“m.A.A.d” is an acronym for both “my Angels on Angel dust” and “my Angry Adolescence divided.”

“m.A.A.d” is also a reference to the 90s Compton based hip-hop group “WC and the Maad Circle.” The leader, WC, would go on to form Westside Connection, a group heavily associated with LA-based artists Ice Cube from N.W.A, and Mack 10.

Kendrick’s recent beat-down brings back early memories of similar situations, witnessing someone with their brains blown out at a burger stand back when he was 9 (probably referring to his Uncle Tony, or someone in a similar situation), he thinks he knows the person who did it but he censors their name. He also talks about how his cousin was killed back in ‘94.

He talks about his father telling him to get a job but he’s fired after his friends pressure him into staging a robbery. He gives his reason for why he doesn’t smoke when he tells a story of smoking marijuana laced with cocaine and “foaming at the mouth.”

In the final verse he tries to let the good shine through and offer respite for the youth and how they don’t have to succumb to the temptations and pressures of the street. He hopes that his experience and intelligence can do good for the youth living in similar situations.

https://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-maad-city-lyrics

  • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    This song bumps. One of my favorite songs by Kendrick; it’s so hard to pick one overall favorite with him.

    • jimmydoreisalefty@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 months ago

      Yes, it was a struggle to decide, but we can post others at a later time!

      Great lyrics with meaning and production/beats are really well done, so went with this one.

      Topics discussed were also vitial in deciding this, while having two parts in one!

    • Sylvartas@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Agreed, I don’t have a favorite from him, just a top 5 (m.A.A.d city, Swimming Pools, The Blacker The Berry, King Kunta and HUMBLE). But yeah most of his songs have great lyrics and beats, they don’t call him the goat for nothing

  • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    he thinks he knows the person who did it but he censors their name

    A smarter/more caffeinated person than me could say something really intelligent about how there’s a whole motif running throughout all of Kendrick’s work about knowing things you can’t talk about and how we have to suppress important parts of our histories and leave traumas unprocessed to fit into society and how the official stories of things leave out events and people because of this