At the top of 2012, we had no real reason to believe that Kendrick Lamar would actually drop his debut album within the confines of the calendar year, much less have his good kid, m.A.A.d city LP be counted among the top releases.
Balanced by sound storytelling, progressive instrumentals and creative radio standouts, GKMC proves that hip-hop doesn’t have to go pop to be successful.
Beyond earning the Compton rapper a gold plaque, Kendrick’s first shot will now be the standard by which all coming hip-hop debuts will be measured. It’s the type of benchmark hit by artists like Nas and 50 Cent during their rookie campaigns. It’s the type of distinction that cannot be predicted, and because of his effort, Kendrick Lamar now stands unequivocally as music’s newcomer of the year.
Part of good kid’s appeal is that most music fans didn’t see it coming. It wasn’t until March that K-Dot officially announced his deal with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label, and let’s face it: For every Snoop Dogg or Eminem, there is a Stat Quo or Bishop Lamont who sits on the Doctor’s storied shelf.
Read more: MTV
