It might only be a few days old, but judging by its sales numbers and across the board critical praise, it looks like good kid, m.A.A.d city, is about to mark the start of the “superstar” status that many hip hop heads have been predicting for Kendrick Lamar for quite some time. With a rare combination of insightful lyricism, undeniably dope beats, and insane technical wordplay, the project seems to have accomplished the tough task of speaking to fans of conscious rap, without turning away listeners looking for something that can make their trunk rattle a bit too. Even so, it’s the strong narrative and cohesive story that Kendrick tells, that truly makes this album something special – and make some of the bold “instant classic” claims that it’s been earning understandable.
With that in mind, here are the ten sets of lines from the album that really impacted us here at The Versed. They might not all be pleasant – actually most aren’t – but they’re all brilliant examples of K. Dot’s obvious ability to paint a vivid lyrical picture, and make a statement, which arguably puts him in rare company along with guys like Andre 3000, Slick Rick, and the Tribe Called Quest crew as one of the best hip hop storytellers of all time. Granted, those are some ridiculously lofty comparisons, but after sitting down with this project more than a few times, it’s hard to deny that they aren’t appropriate. However, and quite admittedly, we might have missed a few important or impressive lines – or left off your own personal favorites – so don’t hesitate to tell the world what your favorite bars from the project were in the comments section below.
Click the “NEXT PAGE” button below to get started.
