good kid, m.A.A.d city

The cover of good kid, m.A.A.d city is an old family snapshot. It shows Kendrick Lamar as a small child with two of his uncles and his grandfather, and it carries the line "a short film by Kendrick Lamar," handwritten for the sleeve by ScHoolboy Q.

The adults' eyes are blacked out and Kendrick's are left visible. He explained that the story is told through his eyes, drawn from his own experiences growing up in Compton. The details are telling: the uncle holding the young Kendrick is throwing a Crips gang sign, and a poster on the wall above shows Kendrick with his father.

Complex named it the best album cover of 2012, and Pitchfork included it among the year's 20 best. Kendrick took the art direction himself, with photography by Dan Monick. The album was released on 22 October 2012.