Board 8 > Rank the Tracks Week 16: Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City (+ Enter the Wu-Tang results)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Previous results can be seen here:
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks

The rules:
1. Listen to the album in full
2. Rank every track on the album
3. For the results, there will be a curve at the top of each list; two additional points between #1 and #2, and one additional point for the next two ranks. This way, the songs that really stick out to someone get an edge that is not immediately negated by someone else putting it lower. In the case of Demon Days, someone's 15th track will get 1 point, 14th 2 points, 4th 12 points, 3rd 14 points, 2nd 16 points, and 1st 19 points
4. If you want to include comments for individual songs, I will compile them in the results
5. The results will be posted at the beginning of the next topic
6. The deadline to vote is Sunday, June 27 at 8:00 AM EST - though if you are for whatever reason listening to the album around that time, just say so in the topic and I can delay a bit
7. You can sign up to be added to a user cycle for after we finish the queue; once we get through the last planned album, the next person on the list will choose 3 albums which the other users will vote on for the next topic.
7a. To ensure people are being given an actual choice, the three nominated albums must be by different artists. You can otherwise stick to a similar sound or era.
7b. The tiebreaker for these polls will be whichever is listed first in the poll options - make sure to deliver the results in order of your own preference (which will hopefully have the added benefit of influencing people toward your first choice if they can't decide).
7c. The order of the user cycle will be randomly determined, but users will first be sorted into tiers by how many of their nominations have been covered during the early nominations period.

Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City track list:
1. Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter
2. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
3. Backseat Freestyle
4. The Art of Peer Pressure
5. Money Trees
6. Poetic Justice
7. Good Kid
8. M.A.A.D. City
9. Swimming Pools (Drank)
10. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
11. Real
12. Compton

Schedule:
6/27: Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (Seanchan)
7/4: Lin-Manuel Miranda - Hamilton (TomNook)
7/11: Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid (TheArkOfTurus)
7/18: The Strokes - Is This It (MoogleKupo141)
7/25: Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (CasanovaZelos)
8/1: Massive Attack - Mezzanine (Giggsalot)
8/8: The Killers - Hot Fuss (Seanchan)
8/15: Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107)
8/22: Air - Moon Safari (ZaziGuado)
8/29: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced (Johnbobb)
9/5: Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine (Steiner)
9/12: The Knife - Silent Shout (CasanovaZelos)
9/19: Billy Joel - The Stranger (Seanchan)
9/26: Spice Girls - Spice (SpikeSetsFire)
10/3: Iron Maiden - Powerslave (TheArkOfTurus)
10/10: Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (Snake5555555555)
10/17: OutKast - Aquemini (Giggsalot)
10/24: Of Monsters and Men - Beneath the Skin (Jesse_Custer)
10/31: Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555)
11/7: The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire)
11/14: Moby - Play (SpikeSetsFire)
11/21: Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill (Seginustemple)

User Cycle sign-ups:
11/28: MetalmindStats
12/5: TheArkOfTurus
12/12: Snake5555555555
12/19: Jesse_Custer
12/26: ZaziGuado
1/2: SpikeSetsFire
1/9: Johnbobb
1/16: VeryInsane
1/23: CasanovaZelos
1/30: Seanchan
2/6: Giggsalot
2/13: RyoCaliente

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Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) results

The participants sorted by deviation from final results:
VeryInsane (14)
Giggsalot (16)
Snake5555555555 (20)
HBJDubs (20)
Jesse_Custer (22)
CasanovaZelos (24)
ZeroSignal620 (24)
Seanchan (26)
Johnbobb (26)
RyoCaliente (32)
ChainLTTP (36)
Raetsel_Lapin (46)

General Album Comments

Jesse_Custer: Its strange that I really like a few of these songs and even have some of them on heavy rotation in a playlist of stuff Im listening to, but wasnt as big on any of the songs in the context of the entire album (when I listened to it all today for the first time in awhile).

CasanovaZelos: This felt consistently strong across the board, so ranking the tracks was difficult and my current order feels kind of arbitrary. This will definitely jump up on my album ranking; I can better appreciate this as one of the all-time great hip hop albums now. The production across the board is great, and each member has such a strong personality. It's easy to see how this influenced hip hop through the rest of the 1990s.

ChainLTTP: Aw yeah, this is kind of a hard one because there is not a single subpar track

ZeroSignal620: One of the best impulse listens I've ever had. 36 Chambers may very well be my favorite rap album ever crafted.

Seanchan: First listen was kinda....eh. It all kinda blended together a little bit. It's just lacking some of the ridiculous bombast and beats of something like Kanye's MBDTF. Gonna need some replays here.

Giggsalot: Hands down one of the best, coolest and most important albums ever. Everything about the Wu-Tang mythos is so iconic, it's kind of unbelievable that it all emerged so perfectly formed in one focused blast like this. I know every beat of this album so well that I can sometimes overlook how constantly exciting and unique it all is. Absolutely unimpeachable classic, I can scarcely believe that this exists.

VeryInsane: Honestly this was a lot more fun than I remembered, even clan in da front is pretty good IMO.

Seanchan: Wasn't too keen on this one. Not to say it's bad, because I don't think it is, just that it's not really too my taste (or at least to any taste I'm going to get over a few listens in a week). As you can already surmise from previous posts, I more enjoyed the rap style of MBDTF.

This'll be a slightly funny comparison but for myself I put this in the same bucket as I do Crack the Skye. You can tell me both are excellent examples of their specific subgenre but that doesn't mean I'm going to personally love them or truly appreciate what makes them special.

Johnbobb: how do you rank an album where every single song is at least a 9/10? fucking incredible

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Enter the Wu-Tang track ranking

12. Clan in da Front (Track #3)
Score: 34 (Average Rank: 10.17/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Jesse_Custer, Raetsel_Lapin (#6)
Biggest Detractor(s): CasanovaZelos, VeryInsane, Seanchan, Johnbobb (#12)

Giggsalot: God, I love the intro roll call here. SWAAARRRMM. Imagine hearing this for the first time in '93, that must have blown people's minds. The song itself is probably one of the weaker here, but it's still prime GZA stuff.

11. Tearz (Track #11)
Score: 52 (Average Rank: 9.08/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Jesse_Custer, ChainLTTP, ZeroSignal620, RyoCaliente, Giggsalot, Snake5555555555 (#12)

Giggsalot: I kind of forget that this song exists for some reason, it's pretty clearly the least memorable track here in my opinion. It almost feels like it belongs hidden in the depths of Wu-Tang Forever or something instead. That's not to say it's not quality or essential to the album - both verses are well constructed and the beat is excellent - but I can't in good faith put this anywhere but near the bottom.

10. Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber-Part 2 (Track #12)
Score: 61 (Average Rank: 8.08/12)
Biggest Fan(s): ChainLTTP (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): CasanovaZelos, ZeroSignal620 (#11)

Giggsalot: Not much to say about this one really. The beat is just as good as the original (maybe even better) and the verses are obviously still great, I'm just not quite sure why it's here. Tearz is the obvious album closer, this one is just a glorified bonus track. The conclusion is a hilarious and perfect end to the album though.

9. Shame on a ***** (Track #2)
Score: 62 (Average Rank: 8/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Seanchan (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin, HBJDubs (#12)

Giggsalot: Brilliant fun. I actually forgot Rae was on this one, the personalities of ODB and Meth just dominate here. The novelty of hearing them for the first time here creates a sort of magic that future group albums could never entirely recapture.

8. Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber (Track #4)
Score: 69 (Average Rank: 7.33/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin, Snake5555555555 (#11)

Giggsalot: God every one of these skits is so iconic, I just want to quote them all day and leave it at that. Compared to the later posse cuts on the album, this one is a tiny bit less memorable, but it's still a masterpiece of the form.

7. Can It Be All So Simple (Track #5)
Score: 70 (Average Rank: 7.42/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Jesse_Custer (#10)

Giggsalot: Exactly the injection of pathos that the album needs at this point. This will always be compared to CREAM and come off second best, but it's a wonderfully poignant beginning to the lineage of the iconic Rae/Ghost duet. Outro skit is also perfect, I could probably skip all of them verbatim never have any desire to skip any of them.

6. Method Man (Track #9)
Score: 79 (Average Rank: 6.75/12)
Biggest Fan(s): RyoCaliente (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#11)

Giggsalot: Everyone loves this one at first, but for me this is the one track here that slightly fades on repeated listens. It's as good as solo Meth ever got, and definitely fun, but it definitely gives a hint that he fits best as an energizing guest than a main attraction.

5. Bring da Ruckus (Track #1)
Score: 90 (Average Rank: 5.75/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Jesse_Custer (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): RyoCaliente (#11)

Giggsalot: Unbelievable opener. This one has resisted overplay and continued to amaze me over the years. What even is that beat? It's halfway to musique concrete. Plus GZA never again sounded quite as aggressive and mean as he does here.

4. Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit (Track #7)
Score: 105 (Average Rank: 4.5/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): CasanovaZelos (#10)

Giggsalot: The Wu got better at so many things in the years following 36 Chambers, but the funky raw aggression of this track absolutely peaks here. Just insanely fun, perfectly stupid song.

3. Protect Ya Neck (Track #10)
Score: 123 (Average Rank: 4.25/12)
Biggest Fan(s): CasanovaZelos, Snake5555555555, Johnbobb (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#10)

Giggsalot: EVERYONE IS HERE! (almost, sorry Masta Killa). Imagine hearing this on the radio for the first time. I'd have lost my goddamn mind.

2. Da Mystery of Chessboxin (Track #6)
Score: 125 (Average Rank: 3.92/12)
Biggest Fan(s): VeryInsane, Seanchan (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): ChainLTTP (#11)

Giggsalot: EVERYONE IS HERE (well, almost). They all totally kill it too, and structure of the song is perfect. The momentum builds impeccably throughout, particularly the ODB/Ghostface handoff, culminating in the verse that Masta Killa may or may not have stolen from Killah Priest but will spend the remainder of his career liberally quoting nonetheless.

1. C.R.E.A.M. (Track #8)
Score: 150 (Average Rank: 2.75/12)
Biggest Fan(s): Jesse_Custer, ChainLTTP, ZeroSignal620, Giggsalot, HBJDubs (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan (#10)

Giggsalot: The heart of the album. It's slightly bizarre that on an album full of amazingly fun songs, the breakout hit was the one about poverty-induced depression, but everything about this is perfect so I guess it's not too surprising. Two perfect verses, timeless hook, great beat, 10/10.

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My fifteenth favorite album of all-time and second favorite hip hop album - only beaten out by its follow-up, To Pimp a Butterfly. For me, Kendrick Lamar is absolutely the greatest rapper ever and also the best overall artist during the 2010s by a wide margin. He blends socially charged lyrics with forceful production, casting him as one of the great storytellers in music right alongside Bob Dylan. Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City is the only hip hop album to have ever made me cry - Kendrick captures a sense of desperation like no other on some of these tracks. Just a masterpiece from beginning to end.

Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter - It's weird that this album kicks off with its weakest track, but it also sets up so much for the rest of the album. This production is tense, while Kendrick kicks off with a frenetic, singular verse as densely detailed as music comes.

Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe My favorite track on the album, capturing a chill vibe. I love the way Kendrick experiments with vocals, especially during the chorus when he layers his vocals with Anna Wise. The bridge is the peak, with Anna Wise briefly taking lead. This is where Kendrick establishes what he stands for as an artist, dissing those looking for fame while he promises to wear his heart on his sleeve. He wants hip hop with substance.

Backseat Freestyle Kendrick wants hip hop with substance but Backseat Freestyle shows he can pull off a vulgar banger better than anyone else as well. In the context of the album, this is a brief moment of escapism; the dream of a young man who has been given no direction in life, who can imagine nothing more meaningful than sex. Decontextualized, the phenomenal production is enough to make it a nonsensical yet unforgettable highlight. I feel like this will end up being the most love-hate track in our rankings, but I hope those who hate it at least recognize its satirical nature.

The Art of Peer Pressure - This is the reality Backseat Freestyle is set against, a poor young man being pressured into drugs and robbery. The Art of Peer Pressure is where the desperate narrative elements start coming together, casting the previous two tracks in a new light. One of the lesser tracks alone, but absolutely key to Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City as a narrative monolith.

Money Trees This was the slow grower of the album for me. Other tracks hit me harder as a whole, but the chorus is among the best things Kendrick has ever done. Everybody gon respect the shooter, but the one in front of the gun lives forever is a perfect summary of the albums themes.

Poetic Justice I feel like I always forget Drake makes an appearance on this album. Great production, though the lyrics dont do too much for me.

good kid An interesting bit of trivia from the Genius page, this song is the only track on the album with no profanity. This is where the desperation turns to a drive for actual, physical escape. The two title tracks make a clear message Kendrick is one of many good kids forced into awful acts to survive in an uncaring society.

m.A.A.d. city This track is the unexpected beginning of a four song stretch that can bring me to tears. Unexpected, because the production and lyrics suggest the most hardcore gangster rap. But Kendricks persona cuts into a deeper element this is not a glorification of the gangster lifestyle but an absolute horror story, a situation that has stolen so many of his loved ones and Kendricks own innocence. The final verse with its warped vocals is dizzyingly effective.

Swimming Pools (Drank) The lead single, and for good reason. Much like Backseat Freestyle, this is a banger with a darker meaning. This one is a bit more obvious on its own. After all hes been through, of course Kendrick has an addiction problem. Structured to be a perfect hit for parties with an undeniably catchy chorus, the true meaning is intentionally obscured. Another bit of escapism, no alcoholic wants to admit they have a problem. The glorification in the chorus is only explicitly countered by the final verse.

Sing About Me, Im Dying of Thirst The most obviously sad song on the album, a twelve minute epic where Kendrick takes the perspective of two others before reflecting on his own fear of death and being forgotten. The ending of the first two verses destroy me, the first ending with sudden gunfire showing a life cut down too fast, the second finding its narrator proudly proclaiming that she will never fade away right before the verse slowly fades into the background. Unfortunately, the second half doesnt work as well as the first for me.

Real Where the previous three tracks fill me with despair, Real fills me with hope. Kendrick reflects on everything he has been through and starts seeing himself capable of something more. I think the production is a bit weaker here than on other tracks, but the emotions come through strong.

Compton I kind of forget this track is on the album Real feels like a perfect closer. But Compton still works as an epilogue; like Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe, this is from Kendricks current perspective while the rest of the album reflects his past experiences. And can you blame him for wanting to work with Dr. Dre?

My ranking
1. Bitch, Dont Kill My Vibe (#260 all-time)
2. Swimming Pools (Drank) (#352)
3. Backseat Freestyle (#1116)
4. m.A.A.d. city (why is this not in my top 3000 list?)
5. Sing About Me (Im Dying of Thirst) (#2375)
6. Money Trees
7. Poetic Justice
8. The Art of Peer Pressure
9. Real
10. Compton
11. good kid
12. Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinters Daughter

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Ok so this is the ultimate "songs will deviate based on how they stand on their own vs how they work in the context of the album" album. Whoever nominated this is cruel. Here goes:

Money Trees
Sing About Me (Im Dying of Thirst)
m.A.A.d. city
good kid
Real
Swimming Pools (Drank)
Backseat Freestyle
b****, Dont Kill My Vibe
The Art of Peer Pressure
Compton
Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinters Daughter
Poetic Justice

Bump

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Yeah

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Hm its actually been a couple years since Ive listened to this, TPAB gets more plays.

I think I still have a very clear 1 and last but everything else should be interesting

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Neither topic title, nor opening post even mentioned who this album is by.

After looking up the album name though, probably going to pass because it is rap. But we'll see. Tag just in case.

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GKMC > TPAB

Well I'm awake early enough to have time to do one of these finally, nice to see a music thing like this going on. I'll go from top is my #12, counting down to my #1. And uh, turns out I wrote too much for each track so I'll split into 2 posts

12 - Compton
Just because it's at the bottom for me (and funny enough coincides with it being the last track anyway) doesn't mean I dislike the song! It's cool to see such a celebration of a city and with a classic like Dr. Dre holds his own on the track, despite having done nothing but guest features here and there for Eminem and such since 1999 until he finally came back with a 2015 album, also named Compton! Most of the reason for why this ranks last for me is that I'm more a fan of the story being told throughout the album, and this is technically outside that.

11 - Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter
The opening track, and obviously starts on a great note. Also just generally starts the stellar production and beat selection for the album, the background additions really add to the vibe. Kendrick just be too young and horny for his own good! The meeting of Sherane, the woman of his eye and what sets up the narrative of how hard it can be in the streets with getting jumped at the end. And then finally ending with a call from his mom and dad, asking where Kendrick is since he borrowed their car. Really a continuation of something Kendrick has been stellar at for all of his albums, setting up a continuing story that weaves its way into each forthcoming song. Honestly most of the reason this is down lower is that I just plain like the other songs more and not because this song is particularly weak, a reason that'll keep popping up.

10 - Real
What I most enjoy about Real is the dialogue going on towards the end of the track with Kendrick's dad and mom, sending him support and advice. It's really wholesome and gives a hopeful feeling to a narrative that had been understandably dark throughout. In general the track talks about finding what's "real" and what that means to you, and just general self love which is always nice to have. I will say the chorus is a bit one-note but it still works, there's enough background flourishes and such going on.

9 - Money Trees
Just an all around fun song, really easy to sing along with going "ya bish" or "that's just how I feel" and groove to. The chorus is a strong one, especially "Everybody gon' respect the shooter, but the one in front of the gun lives forever." The hustle to get your dreams of those money trees, it's a rough life that both Kendrick and Jay Rock share their experiences with. I really enjoy Jay Rock's general cadence for his bars, it fits nicely with the beat. There's a sort of light air-ness to them while still talking about real shit, almost like in the dream state while talking about everything he has to do to achieve it.

8 - Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe
Honestly this one ended up further down than I initially expected, because I do really love the song (just like with all of them but still.) Speaking of easy to sing along to, this one is insanely easy to do so as well. Also just generally relatable, who doesn't want someone to not kill their vibe? It sucks when that happens! Notably this is the really the only track you can qualify as a diss, dissing towards the rap industry and those trying to make it in ways that seem kinda fucked up to Kendrick. The placement in the track listing is interesting, as it's after Sherane which starts the story but this isn't included in it, this is more Kendrick now looking back and then the next track goes all the way back to when he was fucking around with his friends freestyling. So in some sense you can say it shows that he ultimately makes it despite what happens at the end of Sherane, but then it goes back because we need the context of what set him up for his eventual success. Or I could just be looking too far into it, who knows!

7 - good kid
Here Kendrick is coming to terms with being caught in the middle of everything. He doesn't want to be part of any gangs but outside institutions, namely the police, just see him as another gangbanger destined to fail. And if that's how you're being pigeonholed and viewed, it's incredibly hard to break out of that. Kendrick is the good kid, doing what he can to get out of that life. Pharrell taking the duties of the chorus is nice, and I like the added sinister tones that play during the chorus.

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6 - Poetic Justice
This one sort of takes a swerve, because while it's part of the narrative of Kendrick talking about Sherane it doesn't necessarily advance it. And then Drake is off talking about his own struggles lol. Let's talk about Drake's part, because honestly that's what first comes to mind when I think of the song. I haven't really fucked with Drake since 2015, If You're Reading This... was for me his last project that I truly cared about. So this was still prime Drake, right in that sweet spot of Take Care-Nothing Was the Same, and his bars are just really infectious here. His signature flow and attitude work really well, this is Drake in his element talking about being played by a woman and I think it holds the line of not being overly woo is me and being fun and playful. Kendrick stands his own ground with some great lines like "If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?" And the backing production with the tuned vocals add to the fun feel of the track.

5 - The Art of Peer Pressure
So now we get to one that I'm a little surprised ended up as high for me, but I REALLY dig how Kendrick plays out the story here. You can absolutely picture everything in your mind as he retells it all. As the title implies, Kendrick talks about all the things he does when he's around friends, not because he necessarily enjoys those things but because "he's with the homies right now" and he feels they'd judge him if he didn't participate. Ranging from taking shots of Hennessy and smoking weed, to confronting another gang and partaking in a robbery of a house. The last one they even almost get caught by the cops for, and the way Kendrick tells it almost makes you share in the anxiety he felt at that time. All it took was that last turn to avoid getting arrested.

4 - Swimming Pools (Drank)
I like the peer pressure tracks! This time focusing on alcohol, and what might drive some individuals to alcoholism. Another one practically made to be sung along to, this was probably his biggest commercial hit song until his Damn era and for good reason. The production is lush, his vocals are on point and it's relatable to so many people. The interlude towards the end that cuts into his final verse is a highlight for me too, really adds to the darkness.

3 - Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
Boy this song is an emotional one, and that's saying something on an album that's as dense and heavy as this one. A two-parter split into Sing About Me and I'm Dying of Thirst, the beginning takes the tone of two different individuals talking to Kendrick. One of them even gets gunned down in the middle of his sentence just like his brother at the end of the previous song, which is extremely sobering. Kendrick comes in after them saying how much all of this hurts him and that by telling these stories he's trying to help make things better in some way, that people need to know about all this shit so there's more of a chance it get recognized and dealt with. Can Kendrick make a difference with this? Will people sing about him when he's gone? Dying of Thirst has a theme that absolutely relevant; he's tired. Tired of doing all the gang shit, tired of seeing his friends get hurt and killed, tired of this life he's been having to live. Finally something breaks through the endless cycle; God. And thus ends the song with a cleansing to Jesus and the Lord, hoping to rid themselves of their sins and live better lives. The whole song is a journey, and thus deserves to be placed high.

2 - Backseat Freestyle
Come on, how could I place this song low? It's an absolute blast of a song, and I have fond memories of it when the album came out when I was in college and my friends screaming out " I pray my dick get big as the Eiffel Tower, SO I CAN FUCK THE WORLD FOR 72 HOURS!!!!!" How can you hate a line like that?! Even the start, "Martin had a dream, Martin had a dream, KENDRICK HAVE A DREAM", it's an instant classic. Kendrick just being a young kid, reveling in life's pleasures. I will absolutely feel a type of way if this places low in other people's rankings lol

1 - M.A.A.D. City
I feel like this should be a pretty obvious one to end up at top 3 at the very least. What can I say about it? When I went to see Kendrick back in 2017 on the Damn tour (which I paid an amount of money I will not specify here to get a good seat), and the opening words started I FREAKED OUT. The beat on both halves of the song just go insanely bonkers hard, and Kendrick's wordplay on it is some of my favorite. MC Eiht coming in on the second half keeps the vibe going, he kills his feature. Frankly what more can I say about this song? Pure perfection.

General album thoughts:
Uhhhhh yea, I love this album ha. To Pimp a Butterfly is my favorite from him and Damn honestly might still be #2 but I absolutely love all his albums and he's one of my favorites of all time. He told a fantastic story on this and filled it with top notch production and features, what more do you want?

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Ill just post my list and talk about it later/when prompted

Sing about me
maad city
Art of Peer Pressure
Money Trees
good kid
Backseat Freestyle
Swimming Pool
Real
Poetic Justice
Sherane
Bitch Dont Kill My Vibe
Compton

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Btw remind me to look up rest of MC Eihts stuff

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LiquidOshawott posted...

Btw remind me to look up rest of MC Eihts stuff

It is not nearly as good as MAAD City. He's not some hidden gem or anything.

1. Money Trees
2. M.A.A.D. City
3. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
4. Swimming Pools (Drank)
5. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
6. Backseat Freestyle
7. The Art of Peer Pressure
8. Real
9. Poetic Justice
10. good kid
11. Compton
12. Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter


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First listen was more positive than 36 Chambers. Looking forward to some more plays as it was kind of a lot to take in. There's at least 1 or 2 songs (maybe more?) where I feel like it just completely flips halfway through the track.

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bump

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up

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Honestly hoping we get to the cycle, got a few on my mind now

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I'm surprised this one is floundering. GKMC is probably one of the...5(?) most hyped rap albums of the past decade.

We tend to get a few people submitting during the final stretch, so I wouldn't worry too much

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Yeah I almost always submit Saturday (I've also never listened to this before so I need to do that first)

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I'm quite looking forward to the album, but I've been busy with other stuff this week--hopefully, I can get around to my first listen tomorrow.
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Bump

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up

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1: The Art of Peer Pressure
2: Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
3: Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst
4: Compton
5: good kid
6: Swimming Pools (Drank)
7: Poetic Justice
8: Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter
9: Money Trees
10: Real
11: m.A.A.d. city
12: Backseat Freestyle

Managed to listen to the album twice; I know I should listen again on a different day, but I doubt I'll manage to get in a third before the end of the week so I'm going to post a list now.
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1. Money Trees
2. M.A.A.D. City
3. Swimming Pools (Drank)
4. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
5. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
6. Good Kid
7. Backseat Freestyle
8. Poetic Justice
9. Real
10. The Art of Peer Pressure
11. Compton
12. Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter
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Just a heads up that the results this week might be a little late - I'm visiting my family this weekend and don't know when I'll be back at my computer on Sunday.

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1. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
2. Money Trees
3. Compton
4. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
5. M.A.A.D. City
6. Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter
7. Good Kid
8. Poetic Justice
9. Swimming Pools (Drank)
10. The Art of Peer Pressure
11. Real
12. Backseat Freestyle

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Last day to vote

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1. Backseat Freestyle
2. Swimming Pools (Drank)
3. MA.A.D City
4. Money Trees
5. Poetic Justice
6. Good Kid
7. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
8. The Art of Peer Pressure
9. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
10. Compton
11. Real
12. Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter

I liked this one quite a bit. As I've said previously, I usually do a 3rd play where I listen in my preliminary ranking order, which helps to separate the songs from the normal album flow. On some of the albums we've done, I dread that listen because I know the back half (i.e. the bottom half - hell sometimes it a lot more than that...) is a painful slog. That's not the case here. A lot of the songs I have near the bottom aren't the "bangers" but do work better in the flow of the album. Also, Dominos.

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Not gonna get a proper listen in, which is a shame. Still, this is easily Kendrick's best album and a generational achievement. Not every song here is great, but the middle of the album is unbelievable and the top half here are essentially impossible to rank. Still, track ratings from memory...

1. Sing About Me
2. The Art of Peer Pressure
3. m.A.A.d. city
4. Money Trees
5. Swimming Pools
6. good kid
7. Bitch don't kill my vibe
8. Sherane
9. Backseat Freestyle
10. Poetic Justice
11. Real
12. Compton


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1. Swimming Pools (Drank)
2. m.A.A.d. city
3. Backseat Freestyle
4. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
5. The Art of Peer Pressure
6. good kid
7. Money Trees
8. Poetic Justice
9. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
10. Compton
11. Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter
12. Real

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I didn't skip Nevermind this time: Come As You Are is my #1, Polly is biggest detraction (#6 on final, #13 on mine)

As for GKMC:

The Art Of Peer Pressure
Good Kid
Compton
Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter
M.A.A.D. City
Real
Money Trees
Backseat Freestyle
Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst
Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
Swimming Pools (Drank)
Poetic Justice

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Last bump

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This is one of my favorite albums of all time and I honestly don't think Kendrick's follow-up efforts have come close (though they're both great). But the highest points of this album hit so hard. I would like to do track by track write-ups, but I'm too exhausted for that at the moment. For now, I'll just say Real is being way underappreciated here - such an incredible payoff tying up the album (making Compton as the actual closer even more unnecessary than it already was), following the trauma of Good Kid onward.

1. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
2. Real
3. M.A.A.D. City
4. Money Trees
5. Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe
6. Swimming Pools
7. Good Kid
8. The Art of Peer Pressure
9. Poetic Justice
10. Sherane aka Master Splinter's Daughter
11. Backseat Freestyle
12. Compton

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I just got home so I'm processing the results now

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