Progressive rap icon Kendrick Lamar is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his acclaimed sophomore record by re-releasing good kid, m.A.A.d city with an all-new look.
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Available on CD, a dark, matte grey cassette tape, or on two LPs in translucent “black ice” vinyl, the reissue will be released on Oct. 21. A new cover will transform the album, showcasing the black van from the cover of original deluxe edition—released alongside the standard album in 2012—against an all-black background. It has yet been announced whether or not, the release with include any bonus material or exclusive tracks.
With big-name producers such as Dr. Dre, Pharrell Williams, Hit-Boy, Scoop DeVille, and Jack Splash backing the 2012 release, Lamar’s concept album came to fruition and sent the rapper to the top, earning him four Grammy Award nominations, including Album of the Year.
good kid, m.A.A.d city follows Lamar’s teenage years in his hometown of Compton, California, drawing inspiration from his past experiences, toughened by the drugs and violence that have long afflicted his home. Lamar wrote the album to showcase the influence his hometown had on him. “The kid that’s trying to escape that influence, trying his best to escape that influence, has always been pulled back in because of circumstances that be,” he told XXL Magazine in a 2012 interview.
The rapper’s fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, was released in May of this year. While he is currently on tour in Europe and the UK in support of the record, it was recently revealed the star has already begun work on a follow-up to his recent release.
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