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Critical reception
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City received rave reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 91, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 36 reviews. Pitchfork Media's Jayson Greene felt that "the miracle of this album is how it ties straightforward rap thrills" to its "weighty material" and narrative. David Amidon of PopMatters felt that the album appeals to both "mainstream and underground hip-hop heads" and stated, "Lamar concentrates the ideas of hip-hop narrative and nonfiction into such a form that’s shocking for how simultaneously accessible yet full of depth it is." Joseph Morpurgo of Fact viewed the album as an autobiographical "triumph of breadth" and a "wide-ranging, far-reaching success", writing that it "impresses with its diversity and scope ... there's an embarrassment of killer material here." Sputnikmusic found it "just as ambitious" as Kanye West's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, "but with much subtler shades". Jaeki Cho of XXL cited it as "one of the most cohesive bodies of work in recent rap memory" and wrote that each song is "both complexly arranged and sonically fitting, foregrounding Kendrick’s vivid lyricism and amazing control of cadence." Allmusic editor David Jeffries characterized the album as "some kind of elevated gangsta rap" and wrote of its subject matter:

"Besides all the great ideas and life, this journey through the concrete jungle of Compton is worth taking because of the artistic richness, plus the attraction of a whip-smart rapper flying high during his rookie season. Any hesitation about the horror of it all is quickly wiped away by Kendrick's mix of true talk, open heart, open mind, and extended hand. Add it all up and subtract the hype, and this one is still potent enough to rise to the top of the pile."

In a mixed review, Hazel Sheffield of NME asserted that the album "might lack the raw appeal of" Section.80, "but it's a big-budget reminder that [Lamar] hasn't forgotten his roots." Alex Macpherson of The Guardian criticized "Lamar's depiction of downtrodden women" as "unnecessarily prurient and unconvincing", but praised his "ability to pull the listener inside the action while retaining an alienated detachment". Although he observed "some degree of self-indulgence", Andrew Nosnitsky of Spin found the album's production "surprisingly cohesive" and commented that Lamar "manages to hold everything together in the midst of such chaos through sheer craftsmanship." Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone felt that the album "warrants a place in that storied lineage" of "Seventies blaxploitation soundtracks and Nineties gangsta-rap blaxploitation revivals". Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune commended Lamar for giving "gangsta tropes ... a twist, or sometimes upend[ing] them completely", and wrote that the album "brims with comedy, complexity and the many voices in Kendrick Lamar's head." Robert Christgau of MSN Music felt that its "commitment to drama has musical drawbacks", but stated, "the atmospheric beats Dr. Dre and his hirelings lay under the raps and choruses establish a musical continuity that shores up a nervous flow that's just what Lamar's rhymes need."

Accolades
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City appeared on several year-end top albums lists by music critics. It was named the best album of 2012 by BBC, Complex, Fact, New York, and Pitchfork Media. The album was also ranked number two by Billboard, the Chicago Tribune, MTV, Spin, and Time, number four by Filter, Jon Pareles of The New York Times, and Ann Powers of NPR, number five by The Guardian, number six by Rolling Stone, and number eight by Entertainment Weekly. In December 2012, Complex also named Good Kid, M.A.A.D City one of the 25 classic hip hop albums of the previous 10 years. Complex and Pitchfork Media also ranked its album cover as the best of 2012. In April 2013, Vibe placed the album at number 19 on its "The Greatest 50 Albums Since '93" list. The album was nominated for Top Rap Album at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards and the 2013 American Music Awards. In October 2013, Complex named it the second best hip hop album of the last five years. It also won the award for Album of the Year at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards.