kendrick lamar good kid maad city narrative

Good kid, m.A.A.d city is Kendrick Lamar’s discourse of his past, his present and his future. “You ran outside when you heard my brother cry for help/Held him like a newborn baby and made him feel/Like everything was alright, and a fight he tried to put up/But the type of bullet that stuck had went against his will.” Kendrick Lamar, Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst. The song ends with the same, sinner’s prayer from track one, implying that no matter what, he still has to repent his sins. The beat changes and so does the perspective: lamenting the black-on-black violence, Kendrick’s flair for narration remains elite. The second half, titled I’m Dying of Thirst, adds to this. Taking you on a journey, allowing you to immerse in Kendricks world and understand his greatness. The first half, Sing About Me, begins with a slow and melodic beat to honour his lost acquaintances, contrasting with the immaculate depictions forwarded by Kendrick. My personal favourite is Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst. From witnessing someone with their brains blown out when he was 9, to him recollecting his cousin’s death in ’94, it is easy to see why Kendrick became committed to leaving.

m.A.A.d city emphasises Kendrick’s vivid storytelling and traumatic upbringing. The opening lines, “If Piru’s and Crips all got along, they’d probably gun me down by the end of this song,” indicate Kendrick’s new approach to removing himself from the gang lifestyle, suggesting they could team up against him for denouncing their lifestyle. One-half of the album’s title tracks, it is followed by m.A.A.d city, continuing the narrative. good kid depicts the immediate aftermath of this event, triggering Kendricks realisation of his environment and beginning his resolve to get out of the hood. The previous song, Poetic Justice, ended with Kendrick getting jumped by two hooded men. His seventh track, good kid, acts as a turning point in the story. Kendrick grew up surrounded by Bloods and although, not a gang member, knew about gang culture, which is referenced throughout his songs. Compton has become synonymous with gang culture and crime, most notably the rivalry between the notorious Blood and Crip gangs. It does not begin the story it sets the stage.Īs the title suggests, Kendrick is the good kid in the mad city. This is the ideal song to introduce the album.

“Lord God, I come to you a sinner, and I humbly repent for my sins,” is the first thing we hear, echoing the sinner’s prayer. Master Spinter’s Daughter is Kendrick’s recollection of the relationship he had when he was 17 with a girl named, Sherane.

Kendrick lamar good kid maad city narrative