The year of 2013 gave the world a look into the different eras of many artists. Songs like “Heart Attack” by Demi Lovato, “Royals” by Lorde, and “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk swept the nation as a new wave of pop made its way to the ears of all listeners. However, this Flashback Friday we'll take it back to January 15, 2013, when American rapper Kendrick Lamar kicked off the new year by releasing his fourth single "Poetic Justice" from his debut studio album "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City", which was released in late 2012. The title got its name from the film of the same name starring Janet Jackson.
Produced by Scoop Deville, "Poetic Justice" starts off with a still robotic voice that vocalizes the chorus of the song, sailing into a deep jazz r&b beat. As the rhythm continues, the song comes in with a sample of Janet Jackson’s song "Any Time, Any Place" as Lamar begins his rap. The song's repetitive beat and lyrics continue throughout the track as Drake’s feature in the song approaches. As the end nears, the song transitions into a heated dialogue from the short film made from the album which talks about Lamar’s teenage years growing up in Compton. The whole compilation album tells this story, receiving great responses from critics. Kendrick Lamar has expressed the meaning of "Poetic Justice". “If you listen to "Poetic Justice," it’s a song about a chick saying these legs are poems. On the back end of that, is really the Sherane joint, so it’s a dedication song for Sherane. And that’s going into ‘good kid’ and ‘m.A.A.d city’ which completes the story.” Producer Scoop Deville shared his thoughts about sampling Janet’s song, stating “The sample is so crazy, so the fact that it was even cleared amazes me.”
This song received positive feedback, peaking at 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and has a 2x platinum RIAA certification. This song is definitely one that will be remembered for its great story and upbeat and catchy sound.
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