Best Albums of 2012 – ‘good kid, m.A.A.d. city’ by Kendrick Lamar

Undoubtedly, Kendrick Lamar's second album 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' is one of the best rap albums of 2012. The collection received an overwhelming positive response from both fans and critics alike.

Told in a narrative form, the album details the life and times of a young Lamar growing up in the tough and violent city of Compton, Calif. K-Dot takes his listeners on a journey through his experiences with peer pressure ('The Art of Peer Pressure'), gang violence ('m.A.A.d city'), substance abuse ('Swimming Pools') and teenage love ('Poetic Justice').

At the end of the album, the 25-year-old rap wunderkind takes a victory lap as if to say, "I made it out the 'hood!" with feel-good songs like 'Compton' (featuring Dr. Dre) and 'Now or Never' (featuring Mary J. Blige).

Here's something else to celebrate -- Lamar's 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' has been certified gold in the United States with 500,000 copies shipped. Yep, hometown boy done good.