Overly Dedicated

Overly Dedicated
Mixtape by Kendrick Lamar
Released September 14, 2010
Recorded 2010
TDE Red Room
(Carson, California)
Genre Hip hop
Length 59:18
Label Top Dawg Entertainment
Producer
  • Executive producers
    Dave Free
  • Dude Dawg
  • Kendrick Lamar
    Additional producers
    Drop
  • Jairus "J-Mo" Mozee
  • King Blue
  • Sounwave
  • Tae Beast
  • Tommy Black
  • Willie B
  • Wyldfyer
Kendrick Lamar chronology

Kendrick Lamar EP
(2009)		 Overly Dedicated
(2010)		 Section.80
(2011)

Overly Dedicated (stylized O(verly) D(edicated) and often referred to as O.D.) is the fourth mixtape by American hip hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar, released September 14, 2010, via Top Dawg Entertainment. The album features guest appearances from Dash Snow, Jhené Aiko, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Dom Kennedy and MURS, among others. The album's production was handled by several TDE in-house producers, including King Blue, Sounwave, Tae Beast and Willie B; other producers such as Tommy Black, Drop, Jairus "J-Mo" Mozee, and Wyldfyer, also contributed production.[1] The mixtape was highly acclaimed upon release, from fans and critics alike.

Background

On September 4, 2010 Lamar unveiled the cover art for Overly Dedicated, which was designed by RedefineCreativity.[2] On September 14, 2010, the music video for "P&P 1.5", a song taken from Overly Dedicated, featuring his Black Hippy cohort Ab-Soul, was released.[3] On September 14, Lamar also released Overly Dedicated to digital retailers under the Top Dawg Entertainment, the label that signed after Lamar released his first mixtape, when he was 16.[4] On September 23, it was released for free download online.[5]

Overly Dedicated includes a song titled "Ignorance Is Bliss", in which Lamar glorifies gangsta rap and street crime, but ends each verse with "ignorance is bliss", giving the message "we know not what we do".[6][7] It was this song specifically that made fellow West Coast rapper and legendary hip hop producer Dr. Dre, want to work with Lamar, after watching the song's music video on YouTube.[8] This led to Lamar working with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on Dre's Detox album and him considering signing to Dre's label, Aftermath Entertainment.[9][10][11] On the topic of the project's genre, Lamar called it "human music".[12][13]


Track listing

No. TitleProducer Length
1. "The Heart Pt.2" (featuring Dash Snow)The Roots 4:54
2. "Growing Apart (To Get Closer)" (featuring Jhené Aiko)Tae Beast (of Digi+Phonics) 3:41
3. "Night of the Living Junkies"  Sounwave (of Digi+Phonics) 3:32
4. "P&P 1.5" (featuring Ab-Soul)King Blue (of Sore Losers) 6:02
5. "Alien Girl (Today With Her)"  Sounwave (of Digi+Phonics) 4:00
6. "Opposites Attract (Tomorrow Without Her)" (featuring JaVonte)Willie B (of Digi+Phonics) 4:42
7. "Michael Jordan" (featuring Schoolboy Q)Sounwave (of Digi+Phonics) 5:51
8. "Ignorance Is Bliss"  Willie B (of Digi+Phonics) 3:28
9. "R.O.T.C. (Interlude)" (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid)Jairus "J-Mo" Mozee 2:43
10. "Barbed Wire" (featuring Ash Riser)Sounwave (of Digi+Phonics) 4:26
11. "Average Joe"  Wyldfyer 4:16
12. "H.O.C."  Drop 5:17
13. "Cut You Off (To Grow Closer)"  Tae Beast (of Digi+Phonics) 6:04
14. "Heaven & Hell" (featuring Alori Joh)Tommy Black 3:12
Sample credits

Charts

Chart (2010)[25][26] Peak
position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 72
US Top Heatseekers (Billboard) 46

References

  1. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – O.D. (Mixtape)". 2DopeBoyz. 2011-09-23. Retrieved 2012-05-28.
  2. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar - O.D. (Artwork)". 2Dopeboyz. Complex Music. September 4, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – P&P 1.5 f. Ab-Soul (Video)". 2Dopeboyz. Complex Music. September 14, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Overly Dedicated [Explicit]: Kendrick Lamar". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar – O.D. (Mixtape)". 2Dopeboyz. Complex Music. September 23, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  6. ↑ Hanna, Mitchell. (2010-09-27) Mixtape Release Dates: Kendrick Lamar, K-Os, Terrace Martin, Sheek Louch | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales. HipHop DX. Retrieved on 2011-05-03.
  7. ↑ Double G News Network: GGN Ep. 2 - Special Super Hard Hitting Interview with Kendrick Lamar. Youtube. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  8. ↑ Jacobs, Allen. (2010-12-17) Dr. Dre Says In 2011, He's Focusing On West Coast Hip Hop – Kendrick Lamar, Slim da Mobster | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales. HipHop DX. Retrieved on 2011-05-03.
  9. ↑ Graham, Nadine. (2011-01-06) Kendrick Lamar: The West Coast Got Somethin' To Say | Rappers Talk Hip Hop Beef & Old School Hip Hop. HipHop DX. Retrieved on 2011-05-03.
  10. ↑ Paine, Jake. (2010-12-25) Kendrick Lamar Reacts To Dr. Dre's Cosign, Considering Aftermath | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales.
  11. ↑ Kendrick Lamar Says J. Cole Collabo Mixtape is Gonna “Shock The World”. Xxlmag.Com. Retrieved on 2011-05-03.
  12. ↑ "Video: Kendrick Lamar Interview w/ Lu Parker". Nah Right. 2011-03-31. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  13. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar talks J Cole, XXL Freshmen, Kid Cudi, Human Music". YouTube. 2010-12-31. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  14. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's The Heart Pt.2 sample of The Roots' A Peace of Light". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  15. ↑ Get Closer)-Bobby-Cook-The-Explosions-On-the-Way/ "Kendrick Lamar's Growing Apart (To Get Closer) sample of Bobby Cook and The Explosions' On the Way". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's Growing Apart (From Everything) sample of Stylus' Hangin'". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  17. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's Night of the Living Junkies sample of Kanye West's The New Workout Plan". Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  18. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's P&P 1.5 sample of OutKast's Vibrate". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  19. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's P&P 1.5 sample of Rick James' Give It To Me Baby". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  20. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's Ignorance Is Bliss sample of D'Angelo's Alright". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  21. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's R.O.T.C. (Interlude) sample of Bobby Caldwell's Open Your Eyes". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  22. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's Ignorance Is Bliss sample of Mass Production's Galaxy". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  23. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's Cut You Off (To Grow Closer) sample of J. J. Johnson and Bobby Womack's Harlem Love Theme". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  24. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's Heaven & Hell sample of Bobby Lyle's Believe". Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  25. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  26. ↑ Artist Biography by Andy Kellman (1987-06-17). "Kendrick Lamar | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-11-27.