Miles Marshall Lewis

This is more of a critical exploration of how Kendrick fits into the cultural landscape than a linear narrative of his musical history. If there's an organization to Mr. Lewis' approach, I didn't pick up on it, but even if the book were considered nothing more than a collection of essays, it's vastly engaging and enlightening when it comes to understanding Kendrick's place in the hip-hop hemisphere.

I would've enjoyed more about his seminal "To Pimp A Butterfly" and his Pulitzer and Grammy winning "DNA", but treating "Good Kid, M.A.D.D. City" as the focal point of the book does serve a purpose. One just has to be willing to go along for the ride here.

Mr. Lewis writes this book from his perspective, injecting himself into the narrative frequently. Again, not a detriment to the book, just stating it here in case that isn't your cup of tea as a reader of artistic analyses. It's a pretty popular approach (see Rob Sheffield).

Not quite what I was expecting, but still an entertaining book and a good introduction to (or continuation in appreciation of) Kendrick's phenomenal rise and reign.… (meer)

This is a detailed biography of Rap star Kendrick Lamar and his effect of his lyrics and songs on people and the music industry. Though I am not a Rap fan I learned much about Mr. Lamar's life and influence on the music industry in general. There are a lot of unique visuals interspersed throughout the book as well as comments about Lamar by notables in the music industry. A narrow audience will love this book. My main issue here is the author likes to "show off" and name drop too much when it is not needed.… (meer)

This book is specifically targeted at Kendrick Lamar fans and I, as a general aficionado of hip-hop history and culture, didn't get much out of it. The author inserts himself and his experiences into the book far too often for my taste and spends the rest of the time dissecting lyrics and interpreting supposed influences. Usually, I'm all for books that are secretly love letters but this feels more like a test of pre-existing knowledge on said rapper than a reason to fall in love. Artwork is kinda cool though.

I was sent a free copy of this book for review by the publisher.… (meer)

I won this book from a Goodreads give away. The book is well written and informative about the history of rap - hip hop music industry. The history of how Kendrick Lamar got into music. The harshness at times, I guess put me off. I would read a little bit and put the book down. Was hard for me to keep reading, to keep my interest. Mostly in disbelief of things that happened to him, my ignorance of things like that happen in the world. Knowing very little about the struggles one has getting into the business. If nothing else Lamar was persistent. I will pass the book along for someone else to read. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn about Kendrick Lamar.… (meer)