Image via Complex Original
It was absolute mayhem at NYC's legendary Chung King studios last night. Kendrick Lamar was previewing his upcoming major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city. Allegedly, a flyer for the listening session was posted on Facebook and the general public got wise to the private event, which would explain why hundreds of people crowded the door and stood bravely in the rain in hopes of catching a glimpse of Kendrick.
Upstairs, Kendrick Lamar stood in the dead center of the control room surrounded by dozens of people, looking as if his closing remarks from “Ab-Soul’s Outro” had come to fruition. He might have been one of the smallest people in the room, but he was also the calmest. Outside the control room, there were maybe another 100 listeners, all waiting for K. Dot to press play.
You know the listening session has become a full-fledged party when celebs are making cameos. DJ Kay Slay was in the cut, Pusha T stopped by for a bit, and Kendrick’s TDE brenthen Ab-Soul was seen floating around. Elle Varner even popped up and Amanda Seales played Scrabble on her iPad while listening to the new album. (“That’s how I listen...I have to be distracted.”)
In an era where rap is consumed with Twitter beefs, arrest records, and who's sleeping with who, many view Kendrick as the last great hope. He’s one of the few artists whose celebrity is not (yet) totally consumed by the perils of fame, but instead, a product of the quality of his music. That's why this session was so crucial. It could help answer whether or not Kendrick would live up to the hype and make music on his own terms or if he’d succumb to the pressure and make a lackluster album—or worse yet, a dreaded “commercial” effort—like so many rappers before him.
Considering the frenzy of the listening session, one that was quite unlike any other session in recent memory, it’s safe to assume Kendrick has gotten the attention of hip-hop without having to ever break Billboard’s Top 40. Better yet, when Kendrick finally did press play, he showed that his debut album will live up to expectations. The album doesn’t abandon any of Kendrick’s themes, instead it plays like a proper follow-up to his excellent Section.80.
Although they only played a total of eight songs between the two separate sessions and no song titles were given, we still whipped together a disjointed album preview for all the fans who are eager for Kendrick, but didn’t wait in the rain...
Written by Insanul Ahmed (@Incilin)
Track 1 f/ Lady Gaga
Kendrick kicked off this song saying Lady Gaga was on it but honestly, we couldn't even hear her vocals. Considering the chants of "don't kill my vibe," it's likely that might be the title. On the record, Kendrick laments, "I'm a sinner whose probably going to sin again." Aren't we all?
Track 2 f/ Jay Rock
The fact that Kendrick's TDE brethren Jay Rock contributes a verse to this song is to be expected. However, what's unexpected and totally awesome is that the song samples the indie rock band Beach House. It sounds great, too.
Track 3
This one kicks off with Kendrick talking about how Martin had a dream but then it quickly delves into a "fuck the world" kind of record. So much so in fact that Kendrick stops in the middle of his second verse to scream "beyotch" four times...twice. Kendrick hasn't sounded this angry since "The Spiteful Chant."
Track 4
This is a catchy little tune that doubles as a love song. K. Dot sounds a bit like Q-Tip here. It sounded like the hook went "bom chicka wah wah." Seriously.
Track 5 f/ MC Eiht
Underrated West Coast rapper MC Eiht is a huge influence on Kendrick. (MC Eiht once had an album titled Section 8 and is signed to Hi Power Records.) It's only right that they got on a track together. It's exciting to hear the youngster and the veteran exchange bars. K. Dot quotes Ice Cube to keep it all the way L.A.
Track 6
This is the one record that we had the hardest time hearing. (Trust, it was hectic in there.) It should be noted that Kendrick opens all of his verses with "I used to," which he previously did on "Poe Mans Dreams."
Track 7 f/ Drake
This is a proper love song through and through. It samples Janet Jackson, apparently features Drake, and sounds like the sequel to his track "Members Only."
Track 8 f/ Dr. Dre
Kendrick and Dre ride out to Just Blaze production and celebrate Compton, boasting about how rap was able to take harsh realities and translate it into great art. The real star of the show, however, is Just Blaze. He flips the beat at the very end to create an entirely new beat. This serves as an outro which is true to L.A.'s history and the music that was relevant in L.A. before hip-hop.
