His concert took place on New Years Eve at The Observatory in Santa Ana, Calif. Any seat in the venue was a great seat. I straddled the balcony on the right side of the stage.
After being pumped up by a rap duo, Kendrick comes out and graces us with old and new. The few I got on tape can show you the vibes he creates. The crowd went crazy for "F*ckin Problems". I loved hearing "Money Trees".
When the clock struck mid-night, which was five songs deep into the set, all of his friends rushed the stage with Champagne bottles. They sprayed it into the air and into the audience. You could have seen the image if you followed Rolling Stone magazine on Instagram. I wished inside my head for a great rest of the night.
Fifteen feet separated me from the stage and five feet from the backstage corridor. I found my way inside and next thing I knew I was hanging out backstage . Thank you for the confidence boost, Cazadores.
The farther we got backstage the more anxiety grew inside of me. When you are somewhere you know you are not suppose to be, the feeling of getting booted is always there. Any misstep can get you back to the other side or even worse, outside. As we wondered the various rooms, smokier as we went, we looked for a good place to post up.
A small corner on a balcony overlooking the stage was ideal. We stood and watch Kendrick please the crowd. At that moment I actually envied those in the squished pit. They were getting the full experience of Kendrick's wrath. Once the concert ended the homie and I stuck around to see what possibilities would come our way. From our position we could see the side stage corridor where Kendrick appeared. In the next moment he was coming up the stairs that ended ten feet from where we stood. As he walked towards us the rigor mortis increased in my veins and I was stuck. Star struck has only happened twice in my life, once for Benji Madden and now Kendrick Lamar.
He was followed by a posse of beautiful women and homies as they entered a room and closed the door behind. My friend and I roamed the venue further as a DJ spun into the remaining hours of the morning.
Within a matter of twenty minutes we ended up in the backstage parking lot where lines formed into the buses headed to who knows where. It was time for us to go home. A ticket to Kendrick Lamar to kick-off the beginning of a new year. It is a year about understanding what I am made of.
I say this following the release of his record Good Kid M.A.D.D City. Not only did this record become Spin Magazine's number one for Hip Hop record of 2012 but it was highly recognized throughout North America.
I haven't bought a legit hip-hop record since The Game's "The Documentary" in 2005.
Good Kid M.A.D.D City is the epitome of the life in Compton, Calif. It blends calm and booty shaking beats with inspirational and truthful lyrics. Iconic for its fresh perspective on the West Coast it reveals that little has changed. I simply have put together a few highlights for every track on the album.
1. "Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter" is a story about a girl and boy falling in love.
"Deep rooted in the music of being young and dumb" The honesty of the power of music allows you to lose control. Isn't that what you do to escape, turn on some tunes. Ever wanted to escape to a world like California? Kendrick serves it to you straight from the streets of Compton. He is more than a kid from the streets though, after listening to his entire record you can see that his soul is matured and his intellect is sharp.
2. "Bitch, Don't Kill my Vibe" His words seem to pass the phase of inward reflection and project an image of a made man. This record is Kendrick's record. Instead of painting the pictures of his neighborhood, he digs deeper.
3. "Backseat Freestyle" is not about changing who you are but embracing the change that is sent your way. It's not your nature to change but your willingness to try something new that makes you stand out.
4. "The Art of Peer Pressure" It is easy to stick "with the homies", until one of your homies gets killed. In that moment you can make a choice to stick to the life or try to fall in line.
5. "Money Trees" starts with a joyful beat with snaps at the bass beat as Kendrick breaks down his lyrics of survival. The soft echoes and bell taps give you a feeling of the gospel sound, Hallelujah. If you more attracted to the bumping bass while Kendrick raps about his dreams of success then Halle Berry might suit you a little better. The money feeds the hunger of a hustler, Halle Berry grinds all day while Hallelujah stands in front of the gun. (Featuring Jay Rock)
6. Right when it starts to get real good, "Poetic Justice" comes on and the panty's come off.
"You can get it". The collaboration with Drake sets the scene of a woman giving them run for their money. Somewhat like "4-page letter" by Aaliyah, the slow rhythm with honest love lyrics produces a raw sexuality. Sherane gave Kendrick a run for his money and he took his love story to the bank with this record.
7. "Good Kid" To understand the mind of an African American man you should understand where he lives. Forced to choice a side, good or bad, red or blue, black or white. Kendrick is sick of choosing and stays to one thing and that is anything green. Old school hits in his beats and it takes me back to Ice-T songs back in the day when "Colors" hit the airwaves. Bleeps and frantic tones keep you on your toes as he raps about guns, running and laying down bodies.
8. "m.A.A.d city" Stay on your toes and stay lifted because you never know when your vision will turn red. Psychedelic and choppy sounds inject simultaneously with sirens to show the pure chaotic life in the hood. "Deal with the outcome" Kendrick is playing the cards he was given in the City of Compton. (Featuring MC Eiht)
9. "Swimming Pools (Drank)" Drank pours down your throats to reconnect those who might lose interest in hearing about the streets. Swimming Pools is the most played track across radio, with Poetic Justice in second. The song has a clear potentiality to be easily chopped and turnt up for mixing purposes in the club.
Who does not want to get drunk up in the club? Kendrick is throwing the pool party and you are invited.
10. "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" In the next audio break, a shooting leaves his boy dead. The RIP anthem proceeds about leaving the madness and entering a recovery. If a scenario left you in this predicament, your spirit might break or be awaken.
11. "Real" is a track he raps about three souls, one is his own that needs to awaken to fulfill his realness. He preaches a path to follow that is free of materialistic constraints. (Featuring Anna Wise)
12. "Compton" With the first listen you might not be feeling it but then the old-school beat with the new school auto tune reminds me a little of Tupac. "We can all celebrate" (Featuring Dr. Dre)
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