good kid, m.a.a.d city As a Visual Drama
Kendrick Lamar’s second studio release album good kid m.a.a.d city turned eight this October and like many Kendrick fans I always find myself reflecting on the project around this time of year. Good kid m.a.a.d city (GKMC) is an album I have always loved on account of the amazing story telling it is founded on and the incredible creative production that the album displays. The project does a great job of immersing the listener in the story by way of skit outros, personal anecdotes, and good lyrical storytelling. Another way to put it is that GKMC feels like so much more than just a rap album. I have always seen the album as a blueprint for a visual story because of how fleshed out it is. Throughout the album different characters are introduced, a setting and plot are developed, and a theme is set. All these elements play into GKMC feeling very theatric, making it easy to visualize the story taking place on a stage or on the big screen as a movie.
In trying to understand GKMC from the perspective of theatre and film I thought I would try breaking down the album by fundamental elements of drama. In this case I looked at six elements of drama as defined by Aristotle. These elements are plot, character, thought, language, melody, and spectacle. Plot refers to the conflicts and problems characters must overcome, character details the individuals that provide motivations for the conflicts characters face and thought quite literally refers to thoughts of the characters. These three elements are probably the most common amongst any drama like story. In GKMC they tend to stand out the most because they are a fundamental part of Kendrick’s story telling. Language then is the dramatic expression of conflict being faced and overcome, melody refers to the chorus and the information provided in song, and finally spectacle refers to how a play is staged. Whether or not GKMC was put together with dramatics in mind these elements play a large role in the story feeling so complete and evocative.
The story of Kendrick’s experience in Compton as a young man is full of lessons learned, those that helped teach Kendrick said lessons, and dramatic recounts of intense situations Kendrick persevered through. Kendrick’s narration of the story amidst well placed skit intros and outros that introduce characters help develop the projects elements of plot, character, and theme. His use of lyricism in narrating and delivering dramatics over instrumentals helps to develop language and melody as it also provides context for the story. GKMC primarily being a rap album plays into the spectacle element well in that the staging of a drama relies on the audience’s ability to perceive different details. GKMC is ultimately an auditory experience so all the different sounds and melodies develop the spectacle of the project. There are a lot of specific instances from different tracks of GKMC that develop the six elements of drama. Soon, I will explore which tracks develop which elements directly. Until then I would suggest you try listening to the album from this perspective. For anyone who loves GKMC or has not engaged with it much I am sure it will make for a great listening experience.
