Production on Kendrick Lamar was handled by Sounwave, Black Milk, Jake One, Q-Tip and Wyldfyer, among others.

It features guest appearances from Angela McCluskey, Ab-Soul, JaVonte, Jay Rock, BJ the Chicago Kid, Punch, Schoolboy Q and Big Pooh.

[2] Shawn Setaro of Complex appreciated the EP for sharing a glimpse of Lamar's artistry, adding that the reason why the project has resonated with audiences years after its release is because of his consistency.

He criticized the "half-baked" nature of its production and songwriting, but acknowledged it as an admirable and engaging project.

He praised the EP as being the first standout project of his career, describing it as "redolent of peak blog-rap," and applauded Lamar for eschewing the excessive freestyling over radio hit singles from his previous mixtapes in favor of a project that focuses on his writing and accompanied by "lovely yet doleful production."