Kendrick Lamar's "good kid m.A.A.d city" Nearly Had An Andre 3000 Verse

Over the weekend, hip-hop fans were treated to the five year anniversary of one of the decade's seminal albums, Kendrick Lamar's good kid m.A.A.d city. Released in 2012 to nearly universal critical praise, it has gone on to become one of the most respected artistic expressions in rap music over the last two decades, as well as being the force of nature that introduced mainstream audiences to Kendrick. The man behind the landmark LP has since brought us To Pimp A Butterfly and this year's much-talked about DAMN., but many of his supporters still count GKMC as his most impressive work. In a Twitter thread about the record's anniversary, TDE's Punch talked some behind-the-scenes details that few knew of previously, including his steadfast attempt to have Outkast's Andre 3000 to hop on one of the album's guest verses.

Punch talked about several little tidbits concerning GKMC, but perhaps the most interesting was the fact that he tried to get Andre 3000, the former Outkast member and, similar to Kendrick, one of the most respected emcees in the history of the genre, as a featured artist on the album. According to the TDE mainstay, "3 stacks" was pegged for a spot on "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe," but he was unable to sneak away from his (doomed) Jimi Hendrix film project and hit up the studio at the time. It's not like the song languished as a result though, with Jay-Z's guest verse helping make up the official remix to the track, which went on to become an early hit for Kendrick. 

Elsewhere, Punch admitted that there was the idea of a concept album behind GKMC from the very beginning. "The goal was to make a album in the vein of a Tarantino movie," he explained. "Where the scenes aren't in chronological order but it flows cohesively." He added that, "what's ill to me is thru all of the skits and narration you only here Kendrick's voice one time." It's definitely a record that continues to be influential for not only aspiring emcees looking to break into the business, but seasoned veterans who have spent years dominating the industry. Check out Punch's tweets about GKMC below.

What's your favorite track from Kendrick's landmark album? Share it in the comments below.

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