months by this point. He met her at a party where they flirted and exchanged numbers. They kept in contact with each other over the summer and got to know each other pretty well. He also talks about her family's history of gang-banging that made him wary but didn;t stop him from hooking up with her. At the end of this song K.Dot is driving in his mothers van, he has sex on his mind. But when he turns up Sherane is outside waiting with two dudes in black hoodies. These could be her cousins or brothers. Either way this isn't going to end well.
2. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe. - The content of this song doesn't advance the narrative of the album. It is told from the perspective of the present day Kendrick Lamar, who isn't happy with the state of rap music, and strives to be different by maintaining his vision. He also discusses his career so far and how it has changed life for better or worse. It introduces him as the narrator of this album, which mostly contains tales of past events.
3. Backseat Freestyle. - This song is about being in the state and mind of a 16 year old Kednrick. Not having a care in the world, not giving a damn about a thing. But life and money are what you see in-front of you. It's not Kendrick talking now, it's him talking then.
4. The Art Of Peer Pressure. - This song is where the albums narrative really begin to set into motion, Kendrick takes us trough a vivid story of how he learned 'peer pressure' the hard way. The fact their mission is to complete a robbery without getting caught is really bad. Kendrick thinks he should never have to be in the position to complete this sort of mission, although he is influenced by his peers to think that this sort of 'mission' is necessary when you're a teenage boy in Compton. Kendrick now sees how unnecessary this was, and how he fell in to the traps of peer pressure.
5. Money Trees. - In this song K.Dot recaps the story so far. He talks about robbing the house, "Home invasion was persuasive/From 9 to 5 I know it's vacant" He mentions having sexual relations with Sherane and then bragging about it to his homies, "I fucked Sherane then went to tell my bros" He references Backseat Freestyle when he talks about rhyming to beats, "Park the car then we started rhyming, ya bish/The only thing we had to free our mind" And he talks about jumping dudes who looked like they had more money then them, "Then freeze that verse when we see dollar signs/You looking like an easy come up ya bish/A sliver spoon I know you come from ya bish" The line in the chorus "Everybody gon' respect the shooter/But the one in front of the gun lives forever" is deeply important, not just as a life motto, but in regards to the events that later take place in this story regarding Dave and his brother. It's also a reference to Kendrick's Uncle Tony, who was shot and killed at Louie's Burgers; this event is a snap back to reality from the "dreams of living life like rappers do"
6. Poetic Justice. - K.Dot has been dropped off back at home by his homies and is about to go see Sherane. He’s probably driving on the way there in his Mother’s van. He talks about her and their relationship so far — it appears they may have had some arguments, he talks about her meeting up with her girlfriends to curse him, and going out partying rather than talking with him.
The track samples Janet Jackson's "Ant Time, Ant Place". Janet, of course, starred in the movie Poetic Justice.
7. Good Kid. - This song sets off the theme of the second half of the album — which plays of the motif of realization. K.Dot talks about getting jumped, “for the record I recognize that I’m easy prey/I got ate alive yesterday.” He discusses the negative effects of gang-culture and being unable to escape the question of gang-affiliation:“But what am I supposed to do/When the topic is red or blue/And you understand that I ain’t/But know I’m accustomed to.” Red or Blue obviously refers to the LA gangs of Bloods and Crips. The red and the blue in the second verse changes into police sirens. K.Dot talks about getting no sympathy from the cops because they stereotype him as a gang-banger, making him lift up his shirt in order to look for a gang affiliated tattoo (“I heard them chatter: "He’s probably young but I know that he’s down/Step on his neck as hard as your bullet proof vest.”) K.Dot is trapped in a violent culture and can’t get a reprieve from the gangs or the police. This leads into the following song, “m.A.A.d city.” The first two verses are also reminiscent of what Tre went through in Boyz In The Hood who was harassed by gang members (The Bloods) simply because he was a good kid and police officers (the black officer that pulled out a gun) who profiled any black man in the hood whether good or bad.
8. m.A.A.d city. - The two meanings of “m.A.A.d”:
- my Angel on Angel’s dust
- my Angry Adolescence divided
More self-awareness and realisation of the corrupt city that Kendrick lives in. Kendrick’s recent beat-down brings back early memories of similar situations, witnessing someone with their brains blown out at a burger stand back when he was 9 (Probably talking about his Uncle Tony, or someone in a similar situation), he thinks he knows the person who did it but he censors his name. He also talks about how his cousin was killed back in 94. He talks about his Father telling him to get a job but he got fired after his friends pressured him in to staging a robbery. He gives his reason for why he doesn’t smoke when he tells a story of smoking marijuana laced with cocaine and “foaming at the mouth.” In the final verse he tries to let the good shine through and offer respite for the youth and how they don’t have to succumb to the temptations and pressures of the street. He hopes that his experience and intelligence can do good for the youth living in similar situations. “Compton, USA made me an angel on angel dust.”
9. Swimming Pools. - Successfully walking the fine line between maintaining his artistry and appealing to the masses, the good kid details his relationship with Ms. Liquor and peer pressure. Here are some verified explanations in Kendrick's own words. http://genius.com/KendrickLamar
10. Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst. - In “Sing About Me” Kendrick takes on the perspective of two people he knows — one positive and one negative. Then, he offers his own perspective: he tells stories not to offend or please anyone else, but to be realistic; and he hopes that his story will continue to be told, too. Storytelling can bring an eternity to stories that counteracts the ephemeral nature of life.
11. Real. - This song denotes an incredibly important realisation that Kendrick Lamar has felt. The song as a whole stresses the importance of loving yourself (and how this is a necessary component of having some of the powerful insight that Kendrick describes throughout the album). If you listen to this album you will notice how much lower, more controlled, and more mature Kendrick’s vocals sound on this song, as opposed to the higher, cracking voices he employed on the songs before (such as the immature anthem“Backseat Freestyle”), or the urgent tone used on “m.A.A.d city”. The song represents his decision to mature and his tone of voice is symbolic of that change he made.
12. Compton. - With this song Kendrick brings the album to a theatrical close by paying homage to the city that made him who he actually is.
13. Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe (feat. JAY Z) [remix] - A remix of one of the hottest tracks on Kendrick’s critically acclaimed album good kid, m.A.A.d city, featuring a verse from none other than Jay-Z. This is a beautiful remix of the younger and the older generation.
14. Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe (feat. Emeli Sandé) [remix]
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