Homegrown rapper
One of the 2011’s best surprises was Kendrick Lamar’s “Section.80.” The iTunes exclusive was a great, utterly unself-conscious rap record from South L.A. Ever since Dr. Dre began plugging away on his version of “Chinese Democracy,” Lamar’s been viewed as the West Coast’s standard bearer with an eye on even bigger artistic goals.
Take “Keisha’s Song (Her Pain)” off the album, where Lamar strikes up a deep friendship with a vulnerable woman over their shared crack-era childhoods. It sets the tone for an urgent, defiant and ambitious full-length that’s sonically forward and emotionally bare.
Lamar raps on Dr. Dre’s forthcoming album, “Detox,” and the producer is reportedly working on Lamar’s album “Good Kid in a Mad City.” Unlike today’s out-of-touch “luxury rap,” Lamar’s vision feels completely relevant for 2012 and beyond.
-- August Brown (Joey Maloney / For The Times)
Choristers
You want faces?
The biggest event of Gustavo Dudamel’s “Mahler Project” will be a performance of the Eighth Symphony, known as “Symphony of a Thousand.” at the Shrine Auditorium on Feb. 4. It will combine the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Simon Bolivar Orchestra, eight vocal soloists and 800-plus singers from 16 local professional and amateur choruses. If there is a particular face you fancy, bring binoculars.
-- Mark Swed (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
