"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.[3]

"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[1]
Length	6:49
Label	Top Dawg Entertainment
Composer(s)	Kendrick Duckworth Ricci Riera Axel Morgan
Producer(s)	THC[2]

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".[4] Law further emphasized the unexpected collaboration between Lamar and Gunplay - a collaboration with an avant-garde musician and a "street" rapper.[4] 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".[2]

"Cartoon & Cereal" is one of Lamar's most popular songs; Complex magazine, which listed it as the second best song of 2012, wrote "the best song ['Cartoon & Cereal'] that Kendrick Lamar released this year didn't even make the album [Good Kid, M.A.A.D City]".[5] 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".[6]

References