This article interviews Kendrick Lamar and many others involved in the making of "good kid, m.A.A.d city" extensively, they go over each track in detail including the deluxe tracks, the bonus track and "Cartoon and Cereal".
Released on October 23, 2012, Kendrick Lamar's "good kid, m.A.A.d city" marked his major label debut under Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. Subtitled "a short film by Kendrick Lamar," this conceptual masterpiece chronicles a day in teenage Kendrick's life in Compton, California, weaving together themes of youth, temptation, violence, and redemption. The album represents an important moment in contemporary hip-hop, combining innovative production, narrative sophistication, and lyrical virtuosity to create what many critics consider one of the most significant hip-hop albums of the 21st century.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, born June 17, 1987, crafted an album that functions not merely as a collection of songs but as a cohesive autobiographical narrative. "This is a dark movie album," Kendrick explained. "I wanted to tap into that space where I was at in my teenage years. Everybody knows Kendrick Lamar, but he had to come from a certain place, a certain time, and certain experiences." This cinematic approach to album construction has established "good kid, m.A.A.d city" as a touchstone for narrative ambition in hip-hop, influencing countless artists across genres.
According to Punch (President of Top Dawg Entertainment), Kendrick had been planning "good kid, m.A.A.d city" for years. "This project was in the works Kendrick's whole life. This is his life story," Punch stated. "He had the title for this album even before Kendrick Lamar EP had dropped. He was writing the concept the whole time." This long-term vision underscores the album's significance as a preconceived artistic statement rather than a conventional music industry product.
The album's development occurred primarily while Kendrick was touring extensively. "The album really came together on the road because he has been touring strong for about two years straight," Punch revealed. "So he'll be on an airplane writing a song, get back home and lay the record, then have to fly out to do something else." This unusual recording process reflects Kendrick's determination and focus, qualities that would become hallmarks of his artistic approach.
Kendrick selected the album cover—featuring a Polaroid of young Kendrick with his family members, a 40oz bottle beside a baby bottle—two years before the album's release. "That picture for the album cover, he found that two years ago and said, 'This is what I'm going to use for my album cover,'" Punch recalled. This early visual conception demonstrates how thoroughly Kendrick had envisioned the project's thematic elements before its execution.
The album's narrative structure emerged from Kendrick's desire to portray a specific day in his adolescence. "The story is about one day in the life of me and my homeboys," Kendrick explained. "I really didn't want to make it song-by-song. Each piece, I want to trigger certain points where you make a connection. Almost like a Pulp Fiction feel—you have to listen to it more times to live with it and breathe with it." This nonlinear storytelling approach distinguished the album from conventional hip-hop releases, establishing it as an innovative narrative experiment.
Kendrick's upbringing in Compton fundamentally shaped the album's thematic content. Unlike many peers, Kendrick had both parents present in his life, which he credits with helping him navigate his environment's dangers. "I had a father in my life," Kendrick stated. "That's a big part of my life. I had respect for him. He wasn't right there, he couldn't be there all the time, and he wasn't no perfect person. But at the same time, he had much love for me. He made sure I had a better life. He made sure I found that life through music."
The dual meaning behind the album title "m.A.A.d city"—"My Angel on Angel Dust" and "My Angry Adolescence Divided"—references a traumatic personal experience. "If you listen to the album [you'll find out] the reason why I don't smoke weed," Kendrick explained. "Because once upon a time, you'd find stuff laced with cocaine [and angel dust]. That caused a reaction and I put that inside the song. That really happened to me. That's the reason for the title." This autobiographical detail demonstrates how Kendrick transformed personal trauma into artistic expression, a process that characterizes much of his subsequent work.
Kendrick's artistic vision for the album emphasized creative autonomy over commercial considerations. "To have an album that I have total creative control over is one of the best feelings in the world," he stated. "I probably wouldn't have been able to make a dark album if I didn't have creative control." This commitment to artistic integrity would become central to Kendrick's reputation as a boundary-pushing creator whose commercial success never compromised his creative vision.
Founded by Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) played a crucial role in developing Kendrick's artistic vision. The label's approach was significantly influenced by their experiences with Jay Rock, TDE's first signed artist who had previously faced challenges with Warner Brothers Records.
Punch explained how Jay Rock's experience shaped their approach to Kendrick's career: "When Jay Rock was going through his whole situation with Warner, that was Kendrick going through college. He was experiencing everything Jay Rock was experiencing... Once we got Jay Rock released, our whole goal was to never depend on anybody ever again. We were going to do everything ourselves going into Kendrick's [career]."
Jay Rock himself acknowledged his role as "the big brother of TDE," noting that "whatever I was doing, you always seen Kendrick, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul with me. That's how it is, we family. We always looking out for each other." This familial atmosphere fostered artistic development while maintaining independence from industry pressures.
Punch described the meticulous planning behind Kendrick's career trajectory: "We had a vision for everything and followed that vision, it's not just random songs. This is a real story, a real life." This strategic approach to artist development distinguished TDE from many contemporary labels, establishing a model that prioritized long-term artistic growth over short-term commercial gains.
The album features production from diverse established and emerging producers, creating sonic variety while maintaining thematic coherence. Kendrick's hands-on approach to production shaped the album's sound. "I'm very hands-on [with producers] and that's why my projects come out so cohesive," he explained. "I don't just go out there and just find a bunch of instrumentals and rap over them. I have a specific sound in my head I want to convey."
Dr. Dre, founder of Aftermath Entertainment, provided crucial mentorship throughout the album's development. Kendrick and Dre appear together on two tracks—"Compton" and "The Recipe." Punch recalled Dre's surprising work ethic: "We were at Dre's house recording at four in the morning. We were working on this one song for hours. Dre's like, 'I'm tired. I'm going to go to sleep.' He goes up to his room, maybe 10 minutes later you hear the same song we was working on blasting in his room. He runs downstairs and worked until eight in the morning."
Sounwave (Mark Spears), a member of TDE's in-house production team Digi+Phonics, contributed to multiple tracks, including "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" and "m.A.A.d city." His longtime collaboration with Kendrick facilitated a deep understanding of the artist's sonic preferences.
Other notable producers included Hit-Boy ("Backseat Freestyle"), Pharrell Williams ("good kid"), T-Minus ("Swimming Pools"), Just Blaze ("Compton"), Scoop DeVille ("Poetic Justice" and "The Recipe"), Tha Bizness ("Sherane"), Terrace Martin ("Real"), and Tabu ("The Art of Peer Pressure").
MixedByAli (Derek Ali), Kendrick's engineer, played a crucial role in shaping the album's sound. Ali revealed that during the mixing of "Swimming Pools," he collaborated directly with Dr. Dre, who told him: "in 30 years, his whole career, he has never really mixed with nobody. I was like the first person he's ever mixed with."
Produced by Tha Bizness (Dow Jones and J-Hen), this opening track establishes the album's narrative framework. Kendrick created it after receiving the beat in Atlanta, immediately envisioning a story about "a specific girl back when I was growing up. A specific story that leads down the line into the album."
Dow Jones noted the significance of opening the album: "It's dope for us to be the first song that people hear on a Kendrick Lamar album... This is one of those big releases. There hasn't been this much anticipation for an album in a long time where not a lot of songs have leaked."
Sounwave produced the introspective track, "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe", which Kendrick described as addressing creative control issues: "That's really one big subliminal at everybody getting mixed in a situation where everyone wants to have creative control. That's the vibe I wanted to kill."
The song was originally planned to feature Lady Gaga. "We had a date, but we had to meet the deadline for the pre-order date. That's just the business side coming through and messing things up," Kendrick explained. MixedByAli confirmed: "We actually had a record done but there were timing issues with the album and it didn't make the cut-off date."
Produced by Hit-Boy, this energetic track represents Kendrick and his friends freestyling before their day begins. "That's really the start of 'The Art of Peer Pressure.' It flows into the album. It's about me and my homeboys really getting in the backseat and starting our day," Kendrick explained.
Hit-Boy noted Kendrick's involvement in reshaping the beat: "Kendrick [changed the beat I gave him by] looping this one part from the beginning that wasn't that way when I first gave him the beat. So he's hearing what he wanted to hear."
Produced by Tabu, this narrative-driven track examines social influence on behavior. "That's probably one of the first records I recorded for this album," Kendrick stated. "Immediately when I heard the beat, I just want to take people on that ride, on that journey. It's about being a teenager from L.A. and being influenced by your peers."
Punch described it as "the action scene" in the album's movie-like structure: "The lyrics tell you every single step."
Produced by DJ Dahi, "Money Trees" explores materialism in impoverished environments. "That's about temptation. After the ride of going on 'The Art of Peer Pressure,' you listen to that, and that was the mind state of thinking everything is about a dollar," Kendrick explained.
Jay Rock's verse was originally intended for a remix but proved too impressive to exclude. "When bro get in his zone, he gets in his zone," Jay Rock said of Kendrick's creative process. "When he heard [my verse] he was like 'Man, you took it to the next level.'"
Sampling Janet Jackson's "Any Time, Any Place," this Scoop DeVille-produced track features Drake. "If you listen to 'Poetic Justice,' it's a song about a chick saying these legs are poems. On the back end of that, is really the Sherane joint, so it's a dedication song for Sherane," Kendrick explained.
Scoop DeVille described the sample as "so crazy so the fact that it was even cleared amazes me." Punch noted the track's lengthy development: "That was probably one of the more difficult records because we knew people would love that record and it could possibly be a smash, so it took a while before we could get the right approach."
Pharrell Williams produced this introspective track during sessions in Miami. "That represents the space I was in. Knowing that you're doing wrong things, but at the same time, you're a good kid at heart," Kendrick explained.
Pharrell offered extraordinarily high praise: "Kendrick is the black Bob Dylan. He's the most phenomenal MC and his album will completely change the direction of hip-hop. It's the most poetic, honest shit. He's giving us rap songs full of hope."
Produced by Sounwave, THC, and Terrace Martin, this track represents Compton's harsh realities. "'m.A.A.d city' is the turn up. That's the side of Compton that everybody knows, the aggressive side," Kendrick explained.
The track features Compton rap veteran MC Eiht, who provided authenticity to the narrative. "MC Eiht gave us the stamp [by getting on that track]," Kendrick noted. "He recognized that he's actually been in that world too." Eiht appreciated Kendrick's respect for hip-hop history: "A lot of young cats don't like to pay homage to the older generation of rap. Seeing that I was sort of a little influence on him, it was just good to be a part of his album."
T-Minus produced this track addressing alcohol culture. "I wanted to do something that felt good, but had a meaning behind it at the same time," Kendrick explained. "What better way to make something universal than to speak about drinking? I'm coming from a household where you had to make a decision—you were either a casual drinker or you were a drunk."
T-Minus appreciated the song's depth: "A lot of people, when they first hear it, they think it's just about drinking and the positive effects of getting drunk. But this record talks about the negative effects as well."
"Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" is a two-part, 12-minute track represents the album's emotional center. "That's the story of it all right there," Kendrick stated. "In that song I'm breaking down the actual incident that changed my life: One of my partners had got smoked and I was right there to witness it."
The second part, "Dying of Thirst," represents spiritual awakening after meeting "an older lady" who "broke down what life is really about to us." Punch described these two songs as "probably the heaviest and deepest songs" on the album.
Produced by Terrace Martin, this track redefines authenticity beyond street credibility. "On that record, it was me getting an understanding of what real is, and my pops breaking down on that record," Kendrick explained. "Real is taking care of your family. Real is responsibility. Real is believing in a high power, believing in God."
Terrace Martin compared Kendrick to jazz legend John Coltrane: "Kendrick Lamar is the John Coltrane of today... Coltrane was soft-spoken, like Kendrick, and he wanted to be better and better, like Kendrick. Everybody had been calling Coltrane the best, but he said, 'Nah, I'm not the best. I'm going to get better, and better, and better.' Same thing with Kendrick."
Just Blaze produced this celebratory closing track featuring Dr. Dre. "That's the start of my life. That's the start of the positivity that I kept in," Kendrick explained. "The movie ends after 'Real.' You'll hear the cassette loading. It ends with 'Real.' The new chapter starts with 'Compton.'"
Remarkably, it was the first song Kendrick ever recorded with Dr. Dre: "One of the reasons why it's the perfect song is that the history behind that song is incredible. It was the first song I ever recorded with Dre. It was the first time meeting him and actually walking in the studio, that was the beat that was playing."
The album included several bonus tracks that expanded its thematic universe:
"The Recipe" featuring Dr. Dre, produced by Scoop DeVille, was released as a street single before the album. "That was the warm-up to let people really know what's coming," Kendrick explained. Punch noted it serves as "an overview of Los Angeles outside of Compton."
"Black Boy Fly," produced by Rahki and Dawaun Parker, reflects on those who escaped Compton before Kendrick. "That song is talking about everybody that I seen winning in the city when I was growing up," Kendrick explained, specifically mentioning NBA player Arron Afflalo and rapper Game (Jayceon Taylor).
"Now or Never" featuring Mary J. Blige, produced by Jack Splash, represents Kendrick's perspective at the time of recording. "That's me acknowledging everything that's going on right now [in my life]... Actually seeing the [dreams] that I had years ago coming true and recognizing that this is a celebration," Kendrick stated.
"Collect Calls," produced by THC, addresses incarceration from a personal perspective. "I'm speaking from the standpoint of hearing my uncles or my homeboys, always trying to break through the line and get their mother or get their grandmother to take the block off the line," Kendrick explained.
Notably absent was "Cartoons & Cereal" featuring Gunplay, which couldn't be included due to sample clearance issues. "If we were to try and re-do the sample, it would take away the original feeling of it. We didn't want to risk it," Punch explained.
"good kid, m.A.A.d city" employs sophisticated narrative techniques rarely seen in hip-hop albums. Its nonlinear storytelling, character development, and thematic complexity more closely resemble literary or cinematic approaches than typical music album structures.
The album's interludes featuring recordings of Kendrick's parents and friends create narrative continuity and authenticity. "The skits bring the storyline together," Kendrick explained. "Those skits are actually my real mother and father. Those are people that I was raised by, so I decided to put them in the skits as themselves. And those are my real homeboys being themselves."
Punch emphasized the interludes' narrative function: "50 Cent always said, 'It's hard to capture a whole story in three minutes so you need certain aids and guides to go along with that to get a bigger picture of what's going on.' The skits aren't just random stuff. It goes on there because like everything else, it plays a part in this short film."
The album's narrative follows Kendrick through various experiences—meeting Sherane, participating in a house robbery with friends, encountering violence, and eventually finding spiritual awakening. This day-in-the-life structure provides a framework for exploring broader themes of environment, choice, and transformation.
"good kid, m.A.A.d city" emerged during a transformative period in hip-hop, when the internet was reshaping music distribution and consumption patterns. The album's emphasis on narrative cohesion and conceptual integrity stood in contrast to the singles-driven approach dominating mainstream hip-hop at the time.
By chronicling Compton's realities—a city previously immortalized in hip-hop by N.W.A, Dr. Dre, and others—Kendrick simultaneously honored and reimagined West Coast hip-hop traditions. MC Eiht noted that Kendrick presented "a Compton that's very different from the one Dre and Snoop blessed us with."
The album received universal acclaim from critics, who praised its narrative complexity, thematic depth, and production quality. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and eventually achieved triple platinum certification by the RIAA. Despite its critical acclaim, the album controversially won none of its Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Rap Album.
Over a decade after its release, "good kid, m.A.A.d city" remains influential across musical genres. Its impact on hip-hop culture is immeasurable, establishing new standards for artistic ambition within mainstream rap. By achieving both critical acclaim and commercial success without compromising conceptual integrity, the album demonstrated that artistic depth and market viability could coexist.
As MixedByAli observed, the album resonates particularly with "80s babies" who experienced similar circumstances growing up: "Everybody in our age bracket has experienced at least one thing that he talks about on this album... This album is us, it's ours, it's the '80s babies album. Listening to it, you have no choice but to relive something you experienced growing up."
The album's production approaches influenced countless producers seeking to create immersive sonic landscapes rather than isolated beats. Its commercial success encouraged major labels to invest in projects with similar artistic ambition, expanding the parameters of commercially viable hip-hop.
Academic institutions including Harvard University have incorporated the album into curricula analyzing its literary techniques, sociological insights, and musical innovations. This academic engagement cements the album's cultural significance beyond entertainment, positioning it as a text worthy of serious critical examination.
Punch summarized TDE's ambitions following the album's success: "This is everything we've been working for. Imagine starting out with zero fans, alone in the studio making music, to doing shows with five thousand people there. This album is just the stamp. It's a mark in what we're ultimately trying to be. We want to be dominant, to be mentioned with the great companies: Roc-A-Fella, Death Row, Cash Money all the way up to Interscope and Aftermath."
"good kid, m.A.A.d city" represents not merely an album but a multifaceted cultural document capturing specific experiences of Black youth in urban America while engaging universal themes of identity formation and moral development. Through meticulous production, innovative storytelling, and unflinching autobiographical detail, Kendrick Lamar created what Punch described as their collective aim: "a classic album" worthy of comparison to seminal works like Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt," Dr. Dre's "The Chronic," and Nas's "Illmatic."
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The Making of Kendrick Lamar's 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' by Complex
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