Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, m.A.A.d City / "Does everything a proper hip hop album should do: it demands contemplation and reflection"

2016-07-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

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The verdict is still out on whether or not this album will stand next to indisputable classics like Illmatic and All Eyez On Me, but if Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, m.A.A.d City isn't at least a game-changer, it's no fault of his own. It does everything a proper hip hop album should do: it demands contemplation and reflection. It criticizes itself and the world around it. It's unabashedly idiosyncratic. Unlike most albums dropping these days, I don't feel swindled after taking the time to listen to Good Kid from beginning to end.

Sing About Me, Im Dying of Thirst

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Black Boy Fly

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Perhaps what is most refreshing about this album is that it's forceful without being grandiose. If you want a believable portrait of hood anxiety today, this is the best place to find it. Guns and violence play a role, but no one is sporting paramilitary gear (except maybe the police); alcohol and drugs show up, but there's no Moet or kilograms of cocaine; and there are consequences for leading with one's genitals. Painting his portrait of contemporary Compton, Kendrick is not only honest but also brilliantly unique. His lyrical dexterity (especially in songs like the titular M.A.A.D City) surpasses most of his peers and his ability to remain coherent even as he shifts through styles and tempos is remarkable. He has a penchant for moving from lyrical novelty to pastiche and back again with great ease.

Earlier, I stated that if his album doesn't change the tide of hip hop, Kendrick wouldn't be worthy of blame. He exhibits many of the qualities once championed by the most popular rappers of yesteryear, but today those same qualities have been pushed into the underground.

Bitch, Dant Kill My Vibe

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Money Trees

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To be sure, Kendrick's cadence often carries a knowledgeable and worldly note though it tends to falter before becoming consistently authoritative. I'm thinking here of the song Backstreet Freestyle wherein he wishes for his dick to be as tall as the Eiffel Tower and where a portion of his bars eerily walk the line between Busta Rhymes and Nicki Minaj. I often find that Kendrick can hamper a song's listenability with an overbearing hook. Nevertheless, once the hook is over he always manages to get back to his explosive flows.

Kendrick has given new life to the story-telling style that was once so integral to a rapper's repertoire. In that regard, he can be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Slick Rick, B.I.G., Eminem, et al.

Poetic Justice

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Swimming Pools (Drank)

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If the West Coast is indeed in the midst of a renaissance, Kendrick Lamar is at the forefront. This album will decide if he is just the king of today's underground or the force that brings integrity and depth back to the mainstream.

Originally Posted 10/25/2012

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Music Review [Liberator 7.1]

2012-12-30T19:19:00.000-05:00

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M.I.A. - Kala (Interscope)
Kala, the sophomore album from Mathagai Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., is a cross-cultural grab bag. The album shows more maturity than "Arular," her first album, with a sleek approach to the beat attitude mind-set. When the Feds’ refusal to let M.I.A. re-enter the United States left her unable to reach her Brooklyn, Bed-Stuy apartment, all the trouble turned into an excursion around the world, where she encompassed Jamaican dance-hall moves, Indian-Trinidadian multicontinental mash-ups, a British-Nigerian rapper, Liberian sensations, Australian-indigenous hip-hop, Baltimore hip-hop, Jonathan Richman, the Clash and Timbaland. The album is assertive, politically charged, adventurous and aesthetically pleasing. London-based “dirty house” producer Switch is credited on eight of the twelve tracks, and Timbaland blesses one called "Come Around," that will undoubtably be a mainstream hit for M.I.A. The song has the established Timbaland sound with twanging strings and loud bass bumpincliché to the current image the media has given hip-hop. Although it is a dance/club song it is still very politically charged with lyrics like, “In a faraway land we got shit made/Ray-Ban shades/warheads laid/babies born in air raids/my girls run the everglades … being a super Indian babe.” Diplo, a world traveler and well-known DJ/producer/writer, produced the track “Paper Planes.” Since M.I.A. was unable to travel to the United States, Diplo recorded the track in London, which also samples Clash’s "Straight to Hell." The sound of the gunshots and cash register on the hook add a little something to the album, even though M.I.A. says it’s just a joke. "Jimmy" is also a great dance track on the album, which is reminiscent of a Bollywood disco tune showing off a cheeky side of M.I.A; and "Afrikan Boy," the track with an amazing African drum beat has M.I.A. talking about the "Hussel” -- mocking mainstream hip-hop which plays one song after another that say the same thing. Kala has the type of production that may take a few listens to fully sink in but once it does, it takes you on a journey to a faraway land.
(Christina Rimstad)

Muja Messiah - MPLS Massacre (Black Corners)
Muja Messiah’s MPLS Massacre, a mixtape in advance of his full-length album, The Adventures of the B-Boy/D-Boy, deftly reveals many of the tensions — and sometimes outright contradictions — of himself, rap, and the world at large. Featuring numerous Twin Cities hip-hop figures, including I Self Devine, St. Paul Slim, Muja’s mates from Raw Villa, and Slug, Massacre lays bare the tension between reppin’ where you’re from and where you want to go. Laced with Twin Cities references, Muja seeks success with a harder rap sound historically marginalized in the Cities, aptly demonstrating that the Cities ain’t just “backpackin’ and hippie/like it ain’t crackin’ in my city.” Yet, he often turns to the sounds of the South for Massacre, especially on “Southside,” which fuses the always-detectable "Memphis sound" with his own distinct flow. One of the highlights of Massacre is the remix of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes,” where Muja skillfully adopts the words, rhyme patterns, and flow of M.I.A., making it much more than your standard remix. With its convuloted global genealogy; from the Clash, to the globe-hoppin’ M.I.A. (and also featuring one of the Twin Cities’ own world musical travelers, the Ghanaian-born M.anifest), the song raises the stakes far beyond Minnesota. While Muja says he’s “just trying to get y’all attention/without having to mention money, women, or the cars I’ve driven,” women and money are everywhere on Massacre, as are Muja’s musical molotovs for revolution. On “Huey P. Newton,” Muja channels a hard rock version of the “Revolution” chorus embodying the struggles of Assata, Huey, Mumia, Dead Prez, and countless others. At the same time, though, he and many of the album’s guests partake in sexual objectification of women that fall in line with dominant American cultural norms. There’s a fine line, of course, between rebellion and cultural co-opting, and Muja seems to work this to his advantage. Neither black liberation nor his narrative of hustlin’ and pimpin’ exhaust Muja’s rap identity. Even though having “one foot in the coffin, one foot in the cell” (as he raps on “MPLS Poppin”) doesn’t leave much room to move, Muja refuses to be boxed in.

Guilty Simpson - Ode To the Ghetto (Stones Throw)
The Detriot native has finally released his long-anticipated debut solo album. Hailing from Detroit and a protégé’ of J Dilla (R.I.P), Simpson created a frenzy as an underground rapper who signed with cream of the crop label Stones Throw in 2006. While people have referred to Guilty Simpson as a ‘Gangsta’ Rapper, his angle is a bit more tasteful than the mainstream rap about guns, drugs and women. Guilty pulls you into his struggles, talking about the haters that trail, discriminating police, hunger, pounds and his personal relations. The opening track “American Dream” is amazing; the jazzy sound that transforms into a heavy beat with a Bollywood sound sets the listener up for an unforgettable album of production and lyrical brilliance. The track “Ode to the Ghetto” reminisces about where Simpson is from -- dealing with drug wars, late night shoot-outs, bloodshed galore and the struggle to make it and be bigger than all that. “Getting Bitches” has to be one of my favorite tracks on the album with a beat that is crisp and loud with a dash of griminess that keeps the track gully. Simpson also opens up and shares his soft side with the listener on at least three tracks where he talks about his relationship with women. Although the many 'g-lovin’ tracks seemed a bit out of place, I must admit “Kinda Love” is definitely a great track. It gave me that blissful feeling that you get when a new relationship or love is starting. With a sort of Outkast, Love Below feeling to it, it's a slow jam on some real-talk about getting lost in the moment of lust. The album ends with the track “Almighty Dreadnaughts,” featuring Super MC, Krizsteel, Konnie Ross all members of the orginal crew, The Dreadnaughts. From the gritty, grimy tracks about hustling to the softer love songs, Ode To the Ghetto is no disappointment. It opens a new door for hip-hop: This is the future. With an all-star production line-up that includes Mr. Porter, Madlib, Black Milk, Oh No and J Dilla, there’s never a dull moment. Get familiar with the name because Guilty Simpson is going to be around for sometime.
(Christina “C-Rocka” Rimstad)

Maria Isa - M.I. Personalities (Emetrece)
Maria Isa is an artist that I knew would be doing big things in her future when I saw her in a musical called “Snapshots” at the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul. The play was by my favorite playwright David L. Grant. Maria sang so well in the play, you could feel a buzz around her even then. Her style and culture transcends from theatre to performance flawlessly. Maria Isabelle Perez’s new album, M.I. Split Personalities, is written, arranged, and performed almost entirely by herself. Her production team, Emetrece Productions BMI, did a wonderful job of leading us on her journeys. M.I.’s Reggeaton rhythms and vocals blend so well with her b-girl persona, you definitely feel how diverse her talent and energy gives mass appeal to her diasporic reach. “Yo Lo Quiero,” the video, is always refreshing to watch on Youtube.com and is a local anthem in the Twin Cities Reggeaton arena. “Ese Diablo”, featuring I Self Devine, is off the Richter scale, and spits more fire along with her radio-friendly hip-hop track, “Santa Maria,” which gets a lot of air play on college radio. Closing out the album, a sincere song about daily struggles in los calles, (e.g. the streets) offers listeners an early glimpse into a day in the life of Maria Isa aka M.I. “Orgullo Boriqua.”
(Damien Ray Robinson)

Joe Budden - Mood Musik 3: For Better Or For Worse
Joe Budden’s extended clip in hip hop’s montage is proof artists can two-step backwards in order to proceed. Mood Musik 3 is quintessential post-CD quality: sustainable hip hop that most likely won't yield real profits for Joe’s Team Jump Off. The Def Jam reject packs two years of angst into sporty metaphors: "When the new generation think about Jordan/all they remember is when Iverson crossed em", Joe spews on "Talk To Em" over WMS Sultan’s chaotic chimes -- easily the best Jay-Z diss since Nas' "Ether." "Warfare" finds fellow mixtape league alumnus Joel Ortiz playing Beanie Sigel to Joe’s Styles P (You Ain’t Ready, 2007) as the two exchange heat over The Klasix's percussive jam. These two rap Somalians rap flyer than their "Reservoir Dog" (Hard Knock Life, 1998) predecessors and the track's final gunshot is on point. No-hook gems like the homey, soul sampled "Dear Diary" and sorrowful "All Of Me" lend a peak into Jersey Joe’s soul. "Send Him Our Love", a holistic memorial for friend Stack Bundles, shows the same Joe with a compassionate overdub on his cutting vocals. It takes resilient lungs to push choruses back and go in ("Hiatus" and "Ventilation"), but bucking the Universal machine requires a gutsy mouth piece ("Talk To Em"). Mood Muzik 2: Can It Get Any Worse? (2005) hints at fractures in Joe’s relationship with Def Jam Records boss/rap hero Jay-Z, and two years later Joe is literally free to vent. But despite the holiday mixtape’s gifts, it’s plain that Joe still needs Jay. Yet dissing Jay-Z is a way better draw than wasting fire on Jin. He set Kobe Bryant-like standards for himself as an artist and remains a viable pop story, but he continues to use other people's lyrics and ideas. In all, For Better Or For Worse shows that the futurity of Joe’s vocals, born out in part by his mature singing -- "Long Way To Go", "Shall Not Fall" and "My Hood" -- is still evident.
(Mike Ivey Jr.)

Sha Cage - Amber People (Tru Ruts/Speakeasy)
Today, spoken word poetry has really become something of an ambiguous, urban art, often hidden away in the shadow of rap music. We often forget that spoken word is merely a reflection of Hip-Hop culture. With that said, I must say that sometimes, I am guilty of overlooking the essence of the music I predominantly claim as my own. Rebound-music, as I sometimes call it, putting note-worthy Hip-Hop aside for a dim-witted, club banger. So, when someone shared Amber People by ShaSha Cage, the innovative playwright and actor, co-founder of the women of color theatre group, Mama Mosaic, producer/co-host of KFAI Radio's 'Tehuti' and co-founder of the Minnesota Spoken Word Association. Amber People is the first digital release off of local, spoken word label, Speakeasy Records. In the piece, "Knock, Knock" Sha, fervently and truthfully, graces us with her visions on the past and the present of many tragic, and often, forgotten lives of people: “Her life is Hip-Hop scratched across her body in permanent scars, she’s come to admire ...” Another that was especially felt was the down-tempo, organic-sounding, HipGnosis version of, "My Words": “If my words remind you that choice is about action, and democracy requires voice, or that every major revolution in history, started with a committed few.” I was both banging my head, and astonished by her words -- the track is very much on point. Amber People, the voice of Sha Cage, flawlessly moves you in a way that ambitious spoken word poetry should. I can say from personal experience, that it does exactly what every audience needs, it reminds you about the spirit of change.
(Marina Yates)

Indigo - Kiri*Ke (Dynamite Panic!)
When I first heard that there was a woman reppin’ Minneapolis in the Hip-Hop scene named Indigo, the first thing that came to mind was, 'damn, that a unique name,' and I anticipated hearing her rap. The other thing that naturally came to mind was an old friend also with the name, Indigo. We were cool, back when we both were actively moderating an innovative Hip-Hop message board (big up, Black Nerds Network.) Unfortunately me and my boy, Indigo, ended-up falling out, inevitably over varying gender perspectives within our online haven. On that note, knowing an Indigo, with real flavor, and worldly motive, is mad reassuring. On Kiri*Ke, Indigo -- b-girl, poet, and activist -- has style that is infinite and fearless. On, "Hip-Hop Is the Way" the vibe is definitely felt: “We don’t holla back/we hollow back/we don’t check your rep/we check your heart attack/.” I was like, “chea!” The beat is layered with a bit of a southern appeal, including cuts by Ganzoninjagator. “Bang it Low” has a swaggered, infectious hook by Indigo, reppin’ the entire Minneapolis 'headnod' district. POS of Doomtree, is featured on this track, as rapper/producer, and the collaboration is all-natural and easily digested. The many styles on this album are impressive, tracks like, "KonaXOX TNT" include production that will make you feel as though you’re in a 1940’s piano bar, with a touch of Hip-Hop. Indigo is a truly inspired and positive female artist, which is very important in identifying with. We should all give her a hug for being such a real, rap-charitable artist.
(Marina Yates)

BONUS!
(online exclusives)

Kanye West - Graduation (Def Jam/Rocafella)
With the aid of a melodically dark soundscape punctuating his lines, we're reintroduced to Kanye on Graduation's opening track, "Good Morning": "Today we become legendary, everything we dreamed of/ I’m like the fly Malcolm X, buy any jeans necessary, Detroit Red cleaned up.” On the celebratory tracks "Champion" and "Good Life", featuring the ubiquitous T-Pain, Kanye pours himself two self-indulgent shots of Patron in salute to his past genius and extravagant lifestyle. But it becomes clear that his ascension into the world of superstardom has taxed him, both mentally and spiritually. On "Can’t Tell Me Nothing", Kanye describes for us in his usual "fuck-all-y'all" flow his inner struggles to not become complacent amid the cameras, critics and rumors. However, with a flip of switch, he subdues his bombastic delivery, opting for a more melancholy approach in order to discuss how his highly criticized rap persona is what has carved out his position in the game on the DJ Premier track, "Everything I Am." Nonetheless, we find Kanye at his most retrospective as he describes the dynamics of his sibling rivalry with the man he reveres most in Hip-Hop, his mentor Jay-Z, on the brutally honest, "Big Brother." With the same artistic vision that made his last two albums classics, Kanye, with the aid of Jon Brion and DJ Toomp, pushes the bar of creativity far beyond his contemporaries by infusing the best elements of modern electronica, early 90’s Hip-Hop, and mid-80’s rock ballads to create a futuristic backdrop for Graduation. You can hear the evidence of these varying influences on the album’s second single, "Stronger," which melds Daft Punk’s disco classic "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" with a multifaceted soundscape complete with dynamic keyboard rifts, defining drums and seamless electric guitar strings. Yet, Kanye displays his true virtuosic production capabilities on the tracks "Flashing Lights" and "I Wonder," which feature some of the most enthralling orchestrations of live strings, synth, and drums done by any artist to date. Graduation does have its minor hiccups though. While he arguably keeps with the theme that defines graduation, he doesn’t place these themes into linear order to make the album conceptually solid -- strange for an artist whose previous two albums made their concepts blatant, making for more fulfilling listening experiences. With Graduation, Kanye continues to demonstrate a steady progression in his body of work -- something that only the best accomplish.
(Malcolm Nelson)

Common - Finding Forever (Geffen/GOOD Music)
On his seventh studio album, Finding Forever, Common, the “conscious rapper” from Chicago, continues to create “mature Hip-Hop” while simultaneously dropping jewels and references to the city's gang history. The follow–up to the Grammy nominated BE travels along a similar road while crafting soulful mid-tempo joints. Although The Gap spokesman has made great strides artistically and commercially, Common seems content with his place in the game. He’s not forcing it by trying to make radio or club joints; instead he remains consistent in reverance to both nostalgia and modernity. Common is at his best on the first few street bangers, “The Game,” featuring DJ Premier, and “The People,” an update on “The Corner." Although Kanye West does the majority of production here, there are also tracks from J Dilla, Will.I.Am. and Kanye West affiliate, Devon Springsteen. Common stays innovative -- but in a safe way -- with Brit-pop star Lily Allen for the playfully quirky “DrivinBilal." The serious “Misunderstood,” with its haunting Nina Simone sample, is the type of a jazzbo experiment that works. The neo-soul throwbacks, “So Far To Go,” and “Play Your Cards Right” resurrects D’Angelo and Bilal respectively. "Southside” with Kanye West, where they tag–team the details of the city's grimy, working-class neighborhoods shows a more upbeat b-boy stance. It's apparent that Finding Forever continues where its predecessor BE left off: soulful, feel-good joints with easy lyrical targets, and familiar subject matter. Common keeps true to his indentity, yet he continues to grow and take his audiences along.
(Jon Jon Scott)

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Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, m.A.A.d City / "Does everything a proper hip hop album should do: it demands contemplation and reflection"

Music Review [Liberator 7.1]