Kathleen: good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kathleen looked beautiful in the late afternoon sun. We saw her on the Red Line with the low sun hitting her freshly braided hair (it took 7 hours!). She was quietly listening to her iPod when we interrupted her to take her photo...

Kathleen is a sophomore at DePaul University, majoring in International Studies and Communications. She's originally from Kansas City, and it turns out she knows our friend Lena (who is also from Kansas City)! Although Kathleen only had a few minutes talk, we had the chance to talk about some of our favorite music, including her favorite artist Kendrick Lamar.

Kendrick Lamar. Oof. This guy has rich beats, and a deep bass driving the album forward. Listening to his songs Compton or The Recipe, you can really understand the way he pays homage to the forefathers of hip hop (especially that West Coast flow). At the same time, his lyrics and the rest of the narrative of the album foresee and even begin to lay down the foundation for the future of hip hop, as in his song m.A.A.d city. He consistently draws inspiration from the pain of his past and his experiences, unleashing a potent set of lyrics. His beats, flows, and lyrics upset the contemporary foundation of hip hop, but because Lamar remembers his roots and the history of hip hop, his fresh creativity is the intuitive next chapter, rather than a twist in the plot. 

Our friend, Amin, recently started a Youtube series reviewing new hip hop albums called UnScripted Hip Hop. Amin is literally the flyest guy I know. You think I'm kidding, but I've heard people say all of the following things about Amin: 

• The National Security Agency has banned Amin from traveling through "no fly zones." 
• The Federal Aviation Administration recently granted Amin a pilots license for all of that "flyness." 
• The most apt description of Amin that I've ever heard put to words is: "He's basically a combination of every talent that all men wish they had, and that all women want in a man." 

Amin, recently did a review of Kendrick's major label debut studio album, good kid, m.A.A.d city. Check him out below: 

P.S. If you want to see Big Ghost's (of Wu Tang Clan) review of m.A.A.d city, check it out.