Kendrick Lamars debut album, good kid m.A.A.d city, introduced the world to a new breed of emcees who spearheaded the “new West” which promised a G-funk bounce with a prominent splash of consciousness not normally heard from past notable predecessors like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and others who had put California on the proverbial map in the late 80s and early 90s.
Hailed as a freshman calling card as notable as the Beastie Boyss License to Ill, Led Zeppelins self-titled release, Biggies Ready to Die, the Sex Pistols Nevermind the Bollocks, and the Ramones self-titled project from 1976, good kid m.A.A.d city is equally as impressive for the narrative throughline as it is for its sonic composition – and was recognized as an instant classic, although it only enjoyed its fourth anniversary this week.