A beginner’s guide to Kendrick Lamar
As the days go by it becomes more and more clear that Drake should never have thought for one moment that he could take Kendrick Lamar. More and more things are brought up, the nonsense idea that Kendrick stole lyrics to his disses from tweets, an entire website dedicated to thoroughly unreliable accusations regarding Kendrick allegedly assaulting women, and nothing sticks. People were sick of Drake, and people respect Kendrick. If there is solid evidence Kendrick is abusive towards his partner I’ll regret saying this, but it’s because Kendrick Lamar has proved himself to be a once-in-a-generation artist and one of the greatest rappers of all time (in my mind, the greatest of all time). If your introduction to Kendrick has been this beef, I hope this little article helps you get into this wonderful artist.
Where I would begin is with some of Kendrick’s biggest hits like HUMBLE just to test the waters. If you like some of the hits, or just want to continue, the best starting place is Good Kid M.A.A.D. City. The album features some of Kendrick’s best and most accessible songs with Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe, Backseat Freestyle, and Poetic Justice. You see in equal parts Kendrick’s affinity for memorable, funny, and ear-catching raps alongside his incredible storytelling. The opener, Sherane A.K.A. Master Splinter’s Daughter introduces the albums themes of youth, sexuality, and the gang violence that defined Lamar’s upbringing alongside the album’s narrative thread of voicemails from Lamar’s friends and parents. Good Kid M.A.A.D. City is a brilliant album that is front to back incredible music and some of the best storytelling in all of music history (namely the epic and tragic Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst). If it was the only album Kendrick Lamar ever made he’d be a legend. Luckily for us, he decided to top himself.
To Pimp a Butterfly was inspired by Lamar’s anxiety about his own fame, the civil unrest of the mid-2010’s, a visit he took to South Africa, and Tupac Shakur. The album sees Kendrick Lamar at his most politically engaged yet it’s also often laid back. You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said) and Complexion (A Zulu Love) each tie into the albums themes while still being something you could just throw on for the vibe. To Pimp a Butterfly is an album I love so dearly and whose themes run so deep that I could both write about it eternally and I’m unsure of where to begin. Kendrick addresses mental health issues in a powerful confessional style on U before reaffirming himself (and by extension, everyone struggling) with the powerful Alright, which has become an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement. The frantic opener Wesley’s Theory introduces dozens of powerful ideas, and the most interesting is the album’s interest in synthesizing various sounds in Black musical history. Wesley’s Theory features funk legend George Clinton, modern jazz-funk bassist Thundercat, and Dr. Dre, and the rest of the album features numerous music legends like jazz keyboardist Robert Glasper, Snoop Dogg, and the incredibly powerful contributions of jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington. Trust me when I say this album is worth your time no matter what. I only recommend Good Kid M.A.A.D. City over To Pimp a Butterfly due to the albums accessibility and the narrative threads it has that continue onto To Pimp a Butterfly. While Kendrick’s first album is incredible, To Pimp a Butterfly is a triumph artists dream of reaching.
Beyond these albums, I recommend you listen to DAMN and Mister Morale and the Big Steppers next because those are Kendrick’s other main albums, and then Untitled Unmastered and Section 80. No matter what, I’d recommend Rigamortis off Section 80 to show that from moment one Kendrick Lamar was an incredible technical rapper. To give some thoughts on Kendrick’s other albums, DAMN updates To Pimp a Butterfly’s concerns and vibes with a more accessible modern trap sound. I don’t believe the album reaches the height’s of his previous work due to some weaker deep cuts, but DAMN’s heights are just as impressive as the rest of Lamar’s work. Mister Morale and the Big Steppers by contrast, is Kendrick Lamar at his most raw, vulnerable, and experimental. The album has been somewhat divisive, which is fair considering the album itself is deeply conflicted and nowhere near as digestible as DAMN, and that’s the primary reason I don’t recommend the album as a starting point. However, if you develop any interest in Kendrick Lamar or in modern hip-hop, I’d consider the album a must-listen.
If any single person reading this is convinced to listen to Kendrick Lamar, I will be very happy.
