"My Angry Adolescence Divided:" Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city (Early Review)

Kendrick Lamar generously unveiled a BRAND NEW non-album track, "The Jig Is Up (Dump'n)," to commemorate the sheer fact that good kid, m.A.A.d. city has already managed to move some 250,000+ units since it's initial [Oct. 23rd] release; It's a staggering call-to-arms aimed @ Lamar's critics and detractors, which just might end up being a sample of his long-rumored J.Cole-manned album. Kendrick Lamar even lets loose a couple quick jabs @ a washed up rapper who felt the need to voice his unwarranted opinions: "I pray to God this beat is good enough for Shyne, if not J.Cole your shit is trash" ha! For what it's worth, good kid, m.A.A.d. city sold 241,000 copies between Oct. 22-30th, taking second place on the Billboard 200 charts, just behind Taylor Swift.

Most likely against Aftermath/TDE's wishes, Lamar scrapped the potentially buzz-worthy Lady GaGa collabo track, bumped Dr. Dre & Mary J. Blige's features to mere bonus tracks, and released his nearly straight edge "Swimming Pools (Drank)" as a lead video-single. Rather than glorify the hard knocks life like his countless peers, Lamar weaves a densely-layered and semi-autobiographical precautionary tale into a fully fleshed out 12-track album [short film]. It keeps in line with the youthful, yet drug-aided Compton neighborhood painted in brutally honest detail throughout Section#80 (2011). Sonically, good kid, m.A.A.d. city utilizes beats from some 16-20 different producers... chopping up left-field samples from Beach House, Kanye, Janet Jackson, Twin Sister, Grant Green, and Boom Clap Bachelors.

"Backseat Freestyle" falls into place on good kid, m.A.A.d. city's first 1/4 and plays a pivotal part in it's overall storyline; Showcasing a young, naive Kendrick Lamar incorrectly rapping about what he thinks Hip-Hop's all about: money, POWER, bitches, and his dick, which he repeatedly brags is "as BIG as the Eiffel Tower." Creeping up with a [deep] pitched-down intro, "Poetic Justice" is based around a sparse 808 drum-backed Janet Jackson sample. Scoop DeVille somehow manages to seamlessly meld Kendrick/Janet's voice together so that it says, "You can get it, anytime, any place." Lamar traveled across the nation with Drake on his 2011-12 Club Paradise Tour, along with A$AP Rocky. The 3 rising emcees recently teamed back up for Rocky's "Fuckin' Problems," too - It's expected to eventually appear on his long-overdue LONGLOVEA$AP album. Aftermath released a few different Deluxe Edition versions of the album @ retailers like iTunes, Target, and Spotify, which collectively feature 8 extra tracks. Kendrick Lamar got his 3 fellow Black Hippy swordsmen in the studio to record STELLAR remixes of good kid, m.A.A.d. city's early singles. "The Recipe" (Black Hippy Remix) eliminates ~~Dr. Dre~~ and effectively subs in Ab-Soul, Jay Rock & ScHoolboy Q ... playfully lamenting about the out-pouring of beautiful "women, weed & weather" out in LA.

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of...

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra...

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel...

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