Good Kid, M.A.A.D City

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
Studio album by Kendrick Lamar
Released	October 22, 2012 (2012-10-22)
Recorded	2011–12
Studio	At My Mama's Studio in Los Angeles Encore Studios in Burbank PatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta TDE Red Room in Carson
Genre	West Coast hip hop gangsta rap
Length	68:16
Label	Top Dawg Aftermath Interscope
Producer	Dr. Dre (exec.) Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith (exec.) Dawaun Parker DJ Khalil DJ Dahi Hit-Boy Jack Splash Just Blaze Like Pharrell Williams Rahki Scoop DeVille Skhye Hutch Sounwave T-Minus Tabu Terrace Martin Tha Bizness THC
Kendrick Lamar chronology
Section.80 (2011)Section.802011 Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012) To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)To Pimp a Butterfly2015
Deluxe edition cover
Deluxe edition cover
Singles from Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
"The Recipe" Released: April 3, 2012 "Swimming Pools (Drank)" Released: July 31, 2012 "Backseat Freestyle" Released: January 7, 2013 "Poetic Justice" Released: January 15, 2013 "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" Released: March 19, 2013

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (stylized as good kid, m.A.A.d city) is the second studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. The album was released on October 22, 2012, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and was distributed by Interscope Records. The album serves as Lamar's major label debut, after his signing to Aftermath and Interscope in early 2012. It was preceded by the release of Kendrick's debut studio album Section.80 (2011), released exclusively through the iTunes Store independently.

The album was recorded mostly at several studios in California with producers such as Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, Pharrell Williams, Hit-Boy, Scoop DeVille, Jack Splash and T-Minus, among others. Billed as a "short film by Kendrick Lamar" on the album cover, the concept album follows the story of Lamar's teenage experiences in the drug-infested streets and gang lifestyle of his native Compton, California. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its thematic scope and Lamar's lyrics. Good Kid M.A.A.D City earned Lamar four Grammy Award nominations at the 56th Grammy Awards including Album of the Year.

The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 242,000 copies in its first week – earning the highest first-week hip hop album sales of 2012 from a male artist, along with the best-selling debut from a male artist of the year. It became Lamar's first album to enter the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 16, and entering the UK R&B Albums Chart at number two. The album was also named to many end-of-the-year lists, often topping them. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 2013. By March 2015, the album had sold 1,400,000 copies domestically, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The album's release was supported by five singles – "The Recipe" featuring Dr. Dre, "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "Backseat Freestyle", "Poetic Justice" featuring Drake and "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe". All five singles received varied chart success. Lamar also went on a world tour between May and August 2013, featuring the other members of the hip hop collective Black Hippy.

Background

Lamar wanted to discuss life in his native Compton, California on the album.

After the release and success of his debut studio album Section.80 (2011), Lamar signed a major label record deal with Interscope and Dr. Dre's Aftermath. He told HipHopDX that he did not want to work with high-profile producers, but with those he had established himself with, mainly producers from Top Dawg's in-house production team Digi+Phonics.

In an interview for XXL, Lamar said that the album would not sound like Section.80, but will return to his Compton, California roots: "I couldn’t tell you what type of sound or where I’ma be in the next five years as far as music ... Going back to the neighborhood and going to different spots, chilling with my homeboys, put me back in that same space where we used to be, bringing back them thoughts, reminiscing how I was feeling. I got myself right back in that mode and I got inspired by that. So this album won’t sound like Section.80. Completely nothing like it.”

Lamar also said that the album will showcase the influence of his hometown: "The kid that’s trying to escape that influence, trying his best to escape that influence, has always been pulled back in because of circumstances that be". Before the album's title was officially revealed, fans had already been calling Lamar's major label debut Good Kid, Mad City or Good Kid in a Mad City, as it was a nickname of some sort that Lamar had given himself. The album's title mainly refers to Lamar's childhood innocence and how the notorious city of Compton, California affected that and his life. After keeping the album title's acronym concealed, Lamar later revealed M.A.A.D is an acronym with two meanings: "My Angry Adolescence Divided" and more importantly "My Angels on Angel Dust", with Lamar stating: "That was me. I got laced. The reason why I don't smoke, and it's in the album. It's in the story. It was just me getting my hands on the wrong thing at the wrong time, being oblivious to it."

The cover artwork for Good Kid, M.A.A.D City fits to the concept of the album. The album cover features Kendrick Lamar, two of his uncles, and his grandfather, with the elders' eyes censored. Though there is no confirmed explanation for why Kendrick chose to do this, he explained that the reason why he had not censored his own eyes was that the story was told through his eyes, and the story is based around his experiences. The uncle who is holding Lamar also is displaying the Crips gang sign with his hand, which also fits the story of the album, and how Kendrick was stuck in a lifestyle of gangs and drugs. The poster above the head of Kendrick features him and his father.

Recording and production

Aftermath Entertainment founder Dr. Dre executive produced the album.

Recording sessions for the album took place at PatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, Encore Studios in Burbank, TDE Red Room in Carson, and "At [Kendrick Lamar's] Mama's Studio" in Los Angeles. Lamar stated Good Kid, M.A.A.D City would sound “nothing” like his previous album, Section.80: “I couldn't tell you what type of sound or where I’ma be in the next five years as far as music,” he said. “It’s a big difference from the next project compared to the last. And that’s what happened with this album. Going back to the neighborhood and going to different spots, chilling with my homeboys, put me back in that same space where we used to be, bringing back them thoughts, reminiscing how I was feeling. I got myself right back in that mode and I got inspired by that. So this album won’t sound like Section.80. Completely nothing like it,” he told XXL. The first song Lamar and Dr. Dre ever worked on together was "Compton", the twelfth track on the album, which serves as the standard edition's closing track.

On August 15, 2012, Lady Gaga announced via Twitter, that she had collaborated with Lamar on a song called "Partynauseous", for good kid, m.A.A.d city, and that it would be released on September 6, 2012. However, on August 23, 2012, Gaga announced that the song was no longer being released on that date and apologized to fans for the delay. Eventually, it was confirmed that Lady Gaga would not be featured on the album due to timing issues and creative differences. The song was later revealed to be re-titled "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe". On November 8, 2012 Gaga released the version she was featured on, which had her singing the chorus and a verse. Lamar expressed he was surprised and happy that Gaga released her version of the song, as it showed confidence in their work together.

Music and lyrics

The accuracy of its intimate autobiographical details is irrelevant—what matters is that this album helps you feel the internal struggles of a good kid who may not be good enough as he risks derailing his life by succumbing to the kneejerk loyalty, petty criminality, and gang warfare of the hood he calls home. Nobody is heroic here, including Lamar—from Christian strivers to default sociopaths, all the players are confused, weary, bored, ill-informed.

— Robert Christgau

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City has a low-key, downbeat production, with atmospheric beats and subtle, indistinct hooks. It eschews contemporary hip hop tastes and generally features tight bass measures, subtle background vocals, and light piano. Writers draw comparisons of the music to OutKast's 1998 album Aquemini. Andrew Nosnitsky of Spin cites the music's "closest point of reference" as "the cold spaciousness of ATLiens-era OutKast, but as the record progresses, that sound sinks slowly into the fusionist mud of those sprawling and solemn mid-2000s Roots albums." Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker finds its use of "smooth" music as a backdrop for "rough" scenarios to be analogous to Dr. Dre's G-funk during the early 1990s, but adds that "Lamar often sounds like Drake ... whose various dreamy styles have very little to do with the legacy of the West." Okayplayer's Marcus Moore writes that its "expansive and brooding" instrumentals eschew "California's glossy West Coast funk" for a "Dungeon Family aesthetic."

Lyrically, the album chronicles Lamar's experiences in his native Compton, California and its harsh realities, in a nonlinear narrative. The songs address issues such as economic disenfranchisement, retributive gang violence and downtrodden women, while analyzing their residual effects on individuals and families. Lamar introduces various characters and internal conflicts, including the contrast of his homesickness and love for Compton with the city's plagued condition. Del F. Cowie of Exclaim! observes a "transformation" by Lamar's character "from a boisterous, impressionable, girl-craving teenager to more spiritual, hard-fought adulthood, irrevocably shaped by the neighbourhood and familial bonds of his precarious environment." Slant Magazine's Mark Collett writes that Lamar executes the character's transition by "tempering the hedonistic urges of West Coast hip hop with the self-reflective impulses of the East Coast." David Amidon of PopMatters views that the album provides a "sort of semi-autobiographical character arc", while MSN Music's Robert Christgau writes that Lamar "softspokenly" enacts a "rap-versus-real dichotomy".

The album features naturalistic, vérité-like skits that dramatize the characters' limitations. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times finds them to be a part of the album's "narrative strategy", with "prayers and conversations and different voices and recollections and interludes, all in service of one overarching story: Mr. Lamar's tale of ducking Compton's rougher corners to find himself artistically." Pitchfork Media's Jayson Greene feels that they reinforce the album's theme of "the grounding power of family", interpreting "family and faith" to be "the fraying tethers holding Lamar back from the chasm of gang violence that threatens to consume him."

Lamar exhibits a tempered delivery on the album and raps with dense narratives, internal rhyme, double and triple time flow and multiple voices for different characters. Music journalist Jody Rosen characterizes him as "a storyteller, not a braggart or punch-line rapper, setting spiritual yearnings and moral dilemmas against a backdrop of gang violence and police brutality."

Singles

The album's first single, "The Recipe", was released on April 3, 2012. The song features his mentor, record producer and fellow rapper Dr. Dre and was produced by Scoop DeVille. It peaked at number 38 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and at number 3 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. Kendrick shot a video for it featuring Dr. Dre at a mansion in Los Angeles in May 2012 although it was never released. The album's second single "Swimming Pools (Drank)" was released on July 31, 2012, as a digital download, while the music video premiered on August 3, 2012. The song became a hit, peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Swimming Pools (Drank)" was also certified gold in the United States by the RIAA.

The week of the album's release, "Backseat Freestyle" debuted on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at number 106. It was later revealed to be released as the third single in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2013. The music video was released on January 2, 2013. Lamar's father appears in the video. The song peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

"Poetic Justice" was released third single in North America, featuring Drake and production from Scoop DeVille. The song began to impact American rhythmic contemporary radio on January 15, 2013. The song has since peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Poetic Justice" was also certified gold in the United States by the RIAA.

On March 9, 2013, Kendrick told Rap-Up that his next single off the album would probably be "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe". On March 13, 2013, Jay Z's engineer Young Guru premiered a snippet of the song's official remix, featuring rapper Jay Z. Lamar called it an accomplishment to have a song with Jay Z featured on it. Shortly after the remix premiered he would confirm that, "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" would be the next single. The full version of the remix was premiered by Funkmaster Flex on March 17, 2013. The remix was released as the album's fourth single to rhythmic contemporary radio on April 9, 2013. The song has since peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video for the original version of the single was released on May 13, 2013. Comedian Mike Epps makes a cameo appearance in the video. The same day an extended version of the music video was released featuring a cameo from Juicy J, and a bonus clip of a new song by Schoolboy Q from his own respective major label debut album, Oxymoron (2014).

On March 10, 2015, Lamar unexpectedly released the Target exclusive edition bonus track, "County Building Blues", to iTunes as a promotional single.

Promotion

Before and after the album's release, Kendrick toured as a supporting act with other various artists such as Drake and Steve Aoki. On May 5, 2013, he begun his first headlining tour with the good kid, m.A.A.d city World Tour, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The tour consisted of 23 headlining shows, 22 international music festivals, and 15 United States music festivals. The tour ran through August 24 and also featured the other members of Black Hippy on all the US dates.

After titling the album "a short film" by Kendrick Lamar, in an interview with GQ he said "he plans on doing a short film to bring his story to life." He also expressed interest in directing this short film too. Lamar also threw out names like Tristan Wilds to portray him, Taraji P. Henson (as his mother) and Rihanna (as Sherane) as potential names he'd want to have if he could choose anybody to work with. On December 23, 2013, the music video for the song "Sing About Me", was released. The video was directed by Darren Romanelli.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The A.V. Club	B+
The Guardian
The Irish Times
Los Angeles Times
MSN Music	A–
Pitchfork Media	9.5/10
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine
Spin	8/10

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 91, based on 36 reviews. Pitchfork Media's Jayson Greene felt that "the miracle of this album is how it ties straightforward rap thrills" to its "weighty material" and narrative. David Amidon of PopMatters felt that the album is simultaneously accessible and substantial, as it can appeal to both underground and mainstream hip hop listeners. Fact magazine's Joseph Morpurgo called it an autobiographical "triumph of breadth" and a "wide-ranging, far-reaching success". Sputnikmusic found its reach comparable to Kanye West's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, "but with much subtler shades". Jaeki Cho of XXL called it "one of the most cohesive bodies of work in recent rap memory" and wrote that each song is "both complexly arranged and sonically fitting, foregrounding Kendrick’s vivid lyricism and amazing control of cadence, and awarded it a "perfect XXL" rating." Jim Carroll of The Irish Times viewed it as an important and entertaining album that is forward thinking, even though it echoes the past era of West Coast hip hop. AllMusic editor David Jeffries characterized the album as "some kind of elevated gangsta rap" and wrote of its subject matter:

Besides all the great ideas and life, this journey through the concrete jungle of Compton is worth taking because of the artistic richness, plus the attraction of a whip-smart rapper flying high during his rookie season. Any hesitation about the horror of it all is quickly wiped away by Kendrick's mix of true talk, open heart, open mind, and extended hand. Add it all up and subtract the hype, and this one is still potent enough to rise to the top of the pile.

In a mixed review, Hazel Sheffield of NME asserted that the album "might lack the raw appeal of" Section.80, "but it's a big-budget reminder that [Lamar] hasn't forgotten his roots." Alex Macpherson of The Guardian criticized "Lamar's depiction of downtrodden women" as "unnecessarily prurient and unconvincing", but praised his "ability to pull the listener inside the action while retaining an alienated detachment". Although he observed "some degree of self-indulgence", Andrew Nosnitsky of Spin found the album's production "surprisingly cohesive" and commented that Lamar "manages to hold everything together in the midst of such chaos through sheer craftsmanship." Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone felt that the album "warrants a place in that storied lineage" of "Seventies blaxploitation soundtracks and Nineties gangsta rap blaxploitation revivals". Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune commended Lamar for giving "gangsta tropes ... a twist, or sometimes upend[ing] them completely", and wrote that the album "brims with comedy, complexity and the many voices in Kendrick Lamar's head." Robert Christgau from MSN Music felt that its "commitment to drama has musical drawbacks", but stated, "the atmospheric beats Dr. Dre and his hirelings lay under the raps and choruses establish a musical continuity that shores up a nervous flow that's just what Lamar's rhymes need."

Accolades

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City appeared on several year-end top albums lists by music critics. It was named the best album of 2012 by BBC, Complex, Fact, New York and Pitchfork Media. The album was also ranked number two by Billboard, the Chicago Tribune, MTV, Spin and Time, number four by Filter, Jon Pareles of The New York Times and Ann Powers of NPR, number five by The Guardian, number six by Rolling Stone and number eight by Entertainment Weekly. In December 2012, Complex also named Good Kid, M.A.A.D City one of the 25 classic hip hop albums of the previous 10 years. Complex also ranked its album cover as the best of 2012, while Pitchfork Media included it on its list of the 20 best album covers of the year. In April 2013, Vibe placed the album at number 19 on its "The Greatest 50 Albums Since '93" list.

In October 2013, Complex named it the second best hip hop album of the last five years. Also in 2013, Rolling Stone placed the album at 86 on its "The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time" list. The album was ranked number two of "The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far (2010-2014)", a list published by Pitchfork Media in August 2014 and number five of "The 20 Best Albums of the 2010s (so far)", a list published by Billboard in January 2015.

The album was nominated for Top Rap Album at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards and the 2013 American Music Awards. It won the award for Album of the Year at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards. Good Kid M.A.A.D City earned Lamar five Grammy Award nominations at the 56th Grammy Awards, for Album of The Year, Best Rap Album, Best New Artist, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for Now Or Never with Mary J. Blige and Best Rap Performance for "Swimming Pools (Drank)".

According to Acclaimed Music, a site which aggregates hundreds of critics' lists from around the world into all-time rankings, the album is the second-most acclaimed of 2012, and the third-most acclaimed of the 2010s.

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 242,000 copies. The album also entered the UK Albums Chart at number 16 on October 28, 2012, as well as entering at number two on the UK R&B Albums Chart. The album also peaked in the top ten of the album sales charts in Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands. In its second week it sold 63,000 more copies in the United States. Then over the following four weeks it sold 176,000 more copies bringing its total sales to 481,000 in the United States. On the chart dated November 24, 2012, the album peaked on the US Vinyl Albums chart at number three.

On August 21, 2013, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped and sold one million copies in the United States. As of March 2015, the album had sold 1,400,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Controversy

On October 23, 2012, after receiving much critical acclaim from the hip hop community, outspoken rapper Shyne took to Twitter to run down on the album, calling it "trash" and the production horrible. West Coast rappers Nipsey Hussle, Schoolboy Q and Game quickly took offense to this, with Game calling Kendrick non-confrontational in that he wouldn't respond to Shyne. Kendrick responded to Shyne's comments on October 26, saying that he is not a sensitive person and was unfazed by his comments. In addition he said Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was not necessarily a "classic" as some have called it, but "classic worthy" if enough time passed. Kendrick also referred to Shyne in his song "The Jig Is Up" saying, "I pray to God this beat good enough for Shyne". After this Shyne stood by his comments and called Game his "little son". Game responded with a freestyle calling out Shyne, titled "Cough Up a Lung". Shyne then responded with his own diss track, towards Game named "Psalms 68 (Guns & Moses)".

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter"	Kendrick Duckworth Christopher Whitacre Justin Henderson	Tha Bizness	4:33
2.	"Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe"	Duckworth Mark Spears Robin Braun Vindahl Friis Lykke Schmidt	Sounwave	5:10
3.	"Backseat Freestyle"	Duckworth Chauncey Hollis	Hit-Boy	3:32
4.	"The Art of Peer Pressure"	Duckworth Rune Rask Jonas Vestergaard	Tabu	5:24
5.	"Money Trees" (featuring Jay Rock)	Duckworth Dacoury Natche Johnny McKinzie Victoria Legrand Alex Scally	DJ Dahi	6:26
6.	"Poetic Justice" (featuring Drake)	Duckworth Elijah Molina Aubrey Graham James Harris Janet Jackson Terry Lewis	Scoop DeVille	5:00
7.	"good kid"	Duckworth Pharrell Williams	Pharrell Williams	3:34
8.	"m.A.A.d city" (featuring MC Eiht)	Duckworth Spears Ricci Riera Axel Morgan Aaron Tyler Quincy Hanley	Sounwave THC Terrace Martin (add.)	5:50
9.	"Swimming Pools (Drank)" (Extended Version)	Duckworth Tyler Williams	T-Minus	5:13
10.	"Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst"	Duckworth Gabe Stevenson Derrick Hutchins Quincy Jones Alan Bergman Marilyn Bergman	'Sing About Me' produced by Like of Pac Div 'I’m Dying of Thirst' produced by Skhye Hutch Sounwave (add.)	12:03
11.	"Real" (featuring Anna Wise)	Duckworth Terrace Martin	Terrace Martin	7:23
12.	"Compton" (featuring Dr. Dre)	Duckworth Justin Smith Charles Richard Cason Sly Jordan	Just Blaze	4:08
Total length:				68:23

Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"The Recipe" (featuring Dr. Dre)	Duckworth Molina Eric Cardona Gabe D'Amico Dev Gupta Andrea Estella Bryan Ujueta Andre Young	Scoop DeVille	5:52
14.	"Black Boy Fly"	Duckworth Columbus Smith Dawaun Parker	Rahki Dawaun Parker (co.)	4:38
15.	"Now or Never" (featuring Mary J. Blige)	Duckworth Jazmine Sullivan Jack Splash	Jack Splash	4:17
Total length:				87:41

iTunes Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
16.	"Collect Calls" (featuring Kent Jamz)	Duckworth Khalil Muhammad Riera Morgan	THC	3:57
17.	"Swimming Pools (Drank)" (Single Version)	Duckworth Williams	T-Minus	4:07
Total length:				95:45

Target Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
16.	"County Building Blues"	Duckworth Khalil-Abdul Rahman D. Winslow	DJ Khalil	4:18
17.	"Swimming Pools (Black Hippy Remix)" (featuring Black Hippy)	Duckworth Herbert Stevens IV McKinzie Hanley Williams	T-Minus	5:14

Spotify Deluxe edition bonus track
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
16.	"The Recipe (Black Hippy Remix)" (featuring Black Hippy)	Duckworth Molina Cardona D'Amico Gupta Estella Ujueta Stevens IV McKinzie Hanley	Scoop DeVille	4:21

UK Deluxe edition bonus disc
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"The Recipe" (featuring Dr. Dre)	Duckworth Molina Cardona D'Amico Gupta Estella Ujueta Young	Scoop DeVille	5:52
14.	"Black Boy Fly"	Duckworth Smith Parker	Rahki Dawaun Parker (co.)	4:38
15.	"Now or Never" (featuring Mary J. Blige)	Duckworth Sullivan Splash	Jack Splash	4:17
16.	"County Building Blues"	Duckworth Rahman Winslow	DJ Khalil	4:18
17.	"Swimming Pools (Black Hippy Remix)" (featuring Black Hippy)	Duckworth Stevens IV McKinzie Hanley Williams	T-Minus	5:14

2013 re-issue bonus track
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe (Remix)" (featuring Jay Z)	Duckworth Spears Braun Friis Schmidt Shawn Carter	Sounwave	4:39

2013 re-issue international bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe (Remix)" (featuring Jay Z)	Duckworth Spears Braun Friis Schmidt Carter	Sounwave	4:39
14.	"Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe (International Remix)" (featuring Emeli Sandé)	Duckworth Spears Braun Friis Schmidt Carter	Sounwave	5:06

 • (add.) Additional production
 • (co.) Co-producer

Notes

• "The Art of Peer Pressure" features uncredited vocals from JMSN.
• "good kid" features uncredited vocals from both Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo of The Neptunes.
• "m.A.A.d city" features uncredited vocals from Schoolboy Q.

Sample credits

• "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" contains a sample of "Tiden Flyver" as performed by Boom Clap Bachelors.
• "Backseat Freestyle" contains a sample of "Yo Soy Cubano" by The Chakachas.
• "The Art of Peer Pressure" contains a sample of "Helt Alene" as performed by Suspekt.
• "Money Trees" contains a sample of "Silver Soul" as performed by Beach House.
• "Poetic Justice" contains a sample of "Any Time, Any Place" as performed by Janet Jackson.
• "m.A.A.d city" contains a sample of "Don't Change Your Love" as performed by The Five Stairsteps, "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players and "A Bird In The Hand" by Ice Cube.
• "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" contains a sample of "Maybe Tomorrow" as performed by Grant Green, "I'm Glad You're Mine" by Al Green and "Use Me" by Bill Withers.
• "Compton" contains a sample of "What's This World Coming To" as performed by Formula IV.
• "The Recipe" contains a sample of "Meet the Frownies" as performed by Twin Sister.

Personnel

Credits for Good Kid, M.A.A.D City adapted from AllMusic.

• Kendrick Lamar — art direction, primary artist
• Dr. Dre — executive producer, featured artist, mixing
• Anthony "TOPDAWG" Tiffith — executive producer
• Derek "MixedByAli" Ali — engineer, mixing
• Dave Free — associate producer, co-ordination, management
• Larry Chatman — production co-ordination
• Andrew Van Meter — production co-ordination
• Ashley Palmer — co-ordination
• Mike Bozzi — mastering
• Brian "Big Bass" Gardner — mastering
• Dee Brown — engineer
• Mike Larson — engineer
• James Hunt — engineer
• Mauricio Iragorri — engineer
• Archie Davis — marketing
• Barry Williams — marketing
• Don Robinson — marketing
• Jack Splash — producer
• Hit-Boy — producer
• Scoop DeVille — producer
• DJ Dahi — producer
• Skhye Hutch — producer
• Just Blaze — producer
• Tha Bizness — producer
• T-Minus — producer
• Pharrell Williams — producer
• Terrace Martin — additional production
• Sounwave — additional production
• Kirdis Postelle — associate producer
• Terrence Henderson — associate producer
• Drake — featured artist
• MC Eiht — featured artist
• Jay Rock — featured artist
• Kent Jamz — featured artist
• Anna Wise — featured artist, background vocals
• Camille "Ill Camille" Davis — vocals
• Chad Hugo — vocals
• JMSN — background vocals
• Vindahl Friis — composer
• P. Williams — composer
• Lykke Schmift — composer
• Amari Parnell — hooks and samples singer
• Mary Keating — violin
• Marlon Williams — guitar, bass guitar
• Charly & Margaux — composers, violin, viola
• Gabriel Stevenson — piano
• DJ Mormile — A&R
• Manny Smith — A&R
• Tunji Balogun — A&R
• Ray Alba — publicity
• Willie Long — grooming
• Kitti Fontaine — stylist
• Dan Monick — photography
• Paula Oliver — photo courtesy
• Dwane LaFleur — photo courtesy
• Danny Smith — photo courtesy
• Schoolboy Q — handwriting on cover, background vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2012–16)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)	23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)	46
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)	130
Canadian Albums (Billboard)	2
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)	20
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)	45
French Albums (SNEP)	57
Ireland (IRMA)	36
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)	7
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)	26
Portuguese Albums (AFP)	44
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)	38
UK Albums (OCC)	16
UK R&B Albums (OCC)	2
US Billboard 200	2
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	1

Year-end charts

Chart (2012)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	80
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	16
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)	10

Chart (2013)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	24
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	7
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)	5

Chart (2014)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	69
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	27
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)	14

Chart (2015)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	72

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)	Gold	40,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	Gold	141,801
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	1,400,000
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region	Date	Version	Format	Label	Ref.
Canada	October 22, 2012	Standard deluxe	CD digital download LP	Aftermath Interscope
United Kingdom		Standard
United States		Standard deluxe
United Kingdom	December 3, 2012	Deluxe

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 2012 (U.S.)
• List of number-one rap albums of 2012 (U.S.)

External links

• Good Kid, M.A.A.D City at Discogs (list of releases)
• at AnyDecentMusic?