Welcome to Album Rush, where I go through a random album every week for my amusement.
Illmatic Review
Classic
Standout
NY State Of Mind – Bangers and Mash
ONE TAKE. TO MAKE THIS. AT 19
Nas’s lyrics on “NY State of Mind” are incredibly dense and complex, with intricate rhymes and wordplay that demand repeated listens to fully appreciate. He raps about everything from drug deals and shootouts to police brutality and racism, all with a sense of urgency and authenticity that is rare in hip-hop.
On tracks like “One Love” and “Represent,” Nas paints a vivid picture of the daily grind of survival in the projects.
One of my personal favorite tracks on the album, “Memory Lane” sees him reflecting on his childhood and coming of age in the projects.
9/10
Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
“I don’t want a Sherane in my life but I’d love to have a Whitney” – Me, rn
I love this album, listened to it a lot. It introduced me to Kendrick, who is easily my #1 artist. I wrote (and trashed) a review on each individual song about 2 years ago, but now I want to do this again.
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is the second studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, released in 2012. The album is a concept record that tells the story of Lamar’s upbringing in Compton, California, exploring themes of family, violence, drugs, and the struggle to overcome the challenges of life in a crime-ridden environment.
It does so by being structured like a movie or a play, with each song serving as a chapter in the larger narrative. However, these chapters are not in chronological order.
By leaving behind the linear narrative structure and adopting the somewhat cohesive list, Kendrick is able to explore the themes of the album in a more layered way. He’s able to examine the effects of violence, drugs, and gang culture on his community from multiple perspectives, rather than simply presenting a straightforward story. This lays the groundwork for his future albums, To Pimp a Butterfly and Mr Morale & The Big Steppers, both of which examine the effects of generational trauma. The album’s non-linear structure also allows for moments of reflection, as Kendrick looks back on his past experiences and realizes the significance of the events he’s lived through.
Part 1/3 Of the Trilogy
Here’s a link to a playlist which will contain my fav songs from these albums. (Album Rush albums)
If you wanna read about some of the other stuff I write about then
here
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