| "Cartoon & Cereal" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by Kendrick Lamar featuring Gunplay | |
| Released | February 14, 2012 (2012-02-14) |
| Recorded | 2012 |
| Studio | TDE Red Room (Carson) |
| Genre | Progressive rap |
| Length | 6:49 |
| Label | Top Dawg Entertainment |
| Composer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | THC |
"Cartoon & Cereal" is a song by American rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar, released for digital download on February 14, 2012. Collaborating with Florida-based rapper Gunplay, Lamar originally intended to include the song on his major-label debut album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, but was discarded due to sampling issues and the track being leaked online beforehand.
Critical reception
Jack Law, writing for Fact magazine, described experimentation that Lamar demonstrated on his album Section.80, released a year prior: "Kendrick's verse is predictably tricky to penetrate, full of multi-layered imagery and word-play, and will doubtless reward further study". Law further emphasized the unexpected collaboration between Lamar and Gunplay - a collaboration with an avant-garde musician and a "street" rapper. On Pitchfork, Jordan Sargent referred to "Cartoons & Cereal" as the work of two artists who "have an anti-social streak that runs through their music".
Complex magazine, which listed it as the second best song of 2012, wrote "the best song that Kendrick Lamar released this year didn't even make the album ". Music critic Niyah Nel reflected: "the 'inner voice' like approach on 'Cartoons & Cereal' made just the right impact to lead fans into wondering what to expect from his debut album, and it definitely boosted his ranking as an unmatched lyricist".
References
- Skelton, Eric; Diaz, Angel; Tharpe, Frazier; Ortiz, Edwin; McKinney, Jessica; Thompson, Paul; Weiss, Jeff (November 18, 2019). "The Best Rappers of the 2010s". Complex. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Sargent, Jordan. "'Cartoon & Cereal' [ft. Gunplay]". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- G. Lucas (6 July 2015). "Inside Kendrick Lamar's Unreleased Classic, "Cartoons & Cereal"". DJ Booth. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Law, Jack (14 February 2012). "Kendrick Lamar feat. Gunplay – 'Cartoon & Cereal'". Fact magazine. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- "The 50 Best Songs of 2012". Complex. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- Nel, Niyah (9 August 2017). "REVISITING A CLASSIC: KENDRICK LAMAR'S 'CARTOONS & CEREAL' & its impact TODAY". EDL.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
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