Mr. Evans' Most Anticipated Albums of 2012: Good Kid in a Mad City

I honestly cannot remember the last time I've been this excited about an up-and-coming artist. Kendrick Lamar has everything you look for in an artist- charisma, lyrics, a great vocal tone, excellent songwriting... he is the complete package. If you haven't heard Section.80, which was one of the best albums of 2011, you are definitely behind. What is perhaps most fascinating about Kendrick is his ambiguous sound, despite the fact that he's a Compton native. Section.80 had a diverse array of tracks, with a few jazz-type records that really showcased Kendrick's lyrical dexterity. Most everyone has heard "Rigamortis," but if you haven't, you can check it out below. 

Recently, Kendrick has been in the studio with the legendary Dr. Dre, and it's been reported that they've worked on about 30 songs together, which sounds like a dream come true for Hip Hop fans. Kendrick has also been ghostwriting for Dr. Dre's now mythological album, "Detox," but perhaps he can spark that fire under Dre, to get him to finally release the album to the general public. The Scoop DeVille-produced first single, "The Recipe," will appear on Good Kid in a Mad City, and it is as smooth as you'd expect it to be. Dr. Dre drops in for a couple verses, but it is more notable that he mixed the final track, giving it those heavy drums that we've come to expect from anything mixed/produced by Dr. Dre. I have no doubt that Kendrick's debut album will live up to the hype.

Album Release Date: Summer 2012