This journey through the concrete jungle of Compton is worth taking because of the artistic richness within, plus the attraction of a whip-smart rapper flying high during his rookie season. Soul children will experience déjà vu when 'Poetic Justice' slides by with its Janet Jackson sample - sounding like it came off his Aunt's VHS copy of the movie it's named after - while the closing 'Compton' is an anthem sure to make the Game jealous, featuring Dre in beast mode, acting pre-Chronic and pre-Death Row. Equally heavy is the cautionary tale of drank dubbed 'Swimming Pools,' yet that highlight is as hooky and hallucinatory as most Houston drank anthems, and breaks off into one of the chilling, cassette-quality interludes that connect the album, adding to the documentary or eavesdropping quality of it all. Still, when he realizes that hero Jeezy must have risen above the game - because the real playas are damned and never show their faces - it spawns a kind of elevated gangsta rap that's as pimp-connectable as the most vicious Eazy-E, and yet poignant enough to blow the dust off any cracked soul. was the home team, but as the truly beautiful, steeped-in-soul, biographic key track 'The Art of Peer Pressure' finds a reluctant young Kendrick and his friends feeding off the life-force of Young Jeezy's debut album, it's something Clash, Public Enemy, and all other rebel music fans can relate to. He's shamelessly bold about the allure of the trap, contrasting the sickness of his city with the universal feeling of getting homesick, and carrying a Springsteen-sized love for the home team. It is what makes this kid so 'good' as he navigates his 'mad' city (Compton) with experience and wisdom beyond his years (25). Here, Kendrick is living his life like status and cash were extra credit. Dre, and MC Eiht) and attractive production (from Pharrell, Just Blaze, Tabu, and others).

City would be a milestone even without the back-story, offering cool and compelling lyrics, great guests (Drake, Dr. Dre, and the 'biggest debut since Illmatic' stuff starts to flow, but Good Kid, M.A.A.D. Top it off with a pre-release XXL Magazine cover that he shared with his label boss and all-around legend Dr. A series of killer mixtapes displayed his talent for thought-provoking street lyrics delivered with an attention-grabbing flow, and then there was his membership in the Black Hippy crew with his brethren Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, and Jay Rock all issuing solo releases that pleased the 'true hip-hop' set, setting the stage for a massive fourth and final. Hip-hop debuts don't come much more 'highly anticipated' than Kendrick Lamar's. Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.

Good kid maad city deluxe cover