However, if he aligns himself with a gang, it makes him more of a mark for violence. He’s once again faced with the double-edged sword of gang life on “mAAd City.” If he doesn’t follow the way of the gang, he has no protection. Engineer MixedByAli explained further in an interview in Complex how “being a good kid is being stuck inside of the box and how has no choice but to ride along on the drive-by shooting, have no choice but to go into the houses and rob, because this is what he’s around.” He’s just going with his people. K Dot wonders if he can make it out alive. How can someone survive in a world where the question is whether you wear red or blue and where you are from? This song is another turning point in the narrative. “Good Kid” is about the eternal struggle of the hood. “Good Kid” and “mAAd City” are linked as well. He realizes even after robbing a house that the predator can just as easily become the prey. A group of men jump K Dot just because he’s from a different hood. “Poetic Justice” brings us back to the beginning of the story with Sherane. He’s then faced with a dilemma, does he follow the path of his peers, or keep his head down and make that money, which leads to “Money Trees.” Despite the situation, you’re still rooting for K Dot and relieved when he eludes the cops. There’s less bravado with this but more of an internal conflict. The song captures a vivid amount among close friends and the simple joys of hotboxing a car and freestyling with friends, then it sets the stage for “The Art of Peer Pressure,” which is a major development in this narrative.Ī seemingly innocent caravan with friends ends up being a night of smoking and drinking and robbing someone. The former tells a story about K Dot freestyling with his friends in the car dreaming like “Martin had a Dream/Kendrick have a dream” and that they will make their mark. “Backseat Freestyle” and “The Art of Peer Pressure” naturally flow together. In it we hear K Dot’s friends telling him to meet them in the car where they have a beat CD. The skit that ends “B_ch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” once again pushes the story along. She later released it herself, to Lamar’s surprise. The original version features guest vocals by Lady Gaga and was titled “Partynauseous.” However, timing issues came up and ultimately her version didn’t end up on the album. The single “B_ch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” also serves as sort of an introduction and is more about the state of hip-hop. A picture of this van is also featured on the deluxe version of the record.

The skit after “Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter” has Kendrick’s mother and father wanting him to bring her van back to the house.

They’re what pull the story completely together. The skits following the songs are concise but actually feature Kendrick’s friends and mother and father. It’s filled with fits and starts, twists and turns. K-Dot, is meeting with a girl named “Sherane” and much like in a Tarantino film, the story doesn’t exactly follow one thread. In this song, you step into the mindset of Lamar’s persona, K Dot, who’s the protagonist of the story. They don’t necessarily push the story forward but they create the world that you’re about to step into. Picture the beginning of Reservoir Dogs and the now infamous Madonna and “No Tipping” monologues. The first track, “Sherane aka Master Splinter’s Daughter” isn’t really the beginning of the story but rather sets the stage. It’s a day in the life of the protagonist, K Dot, as he becomes Kendrick Lamar and in it, hooks up with his girl, robs a house, and goes through misadventures, which makes him question hood politics. Good Kid, mAAd City is cinematic and tells a gripping specific narrative. The title on the cover also reads: “a short film by Kendrick Lamar.” This is not an accident. You don’t see nobody else’s eyes, but you see my eyes are innocent, and tryna figure out what is goin’ on.” Speaking on the cover art, Lamar says, “That photo says so much about my life, and about how I was raised in Compton, and the things I’ve seen, just through them innocent eyes. In the background is a picture on the wall featuring Kendrick and his father. There is a baby bottle, a 40-oz bottle and one uncle is flashing a gang sign. The Good Kid, mAAd City cover art features a childhood Polaroid of Kendrick with his uncles and grandfather.

Good kid maad city deluxe cover