It's the Grammy's, who gives a fuck? They;ve been garbage for decades. I don't see why people actually care about stuff like this. Taylor Swift robbed TPAB a year or two after the Macklemore thing. I didn't even watch that Grammy's, I only know this b/c I've just heard people cry about it incessantly for years. When will people stop paying attention to them ffs
This album has aged really well 10 years down the line, songs like don’t kill my vibe and the title track still feel so ahead of the curve and feel like they changed so much in hip hop when they dropped!
What do you mean by “what it was in the moment”? As in like, it was such a monumental record that it woke people up to the fact something like this could even be made?
I agree but tbh Damn has aged the worst of his four studio albums. Still a very good record though. Kendrick's songwriting over the years has been genius.
thats def a characteristic i hadnt appreciated about it, i just personally dislike the repetitive way he'll end a lot of sentences getting slower and lower with his voice, and just in general the lower tone he speaks in, it sounds kinda unnatural compared to how he talks now
Relating to your last point about the old woman easily convincing them to choose a good life: not every one did. In fact, Kendrick’s friend whose brother died went against the advice of the old woman and was shot too, in the part where he says “and if I die before your album drops I hope-.” So not everyone followed religion to peace. I think that helps to convey more nuance in the narrative.
@@lemonadejakey4825 yeah something felt off about his vibe to the album back then and even what he was saying in this video seems odd, something is ticking him off about this album, one of the strangest 9 score ever.
Okay a few things I need help clearing up, doesn’t that verse and line come before they meet the religious lady? Maybe it’s not linear, it’s a retrospective verse i’m guessing. However what still doesn’t make sense is how his friend dying has a direct or indirect connection to him not choosing the religious path? Isn’t the entire album about a good kid in a mad city where anything can happen even when you’re doing what’s “right”? Isn’t that why the gun shots come right when he says “I hope”? Maybe a better example of not choosing the religious path is the woman in the 2nd verse but she wasn’t with the religious lady. So I guess I’m just wondering how him dying connects to not choosing the religious path the lady told him about?
The fact that mainstream Billboards like the Billboard 200 still have this in the top 50 ten years later just show the effect on the industry this album had. It’s absolutely revolutionary at every corner, pushing lyricism boundaries and leading the new concept of story telling albums. Easily a 10/10 ‘Sing about me I’m dying of thirst’ and ‘Backseat freestyle’ will never be forgotten.
I remember my dad showing me ‘the internets busiest music nerd’ in the early days of RUclips. Never really thought that I’d be here listening to a 10 year retrospect take on the on the same guy this far down the line. Love it.
Honestly same. I saw a headline somewhere that this album was the focus of a college seminar and I was like huh, let me youtube a review of this thing. I had already listened to it 80% of the way thru and loved it by that point
I was 17 when that lp dropped, a classic and one of the most influential albums in my life. for me kendrick will never top gkmc, simply because of the emotions that are tied to this and what it means to me. king kendrick 👑
Yeah, TPAB is a great album too, but in my opinion people are way too quick to call it his best. I honestly think a lot of the insistence that TPAB is his single best album is mostly due to herd mentality around it and what taste-makers have told fans is his best (Anthony included, sorry). It's totally fair for someone to say TPAB is their favorite, it's great, but it's very different and none of his albums to this day have hit me as hard as Good Kid Maad City did. I think GKMC is his best.
@@kidamnesiak1 For sure, GKMC is my favorite as well. I think the album just hooks you with that very personal and emotional aspect, the fact that it’s Kendrick just actually telling us a crucial story from a very important point in his life. I love TPAB, and I also love it’s more political focus, but man, GKMC’s focus on Kendrick’s personal experiences, stories, and emotions just does it for me. Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst will always be my favorite Kendrick song because it exemplifies all that I love about GKMC perfectly
@@kidamnesiak1 I just think TPAB is a tighter, more experimental, cohesive, layered, and mature record as a whole. GKMC is utterly fantastic, and does everything that TPAB does, but just not to the same extent imo. GKMC is probably a more accessible record and it’s easier to go back and listen to individual songs, whereas TPAB sort of demands that you listen to the whole album. I totally respect people enjoying GKMC more, but looking at each album as a sole piece of art rather than a collection of songs, TPAB is not only better, in my estimation; It may be the greatest album ever made.
It’s crazy when you react to your old reviews and me remembering I was 12 watching this when it came out lol and I’m still watching you now. Literally just enjoyed seeing someone else be just as big of a nerd for music as me since I was a kid
As a newer Kendrick Lamar fan, good kid mad city was something that took me a while to appreciate (as well as some of the songs on TPAB) but I’m so glad I took the time to listen to it more and read the lyrics. I tear up sometimes listening to any one of the tracks from this album. Thank you Kenny
This album and TPAB are both 10s to me, but I also don't get bored from Real like a lot of people do. I have good memories coming home from work at 4 am with the windows down and no one on the highway with this album blasting. Felt like I was the only person in the world just enjoying the breeze and listening to one of the greatest albums of all time.
@@keldonjohnson1 poetic justice isn’t a favourite of mine, the only song on the album I don’t thoroughly enjoy. Still a near perfect experience in my opinion, totally get why people would rate it a 10/10.
I think that in his review, Anthony really got caught up just explaining the concept of the album, which is always a pet peeve of mine in reviews. But in this case, I think it was just clear how much Anthony was sucked into the album. I remember being like "Wow, Anthony is just gushing about this thing, he seems like he was really sucked in." This album is so good, definitely the defining album of my young adulthood.
The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees, mAAd city, Swimming Pools and Sing About Me are just incredible and historic songs in rap history, and it’s amazing that they all came together within the same 6 track window. By far my favorite album of all time
I don’t see anyone talking about how gnarly and trippy the instrumental for Sherane was, what a way to open an album. And all the sketches are so iconic “Kenny where my damn dominoes at”
Honestly, I dont think it was just a sudden change to be a more positive moment by the end of the song. I always thought that there was that underlying voice in the back of his mind that said that he doesnt really want to do this. I'd like to think that Sing about me is the many weeks or months of Kendricks main character processing the loss of his brother and contemplating it as his death makes him more and more weary. I'm dying of thirst is that final realization for that character who's tired of all the bullshit in his life and finally turning to god to finally turn his life around. Like, that underlying voice in his head finally won out.
gkmc had Section.80 to build it up. To me both those albums are companion pieces. All 4 of his albums are classics. TPAB is my favorite album but considering we’re grading greatness with greatness is a testament to how important Kendrick is. Can’t wait for the next album.
@@malcolmcouturier6993 It is, honestly. Damn cemented Kendrick on Mainstream, and he never left the billboard ever since. Damn is also his most well-written album, since the story is kinda the focus.
This would actually be a nice series to do, I think. I'd love to see you react to some of your more prolific reviews 10 years later. Can't wait to see what you think of Channel Orange.
I’ve always interpreted the ending with them being baptized and reborn in holy water as another form of escapism. Swimming pools of liquor to drown your sorrows in feel thematically parallel to “hop in that water and pray that it works”. I know Kendrick is religious himself but maybe he’s admitting that religion too can be a form of escapism for people in his situation, which isn’t far fetched when u consider how popular religion is in poor and impoverished communities. Regardless, that’s the benefit of a narrative only told through song lyrics and short voice clips - there’s a lot of room for interpretation.
Kendrick deliberately allowed for this album to be interpreted but I’ve always seen a link between Swimming pools and Sing about me I’m dying of thirst
GKMC is a masterpiece, a classic album. Kendrick went hard on every single song, features were amazing and each beats was unique yet felt like they all belonged together.
Didn’t listen to this album fully for the first time til 2019, and it still sounded fresh and catchy. Was not expecting a hip hop album from 2012 to hold up that well
@@MatchaCutie14 I haven't gotten around to listening to the album yet. I'm going to watch it soon tho. I've listened to Section.80 and remember enjoying it (but barely remember it because I've listened to it once and it was a while ago). I didn't really enjoy TPAB both times I've listened to it. I don't understand all the hype. I appreciate the philosophical element, but I'm only really into one song off of it.
@@just-a-me1168 trust me you ll get drawn back and realize what a masterpiece tpab is, first listen i disregarded it as boring then after months i came back and i listened to it i was so into it thats i started trying to dissect every little aspect. Id go to school and all id think about would be the tracks and that i wanted to go back home and listen to it again 🤣
I absolutely love these videos Anthony. As a subscriber since 2011 it’s nice nostalgia, it’s a good measurement of your progression of your channel, and it’s a gentle celebration of the album. Keep it up
lol, listened to the album when it came out, because my friend burned me a CD of it, along with copies of Wolf by Tyler and Channel Orange. my first impression was that the production was fucking weird, clean, and idiosyncratic. i had never heard anything like it. at school people had been saying "pour up, drank." or whatever and when that song came on it threw me for a loop because i didn't know that was a kendrick song. maybe, because i was so young, i didnt absorb a lot of the storyline that you talked about. i obviously knew the themes of fantasy and coping with life, because me and my annoying hipster friends would be like "omg, they totally don't know that this song isn't about partying." but i don't remember the full story of the record. i lived in a small southern town, so for me the album was a portrait of a life i've never known and a way to explore the characters of people i'd never met.they're still amazing party songs, with a depth that's never bottomed out after a million listens. i used to drive around, delivering pizzas and play it for 8hrs straight. lol, along with Acid Rap. the album is quintessentially 2010s, all the good things that the decade should have been. it couldnt be made any other time than when it was, and i feel like it was a future that we never reached. lol didnt realize i had so many thoughts about this album, i can't even figure out how to explain how surreal and progressive the production is on that album.
I would definitely like to hear more on your thoughts about “the future we never reached” that’s another topic that could be fleshed it among countless people. Great point made
This was a good ALBUM. It deserves to be listened to as a whole. MC Eiht was a highlight. The skits where the 'Mom' calling him to get the van back so she can get to the welfare office seem like a slice of life for us poorer folks in Arkansas.
I always felt that while TPAB was incredible in its scale and ambition, GKMC was tighter, more cohesive and had a better flow to it. They're like Sgt Pepper and The White Album.
I think what you say here is valid. I like to remember that TPAB was intentionally meant to have some avant-garde choppiness to it though. Think of it as still cohesive, but with the finish of a layered collage rather than a smooth painting (like GKMC)
I'm happy you did this... because to this day I randomly watch that review while eating or something. I was very young when the album came out, you put me on and helped me understand most of it
I was in 2nd grade when I first heard Swimming Pools on the radio, I was actually in my moms dark purple van (not sure if it was a caravan, but you get it). At that time, the radio was my only concept of music, I didn't even know what albums were. Now I'm almost 19, and this album fills me with so much nostalgia.
His change at the end isn’t as simple as running into the old woman. Dave’s death and the verses on Sing About me Dying of thirst really confront his fear of death and the exhaustion of his environment (tired of running). Not to mention the harsh perspectives/realities of the people around him deeply affected by the maad city (Dave’s brother and Keisha’s sister). These all influence his turn to the right path in the end.
Plus his internal conflicts with morality on the art of peer pressure and recognising the systematic oppression and racial profiling in his environment on good kid and money trees.
10 years from now Melon will put out a 40 minute review reacting to his reaction of the review and bumping this classic up to a strong 10 🙏 true Bo Burnham style
Regarding what you said about how the conclusion felt abrupt, I partially agree. I feel like Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst interrupts the cycle of revenge and violence with two things respectively: 1) The first part of the song talks about mourning. This is complex, because it’s about the friend mourning his brother, the friend mourning HIMSELF, the friend’s gratitude to Kendrick for his friendship, etc. There’s some real vulnerability confronting that grief. If Kendrick and his friends are on the path to suffering, this represents that momentum grinding to a halt. 2) the second part of the song addresses the realization that there is something missing. They are dying of thirst, an unquenchable ache that tells them that their life is lacking something. You could call it grace, unconditional love, a greater purpose, but Kendrick can’t say for sure. He just knows something is missing, and theres an insufferable dissatisfaction because of it. This represents turning away from that dark path and eagerly committing to moving in a different direction. Regarding the sudden introduction of God and Christian faith, I will say two things: 1) the song good kid introduces the fact that Kendrick’s already wrestling with faith. His conscience is conflicted because on some level he thinks he should be letting God guide him. “I should ask a choir ‘what do you require…’” But his animosity and bitterness hold him back. So for Kendrick, this conflict has been foreshadowed, but I agree that the turnaround is quick, and there is no deliberation; Kendrick and his friends seek purpose and escape from the cycle, and immediately find a trusted loved one with a hand out ready to give them a way out. I would argue that the speed with which these you men attach themselves to this is a testament to their eagerness, but also their lack of other options. some more context on the good kid lyric: “I should ask a choir ‘what do you require to sing a song that acquire me to have faith?’ As the record spin I should pray for the record, I recognize that I am easily prey I got ate alive yesterday I got animosity buildin’, it’s probably big as a buildin’” When he mentions that he is easily prey, while it seems like he’s almost definitely talking about the gang violence and police brutality he describes himself being subjected to a little later in the song, I would argue that the placement of that line earlier in the song is saying that he is being preyed upon by his own conscience and faith as well. I believe that the album is setting up for Kendrick and his friends to feel as though they have only 2 real choices: the streets and the gangster/hustler lifestyle or faith. So there’s no debate; if you reject one lifestyle, you accept the other.
This is pretty interesting, you should consider doing more of a deep dive on previously reviewed albums or classic albums. So in addition to reviews, another format of content could be album breakdowns where you get into the nitty gritty details of what made an album great in a way you wouldn't normally be able to in just a standard review.
This album is so important to me. Before this, the only hip hop i listened to was stuff like Doomtree, Brother Ali and Sage Francis. This album introduced me to the more popular hip hop world. Coming from a punk rock and hardcore background, mainstream hiphop was a sin to listen to. This showed me that these guys have more to offer and now this album is still in heavy rotation for me. Hell, I listened to it twice yesterday lol anyways this album is definitely in my top 5 favorite albums of all time.
its not just the old lady that changes Kendricks direction though, the voicemails from his parents through out the album have the same message and the old lady gives him a reason to listen to that message. the voicemails are so brilliant and illustrate the narrative of the album so well, they show us that people are a product of their environment and Kendrick shows their are two environments; the home and outside world. the outside world influences everyone and Kendrick and his parents are hood. the argument about the dominoes shows their language, pastimes and mannerisms are what we would associate with African American hood culture, but on the serious end his parents always steer him away from the streets and the violence, with him mum talking about missing school, his dad saying killing doesnt make you a real man that providing does, that Kendrick shouldnt make the same mistakes as him, his mum then talking about making a better life and giving back to his community. i love the voicemails they bring us into Kendricks environment with the vernacular but show us that even in an environment full of poverty and violence people like Kendricks parents can see a better way and instill that message in others, it shows the importance parenting plays in our personal development and in society.
Thats hilarious I just listened to this record this morning. It was not my favorite first listen (coming from a white kid in a very rich city) it definitely has grown on me since then.
Growing up as a Black kid in a low income city in Southern California, I, and others around me, thought it was an instant classic on first listen. I don’t think I have related to almost any album more than this it just captures what it’s like trying to avoid trouble but it being around you and just living with the consequences. On top of that, the Tarantino style out of order story was so mind blowing I still remember trying to piece it together
@@TheHappybunny671 Yeah man I totally get that. I am of the mind set that tpab is the greatest rap album of all time, and possibly the greatest album period, but even with that mind set and it being my favorite rap album, I still will never be able to truly relate to it like some people can.
@@jonasjorgensen8759 No it's not about that. While skin color can go into it, being white does not mean you cannot understand it. It was more of just another thing to add to the rich city thing. Music is for the people, not for certain ethnicities.
I love these reflections on his previous reviews because he has another chance to use his experience to articulate his thoughts even better and allows us to see new updates to what he's thinking about these classics.
Young Anthony looks so naive and innocent, versus Old Anthony. Whom looks like he is jaded and sounds like he smokes weed in hiding. Truly the most interesting character arch.
It takes an amazing artist to transport the listener to another time and place, which this one does to me entirely. I feel young and naive again listening to GKMC. What a fucking masterpiece.
Y'all sleeping on the track "good kid". Another incredible beat from Pharrell, and Kendrick is ON FIRE on that track. "But what am I supposed to do with the blinking of red and blue Flash from the top of your roof and your dog has to say woof And you ask, "Lift up your shirt" cause you wonder if a tattoo Of affiliation can make it a pleasure to put me through Gang files, but that don't matter because the matter is racial profile I heard them chatter: "He's probably young but I know that he's down" Step on his neck as hard as your bullet proof vest He don't mind, he know we'll never respect, the good kid, m.A.A.d. city"
What you said about the end with that abrupt decision change. I felt like that was a little odd at first as well, but then I saw Boyz In The Hood, which is something that K Dot has said inspired him for this album, and it's actually the exact same story. The main character changes his mind in an instant at the end of the movie.
I still stand by to this day that if you had to showcase a hip hop song to someone who had never heard the genre before, Madd City would be the track to use.
Great point. I remember that perception of Backseat Freestyle and after realizing how it fits into the overall narrative. I remember not judging TPAB singles so much at face value as a result.
My top 10 GKMC songs 1 Money Trees 2 Sing About Me I'm Dying of Thirst 3 Art of Peer Pressure 4 Maad City 5 Black Boy Fly 6 Backstreet Freestyle 7Good Kid 8 Swimming Pools 9 Poetic Justice 10 Real
I listen to this album almost every week or even songs from it, just yesterday I found myself analyzing for the 500 time some lyrics. They just never seem to keep unraveling new and deeper meaning. Some bars just hit different even if you know them already.
i think i first listened to gkmc in may this year and i didn't like it very much because it had such an innovative vibe, but when i listened to it again on august it just clicked right. for me it's about a 9.6/10, the album literally scratches perfection (tpab would be 10/10), and i just love every song on it, especially the art of peer pressure and sing about me, i'm dying of thirst. i don't know how they did it, but dre and kenny managed to reinvent the sound of conscious hip hop with a stunning literary masterpiece, and yet it still is incredibly catchy and enjoyable. one of my favourite albums of all time for sure. and don't worry melon, the review is very good ❤
Still kendricks best work to date imo. Perfect balance of concept, hits, vibe, aesthetic, all of it is near perfect. Tpab is very, very good but the aura he captured on section 80 and gkmc is inexplainably compelling. Damn was alright, kinda disappointing for kendricks standards so im very intrigued as to what we get from him this year. Nonetheless, arguably the best rapper of the 2010s, three classic albums.
I wish I could have my memories listening to this erased. I remember being 17 first hearing Swimming Pools and it stuck with me since; I actually relistened to it for the first time in a long time and it made me feel 17 again. With that said, this is still my favorite Kendrick album,
This is testament to Kendrick not dropping. Anthony wants to review him so bad that he is re-reviewing the same album.
Subscribed.
Can you blame him
Anthony is so egotistical he'll review himself
@@regirayquaza lmfao why xDD
@@regirayquaza or he just loves Kendrick and wanted to go over some other points he didn't touch upon
@@dastricpastrificus553 And maybe my comment was a silly joke about the idea of reacting to yourself despite how cool it is to get more insight
"Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" is such a masterpiece. Definitely my favourite song of that decade.
100% one of the only songs i can listen to on repeat forever
Without a doubt, that opening verse is timeless.
@@all-caps3927 I can't even choose between those first 3 verses. All are so good
One of the few songs that actually made me tear up. Kendrick really did his thing in that song.
Def my favorite Kendrick song hands down
Great album, just don't know if Kendrick can follow this up with like a 10/10 album though
I guess we'll see what this new young rapper has next 🤣
don’t think it’s even possible to surpass tpab
@@MichellBollinger he already did, with gkmc.
@@MichellBollinger you missed the joke
This is better than TPAB even though TPAB is more meaningful
Never forget that Maclemore's album robbed GKMC at the Grammy's.
Yeah bad call on the Grammy's part. Even Macklemore felt bad winning lol
Taylor Swift's album robbed TPAB too. Altho that was a solid pop album, TPAB was the best music of that year.
It's the Grammy's, who gives a fuck? They;ve been garbage for decades. I don't see why people actually care about stuff like this. Taylor Swift robbed TPAB a year or two after the Macklemore thing. I didn't even watch that Grammy's, I only know this b/c I've just heard people cry about it incessantly for years. When will people stop paying attention to them ffs
Grammys aint shit
White folks gone white folk
If melon and his viewers, all got along, they’ll probably have me dead by the end of the song
Nice censoring of gun me down lol
Seem like the whole comment section go against me
@@dtrfilms___9536 every time i see a 6 i go gah! gah! gah! gah!
@@zachservello7846 new album's out, where you from, brotha?
Good watcher maad comments
This album has aged really well 10 years down the line, songs like don’t kill my vibe and the title track still feel so ahead of the curve and feel like they changed so much in hip hop when they dropped!
Sing about me, I'm dying of thirst as also aged very well
@Chase M midnight marauders or low end theory?
I don’t get down like that
@@Kai_fire_master gotta go with midnight but only by like a fraction difference lol, both are flawless
Which title track?
It really is hard to describe the revelation that this album was in the moment. It was like waking up when you didn't know you had fell asleep.
Hey! Love your videos! ❤️
I didn't think you watched white youtubers
@@InTrancedState Fantano is white! (unsubscribes)
What do you mean by “what it was in the moment”? As in like, it was such a monumental record that it woke people up to the fact something like this could even be made?
F.D you’re amazing, absolutely love your videos keep it up!!!
15:43
The smile when Anthony says 'Drake and Kendrick are so different artists" hits so different now :)
i love how how all of Kendrick’s albums have aged so well
He's only saying that cause he's an amzing artist
I agree but tbh Damn has aged the worst of his four studio albums. Still a very good record though.
Kendrick's songwriting over the years has been genius.
@@eliasswift2921 how did it age bad? or do you mean not bad, just worse than the others
@@eliasswift2921 to me it's more that I'm not really drawn back to it rather than it having aged badly, but I see what you mean
@@eliasswift2921 i think damn has aged pretty well, i think people overhate is just because of how commercial it sounds :/
Kinda love that Anthony's level of scrutiny is so high that he talked about his reviewing skills like he was about to give himself a light to decent 6
I actually really love Anthony’s old delivery. He sounded so chill and intelligent, almost like he is speaking directly to you.
He had a twang of a new england accent back then on his vowels for sure haha
thats def a characteristic i hadnt appreciated about it, i just personally dislike the repetitive way he'll end a lot of sentences getting slower and lower with his voice, and just in general the lower tone he speaks in, it sounds kinda unnatural compared to how he talks now
its naivety. Now hes jaded for obvious reasons
I liked it better back then too sounded better
@@Nerdz2 the nav affect
just watched this review the other day and realized it’s nearly 10 years old. time really flies
Ratio didn't ask btw
Just realised this guy is almost 40
@@elijahthagoat cold
Kinda rude how Fantano just blatantly steals a lower sub channels content to play for us while he files his taxes in the background.
You still doing that tired meme in 2022? Please let it rest in peace.
@@milk_bath no I'm doing this retro meme in 3036. Umadbro?
@@Ehh..... Not mad, just pity you. 😕
@@milk_bath lol yeah you mad.
@@Ehh..... Sure, ok. Watch me seethe, I guess.
Relating to your last point about the old woman easily convincing them to choose a good life: not every one did. In fact, Kendrick’s friend whose brother died went against the advice of the old woman and was shot too, in the part where he says “and if I die before your album drops I hope-.” So not everyone followed religion to peace. I think that helps to convey more nuance in the narrative.
God. That is heavy.
Thank you. Glad someone brought it up, it seems to me that people forget about that part because of how much is happening throughout the song.
@@lemonadejakey4825 yeah something felt off about his vibe to the album back then and even what he was saying in this video seems odd, something is ticking him off about this album, one of the strangest 9 score ever.
Aye I’m a Houston artist and Ik you don’t like giving niggas a chance but I got put forward my effort. I’d love if ya’ll SUB and listen to my album.
Okay a few things I need help clearing up, doesn’t that verse and line come before they meet the religious lady? Maybe it’s not linear, it’s a retrospective verse i’m guessing. However what still doesn’t make sense is how his friend dying has a direct or indirect connection to him not choosing the religious path? Isn’t the entire album about a good kid in a mad city where anything can happen even when you’re doing what’s “right”? Isn’t that why the gun shots come right when he says “I hope”? Maybe a better example of not choosing the religious path is the woman in the 2nd verse but she wasn’t with the religious lady. So I guess I’m just wondering how him dying connects to not choosing the religious path the lady told him about?
The fact that mainstream Billboards like the Billboard 200 still have this in the top 50 ten years later just show the effect on the industry this album had. It’s absolutely revolutionary at every corner, pushing lyricism boundaries and leading the new concept of story telling albums. Easily a 10/10 ‘Sing about me I’m dying of thirst’ and ‘Backseat freestyle’ will never be forgotten.
I remember my dad showing me ‘the internets busiest music nerd’ in the early days of RUclips. Never really thought that I’d be here listening to a 10 year retrospect take on the on the same guy this far down the line. Love it.
"Every second, very minute, man I swear that she can get it"
excuse me what
@@harryhollows4833 SAY IF YOU A BAD BITCH PUT YA HANDS UP HIGH
@@harryhollows4833 poetic justice
@@timroth296 HANDS UP HIGH
@Harry Hollows You gottabea fake fan if you're not familiar with this
This album was a 10 to me when it dropped and 10 years later it’s still a 10
same!
20/10
Strong 10, robbed at the Grammys
I was just scared that Actress album was gonna fall off the shelf
This is proof that Anthony is a cyborg, the man doesn't age
Melons don't age.
@@zackzallie8735 I would agree if you were right
He’s developed healthier habits it seems! Could very well be one reason
The real Anthony is dead, Aiden. The current man you know is indeed a cyborg, and it has hidden the corpse in the basement
@@TeenXtacy well damn..
This was the first review I ever saw from Melon. 9 years later, here we are
Honestly same. I saw a headline somewhere that this album was the focus of a college seminar and I was like huh, let me youtube a review of this thing. I had already listened to it 80% of the way thru and loved it by that point
I was 17 when that lp dropped, a classic and one of the most influential albums in my life. for me kendrick will never top gkmc, simply because of the emotions that are tied to this and what it means to me. king kendrick 👑
Yeah, TPAB is a great album too, but in my opinion people are way too quick to call it his best. I honestly think a lot of the insistence that TPAB is his single best album is mostly due to herd mentality around it and what taste-makers have told fans is his best (Anthony included, sorry). It's totally fair for someone to say TPAB is their favorite, it's great, but it's very different and none of his albums to this day have hit me as hard as Good Kid Maad City did. I think GKMC is his best.
GMC gang lessgooo
@@kidamnesiak1 For sure, GKMC is my favorite as well. I think the album just hooks you with that very personal and emotional aspect, the fact that it’s Kendrick just actually telling us a crucial story from a very important point in his life. I love TPAB, and I also love it’s more political focus, but man, GKMC’s focus on Kendrick’s personal experiences, stories, and emotions just does it for me. Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst will always be my favorite Kendrick song because it exemplifies all that I love about GKMC perfectly
I was 8 years old, one of my influences
@@kidamnesiak1 I just think TPAB is a tighter, more experimental, cohesive, layered, and mature record as a whole. GKMC is utterly fantastic, and does everything that TPAB does, but just not to the same extent imo. GKMC is probably a more accessible record and it’s easier to go back and listen to individual songs, whereas TPAB sort of demands that you listen to the whole album. I totally respect people enjoying GKMC more, but looking at each album as a sole piece of art rather than a collection of songs, TPAB is not only better, in my estimation; It may be the greatest album ever made.
Just wanna say that you've aged as well as this album has Anthony
Hairline still solid
this is legitimately nice and cute. thanks joel
You a real one Joe
He’s really had a great run thus far, love it
He’s a good kid too
I just heard m.A.A.d city playing from a car passing by today.
Album still popping 😤👌
That deep growly voice verse in the middle of backseat freestyle is still underrated af to this day
It’s crazy when you react to your old reviews and me remembering I was 12 watching this when it came out lol and I’m still watching you now. Literally just enjoyed seeing someone else be just as big of a nerd for music as me since I was a kid
Anthony was such an early 2010s internet nerd in retrospect
He really did embody that whole internet nerd lol
As a newer Kendrick Lamar fan, good kid mad city was something that took me a while to appreciate (as well as some of the songs on TPAB) but I’m so glad I took the time to listen to it more and read the lyrics. I tear up sometimes listening to any one of the tracks from this album. Thank you Kenny
This album and TPAB are both 10s to me, but I also don't get bored from Real like a lot of people do. I have good memories coming home from work at 4 am with the windows down and no one on the highway with this album blasting. Felt like I was the only person in the world just enjoying the breeze and listening to one of the greatest albums of all time.
This almost makes up for the fact you didnt do a TPAB 5 years later in 2020
Did he do a 5 year for this?
How can Anthony watch himself on video a decade later and not physically cringe? I could never
Reacting to Fantano's reaction 18 seconds later:
It's NOT BAD!
Still a classic, Kendrick’s second best album, 9.5+/10.. so easy to listen to front to back, it’s like listening to a movie
whats the flaw that made you take off half a point?
@@keldonjohnson1 poetic justice isn’t a favourite of mine, the only song on the album I don’t thoroughly enjoy. Still a near perfect experience in my opinion, totally get why people would rate it a 10/10.
Or even a short film
@@ShyGuyRacing it’s a really good song to vibe to and put u in a good mood imo, not the most complex or amazing song but definitely decent
Better than tpab
I like how he called him "this kid" but he's a year younger than him 😂
I think that in his review, Anthony really got caught up just explaining the concept of the album, which is always a pet peeve of mine in reviews. But in this case, I think it was just clear how much Anthony was sucked into the album. I remember being like "Wow, Anthony is just gushing about this thing, he seems like he was really sucked in."
This album is so good, definitely the defining album of my young adulthood.
The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees, mAAd city, Swimming Pools and Sing About Me are just incredible and historic songs in rap history, and it’s amazing that they all came together within the same 6 track window. By far my favorite album of all time
the entire album is amazing, song for song.
hot take, but i'm dying of thirst part is better than sing about me
@@pantumaka89 that is a hot take
@@pantumaka89more like a warm take, I think both tracks stand out for different reasons, personally, sing about me just rips my heart out.
I just listened to a couple of songs from the album after not hearing it in a few years. All I can say is, it's just a timeless classic
Nah you have to listen to it the whole way through
@@liamernst9626 Edited my comment lmao
Aye I’m a Houston artist and Ik you don’t like giving niggas a chance but I got put forward my effort. I’d love if ya’ll SUB and listen to my album.
I don’t see anyone talking about how gnarly and trippy the instrumental for Sherane was, what a way to open an album. And all the sketches are so iconic “Kenny where my damn dominoes at”
Honestly, I dont think it was just a sudden change to be a more positive moment by the end of the song. I always thought that there was that underlying voice in the back of his mind that said that he doesnt really want to do this. I'd like to think that Sing about me is the many weeks or months of Kendricks main character processing the loss of his brother and contemplating it as his death makes him more and more weary. I'm dying of thirst is that final realization for that character who's tired of all the bullshit in his life and finally turning to god to finally turn his life around. Like, that underlying voice in his head finally won out.
gkmc had Section.80 to build it up. To me both those albums are companion pieces. All 4 of his albums are classics. TPAB is my favorite album but considering we’re grading greatness with greatness is a testament to how important Kendrick is. Can’t wait for the next album.
I dont agree that Damn is classic. Good record though.
@@malcolmcouturier6993 It is, honestly. Damn cemented Kendrick on Mainstream, and he never left the billboard ever since.
Damn is also his most well-written album, since the story is kinda the focus.
This would actually be a nice series to do, I think. I'd love to see you react to some of your more prolific reviews 10 years later. Can't wait to see what you think of Channel Orange.
if melons and K. Dots all got along...
I’ve always interpreted the ending with them being baptized and reborn in holy water as another form of escapism. Swimming pools of liquor to drown your sorrows in feel thematically parallel to “hop in that water and pray that it works”.
I know Kendrick is religious himself but maybe he’s admitting that religion too can be a form of escapism for people in his situation, which isn’t far fetched when u consider how popular religion is in poor and impoverished communities.
Regardless, that’s the benefit of a narrative only told through song lyrics and short voice clips - there’s a lot of room for interpretation.
Kendrick deliberately allowed for this album to be interpreted but I’ve always seen a link between Swimming pools and Sing about me I’m dying of thirst
I think also the whole "pray that it works" part could be that religion is the last hope for a lot of people, all you can do is hop in.
how is he religious? what religion does he follow? I see him do many things contradictory to most religious teachings.
@@sonic-fm1gw he’s a Christian. What does he do that goes against that, unless we’re talking like cringe orthodox Christianity.
@@sonic-fm1gw he's Christian bro. He's actually very religious.
GKMC is a masterpiece, a classic album. Kendrick went hard on every single song, features were amazing and each beats was unique yet felt like they all belonged together.
i can’t believe it’s been 10 years already. thanks for all the hard work mr fantano
Didn’t listen to this album fully for the first time til 2019, and it still sounded fresh and catchy. Was not expecting a hip hop album from 2012 to hold up that well
I listened to it about 2 days ago, it sounds so good!
@@MatchaCutie14 I haven't gotten around to listening to the album yet. I'm going to watch it soon tho. I've listened to Section.80 and remember enjoying it (but barely remember it because I've listened to it once and it was a while ago). I didn't really enjoy TPAB both times I've listened to it. I don't understand all the hype. I appreciate the philosophical element, but I'm only really into one song off of it.
@@just-a-me1168 trust me you ll get drawn back and realize what a masterpiece tpab is, first listen i disregarded it as boring then after months i came back and i listened to it i was so into it thats i started trying to dissect every little aspect. Id go to school and all id think about would be the tracks and that i wanted to go back home and listen to it again 🤣
@@just-a-me1168 oh i forgot something to add i actually first got into gkmc those momths after and thats what caused me to move on to tpab
@@dimo6994 hard agree, TPAB is an album that takes a few listens to start to really get into. It’s very dense lyrically and instrumentals
Was listening to it the other day and it hit me that it was a decade old, was floored for a good minute. Kendrick’s work has aged like fine wine.
The production feel the tiniest bit dated, but still a classic album
This review is how I found your channel way back then. Definitely nostalgic to see you go back and look at this video
I don't know if this is a weird take, but has our melon got more handsome with age?
He's always been a king!
Like fine wine, but instead of grapes it’s made with watermelon.
Yeah I'd take a bite of that juicy melon. And I eat the seeds too
Yes. Also his camera quality bring 10 times better now helps.
Still out here getting cuter
I absolutely love these videos Anthony. As a subscriber since 2011 it’s nice nostalgia, it’s a good measurement of your progression of your channel, and it’s a gentle celebration of the album. Keep it up
lol, listened to the album when it came out, because my friend burned me a CD of it, along with copies of Wolf by Tyler and Channel Orange. my first impression was that the production was fucking weird, clean, and idiosyncratic. i had never heard anything like it. at school people had been saying "pour up, drank." or whatever and when that song came on it threw me for a loop because i didn't know that was a kendrick song. maybe, because i was so young, i didnt absorb a lot of the storyline that you talked about. i obviously knew the themes of fantasy and coping with life, because me and my annoying hipster friends would be like "omg, they totally don't know that this song isn't about partying." but i don't remember the full story of the record. i lived in a small southern town, so for me the album was a portrait of a life i've never known and a way to explore the characters of people i'd never met.they're still amazing party songs, with a depth that's never bottomed out after a million listens. i used to drive around, delivering pizzas and play it for 8hrs straight. lol, along with Acid Rap. the album is quintessentially 2010s, all the good things that the decade should have been. it couldnt be made any other time than when it was, and i feel like it was a future that we never reached. lol didnt realize i had so many thoughts about this album, i can't even figure out how to explain how surreal and progressive the production is on that album.
I would definitely like to hear more on your thoughts about “the future we never reached” that’s another topic that could be fleshed it among countless people. Great point made
This was a good ALBUM. It deserves to be listened to as a whole. MC Eiht was a highlight. The skits where the 'Mom' calling him to get the van back so she can get to the welfare office seem like a slice of life for us poorer folks in Arkansas.
That actually is his mom
I always felt that while TPAB was incredible in its scale and ambition, GKMC was tighter, more cohesive and had a better flow to it. They're like Sgt Pepper and The White Album.
Racist.
@@Chrisratata how is that racist?
I think what you say here is valid. I like to remember that TPAB was intentionally meant to have some avant-garde choppiness to it though. Think of it as still cohesive, but with the finish of a layered collage rather than a smooth painting (like GKMC)
@@WTFisHappeningToMe 🤣
@@Chrisratata I just got wooshed didn’t I
I'm happy you did this... because to this day I randomly watch that review while eating or something. I was very young when the album came out, you put me on and helped me understand most of it
My personal favorite album of all time. I'll never forget listening to the Art of Peer Pressure and thinking "wow this man is a genius"
That “but..!” At the end was when i felt that same way. My heart dropped at the siren aswell. good album.
I hope when this video is ten years old, melon will make a triple box video reviewing himself reviewing himself reviewing GKMC.
Just listened to the album for the first time yesterday
0/10 right?
@@42doodoochips This 10 year old Kendrick Lamar album... it's NOT GOOD
Aye I’m a Houston artist and Ik you don’t like giving niggas a chance but I got put forward my effort. I’d love if ya’ll SUB and listen to my album.
I was in 2nd grade when I first heard Swimming Pools on the radio, I was actually in my moms dark purple van (not sure if it was a caravan, but you get it). At that time, the radio was my only concept of music, I didn't even know what albums were. Now I'm almost 19, and this album fills me with so much nostalgia.
Waiting for the review of this video in 8 years
His change at the end isn’t as simple as running into the old woman. Dave’s death and the verses on Sing About me Dying of thirst really confront his fear of death and the exhaustion of his environment (tired of running). Not to mention the harsh perspectives/realities of the people around him deeply affected by the maad city (Dave’s brother and Keisha’s sister). These all influence his turn to the right path in the end.
Plus his internal conflicts with morality on the art of peer pressure and recognising the systematic oppression and racial profiling in his environment on good kid and money trees.
I was just listening to your review of this album not three hours ago and wondering to myself what an updated review would look like.
Spooky shit.
Timeless Classic-both album and review.
Kendrick should drop bad kid good city
Bad elder sane hamlet
That’s just a description of Drake
DANG.
why am i still watching this man 10 years later why have i not grown as a person
Listened to it for the first time last week and finished it yesterday
This album is very very good
I “re-discovered” Dre’s featured The Recipe about a year ago and it’s been unskippable since.
10 years from now Melon will put out a 40 minute review reacting to his reaction of the review and bumping this classic up to a strong 10 🙏
true Bo Burnham style
Dayum, no mention of 'Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst,' is criminal
I think Anthony should revisit DS2 by Future. It has aged so well for a trap album. Definitely a classic.
Also What a Time to be Alive, HNDRXX, and Future
Regarding what you said about how the conclusion felt abrupt, I partially agree. I feel like Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst interrupts the cycle of revenge and violence with two things respectively:
1) The first part of the song talks about mourning. This is complex, because it’s about the friend mourning his brother, the friend mourning HIMSELF, the friend’s gratitude to Kendrick for his friendship, etc. There’s some real vulnerability confronting that grief. If Kendrick and his friends are on the path to suffering, this represents that momentum grinding to a halt.
2) the second part of the song addresses the realization that there is something missing. They are dying of thirst, an unquenchable ache that tells them that their life is lacking something. You could call it grace, unconditional love, a greater purpose, but Kendrick can’t say for sure. He just knows something is missing, and theres an insufferable dissatisfaction because of it. This represents turning away from that dark path and eagerly committing to moving in a different direction.
Regarding the sudden introduction of God and Christian faith, I will say two things:
1) the song good kid introduces the fact that Kendrick’s already wrestling with faith. His conscience is conflicted because on some level he thinks he should be letting God guide him.
“I should ask a choir ‘what do you require…’”
But his animosity and bitterness hold him back.
So for Kendrick, this conflict has been foreshadowed, but I agree that the turnaround is quick, and there is no deliberation; Kendrick and his friends seek purpose and escape from the cycle, and immediately find a trusted loved one with a hand out ready to give them a way out. I would argue that the speed with which these you men attach themselves to this is a testament to their eagerness, but also their lack of other options.
some more context on the good kid lyric:
“I should ask a choir ‘what do you require
to sing a song that acquire me to have faith?’
As the record spin I should pray
for the record, I recognize that I am easily prey
I got ate alive yesterday
I got animosity buildin’, it’s probably big as a buildin’”
When he mentions that he is easily prey, while it seems like he’s almost definitely talking about the gang violence and police brutality he describes himself being subjected to a little later in the song, I would argue that the placement of that line earlier in the song is saying that he is being preyed upon by his own conscience and faith as well. I believe that the album is setting up for Kendrick and his friends to feel as though they have only 2 real choices: the streets and the gangster/hustler lifestyle or faith. So there’s no debate; if you reject one lifestyle, you accept the other.
How it’s been 10 years and melon look the same?!?! Even the hairline 😭
This is pretty interesting, you should consider doing more of a deep dive on previously reviewed albums or classic albums. So in addition to reviews, another format of content could be album breakdowns where you get into the nitty gritty details of what made an album great in a way you wouldn't normally be able to in just a standard review.
Been following since 09, keep on truckin Anthony. Bless
Aye I’m a Houston artist and Ik you don’t like giving niggas a chance but I got put forward my effort. I’d love if ya’ll SUB and listen to my album.
I love this album. Every summer, I do a drive maybe once a week, where I just cruise listening to it cover to cover
This album is so important to me. Before this, the only hip hop i listened to was stuff like Doomtree, Brother Ali and Sage Francis. This album introduced me to the more popular hip hop world. Coming from a punk rock and hardcore background, mainstream hiphop was a sin to listen to. This showed me that these guys have more to offer and now this album is still in heavy rotation for me. Hell, I listened to it twice yesterday lol anyways this album is definitely in my top 5 favorite albums of all time.
its not just the old lady that changes Kendricks direction though, the voicemails from his parents through out the album have the same message and the old lady gives him a reason to listen to that message.
the voicemails are so brilliant and illustrate the narrative of the album so well, they show us that people are a product of their environment and Kendrick shows their are two environments; the home and outside world. the outside world influences everyone and Kendrick and his parents are hood. the argument about the dominoes shows their language, pastimes and mannerisms are what we would associate with African American hood culture, but on the serious end his parents always steer him away from the streets and the violence, with him mum talking about missing school, his dad saying killing doesnt make you a real man that providing does, that Kendrick shouldnt make the same mistakes as him, his mum then talking about making a better life and giving back to his community.
i love the voicemails they bring us into Kendricks environment with the vernacular but show us that even in an environment full of poverty and violence people like Kendricks parents can see a better way and instill that message in others, it shows the importance parenting plays in our personal development and in society.
Thats hilarious I just listened to this record this morning. It was not my favorite first listen (coming from a white kid in a very rich city) it definitely has grown on me since then.
Growing up as a Black kid in a low income city in Southern California, I, and others around me, thought it was an instant classic on first listen. I don’t think I have related to almost any album more than this it just captures what it’s like trying to avoid trouble but it being around you and just living with the consequences. On top of that, the Tarantino style out of order story was so mind blowing I still remember trying to piece it together
@@TheHappybunny671 Yeah man I totally get that. I am of the mind set that tpab is the greatest rap album of all time, and possibly the greatest album period, but even with that mind set and it being my favorite rap album, I still will never be able to truly relate to it like some people can.
@@diamondpolarbear1956 yall be obessing over skin color fr 🤦♂️
@@jonasjorgensen8759 No it's not about that. While skin color can go into it, being white does not mean you cannot understand it. It was more of just another thing to add to the rich city thing. Music is for the people, not for certain ethnicities.
@@diamondpolarbear1956 preach
I love these reflections on his previous reviews because he has another chance to use his experience to articulate his thoughts even better and allows us to see new updates to what he's thinking about these classics.
It was nice to see you cringe.💀💀💀
I didn't realise how much wiser you got over the years. Love your reviews. ❤
Young Anthony looks so naive and innocent, versus Old Anthony. Whom looks like he is jaded and sounds like he smokes weed in hiding. Truly the most interesting character arch.
It takes an amazing artist to transport the listener to another time and place, which this one does to me entirely. I feel young and naive again listening to GKMC. What a fucking masterpiece.
I remember 2012 really well. 10 years have gone by so fast. Hell, the first theneedledrop review I watched was in 2012 (Rick Ross - "GFID").
This was a 10 when it dropped and it still is to me. What a phenomenal body of work
This is probably my most listened too Kendrick Album. Perfect album for the time it came out. So many memories of this record
Y'all sleeping on the track "good kid". Another incredible beat from Pharrell, and Kendrick is ON FIRE on that track.
"But what am I supposed to do with the blinking of red and blue
Flash from the top of your roof and your dog has to say woof
And you ask, "Lift up your shirt" cause you wonder if a tattoo
Of affiliation can make it a pleasure to put me through
Gang files, but that don't matter because the matter is racial profile
I heard them chatter: "He's probably young but I know that he's down"
Step on his neck as hard as your bullet proof vest
He don't mind, he know we'll never respect, the good kid, m.A.A.d. city"
What you said about the end with that abrupt decision change.
I felt like that was a little odd at first as well, but then I saw Boyz In The Hood, which is something that K Dot has said inspired him for this album, and it's actually the exact same story. The main character changes his mind in an instant at the end of the movie.
I give your original review a 6/10. Your review of your review is a strong 8
Aye I’m a Houston artist and Ik you don’t like giving niggas a chance but I got put forward my effort. I’d love if ya’ll SUB and listen to my album.
I still stand by to this day that if you had to showcase a hip hop song to someone who had never heard the genre before, Madd City would be the track to use.
My favorite record of all time!! Kendrick sharing his stories and talent makes the world a better place and gives so much back to music!!
Great point. I remember that perception of Backseat Freestyle and after realizing how it fits into the overall narrative.
I remember not judging TPAB singles so much at face value as a result.
I legitimately just finished listening to the album again 15 minutes ago lmao!
My top 10 GKMC songs
1 Money Trees
2 Sing About Me I'm Dying of Thirst
3 Art of Peer Pressure
4 Maad City
5 Black Boy Fly
6 Backstreet Freestyle
7Good Kid
8 Swimming Pools
9 Poetic Justice
10 Real
Terrace Martin doesn't get enough credit for how much his string arrangements enhanced this album
I listen to this album almost every week or even songs from it, just yesterday I found myself analyzing for the 500 time some lyrics. They just never seem to keep unraveling new and deeper meaning. Some bars just hit different even if you know them already.
This album has aged as well as melon has 👌🏻
Got first introduced to your change through looking for reviews on this album while in University. All the way from 🇿🇦
I legitimately hope Fantano does a review of this video in another ten years...
i think i first listened to gkmc in may this year and i didn't like it very much because it had such an innovative vibe, but when i listened to it again on august it just clicked right. for me it's about a 9.6/10, the album literally scratches perfection (tpab would be 10/10), and i just love every song on it, especially the art of peer pressure and sing about me, i'm dying of thirst. i don't know how they did it, but dre and kenny managed to reinvent the sound of conscious hip hop with a stunning literary masterpiece, and yet it still is incredibly catchy and enjoyable. one of my favourite albums of all time for sure.
and don't worry melon, the review is very good ❤
Still kendricks best work to date imo. Perfect balance of concept, hits, vibe, aesthetic, all of it is near perfect. Tpab is very, very good but the aura he captured on section 80 and gkmc is inexplainably compelling. Damn was alright, kinda disappointing for kendricks standards so im very intrigued as to what we get from him this year. Nonetheless, arguably the best rapper of the 2010s, three classic albums.
Damn was good but didn't have the message that these 3 albums had
I wasn’t a fan of DAMN
Yeah its his best work if you’re white
@@royalwarlord2342 ???? Bro what? 😂
@@royalwarlord2342 Huh??
I wish I could have my memories listening to this erased. I remember being 17 first hearing Swimming Pools and it stuck with me since; I actually relistened to it for the first time in a long time and it made me feel 17 again. With that said, this is still my favorite Kendrick album,