In this song, you step into the mindset of Lamar’s persona, K Dot, who’s the protagonist of the story. K-Dot, is meeting with a girl named “Sherane” and much like in a Tarantino film, the story doesn’t exactly follow one thread. It’s filled with fits and starts, twists and turns. The skits following the songs are concise but actually feature Kendrick’s friends and mother and father. They’re what pull the story completely together. The skit after “Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter” has Kendrick’s mother and father wanting him to bring her van back to the house.
A picture of this van is also featured on the deluxe version of the record. The single “B_ch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” also serves as sort of an introduction and is more about the state of hip-hop. The original version features guest vocals by Lady Gaga and was titled “Partynauseous.” However, timing issues came up and ultimately her version didn’t end up on the album. She later released it herself, to Lamar’s surprise. The skit that ends “B_ch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” once again pushes the story along. In it we hear K Dot’s friends telling him to meet them in the car where they have a beat CD. “Backseat Freestyle” and “The Art of Peer Pressure” naturally flow together. The former tells a story about K Dot freestyling with his friends in the car dreaming like “Martin had a Dream/Kendrick have a dream” and that they will make their mark. The song captures a vivid amount among close friends and the simple joys of hotboxing a car and freestyling with friends, then it sets the stage for “The Art of Peer Pressure,” which is a major development in this narrative.Ī seemingly innocent caravan with friends ends up being a night of smoking and drinking and robbing someone. There’s less bravado with this but more of an internal conflict. He’s then faced with a dilemma, does he follow the path of his peers, or keep his head down and make that money, which leads to “Money Trees.” Despite the situation, you’re still rooting for K Dot and relieved when he eludes the cops. “Poetic Justice” brings us back to the beginning of the story with Sherane. A group of men jump K Dot just because he’s from a different hood. He realizes even after robbing a house that the predator can just as easily become the prey. “Good Kid” and “mAAd City” are linked as well. “Good Kid” is about the eternal struggle of the hood.