It’s no exaggeration to call Kendrick Lamar a generational talent. Dominating the rap game with his unique flow and complex lyricism, he has won awards from a Pulitzer Prize to five Grammys in one night… twice. After riding the high of an explosive Super Bowl performance and a high-profile feud with Drake, what better time to discuss exactly what makes him the best in the game?
Kendrick Lamar began as K-Dot and released five mixtapes before his breakthrough album, good kid, m.A.A.d city (his debut album is technically Section.80, but he refers to it as a mixtape). Released in 2012 with features from heavy-hitters like Dr. Dre and Jay-Z, Lamar calls the album a “short film” as it follows a day in his life as a teenager in Compton, California. It narrates the difficulty of family life, gang violence, drug and alcohol addiction, and many other pertinent social issues. Its critical appeal lies not only in its clever and poignant lyricism but also its mastery of hip-hop beats.
To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar’s third album, was released in 2015. A masterclass in hip-hop, this album truly put Kendrick on the map. Its dense poetry, rife with allusions to the struggle for racial justice in Black America, helped solidify rap as a genre fit for critical acclaim, after being snubbed time and time again by white critics. Tracks like “Wesley’s Theory” and “Alright” blend complex jazz melodies with thematic richness. TPaB won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and lives on as one of the best albums of the 2010s.
2017’s DAMN., with standout single “HUMBLE,” won Kendrick the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018. Praised for “its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism,” the record is just as cohesive as the rest of his work, and paints vivid pictures of his experience as a Black man. “HUMBLE” has accrued 2.5 billion streams on Spotify alone, solidifying it as an instant classic. “DNA” and “LOVE” additionally have 1 billion streams each, featuring his trademark lucidity and sonic creativity.
Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is arguably Kendrick’s most intimate and vulnerable album, providing insight into the struggles of modern family life after a 5-year hiatus. A personal highlight on this album is “We Cry Together” featuring Taylour Paige. The jarring, clunky piano is overlaid by jabs and insults between Paige and Lamar, culminating in reconciliation. It’s a fascinatingly musical portrayal of romantic dysfunction, and lends further prowess to Kendrick’s storytelling abilities.
In November last year, Kendrick dropped surprise-album GNX. Spring of last year was dominated by the (ongoing) feud between him and Drake, and this album capitalized off that success, instantly garnering much-deserved hype. Long-time collaborator SZA is featured on “luther” and “gloria” and performed with him at his Superbowl LIX halftime show, which was laden with symbolic cultural criticism. Kendrick currently occupies 3 of the Top 10 spots of the Billboard 200, and his impact on the culture is undeniable. In his own words, “you can’t fake influence,” and that is something he certainly has in spades.
