Before there was Good Kid, m.A.A.d City there was Section.80. Kendrick Lamar's full length debut came on the heels of a quintet of mixtapes and an EP, one of which included the song "Ignorance Is Bliss" and ultimately attracted the attention of Dr. Dre. But before everything was set with Aftermath Entertainment there was Section.80. The beats on the album were produced by a relative group of unknowns, aside from J. Cole, and have a mid 90s underground sound that ties the release together. Lamar confronts the problems of being born in the 1980s and the fallout of the Reagan era, the trappings of drug use and racism in America. For those of you that ate up Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, there's plenty to take in with Section.80. With "HiiiPower" he lays out the credo behind his HiiiPower movement and sets the course for things to come. Section.80 is a definite must for all you Kendrick Lamar fans.

• random colored vinyl
• music label: Top Dawg Entertainment 2013

reviewed by Kool Moby 08/2013