Good Kid, mAAd City is cinematic and tells a gripping specific narrative. 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. The first track, “Sherane aka Master Splinter’s Daughter” isn’t really the beginning of the story but rather sets the stage. Picture the beginning of Reservoir Dogs and the now infamous Madonna and “No Tipping” monologues. They don’t necessarily push the story forward but they create the world that you’re about to step into. In this song, you step into the mindset of Lamar’s persona, K Dot, who’s the protagonist of the story. K-Dot, is meeting with a girl named “Sherane” and much like in a Tarantino film, the story doesn’t exactly follow one thread. It’s filled with fits and starts, twists and turns. The skits following the songs are concise but actually feature Kendrick’s friends and mother and father. They’re what pull the story completely together. 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.
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.Ī picture of this van is also featured on the deluxe version of the record. 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. She later released it herself, to Lamar’s surprise. The skit that ends “B_ch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” once again pushes the story along. In it we hear K Dot’s friends telling him to meet them in the car where they have a beat CD. “Backseat Freestyle” and “The Art of Peer Pressure” naturally flow together. 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. 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. There’s less bravado with this but more of an internal conflict.