After vanquishing Drake in their rap battle feud, being announced to perform at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, Kendrick Lamar has solidified his reign over the hip-hop world with the unexpected release of his sixth studio album, GNX.
Lamar’s entire discography showcases his knack for storytelling and provocative social commentary, alongside his clever lyricism and poetic flair. All of his albums explore themes of race and class inequality in transformative ways. Due to his unique style and jam-packed lyrics, Lamar’s music can be more overwhelming to dive into than more pop-based rappers.
For those who are new to Kendrick Lamar’s unique style, we’ve put together a list of songs to get you started before diving into his new album.
- “ADHD” (Section.80)
Featured in his debut studio album, “ADHD” is just as relevant today as it was upon its release in 2011. The lyrics are fast paced but easy to follow, reeling you in with a sense of haziness that matches the theme of substance abuse prevalent throughout the track.
- “good kid” and “m.A.A.d city” (good kid, m.A.A.d city)
These two songs are the crux of Kendrick Lamar’s second album. They exhibit his talent for storytelling and serve as both a memoiristic exploration of Lamar’s childhood growing up in Compton and a larger commentary on systemic inequities. “good kid” talks about the experiences of innocent youth in a high-crime neighborhood, and is followed by “m.A.A.d city”, which explores how good people can get drawn into violence in order to survive their circumstances.
Similarly to “good kid” and “m.A.A.d city”, Kendrick’s tracks “i” and “u” show his ability to explore conflicting themes in his songs. “i” is an upbeat, energizing self-love anthem that promotes peace and community. “u” is much darker, as it gives a vulnerable look into the rapper’s mind and showcases his darker thoughts and feeling of disconnection to his community. The duality of these songs is a great example of how Lamar uses recurring themes to highlight the complexities and contradictions of the human condition.
If you’re new to Kendrick Lamar, DAMN. is probably the best place to get started. It has a more mainstream feel but is stuffed with powerful and deeper messages, using the theme of the seven deadly sins. This album tells a story if you listen to it in order and if you listen to it backward. Lamar uses different vocal pitches and religious references in “PRIDE” to convey a contrast between his own pride and ideals. “FEAR” also utilizes Kendrick’s vocal performance, a monotonous and solemn tone, to illustrate themes of being racialized and the dangers of being a black boy/teenager/man in the United States.
- “United In Grief” (Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers)
This song is an example that differentiates Kendrick Lamar from his contemporaries; it critiques the popular rap imagery of money and possessions and dives into Lamar’s therapy journey. Themes of generational trauma, grief, and mental health are all apparent, giving a vulnerable look into Kendrick Lamar’s interior. It changes tempo throughout, playing around with different harmonies, which gives it a more emotional feeling. It’s a great opening to his album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
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