A concept album, it features lyrical themes delivered by Lamar such as the 1980s crack epidemic, racism and the medication tolerance of millennials.

The album features guest appearances from GLC, Colin Munroe, Ashtrobot, BJ the Chicago Kid, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and vocals from singer-songwriter Alori Joh.

The first of these mixtapes, titled Youngest Head Nigga in Charge, landed Lamar a recording contract with Top Dawg Entertainment.

Lamar felt compelled to create the album after seeing a friend of his go to jail for twenty-five years and experiencing the pain of such an event.

[11] Lyrically, Section.80 is a concept album that dwells on a variety of subjects, such as the 1980s crack epidemic, medication tolerance, racism, and presidency of Ronald Reagan.

[13] On "A.D.H.D", Lamar addresses "getting fucked up, going to parties, and just being carefree,"[3] while "Kush & Corinthians" notes that justice and morals are rarely cut and dried.

[18] In its first week, the album sold 5,000 copies in the United States and debuted at number 113 on the US Billboard 200, with minimal mainstream media promotion and coverage.

"[28] Reviewing the album for Pitchfork, Tom Breihan believed that, "self-serious flaws and all, Section.80 still stands as a powerful document of a tremendously promising young guy figuring out his voice.

"[10] In the opinion of XXL journalist Adam Fleischer, the record reveals "its author's brain is neither lost nor useless, as he weaves together carefully constructed thoughts before spewing raps on each of the project's 16 tracks, ensuring nothing is disposable or without purpose.

"[7] Tom Hull said Lamar "runs a song about 'niggas and ho's' so far into the ground he can raise a flagpole in top of it, but also recalls the evils of the Reagan Era, which is pretty good for a guy who was just born as Iran-Contra piled up.