Lamar, Kendrick

Vinyl Records and Rare LPs:

	Damn Used - LP - B0026745-01 2017 Latest Reissue. Housed In A Gatefold Jacket, On Black Vinyl. "To Pimp A Butterfly's Proper And Oft-biblical Follow-up Arrived On Good Friday, 13 Months After Untitled Unmastered., An Intermediary Release That Eclipsed The Best Work Of Most Contemporary Artists. If Kendrick Lamar Felt Pressure To Continue Living Up To His Previous Output, There's No Evidence On Damn. He's Too Occupied Tracing The Spectrum Of His Mental States, From "Boxin' Demons" To "Flex On Swole," Questioning And Reveling In His Affluence, Castigating And Celebrating His Bloodline, Humble Enough To Relate His Vulnerabilities, Assured Enough To Proclaim "Ain't None Of Y'all Fuckin' With The Flow." Throughout, He Intensely Examines Most Of The Seven Deadly Sins, Aware All Along That His Existence Is Threatened By Anyone Who Objects To The Color Of His Skin Or Clothes -- Or, In The Case Of The Blind Stranger Who Shoots Him During The Album's Opener, Nothing That Is Apparent. Compared To The Maximum-capacity, Genre-twisting Vastness And Winding Narratives Of Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City And To Pimp A Butterfly, Damn. On The Surface Seems Like A Comparatively Simple Rap Album That Demands Less From The Listener. There's Relative Concision In The Track Titles And Material, And A Greater Emphasis On Commercial Sounds -- Such As Mike Will's Lean And Piano-Laced Trap Beat For The Strong-arming "Humble.," Lamar's First Top Ten Pop Hit, And A Couple Productions That Are Merely Functional Backdrops Lacking Distinction. In A Way, However, Damn. Is Just As Lavish And Singular As The Preceding Albums, Its Quantity And Weight Of Thoughts And Connected Concepts Condensed Into A Considerably Tighter Space. It Contains Some Of Lamar's Best Writing And Performances, Revealing His Evolving Complexity And Versatility As A Soul-Baring Lyricist And Dynamic Rapper. Although It's Occasionally Distorted, Stretched, Smeared, And Reversed To Compelling And Imagination-fueling Effect, His Voice Is At Its Most Affecting In Its Many Untreated Forms. Take "Fear.," In Which He Switches Between Echoing Hot-Blooded Parental Threats To Enumerating, With A 40-Acre Stare, Various Death Scenarios. His Storytelling Hits An Astonishing New High On "Duckworth," The Album's Finale. Over Ethereal Funk Sewn By 9th Wonder, Lamar Details A Potentially Tragic Encounter Between His Father And Future Top Dawg Ceo Anthony Tiffith -- And The Conditions Leading To It -- That Occurred Long Before Kung Fu Kenny Was Known As K. Dot." All Music Guide - Andy Kellman. more
	Damn. Colored Vinyl - New - B0032372-01 Sealed 2020 180gm 2LP Limited Edition Repress On Translucent Forest Green Coloured Vinyl. more
	Damn. Used - LP - B0026745-01 2017 2-LP Gatefold. more
	Damn. Used - LP - B0026745-01 Signed 2017 2LP Red Vinyl Gatefold Jacket. Comes With Extra Jacket. "To Pimp A Butterfly's Proper And Oft-biblical Follow-up Arrived On Good Friday, 13 Months After Untitled Unmastered., An Intermediary Release That Eclipsed The Best Work Of Most Contemporary Artists. If Kendrick Lamar Felt Pressure To Continue Living Up To His Previous Output, There's No Evidence On Damn. He's Too Occupied Tracing The Spectrum Of His Mental States, From "Boxin' Demons" To "Flex On Swole," Questioning And Reveling In His Affluence, Castigating And Celebrating His Bloodline, Humble Enough To Relate His Vulnerabilities, Assured Enough To Proclaim "Ain't None Of Y'all Fuckin' With The Flow." Throughout, He Intensely Examines Most Of The Seven Deadly Sins, Aware All Along That His Existence Is Threatened By Anyone Who Objects To The Color Of His Skin Or Clothes -- Or, In The Case Of The Blind Stranger Who Shoots Him During The Album's Opener, Nothing That Is Apparent. Compared To The Maximum-capacity, Genre-twisting Vastness And Winding Narratives Of Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City And To Pimp A Butterfly, Damn. On The Surface Seems Like A Comparatively Simple Rap Album That Demands Less From The Listener. There's Relative Concision In The Track Titles And Material, And A Greater Emphasis On Commercial Sounds -- Such As Mike Will's Lean And Piano-Laced Trap Beat For The Strong-arming "Humble.," Lamar's First Top Ten Pop Hit, And A Couple Productions That Are Merely Functional Backdrops Lacking Distinction. In A Way, However, Damn. Is Just As Lavish And Singular As The Preceding Albums, Its Quantity And Weight Of Thoughts And Connected Concepts Condensed Into A Considerably Tighter Space. It Contains Some Of Lamar's Best Writing And Performances, Revealing His Evolving Complexity And Versatility As A Soul-Baring Lyricist And Dynamic Rapper. Although It's Occasionally Distorted, Stretched, Smeared, And Reversed To Compelling And Imagination-fueling Effect, His Voice Is At Its Most Affecting In Its Many Untreated Forms. Take "Fear.," In Which He Switches Between Echoing Hot-Blooded Parental Threats To Enumerating, With A 40-Acre Stare, Various Death Scenarios. His Storytelling Hits An Astonishing New High On "Duckworth," The Album's Finale. Over Ethereal Funk Sewn By 9th Wonder, Lamar Details A Potentially Tragic Encounter Between His Father And Future Top Dawg Ceo Anthony Tiffith -- And The Conditions Leading To It -- That Occurred Long Before Kung Fu Kenny Was Known As K. Dot." AMG - Andy Kellman. more
	Damn. New - LP - B0026745-01 Sealed, Latest Reissue. Housed In A Gatefold Jacket, On Black Vinyl. "To Pimp A Butterfly's Proper And Oft-biblical Follow-up Arrived On Good Friday, 13 Months After Untitled Unmastered., An Intermediary Release That Eclipsed The Best Work Of Most Contemporary Artists. If Kendrick Lamar Felt Pressure To Continue Living Up To His Previous Output, There's No Evidence On Damn. He's Too Occupied Tracing The Spectrum Of His Mental States, From "Boxin' Demons" To "Flex On Swole," Questioning And Reveling In His Affluence, Castigating And Celebrating His Bloodline, Humble Enough To Relate His Vulnerabilities, Assured Enough To Proclaim "Ain't None Of Y'all Fuckin' With The Flow." Throughout, He Intensely Examines Most Of The Seven Deadly Sins, Aware All Along That His Existence Is Threatened By Anyone Who Objects To The Color Of His Skin Or Clothes -- Or, In The Case Of The Blind Stranger Who Shoots Him During The Album's Opener, Nothing That Is Apparent. Compared To The Maximum-capacity, Genre-twisting Vastness And Winding Narratives Of Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City And To Pimp A Butterfly, Damn. On The Surface Seems Like A Comparatively Simple Rap Album That Demands Less From The Listener. There's Relative Concision In The Track Titles And Material, And A Greater Emphasis On Commercial Sounds -- Such As Mike Will's Lean And Piano-Laced Trap Beat For The Strong-arming "Humble.," Lamar's First Top Ten Pop Hit, And A Couple Productions That Are Merely Functional Backdrops Lacking Distinction. In A Way, However, Damn. Is Just As Lavish And Singular As The Preceding Albums, Its Quantity And Weight Of Thoughts And Connected Concepts Condensed Into A Considerably Tighter Space. It Contains Some Of Lamar's Best Writing And Performances, Revealing His Evolving Complexity And Versatility As A Soul-Baring Lyricist And Dynamic Rapper. Although It's Occasionally Distorted, Stretched, Smeared, And Reversed To Compelling And Imagination-fueling Effect, His Voice Is At Its Most Affecting In Its Many Untreated Forms. Take "Fear.," In Which He Switches Between Echoing Hot-Blooded Parental Threats To Enumerating, With A 40-Acre Stare, Various Death Scenarios. His Storytelling Hits An Astonishing New High On "Duckworth," The Album's Finale. Over Ethereal Funk Sewn By 9th Wonder, Lamar Details A Potentially Tragic Encounter Between His Father And Future Top Dawg Ceo Anthony Tiffith -- And The Conditions Leading To It -- That Occurred Long Before Kung Fu Kenny Was Known As K. Dot." AMG - Andy Kellman. more
	Damn. Used - LP - B0027771-01 2018 2LP, Limited Edition #09498 Collectors Edition Clear Vinly Housed In A Gatefold Jacket. "To Pimp A Butterfly's Proper And Oft-biblical Follow-up Arrived On Good Friday, 13 Months After Untitled Unmastered., An Intermediary Release That Eclipsed The Best Work Of Most Contemporary Artists. If Kendrick Lamar Felt Pressure To Continue Living Up To His Previous Output, There's No Evidence On Damn. He's Too Occupied Tracing The Spectrum Of His Mental States, From "Boxin' Demons" To "Flex On Swole," Questioning And Reveling In His Affluence, Castigating And Celebrating His Bloodline, Humble Enough To Relate His Vulnerabilities, Assured Enough To Proclaim "Ain't None Of Y'all Fuckin' With The Flow." Throughout, He Intensely Examines Most Of The Seven Deadly Sins, Aware All Along That His Existence Is Threatened By Anyone Who Objects To The Color Of His Skin Or Clothes -- Or, In The Case Of The Blind Stranger Who Shoots Him During The Album's Opener, Nothing That Is Apparent. Compared To The Maximum-capacity, Genre-twisting Vastness And Winding Narratives Of Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City And To Pimp A Butterfly, Damn. On The Surface Seems Like A Comparatively Simple Rap Album That Demands Less From The Listener. There's Relative Concision In The Track Titles And Material, And A Greater Emphasis On Commercial Sounds -- Such As Mike Will's Lean And Piano-Laced Trap Beat For The Strong-arming "Humble.," Lamar's First Top Ten Pop Hit, And A Couple Productions That Are Merely Functional Backdrops Lacking Distinction. In A Way, However, Damn. Is Just As Lavish And Singular As The Preceding Albums, Its Quantity And Weight Of Thoughts And Connected Concepts Condensed Into A Considerably Tighter Space. It Contains Some Of Lamar's Best Writing And Performances, Revealing His Evolving Complexity And Versatility As A Soul-Baring Lyricist And Dynamic Rapper. Although It's Occasionally Distorted, Stretched, Smeared, And Reversed To Compelling And Imagination-fueling Effect, His Voice Is At Its Most Affecting In Its Many Untreated Forms. Take "Fear.," In Which He Switches Between Echoing Hot-Blooded Parental Threats To Enumerating, With A 40-Acre Stare, Various Death Scenarios. His Storytelling Hits An Astonishing New High On "Duckworth," The Album's Finale. Over Ethereal Funk Sewn By 9th Wonder, Lamar Details A Potentially Tragic Encounter Between His Father And Future Top Dawg Ceo Anthony Tiffith -- And The Conditions Leading To It -- That Occurred Long Before Kung Fu Kenny Was Known As K. Dot." All Music Guide - Andy Kellman. more
	Damn. New - LP - B0026745-01 Sealed, Latest Reissue. Housed In A Gatefold Jacket, On Black Vinyl. "To Pimp A Butterfly's Proper And Oft-biblical Follow-up Arrived On Good Friday, 13 Months After Untitled Unmastered., An Intermediary Release That Eclipsed The Best Work Of Most Contemporary Artists. If Kendrick Lamar Felt Pressure To Continue Living Up To His Previous Output, There's No Evidence On Damn. He's Too Occupied Tracing The Spectrum Of His Mental States, From "Boxin' Demons" To "Flex On Swole," Questioning And Reveling In His Affluence, Castigating And Celebrating His Bloodline, Humble Enough To Relate His Vulnerabilities, Assured Enough To Proclaim "Ain't None Of Y'all Fuckin' With The Flow." Throughout, He Intensely Examines Most Of The Seven Deadly Sins, Aware All Along That His Existence Is Threatened By Anyone Who Objects To The Color Of His Skin Or Clothes -- Or, In The Case Of The Blind Stranger Who Shoots Him During The Album's Opener, Nothing That Is Apparent. Compared To The Maximum-capacity, Genre-twisting Vastness And Winding Narratives Of Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City And To Pimp A Butterfly, Damn. On The Surface Seems Like A Comparatively Simple Rap Album That Demands Less From The Listener. There's Relative Concision In The Track Titles And Material, And A Greater Emphasis On Commercial Sounds -- Such As Mike Will's Lean And Piano-Laced Trap Beat For The Strong-arming "Humble.," Lamar's First Top Ten Pop Hit, And A Couple Productions That Are Merely Functional Backdrops Lacking Distinction. In A Way, However, Damn. Is Just As Lavish And Singular As The Preceding Albums, Its Quantity And Weight Of Thoughts And Connected Concepts Condensed Into A Considerably Tighter Space. It Contains Some Of Lamar's Best Writing And Performances, Revealing His Evolving Complexity And Versatility As A Soul-Baring Lyricist And Dynamic Rapper. Although It's Occasionally Distorted, Stretched, Smeared, And Reversed To Compelling And Imagination-fueling Effect, His Voice Is At Its Most Affecting In Its Many Untreated Forms. Take "Fear.," In Which He Switches Between Echoing Hot-Blooded Parental Threats To Enumerating, With A 40-Acre Stare, Various Death Scenarios. His Storytelling Hits An Astonishing New High On "Duckworth," The Album's Finale. Over Ethereal Funk Sewn By 9th Wonder, Lamar Details A Potentially Tragic Encounter Between His Father And Future Top Dawg Ceo Anthony Tiffith -- And The Conditions Leading To It -- That Occurred Long Before Kung Fu Kenny Was Known As K. Dot." AMG - Andy Kellman. more
	Good Kid, M.A.A.d City Used - LP - B0017695-01 2020 2LP Deluxe Edition. Groundbreaking Modern Hip-Hop. "Hip-hop Debuts Don't Come Much More "Highly Anticipated" Than Kendrick Lamar's. A Series Of Killer Mixtapes Displayed His Talent For Thought-provoking Street Lyrics Delivered With An Attention-grabbing Flow, And Then There Was His Membership In The Black Hippy Crew With His Brethren Ab-soul, Schoolboy Q, And Jay Rock All Issuing Solo Releases That Pleased The "True Hip-hop" Set, Setting The Stage For A Massive Fourth And Final. Top It Off With A Pre-release Xxl Magazine Cover That He Shared With His Label Boss And All-around Legend Dr. Dre, And The "Biggest Debut Since Illmatic" Stuff Starts To Flow, But "Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City" Would Be A Milestone Even Without The Back-story, Offering Cool And Compelling Lyrics, Great Guests (Drake, Dr. Dre, And Mc Eiht) And Attractive Production (From Pharrell, Just Blaze, Tabu, And Others). Here, Kendrick Is Living His Life Like Status And Cash Were Extra Credit. It Is What Makes This Kid So "Good" As He Navigates His "Mad" City (Compton) With Experience And Wisdom Beyond His Years (25). He's Shamelessly Bold About The Allure Of The Trap, Contrasting The Sickness Of His City With The Universal Feeling Of Getting Homesick, And Carrying A Springsteen-sized Love For The Home Team. Course, In His Gang-ruled City, N.w.a. Was The Home Team, But As The Truly Beautiful, Steeped-in-soul, Biographic Key Track "The Art Of Peer Pressure" Finds A Reluctant Young Kendrick And His Friends Feeding Off The Life-force Of Young Jeezy's Debut Album, It's Something Clash, Public Enemy, And All Other Rebel Music Fans Can Relate To. Still, When He Realizes That Hero Jeezy Must Have Risen Above The Game -- Because The Real Playas Are Damned And Never Show Their Faces -- It Spawns A Kind Of Elevated Gangsta Rap That's As Pimp-connectable As The Most Vicious Eazy-e, And Yet Poignant Enough To Blow The Dust Off Any Cracked Soul. Equally Heavy Is The Cautionary Tale Of Drank Dubbed "Swimming Pools," Yet That Highlight Is As Hooky And Hallucinatory As Most Houston Drank Anthems, And Breaks Off Into One Of The Chilling, Cassette-quality Interludes That Connect The Album, Adding To The Documentary Or Eavesdropping Quality Of It All. Soul Children Will Experience Déjà Vu When "Poetic Justice" Slides By With Its Janet Jackson Sample -- Sounding Like It Came Off His Aunt's VHS Copy Of The Movie It's Named After -- While The Closing "Compton" Is An Anthem Sure To Make The Game Jealous, Featuring Dre In Beast Mode, Acting Pre-chronic And Pre-death Row. This Journey Through The Concrete Jungle Of Compton Is Worth Taking Because Of The Artistic Richness Within, 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 Even Without The Hype, This One Is Still Potent And Smart Enough To Rise To The Top Of The Pile." All Music Guide - David Jeffries. more
	Good Kid, M.A.A.D City New - LP - B0036377-01 Sealed 2022 2LP, 10 anniversary edition on black ice vinyl. "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" by Kendrick Lamar, released in 2012, is a seminal concept album that chronicles a day in the life of a young man in Compton, California. The album is renowned for its intricate storytelling, combining autobiographical elements with fictional narratives to explore themes of adolescence, violence, and redemption. Lamar's lyrical prowess is evident as he navigates complex social issues, offering a poignant reflection on the impact of environment and choices. The album's production features a rich tapestry of sounds, blending West Coast hip-hop with jazz, funk, and soul influences. Producers like Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams contribute to its diverse sonic landscape, creating a backdrop that enhances Lamar's vivid storytelling. Tracks like "Money Trees," "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe," and the hit single "Swimming Pools (Drank)" showcase his ability to balance commercial appeal with artistic depth. Critically acclaimed, the album received multiple Grammy nominations and is frequently cited as one of the greatest albums of the 2010s. Its impact extends beyond music, sparking discussions about race, identity, and the African American experience. "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" remains a cornerstone in Kendrick Lamar's discography, solidifying his status as one of hip-hop's most influential artists. more
	Good Kid, M.A.A.d City New - LP - B0036377-01 Sealed 2022 10th Anniversary 2LP Gatefold Reissue, With Original Artwork. The Instant Classic, Dubbed The Biggest Debut Since Illmatic. "Hip-Hop Debuts Don't Come Much More "Highly Anticipated" Than Kendrick Lamar's. A Series Of Killer Mixtapes Displayed His Talent For Thought-Provoking Street Lyrics Delivered With An Attention-Grabbing Flow, And Then There Was His Membership In The Black Hippy Crew With His Brethren Ab-soul, Schoolboy Q, And Jay Rock All Issuing Solo Releases That Pleased The "True Hip-Hop" Set, Setting The Stage For A Massive Fourth And Final. Top It Off With A Pre-Release XXL Magazine Cover That He Shared With His Label Boss And All-Around Legend Dr. Dre, And The "Biggest Debut Since Illmatic" Stuff Starts To Flow, But Good Kid, M.a.a.d. City Would Be A Milestone Even Without The Back-story, Offering Cool And Compelling Lyrics, Great Guests (Drake, Dr. Dre, And MC Eiht) And Attractive Production (From Pharrell, Just Blaze, Tabu, And Others). Here, Kendrick Is Living His Life Like Status And Cash Were Extra Credit. It Is What Makes This Kid So "Good" As He Navigates His "Mad" City (Compton) With Experience And Wisdom Beyond His Years (25). He's Shamelessly Bold About The Allure Of The Trap, Contrasting The Sickness Of His City With The Universal Feeling Of Getting Homesick, And Carrying A Springsteen-sized Love For The Home Team. Course, In His Gang-ruled City, N.W.A. Was The Home Team, But As The Truly Beautiful, Steeped-in-soul, Biographic Key Track "The Art Of Peer Pressure" Finds A Reluctant Young Kendrick And His Friends Feeding Off The Life-force Of Young Jeezy's Debut Album, It's Something Clash, Public Enemy, And All Other Rebel Music Fans Can Relate To. Still, When He Realizes That Hero Jeezy Must Have Risen Above The Game -- Because The Real Playas Are Damned And Never Show Their Faces -- It Spawns A Kind Of Elevated Gangsta Rap That's As Pimp-Connectable As The Most Vicious Eazy-E, And Yet Poignant Enough To Blow The Dust Off Any Cracked Soul. Equally Heavy Is The Cautionary Tale Of Drank Dubbed "Swimming Pools," Yet That Highlight Is As Hooky And Hallucinatory As Most Houston Drank Anthems, And Breaks Off Into One Of The Chilling, Cassette-quality Interludes That Connect The Album, Adding To The Documentary Or Eavesdropping Quality Of It All. Soul Children Will Experience Déjà Vu When "Poetic Justice" Slides By With Its Janet Jackson Sample -- Sounding Like It Came Off His Aunt's VHS Copy Of The Movie It's Named After -- While The Closing "Compton" Is An Anthem Sure To Make The Game Jealous, Featuring Dre In Beast Mode, Acting Pre-Chronic And Pre-Death Row. This Journey Through The Concrete Jungle Of Compton Is Worth Taking Because Of The Artistic Richness Within, 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 Even Without The Hype, This One Is Still Potent And Smart Enough To Rise To The Top Of The Pile." AMG - David Jefferies. more
	Good Kid, m.A.A.d City New - LP - B0017695-01 Sealed Reissue 2LP Deluxe Edition, With 3 Bonus Tracks. European Import. Groundbreaking Modern Hip-Hop. "Hip-hop Debuts Don't Come Much More "Highly Anticipated" Than Kendrick Lamar's. A Series Of Killer Mixtapes Displayed His Talent For Thought-provoking Street Lyrics Delivered With An Attention-grabbing Flow, And Then There Was His Membership In The Black Hippy Crew With His Brethren Ab-soul, Schoolboy Q, And Jay Rock All Issuing Solo Releases That Pleased The "True Hip-hop" Set, Setting The Stage For A Massive Fourth And Final. Top It Off With A Pre-release Xxl Magazine Cover That He Shared With His Label Boss And All-around Legend Dr. Dre, And The "Biggest Debut Since Illmatic" Stuff Starts To Flow, But Good Kid, M.a.a.d. City Would Be A Milestone Even Without The Back-story, Offering Cool And Compelling Lyrics, Great Guests (Drake, Dr. Dre, And Mc Eiht) And Attractive Production (From Pharrell, Just Blaze, Tabu, And Others). Here, Kendrick Is Living His Life Like Status And Cash Were Extra Credit. It Is What Makes This Kid So "Good" As He Navigates His "Mad" City (Compton) With Experience And Wisdom Beyond His Years (25). He's Shamelessly Bold About The Allure Of The Trap, Contrasting The Sickness Of His City With The Universal Feeling Of Getting Homesick, And Carrying A Springsteen-sized Love For The Home Team. Course, In His Gang-ruled City, N.w.a. Was The Home Team, But As The Truly Beautiful, Steeped-in-soul, Biographic Key Track "The Art Of Peer Pressure" Finds A Reluctant Young Kendrick And His Friends Feeding Off The Life-force Of Young Jeezy's Debut Album, It's Something Clash, Public Enemy, And All Other Rebel Music Fans Can Relate To. Still, When He Realizes That Hero Jeezy Must Have Risen Above The Game -- Because The Real Playas Are Damned And Never Show Their Faces -- It Spawns A Kind Of Elevated Gangsta Rap That's As Pimp-connectable As The Most Vicious Eazy-e, And Yet Poignant Enough To Blow The Dust Off Any Cracked Soul. Equally Heavy Is The Cautionary Tale Of Drank Dubbed "Swimming Pools," Yet That Highlight Is As Hooky And Hallucinatory As Most Houston Drank Anthems, And Breaks Off Into One Of The Chilling, Cassette-quality Interludes That Connect The Album, Adding To The Documentary Or Eavesdropping Quality Of It All. Soul Children Will Experience Déjà Vu When "Poetic Justice" Slides By With Its Janet Jackson Sample -- Sounding Like It Came Off His Aunt's Vhs Copy Of The Movie It's Named After -- While The Closing "Compton" Is An Anthem Sure To Make The Game Jealous, Featuring Dre In Beast Mode, Acting Pre-chronic And Pre-death Row. This Journey Through The Concrete Jungle Of Compton Is Worth Taking Because Of The Artistic Richness Within, 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 Even Without The Hype, This One Is Still Potent And Smart Enough To Rise To The Top Of The Pile." AMG Review By David Jeffries. more
	Good Kid, M.A.A.d City New - LP - B0017695-01 Sealed 2021 2LP Repress. "Hip-hop Debuts Don't Come Much More "Highly Anticipated" Than Kendrick Lamar's. A Series Of Killer Mixtapes Displayed His Talent For Thought-provoking Street Lyrics Delivered With An Attention-grabbing Flow, And Then There Was His Membership In The Black Hippy Crew With His Brethren Ab-soul, Schoolboy Q, And Jay Rock All Issuing Solo Releases That Pleased The "True Hip-hop" Set, Setting The Stage For A Massive Fourth And Final. Top It Off With A Pre-release Xxl Magazine Cover That He Shared With His Label Boss And All-around Legend Dr. Dre, And The "Biggest Debut Since Illmatic" Stuff Starts To Flow, But Good Kid, M.a.a.d. City Would Be A Milestone Even Without The Back-story, Offering Cool And Compelling Lyrics, Great Guests (Drake, Dr. Dre, And Mc Eiht) And Attractive Production (From Pharrell, Just Blaze, Tabu, And Others). Here, Kendrick Is Living His Life Like Status And Cash Were Extra Credit. It Is What Makes This Kid So "Good" As He Navigates His "Mad" City (Compton) With Experience And Wisdom Beyond His Years (25). He's Shamelessly Bold About The Allure Of The Trap, Contrasting The Sickness Of His City With The Universal Feeling Of Getting Homesick, And Carrying A Springsteen-sized Love For The Home Team. Course, In His Gang-ruled City, N.w.a. Was The Home Team, But As The Truly Beautiful, Steeped-in-soul, Biographic Key Track "The Art Of Peer Pressure" Finds A Reluctant Young Kendrick And His Friends Feeding Off The Life-force Of Young Jeezy's Debut Album, It's Something Clash, Public Enemy, And All Other Rebel Music Fans Can Relate To. Still, When He Realizes That Hero Jeezy Must Have Risen Above The Game -- Because The Real Playas Are Damned And Never Show Their Faces -- It Spawns A Kind Of Elevated Gangsta Rap That's As Pimp-connectable As The Most Vicious Eazy-e, And Yet Poignant Enough To Blow The Dust Off Any Cracked Soul. Equally Heavy Is The Cautionary Tale Of Drank Dubbed "Swimming Pools," Yet That Highlight Is As Hooky And Hallucinatory As Most Houston Drank Anthems, And Breaks Off Into One Of The Chilling, Cassette-quality Interludes That Connect The Album, Adding To The Documentary Or Eavesdropping Quality Of It All. Soul Children Will Experience Déjà Vu When "Poetic Justice" Slides By With Its Janet Jackson Sample -- Sounding Like It Came Off His Aunt's Vhs Copy Of The Movie It's Named After -- While The Closing "Compton" Is An Anthem Sure To Make The Game Jealous, Featuring Dre In Beast Mode, Acting Pre-chronic And Pre-death Row. This Journey Through The Concrete Jungle Of Compton Is Worth Taking Because Of The Artistic Richness Within, 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 Even Without The Hype, This One Is Still Potent And Smart Enough To Rise To The Top Of The Pile." AMG Review By David Jeffries. more
	Good Kid, M.A.A.D City Used - LP - B0017695-01 2012 2LP Deluxe Edition. Groundbreaking Modern Hip-Hop. "Hip-hop Debuts Don't Come Much More "Highly Anticipated" Than Kendrick Lamar's. A Series Of Killer Mixtapes Displayed His Talent For Thought-provoking Street Lyrics Delivered With An Attention-grabbing Flow, And Then There Was His Membership In The Black Hippy Crew With His Brethren Ab-soul, Schoolboy Q, And Jay Rock All Issuing Solo Releases That Pleased The "True Hip-hop" Set, Setting The Stage For A Massive Fourth And Final. Top It Off With A Pre-release Xxl Magazine Cover That He Shared With His Label Boss And All-around Legend Dr. Dre, And The "Biggest Debut Since Illmatic" Stuff Starts To Flow, But "Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City" Would Be A Milestone Even Without The Back-story, Offering Cool And Compelling Lyrics, Great Guests (Drake, Dr. Dre, And Mc Eiht) And Attractive Production (From Pharrell, Just Blaze, Tabu, And Others). Here, Kendrick Is Living His Life Like Status And Cash Were Extra Credit. It Is What Makes This Kid So "Good" As He Navigates His "Mad" City (Compton) With Experience And Wisdom Beyond His Years (25). He's Shamelessly Bold About The Allure Of The Trap, Contrasting The Sickness Of His City With The Universal Feeling Of Getting Homesick, And Carrying A Springsteen-sized Love For The Home Team. Course, In His Gang-ruled City, N.w.a. Was The Home Team, But As The Truly Beautiful, Steeped-in-soul, Biographic Key Track "The Art Of Peer Pressure" Finds A Reluctant Young Kendrick And His Friends Feeding Off The Life-force Of Young Jeezy's Debut Album, It's Something Clash, Public Enemy, And All Other Rebel Music Fans Can Relate To. Still, When He Realizes That Hero Jeezy Must Have Risen Above The Game -- Because The Real Playas Are Damned And Never Show Their Faces -- It Spawns A Kind Of Elevated Gangsta Rap That's As Pimp-connectable As The Most Vicious Eazy-e, And Yet Poignant Enough To Blow The Dust Off Any Cracked Soul. Equally Heavy Is The Cautionary Tale Of Drank Dubbed "Swimming Pools," Yet That Highlight Is As Hooky And Hallucinatory As Most Houston Drank Anthems, And Breaks Off Into One Of The Chilling, Cassette-quality Interludes That Connect The Album, Adding To The Documentary Or Eavesdropping Quality Of It All. Soul Children Will Experience Déjà Vu When "Poetic Justice" Slides By With Its Janet Jackson Sample -- Sounding Like It Came Off His Aunt's VHS Copy Of The Movie It's Named After -- While The Closing "Compton" Is An Anthem Sure To Make The Game Jealous, Featuring Dre In Beast Mode, Acting Pre-chronic And Pre-death Row. This Journey Through The Concrete Jungle Of Compton Is Worth Taking Because Of The Artistic Richness Within, 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 Even Without The Hype, This One Is Still Potent And Smart Enough To Rise To The Top Of The Pile." All Music Guide - David Jeffries. more
	Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers New - LP - B0035986-01 Sealed 2022 2LP Original. 180gm Hype Sticker (No Mexico Stamp On Rear). Small Rear Corner Crease. "As Early As His First Official Studio Release, 2011’s Section.80, Kendrick Lamar’s Albums Have Been Intricate And Conceptual, Constructed More Like Ambitious Theatrical Narratives Than Mere Collections Of Songs. Fifth Album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Follows This Trajectory As A Double-Album’s Worth Of Interconnecting Statements That Are Relentlessly Complex, Emotionally Dense, And Sometimes Uncomfortably Raw. Unlike The Lush, Spacious Sonics Of Damn. Or The Life-Affirming Funk Of To Pimp A Butterfly, Mr. Morale Is Scattered Both In Terms Of Musical Approaches And Lyrical Perspectives. The Album’s First Half Is Particularly Messy, With Themes Of Trauma, Grief, Society, And Kendrick’s Own Uneasy Relationship With Fame All Overlapping. His Technical Abilities Are Stunning And Versatile As Ever, But The Frantic Flows And Jarring Beat Switches Of “United In Grief” Begin An Angsty Catharsis That Runs Throughout Many Of The Tracks. “n95” Is A Seething Cultural Critique Where Lamar Spits Bile In Multiple Directions Over A Bleakly Catchy, Bass-driven Instrumental. Issues With Lust Addiction And Infidelity Are Put Under A Microscope On The Tense And Minimal “worldwide Steppers,” And Lamar Depicts His Troubled Relationship With His Father In Painful Detail On “father Time,” Which Features A Gorgeous Vocal Performance By Sampha On The Hook. There’s Further Exploration Of Deeply Personal Family History On “Auntie Diaries,” Which Chronicles Lamar Coming To Understand The Experiences Two Of His Relatives Had With Transitioning Gender Identities. Throughout The Album He Funnels All Of These Experiences Inward, Seeking To Grow Through His Own Changes And The Changes He Sees Around Him. This Shows Up As A Dismissal Of Celebrity On “rich Spirit” Or As Striving For Self-Acceptance On “count Me Out.” The Album’s Quick Musical And Thematic Shifts Can Make For An Uneven Flow. The Floating R&B Instrumental And Tender Introspection Of “die Hard” Come Just A Few Tracks Before Cacophonous Swirls Of Piano On “Rich - Interlude” And The Jagged Cosmic Hip-Hop Of Ghostface Killah And Summer Walker Collaboration “purple Hearts.” The Album’s Intensity Reaches A Full Boil On “we Cry Together,” A Song That Sounds Like Live Audio Footage Of The Most Vicious Couple’s Argument Imaginable, And Reaches The Same Levels Of Ugliness As Eminem’s “Kim,” A Clear Reference Point. As Always, The Production Is Immaculate And Lamar Is Joined By A Host Of Industry Giants, With Contributions Coming From Baby Keem, Thundercat, And Even A Vocal Cameo From Portishead’s Beth Gibbons On The Stunning Sadness Of “mother I Sober.” While Not As Immediately Accessible As Some Of The Work That Came Before It, There’s Value In Both The Harrowing And Enlightening Moments Here. Lamar Puts Everything On The Table With Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Trying To Get Closer To His Unfiltered Personal Truth, And Creating Some Of His Most Challenging, Expectation-defying Work In The Process. While Not Always An Easy Listen, The Album Shows More Of Its Intention As It Goes, And Ultimately Makes Sense As The Next Logical Step Forward In Lamar’s Increasingly Multi-Dimensional Artistic Evolution." AMG Review By Fred Thomas. more
	Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Used - LP - B0035986-01 2022 2LP 180gm Original. "As Early As His First Official Studio Release, 2011’s Section.80, Kendrick Lamar’s Albums Have Been Intricate And Conceptual, Constructed More Like Ambitious Theatrical Narratives Than Mere Collections Of Songs. Fifth Album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Follows This Trajectory As A Double-Album’s Worth Of Interconnecting Statements That Are Relentlessly Complex, Emotionally Dense, And Sometimes Uncomfortably Raw. Unlike The Lush, Spacious Sonics Of Damn. Or The Life-Affirming Funk Of To Pimp A Butterfly, Mr. Morale Is Scattered Both In Terms Of Musical Approaches And Lyrical Perspectives. The Album’s First Half Is Particularly Messy, With Themes Of Trauma, Grief, Society, And Kendrick’s Own Uneasy Relationship With Fame All Overlapping. His Technical Abilities Are Stunning And Versatile As Ever, But The Frantic Flows And Jarring Beat Switches Of “United In Grief” Begin An Angsty Catharsis That Runs Throughout Many Of The Tracks. “n95” Is A Seething Cultural Critique Where Lamar Spits Bile In Multiple Directions Over A Bleakly Catchy, Bass-driven Instrumental. Issues With Lust Addiction And Infidelity Are Put Under A Microscope On The Tense And Minimal “worldwide Steppers,” And Lamar Depicts His Troubled Relationship With His Father In Painful Detail On “father Time,” Which Features A Gorgeous Vocal Performance By Sampha On The Hook. There’s Further Exploration Of Deeply Personal Family History On “Auntie Diaries,” Which Chronicles Lamar Coming To Understand The Experiences Two Of His Relatives Had With Transitioning Gender Identities. Throughout The Album He Funnels All Of These Experiences Inward, Seeking To Grow Through His Own Changes And The Changes He Sees Around Him. This Shows Up As A Dismissal Of Celebrity On “rich Spirit” Or As Striving For Self-Acceptance On “count Me Out.” The Album’s Quick Musical And Thematic Shifts Can Make For An Uneven Flow. The Floating R&B Instrumental And Tender Introspection Of “die Hard” Come Just A Few Tracks Before Cacophonous Swirls Of Piano On “Rich - Interlude” And The Jagged Cosmic Hip-Hop Of Ghostface Killah And Summer Walker Collaboration “purple Hearts.” The Album’s Intensity Reaches A Full Boil On “we Cry Together,” A Song That Sounds Like Live Audio Footage Of The Most Vicious Couple’s Argument Imaginable, And Reaches The Same Levels Of Ugliness As Eminem’s “Kim,” A Clear Reference Point. As Always, The Production Is Immaculate And Lamar Is Joined By A Host Of Industry Giants, With Contributions Coming From Baby Keem, Thundercat, And Even A Vocal Cameo From Portishead’s Beth Gibbons On The Stunning Sadness Of “mother I Sober.” While Not As Immediately Accessible As Some Of The Work That Came Before It, There’s Value In Both The Harrowing And Enlightening Moments Here. Lamar Puts Everything On The Table With Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Trying To Get Closer To His Unfiltered Personal Truth, And Creating Some Of His Most Challenging, Expectation-defying Work In The Process. While Not Always An Easy Listen, The Album Shows More Of Its Intention As It Goes, And Ultimately Makes Sense As The Next Logical Step Forward In Lamar’s Increasingly Multi-Dimensional Artistic Evolution." AMG Review By Fred Thomas. more
	Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers New - LP - B0035986-01 2022 2LP 180gm Original. "As Early As His First Official Studio Release, 2011’s Section.80, Kendrick Lamar’s Albums Have Been Intricate And Conceptual, Constructed More Like Ambitious Theatrical Narratives Than Mere Collections Of Songs. Fifth Album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Follows This Trajectory As A Double-Album’s Worth Of Interconnecting Statements That Are Relentlessly Complex, Emotionally Dense, And Sometimes Uncomfortably Raw. Unlike The Lush, Spacious Sonics Of Damn. Or The Life-Affirming Funk Of To Pimp A Butterfly, Mr. Morale Is Scattered Both In Terms Of Musical Approaches And Lyrical Perspectives. The Album’s First Half Is Particularly Messy, With Themes Of Trauma, Grief, Society, And Kendrick’s Own Uneasy Relationship With Fame All Overlapping. His Technical Abilities Are Stunning And Versatile As Ever, But The Frantic Flows And Jarring Beat Switches Of “United In Grief” Begin An Angsty Catharsis That Runs Throughout Many Of The Tracks. “n95” Is A Seething Cultural Critique Where Lamar Spits Bile In Multiple Directions Over A Bleakly Catchy, Bass-driven Instrumental. Issues With Lust Addiction And Infidelity Are Put Under A Microscope On The Tense And Minimal “worldwide Steppers,” And Lamar Depicts His Troubled Relationship With His Father In Painful Detail On “father Time,” Which Features A Gorgeous Vocal Performance By Sampha On The Hook. There’s Further Exploration Of Deeply Personal Family History On “Auntie Diaries,” Which Chronicles Lamar Coming To Understand The Experiences Two Of His Relatives Had With Transitioning Gender Identities. Throughout The Album He Funnels All Of These Experiences Inward, Seeking To Grow Through His Own Changes And The Changes He Sees Around Him. This Shows Up As A Dismissal Of Celebrity On “rich Spirit” Or As Striving For Self-Acceptance On “count Me Out.” The Album’s Quick Musical And Thematic Shifts Can Make For An Uneven Flow. The Floating R&B Instrumental And Tender Introspection Of “die Hard” Come Just A Few Tracks Before Cacophonous Swirls Of Piano On “Rich - Interlude” And The Jagged Cosmic Hip-Hop Of Ghostface Killah And Summer Walker Collaboration “purple Hearts.” The Album’s Intensity Reaches A Full Boil On “we Cry Together,” A Song That Sounds Like Live Audio Footage Of The Most Vicious Couple’s Argument Imaginable, And Reaches The Same Levels Of Ugliness As Eminem’s “Kim,” A Clear Reference Point. As Always, The Production Is Immaculate And Lamar Is Joined By A Host Of Industry Giants, With Contributions Coming From Baby Keem, Thundercat, And Even A Vocal Cameo From Portishead’s Beth Gibbons On The Stunning Sadness Of “mother I Sober.” While Not As Immediately Accessible As Some Of The Work That Came Before It, There’s Value In Both The Harrowing And Enlightening Moments Here. Lamar Puts Everything On The Table With Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Trying To Get Closer To His Unfiltered Personal Truth, And Creating Some Of His Most Challenging, Expectation-defying Work In The Process. While Not Always An Easy Listen, The Album Shows More Of Its Intention As It Goes, And Ultimately Makes Sense As The Next Logical Step Forward In Lamar’s Increasingly Multi-Dimensional Artistic Evolution." All Music Guide – Fred Thomas. more
	Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers New - LP - B0035986-01 Sealed 2022 2LP Original, No Hype Sticker. "As Early As His First Official Studio Release, 2011’s Section.80, Kendrick Lamar’s Albums Have Been Intricate And Conceptual, Constructed More Like Ambitious Theatrical Narratives Than Mere Collections Of Songs. Fifth Album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Follows This Trajectory As A Double-Album’s Worth Of Interconnecting Statements That Are Relentlessly Complex, Emotionally Dense, And Sometimes Uncomfortably Raw. Unlike The Lush, Spacious Sonics Of Damn. Or The Life-Affirming Funk Of To Pimp A Butterfly, Mr. Morale Is Scattered Both In Terms Of Musical Approaches And Lyrical Perspectives. The Album’s First Half Is Particularly Messy, With Themes Of Trauma, Grief, Society, And Kendrick’s Own Uneasy Relationship With Fame All Overlapping. His Technical Abilities Are Stunning And Versatile As Ever, But The Frantic Flows And Jarring Beat Switches Of “United In Grief” Begin An Angsty Catharsis That Runs Throughout Many Of The Tracks. “n95” Is A Seething Cultural Critique Where Lamar Spits Bile In Multiple Directions Over A Bleakly Catchy, Bass-driven Instrumental. Issues With Lust Addiction And Infidelity Are Put Under A Microscope On The Tense And Minimal “worldwide Steppers,” And Lamar Depicts His Troubled Relationship With His Father In Painful Detail On “father Time,” Which Features A Gorgeous Vocal Performance By Sampha On The Hook. There’s Further Exploration Of Deeply Personal Family History On “Auntie Diaries,” Which Chronicles Lamar Coming To Understand The Experiences Two Of His Relatives Had With Transitioning Gender Identities. Throughout The Album He Funnels All Of These Experiences Inward, Seeking To Grow Through His Own Changes And The Changes He Sees Around Him. This Shows Up As A Dismissal Of Celebrity On “rich Spirit” Or As Striving For Self-Acceptance On “count Me Out.” The Album’s Quick Musical And Thematic Shifts Can Make For An Uneven Flow. The Floating R&B Instrumental And Tender Introspection Of “die Hard” Come Just A Few Tracks Before Cacophonous Swirls Of Piano On “Rich - Interlude” And The Jagged Cosmic Hip-Hop Of Ghostface Killah And Summer Walker Collaboration “purple Hearts.” The Album’s Intensity Reaches A Full Boil On “we Cry Together,” A Song That Sounds Like Live Audio Footage Of The Most Vicious Couple’s Argument Imaginable, And Reaches The Same Levels Of Ugliness As Eminem’s “Kim,” A Clear Reference Point. As Always, The Production Is Immaculate And Lamar Is Joined By A Host Of Industry Giants, With Contributions Coming From Baby Keem, Thundercat, And Even A Vocal Cameo From Portishead’s Beth Gibbons On The Stunning Sadness Of “mother I Sober.” While Not As Immediately Accessible As Some Of The Work That Came Before It, There’s Value In Both The Harrowing And Enlightening Moments Here. Lamar Puts Everything On The Table With Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Trying To Get Closer To His Unfiltered Personal Truth, And Creating Some Of His Most Challenging, Expectation-defying Work In The Process. While Not Always An Easy Listen, The Album Shows More Of Its Intention As It Goes, And Ultimately Makes Sense As The Next Logical Step Forward In Lamar’s Increasingly Multi-Dimensional Artistic Evolution." AMG Review By Fred Thomas. more
	Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers New - LP - B0035986-01 Sealed 2022 2LP Original, No Hype Sticker. "As Early As His First Official Studio Release, 2011’s Section.80, Kendrick Lamar’s Albums Have Been Intricate And Conceptual, Constructed More Like Ambitious Theatrical Narratives Than Mere Collections Of Songs. Fifth Album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Follows This Trajectory As A Double-Album’s Worth Of Interconnecting Statements That Are Relentlessly Complex, Emotionally Dense, And Sometimes Uncomfortably Raw. Unlike The Lush, Spacious Sonics Of Damn. Or The Life-Affirming Funk Of To Pimp A Butterfly, Mr. Morale Is Scattered Both In Terms Of Musical Approaches And Lyrical Perspectives. The Album’s First Half Is Particularly Messy, With Themes Of Trauma, Grief, Society, And Kendrick’s Own Uneasy Relationship With Fame All Overlapping. His Technical Abilities Are Stunning And Versatile As Ever, But The Frantic Flows And Jarring Beat Switches Of “United In Grief” Begin An Angsty Catharsis That Runs Throughout Many Of The Tracks. “n95” Is A Seething Cultural Critique Where Lamar Spits Bile In Multiple Directions Over A Bleakly Catchy, Bass-driven Instrumental. Issues With Lust Addiction And Infidelity Are Put Under A Microscope On The Tense And Minimal “worldwide Steppers,” And Lamar Depicts His Troubled Relationship With His Father In Painful Detail On “father Time,” Which Features A Gorgeous Vocal Performance By Sampha On The Hook. There’s Further Exploration Of Deeply Personal Family History On “Auntie Diaries,” Which Chronicles Lamar Coming To Understand The Experiences Two Of His Relatives Had With Transitioning Gender Identities. Throughout The Album He Funnels All Of These Experiences Inward, Seeking To Grow Through His Own Changes And The Changes He Sees Around Him. This Shows Up As A Dismissal Of Celebrity On “rich Spirit” Or As Striving For Self-Acceptance On “count Me Out.” The Album’s Quick Musical And Thematic Shifts Can Make For An Uneven Flow. The Floating R&B Instrumental And Tender Introspection Of “die Hard” Come Just A Few Tracks Before Cacophonous Swirls Of Piano On “Rich - Interlude” And The Jagged Cosmic Hip-Hop Of Ghostface Killah And Summer Walker Collaboration “purple Hearts.” The Album’s Intensity Reaches A Full Boil On “we Cry Together,” A Song That Sounds Like Live Audio Footage Of The Most Vicious Couple’s Argument Imaginable, And Reaches The Same Levels Of Ugliness As Eminem’s “Kim,” A Clear Reference Point. As Always, The Production Is Immaculate And Lamar Is Joined By A Host Of Industry Giants, With Contributions Coming From Baby Keem, Thundercat, And Even A Vocal Cameo From Portishead’s Beth Gibbons On The Stunning Sadness Of “mother I Sober.” While Not As Immediately Accessible As Some Of The Work That Came Before It, There’s Value In Both The Harrowing And Enlightening Moments Here. Lamar Puts Everything On The Table With Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Trying To Get Closer To His Unfiltered Personal Truth, And Creating Some Of His Most Challenging, Expectation-defying Work In The Process. While Not Always An Easy Listen, The Album Shows More Of Its Intention As It Goes, And Ultimately Makes Sense As The Next Logical Step Forward In Lamar’s Increasingly Multi-Dimensional Artistic Evolution." AMG Review By Fred Thomas. more
	To Pimp A Butterfly New - LP - B0023464-01 Sealed, latest run of the 2022 2LP gatefold reissue. "Becoming an adult ultimately means accepting one's imperfections, unimportance, and mortality, but that doesn't mean we stop striving for the ideal, a search that's so at the center of our very being that our greatest works of art celebrate it, and often amplify it. Anguish and despair rightfully earn more Grammys, Emmys, Tonys, and Pulitzer Prizes than sweetness and light ever do, but West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar is already on elevated masterwork number two, so expect his version of the sobering truth to sound like a party at points. He's aware, as Bilal sings here, that "Shit don't change 'til you get up and wash your ass," and don't it feel good? The sentiment is universal, but the viewpoint on his second LP is inner-city and African-American, as radio regulars like the Isley Brothers (sampled to perfection during the key track "I"), George Clinton (who helps make "Wesley's Theory" a cross between "Atomic Dog" and Dante's Inferno), and Dr. Dre (who literally phones his appearance in) put the listener in Lamar's era of Compton, just as well as Lou Reed took us to New York and Brecht took us to Weimar Republic Berlin. These G-funky moments are incredibly seductive, which helps usher the listener through the album's 80-minute runtime, plus its constant mutating (Pharrell productions, spoken word, soul power anthems, and sound collages all fly by, with few tracks ending as they began), much of it influenced, and sometimes assisted by, producer Flying Lotus and his frequent collaborator Thundercat. "u" sounds like an MP3 collection deteriorating, while the broken beat of the brilliant "Momma" will challenge the listener's balance, and yet, Lamar is such a prodigiously talented and seductive artist, his wit, wisdom, and wordplay knock all these stray molecules into place. Survivor's guilt, realizing one's destiny, and a Snoop Dogg performance of Doggystyle caliber are woven among it all; plus, highlights offer that Parliament-Funkadelic-styled subversion, as "The Blacker the Berry" ("The sweeter the juice") offers revolutionary slogans and dips for the hip. Free your mind, and your ass will follow, and at the end of this beautiful black berry, there's a miraculous "talk" between Kendrick and the legendary 2Pac, as the brutalist trailblazer mentors this profound populist. To Pimp a Butterfly is as dark, intense, complicated, and violent as Picasso's Guernica, and should hold the same importance for its genre and the same beauty for its intended audience." All Music Guide - David Jeffries more
	To Pimp A Butterfly New - LP - B0023464-01 Sealed 2015 180gm 2LP Import Gatefold. more
	To Pimp A Butterfly New - LP - B0023464-01 Sealed 2015 180gm 2LP Gatefold. Viewed As An Instant Classic, Garnering Seven Grammy Nominations. Featuring An Incredible Array Of Contributing Talent, From Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Bilal, Snoop Dogg, Pharell, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington To Name But A Few! Not Forgetting Vocals From Legends George Clinton And Ronald Isley. more
	To Pimp A Butterfly New - LP - B0023464-01 Sealed 2022 Reppress. 180gm 2LP Gatefold. Viewed As An Instant Classic, Garnering Seven Grammy Nominations. Featuring An Incredible Array Of Contributing Talent, From Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Bilal, Snoop Dogg, Pharell, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington To Name But A Few! Not Forgetting Vocals From Legends George Clinton And Ronald Isley. No Made In Poland Sticker On Rear Shrink. more
	To Pimp A Butterfly New - LP - B0023464-01 Sealed 2022 Repress. 180gm 2LP Gatefold. Viewed As An Instant Classic, Garnering Seven Grammy Nominations. Featuring An Incredible Array Of Contributing Talent, From Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Bilal, Snoop Dogg, Pharell, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington To Name But A Few! Not Forgetting Vocals From Legends George Clinton And Ronald Isley. No Made In Poland Sticker On Rear Shrink. more
	To Pimp A Butterfly Used - LP - B0023464-01 2022 180gm 2LP Repress In Gatefold. Viewed As An Instant Classic, Garnering Seven Grammy Nominations. Featuring An Incredible Array Of Contributing Talent, From Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Bilal, Snoop Dogg, Pharell, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington To Name But A Few! Not Forgetting Vocals From Legends George Clinton And Ronald Isley. more
	To Pimp A Butterfly Used - LP - B0023464-01 2022 180gm 2LP Repress In Gatefold. Viewed As An Instant Classic, Garnering Seven Grammy Nominations. Featuring An Incredible Array Of Contributing Talent, From Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Bilal, Snoop Dogg, Pharell, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington To Name But A Few! Not Forgetting Vocals From Legends George Clinton And Ronald Isley. The album was recorded from 2013 to 2014 and was produced by a variety of producers, including Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Terrace Martin, and Pharrell Williams. The album features guest appearances from a number of artists, including Snoop Dogg, Bilal, Rapsody, and George Clinton. The album received critical acclaim upon its release, with many critics praising its boldness and political themes. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album's title was inspired by a book titled "To Pimp a Butterfly: Little Brother and the Culture of Resistance" by political activist and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. The album's themes explore Lamar's experiences growing up in Compton, California, and the struggles faced by African Americans in society. The album's lead single, "i," won two Grammy Awards in 2015 for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. The album itself was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Rap Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Overall, "To Pimp a Butterfly" is regarded as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time and has been praised for its lyricism, production, and political commentary. more
	Untitled Unmastered. New Import - 00602547866813 Sealed 2016 Original. "There Are Few Unfamiliar Messages And It's All Dense And Considered, But Never Overwrought Or Explicitly Angry. What Really Emerges Is Kendrick's Nuanced Worldview." — NME more
	Untitled Unmastered. New - LP - B0024922 Sealed 2016 Original. "There Are Few Unfamiliar Messages And It's All Dense And Considered, But Never Overwrought Or Explicitly Angry. What Really Emerges Is Kendrick's Nuanced Worldview." — NME more
	Untitled Unmastered. New - LP - B0024922-01 Sealed, latest run of the 2016 release. "Made In Czech Republic" sticker on back shrink. "Issued without advance notice 17 days after Kendrick Lamar's riveting 2016 Grammy Awards performance, untitled unmastered. consists of eight demos that are simply numbered and dated. Apart from segments previewed at the Grammys and late-night television appearances, there was no formal promotion. A postscript, it's (artfully) artless in presentation -- not even basic credits appear on the Army green liner card in the compact disc edition -- yet it's almost as lyrically and musically rich as To Pimp a Butterfly. The dates indicate that the majority of the material was made during the sessions for that album, and the presence of many of its players and vocalists is unmistakable. This was assembled with a high level of care that is immediately evident, its components sequenced to foster an easy listen. Track-to-track flow, however, is about the only aspect of this release that can be called smooth. After an intimate spoken intro from Bilal, the set segues into an urgent judgment-day scenario with squealing strings and a resounding bassline as Lamar confronts mortality and extinction with urgent exasperation. He observes terrifying scenes all the while sensing possible relief ("No more running from world wars," "No more discriminating the poor"). untitled unmastered. offers this and other variations on the connected themes of societal ills, faith, and survival that drove the output it follows, with Lamar at his best when countering proudly materialistic boasts with ever-striking acknowledgments of the odds perilously weighted against his people. Remarkably, this hits its stride in the second half. The stretch involves a rolling, ornamented retro-contemporary production from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (with vocal assists from Bilal and Cee Lo Green), a stitched suite that is alternately stern and humorously off the cuff (featuring Egypt, five-year-old son of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, as co-producer and vocalist), and a finale of Thundercat-propelled funk. Even while coasting over the latter's breezy and smacking groove, Lamar fills the space with meaning, detailing a confrontation with sharp quips and stinging reprimands. While Lamar referred to these tracks as demos, and not one of them has the pop-soul appeal of "These Walls" or the Black Lives Matter protest-anthem potential of "Alright," untitled unmastered. is no mere offcut dump. It's as vital as anything else its maker has released." All Music Guide - Andy Kellman more
	Untitled Unmastered. Used Import - 00602547866813 2019 pressing. untitled unmastered consists of eight demos that are simply numbered and dated. Apart from segments previewed at the Grammys and late-night television appearances, there was no formal promotion. A postscript, it's (artfully) artless in presentation -- not even basic credits appear on the Army green liner card in the compact disc edition -- yet it's almost as lyrically and musically rich as To Pimp a Butterfly. The dates indicate that the majority of the material was made during the sessions for that album, and the presence of many of its players and vocalists is unmistakable. This was assembled with a high level of care that is immediately evident, its components sequenced to foster an easy listen. Track-to-track flow, however, is about the only aspect of this release that can be called smooth. After an intimate spoken intro from Bilal, the set segues into an urgent judgment-day scenario with squealing strings and a resounding bassline as Lamar confronts mortality and extinction with urgent exasperation. He observes terrifying scenes all the while sensing possible relief ("No more running from world wars," "No more discriminating the poor"). untitled unmastered. offers this and other variations on the connected themes of societal ills, faith, and survival that drove the output it follows, with Lamar at his best when countering proudly materialistic boasts with ever-striking acknowledgments of the odds perilously weighted against his people. Remarkably, this hits its stride in the second half. The stretch involves a rolling, ornamented retro-contemporary production from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (with vocal assists from Bilal and Cee Lo Green), a stitched suite that is alternately stern and humorously off the cuff (featuring Egypt, five-year-old son of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, as co-producer and vocalist), and a finale of Thundercat-propelled funk. Even while coasting over the latter's breezy and smacking groove, Lamar fills the space with meaning, detailing a confrontation with sharp quips and stinging reprimands. While Lamar referred to these tracks as demos, and not one of them has the pop-soul appeal of "These Walls" or the Black Lives Matter protest-anthem potential of "Alright," untitled unmastered. is no mere offcut dump. It's as vital as anything else its maker has released." All Music Guide - Andy Kellman more