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.

Good kid maad city deluxe review