Last weekend, I felt lucky to be among the small crowd in Washington, D.C. fortunate enough to hear a few unreleased songs from Kendrick Lamar’s debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d. city. The event was held in a small studio in the Northwest part of town. The building was a small, unassuming business center that appeared to be an ordinary apartment complex, but upon entrance, the walls displayed amazing original artwork of music legends and hometown heroes. Even before the event began, one couldn’t help but feel as though something special was about to take place.
Click "read more" to get the full recap of an excellent musical night in the District of Columbia. All photography courtesy of Taryn Finley.
Click "read more" to get the full recap of an excellent musical night in the District of Columbia. All photography courtesy of Taryn Finley.
As we waited for the event to start, the small, unassuming Kendrick Lamar walked past us, calmly greeting everyone with a simple “what’s up” in his gravelly voice. If you weren’t observant, you could have easily missed him. His demeanor did not give off the vibes expected of one of the biggest rising stars in the genre. Instead, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth gave off the cool, collected vibes of a seasoned businessman.
As the event began and all guests filtered into the cozy studio, Hosts Raheem DeVaughn and Angie Ange gave the Compton emcee a brief introduction, even though to most he needed no introduction. The show quickly got under way, with Kendrick himself introducing the album and answering a few press questions. He noted that good kid in a m.A.A.d. city takes on the intimacy of a self-portrait, which contrasts with the world view of section.80.
When asked about his long-term goals, Kendrick stated that he currently had none formed. He did mention his short-term goal, to put his city in a good light and inspire. He poignantly expressed the importance of giving kids from his city hope that they can eventually see better times than the struggle they came up under. We heard a total of three tracks from the upcoming album, which drops October 22nd through TDE/Aftermath/Interscope.
The first track was Kendrick’s subliminal laugh at the corporate world’s attempts to change his style, packaged in a smooth track with a chorus centering around the phrase “don’t kill my vibe.” This smooth, reflective track quickly became a favorite amongst listeners while pledging to maintain artistic integrity. Not many artists can combine these contrasting tenets successfully.
Kendrick told us that the second track we previewed, featuring Drake, is his personal favorite off of the album. The sexually-charged song includes a sample from Janet Jackson’s 1994 hit, “Anytime Anyplace.” A video is rumored to be in the works for this potential ladies favorite. Drake’s verse focused on the physical aspects of a woman, while Kendrick’s centered more on the way she carries herself.
The third and final track that we heard featured the best hook I’d heard from Mary J. Blige in quite some time. This laid back jam is definitely ready to be one of the fall’s “feel good” jams, but the relaxed ambience did not prevent Kendrick from displaying his amazing lyrical prowess once more.
When the third track came to a close and the music died down, positive feedback was the overwhelming response. It seemed that Kendrick had successfully pulled off an album “teaser,” in every sense of the word. A few more press questions filtered in as attention shifted to Kendrick’s anthemic single, “Swimming Pools,” his life outside of music, and the BET Music Matters show at Howard Theatre that night.
Kendrick described the first portion of “Swimming Pools” as depicting his childhood with partying parents, and the influence that had on him. In the second part of the song, Kendrick himself indulges in liquor and lives the party life he was brought up in.
Outside of music, the 25-year old didn’t seem to have interests much different from many of the people in the audience. He mentioned playing basketball and watching “Martin” among his favorite pastimes. He also put into perspective the difficulties and importance of finding time to be around family when constantly touring as an artist.
As an artist speaking for a divided city, and an artist who is often praised for deviating from the lackadaisical song-making process of many mainstream hip-hop artists, Lamar sagely noted that “it takes each individual finding positivity from within to create change.” He promised that he would maintain his artistic integrity, and that the Music Matters Tour stop at Howard Theatre would be amazing that night.
As the listening event came to a close, a friend and I reflected on how amazing a concert featuring the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Stalley, and Fly Union would be. Naturally, we decided to go to Howard Theatre to search for extra tickets for the sold-out show. We arrived downtown about two hours before the show started, and of course there was already a line.
We managed to get two tickets amidst the chaos, and after waiting inside for a bit were treated to a high-energy show from beginning to end. Fly Union opened, followed by Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and Kendrick himself. Ab-Soul electrified the crowd with bangers from “Control System,” including “Terrorist Threats” and “SOPA.”
This set the stage for Kendrick to deliver a fantastic finish featuring a combination of section.80 hits such as “Rigamortus” and “Ronald Reagan Era,” newer jams like the Doctor Dre-produced “The Recipe,” and older jams including “Michael Jordan.” The show crescendoed to a fantastic finish, with Kendrick coming back to raucous applause for an impromptu performance of Cartoons & Cereal to cap an incredible show.
Highlights included the surprise appearance of Schoolboy Q to perform “Hands on the Wheel,” and the other three members of TDE coming out towards the end of Kendrick’s set, amidst a cloud of smoke and wild applause. Leaving Howard Theatre, we felt much more than the typical high of a concert. The night's buzz didn’t die down when the liquor and adrenaline faded away. Instead, this night served to continue building anticipation for the official debut of a young emcee with the city of Compton on his back.
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