Kendrick Lamar (EP)

Shawn Setaro of Complex described the EP as "worthwhile for the glimpse it gives into the mind of an artist who would quickly grow to into arguably the most important of his generation." He adds that "what makes the project resonate today as more than a promising debut is that who [Lamar] is has in many ways remained consistent. The record introduces characters and themes that he would revisit, especially on Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City (2012): his parents, the death of his Uncle Tony at the Louis Burger, the devastation the crack era wreaked on his neighborhood and his family, his struggle with religion, and even the phrase "good kid, mad city" itself, which shows up repeatedly on the record like a promise of things to come."[3]

Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone recalled the EP as the first standout project of Lamar's career, describing it as "redolent of peak blog-rap– there’s a track, 'Is It Love,' where he delivers a long verse that reads like a soliloquy over a wash of laptop blues, just like Mickey Factz, Charles Hamilton and other then-leaders of the new cool." He also characterized the project as a "Rosetta Stone of ideas Lamar would perfect in the near future. [...] Throughout, he unburdens himself with disarming honesty. Gone are the dreams of being the next Jay Z and pretending that he’s a gang-banging shooter out of Compton. He doesn’t waste time freestyling over radio hits anymore, instead focusing on his songwriting over lovely yet doleful production." Following the negative reception of his third solo mixtape, C4 (2009), Reeves felt that the "excellent" and "cathartic" EP "didn’t get the major attention it deserved, but it restored his reputation, and the single 'She Needs Me' fomented enough of an underground buzz that there was real expectation surrounding his next project."[4]

Sample credits

• "Is It Love" contains a sample of "Don't Look Back", performed by Telepopmusik and Angela McCluskey.
• "P&P" contains a sample of "Clock With No Hands", performed by The Roots & Mercedes Martinez.
• "She Needs Me" contains samples of "Byrdshot and Bye", performed by Dimlite; and "Long Red", performed by Mountain. The song also contains a drum sample from "Let's Ride", performed by Q-Tip.
• "I Am (Interlude)" is a remix of "Believe", performed by Q-Tip & D'Angelo.
• "Wanna Be Heard" is a remix of "Popular Demand", performed and produced by Black Milk.
• "I Do This" contains a sample of "Don't You Want to Stay", performed by Bill Withers.
• "Faith" contains a sample of "Tired of Fighting", performed by Menahan Street Band.
• "Vanity Slaves" is a remix of "Daykeeper", performed by The Foreign Exchange & Muhsinah.
• "Thanksgiving" contains samples of "Almost Like Being in Love" performed by Nat King Cole, and "Long Red", performed by Mountain.
• "Determined" contains samples of "Family", performed by Lamont Dozier, and interpolates "Touch the Sky", performed by Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco.

• Kendrick Lamar at Discogs (list of releases)