Often compared to the legendary hip-hop artist Tupac, Kendrick Lamar had a lot to live up to on his second studio album. The pressure has been on him since he emerged in late 2009 but the Compton rapper has yet to fail these expectations. It’s safe to say he went above all expectations this time, with his album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, achieving national acclaim.

When many people think of hip-hop/rap today, they immediately think of artists such as Lil Wayne or Rick Ross. It can be hard for other rappers to get out of this image because many popular songs are about girls, cars and money. However, Lamar dropped his exceptionally refreshing album just in time.

The album, released on October 22, is essentially a large reflection on his life as a late teen. This consists of him maturing while growing up in gang-ridden Compton, California. The autobiographical nature of the track list is genius because it puts his songs into context with stories, helping listeners understand the meanings of the lyrics.

Also key to the power of Lamar’s album is his incredible talent of being able to switch up his style from song to song. He raps in mellow songs such as “The Recipe” and “Poetic Justice” while displaying more energy in “Backseat Freestyle” and “m.A.A.d city”. The stark contrast of sounds does an unbelievably satisfying job of providing songs that each have their own unique tone.

At the end of the day, it is Lamar’s lyrical content that sets him apart from the competition. His story of going from poor to having success is one that has been repeated many times, yet Lamar makes his story feel different. In “The Art of Peer Pressure”, he describes how he never was a bad kid but got dragged into bad situations by sticking with his friends when he was younger. Lines such as “I’m usually a true firm believer of bad karma, consequences from evil will make your past haunt you” illustrate how he used to think differently when he was with his friends but now chooses to do the right thing and follow his own path. His in-depth lyrical content shines on this album from start to finish.

Kendrick Lamar has produced a hit album, no questions asked. It should be in the running for album of the year at the minimum. He lets listeners peer into the mind of his psyche as a 17-year old trying to find his way, which everybody can relate to in some fashion.

Rating: 5/5 stars
Buy good kid, m.A.A.d city on Itunes