Worst To Best: Kendrick Lamar Albums (List)
Hello one & all,
Hope you and yours are doing well, drinking your water and protecting your mental health. Sky Bento here on the check in and Big Bento Energy is in total effect like we always do at this time. And this time, we have a new Kendrick Lamar album for the first time in five years. Five. Long. Years. A lot of things have changed and Kendrick’s discography has only been more mythologized. As is his message on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, the man is not perfect. All Kendrick albums are not created equal as the quality of the work cannot be the exact same every time. So which projects soar above the others? How has Kendrick grown over the years? Is 2Pac really in Cuba? The world may never know. But below are my opinions on the first two questions so let’s get straight to it and through it baby.
As always these are just MY opinions and do not reflect the views of TDN as a staff, brand or a m***********g crew. Feel free to crucify me on Twitter @plzsaythebento. Iight, let’s get to it.
8. (O)verly (D)edicated (2010) - It’s probably cheating to include this. This is a mixtape through and through. But this was the first Kendrick project to really attract nationwide attention, even raising the eyebrow of a certain Doctor via the record “Ignorance Is Bliss”. Without this project there is no Section.80, but that much is obvious. Kendrick Lamar is not an incapable rapper here by any stretch. Lyrically, he’s already pretty incredible. But it lacks the cohesion and unifying themes of Kendrick’s later work. The potential is there, and the impetus of Kendrick’s genius songwriting talents can be seen on records like the aforementioned “Ignorance Is Bliss”, a record celebrating gangsta rap but with a critical eye. Kendrick had come far from the K Dot says. But was not yet “Big 3” Kendrick. He was still Kendrick Lamar though, through and through.
7. untitled unmastered. (2016) - A collection of tracks that couldn’t quite hit the cutting room floor after failing to land on To Pimp A Butterfly. These are, musically at least, very good records. They just lack the punch and presentation of Kendrick’s deliberate projects. While it still managed to have everybody yelling “Get Top on the phone!” for a couple months, this is basically just what we would’ve gotten if To Pimp A Butterfly had a deluxe. It’s effectively album DLC and it feels like it. Some may be excited to get more of TPAB but (spoiler alert) I don’t really care for it that much in abundance. At least this project is short and sweet.
6. Section.80 (2011) - Now this one is really the reason we all here. This is as hip-hop as hip-hop gets in 2011. Ghetto tales mixed with some socially conscious critical thinking. This was the record that really positioned Kendrick as one of the leading poets of our time. In hindsight, it’s a bit like a prototype good kid, m.A.A.d city in it’s narrative and concept. But while that album had a cinematic feel and a more regionally based identity, this one still feels a bit like mixtape Kendrick musically. That is for both better and worse, as he hadn’t yet fully figured out the intricacies of his voice and his delivery feels held back a bit in places. Still, records like “Rigamortis” & “Ronald Reagan Era” have electrifying beats and rhymes that still warrant spins from me even a decade later. “The Spiteful Chant” & “Blow My High (Members Only)” have hooks that I still randomly feel myself singing. “HiiiPoWeR” remains chillingly uplifting even today (salute to fellow Big 3 member J. Cole on the beat). The overall concept of Tammy & Keisha may not be as well executed as later projects, but the ambition paid off in a quality project with some great records.
5. Black Panther: The Album (2018) - Y’all might consider it blasphemous to put this over Section.80 but Kendrick Lamar was just much better artistically at this point in his career. This is Kendrick Lamar’s More Life. The obvious difference being that this project had a movie to accompany, and in consequence follows a loose narrative and has themes to follow beyond Kendrick’s bread and butter. Which is weirdly a bit of Kendrick’s bread and butter itself. We know Kendrick for thematically focused projects that usually feature some sort of narrative. This does not live up to that hype in terms of cohesion, which is why it only beats out Section.80. But the soundtrack nature of this project allowed Kendrick to play DJ Khaled and get together some artists to create a bunch of sounds that we probably wouldn’t get on a Kendrick album. Some records don’t even feature Kendrick at all. But “King’s Dead” won Future a Grammy for saying “la di da di da, slob on my knob”. “Paramedic” might be the best SOB X RBE song ever. “Big Shot” finds Kendrick linked back up with Travis Scott & making a hook out of his scene stealing “New Freezer” verse. “Pray 4 Me” was a huge record & “All The Stars” is still alive and well today. Even “The Ways” was always a personal favorite. I need more Swae Lee x Kendrick collabs. And outside of the aforementioned names, the cinematic feel Kendrick always brings to his albums was only magnified by the cinematic experience that was Black Panther. It might be cheating to include that, but it’s almost impossible to separate the sounds of this project from that film. It’s like not seeing the “Thriller” video in your head when you hear the song.
4. To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) - I know this is a lot of people’s number one but this is not Kendrick Lamar’s best album. But for what it is, the musicality is incredible. The lyricism and themes are potent. But there is something about the marriage that just never quite clicked with me. Yet and still the overall experience of the poem, ending with the Pac interview at the end make this album a moving experience as a whole. There aren’t many records I’d play individually and it definitely isn’t an accessible album. But it has so much soul. “Alright” is an obvious standout and an anthem for Black people everywhere. “For Free?” is an extremely memorable interlude. “King Kunta” is a time and place kinda jam. “These Walls” feels like a record that needs to be experienced live. But otherwise this project is all about the full experience (it easily has the coldest name of any Kendrick project as well). One of Kendrick’s more polarizing projects, To Pimp A Butterfly knows what it is and is unflinching, uncompromising in that regard. And for that, as an artistic expression, it is an incredible and thought provoking look at America’s relationship with Black people and Black culture with excellent, showy musicianship throughout serving as a nod to the past of Black music and its own roots in the horrifying acts America has committed. This is a record that like it or not will be remembered for years to come.
3. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022) - This is probably why you’re here. Do I really need to make the obvious disclaimer? Okay well in case you’re reading this like 10 years from now when Kendrick releases his sixth album, this project is only a few days old at the time of me writing this so I’m going off of early impressions clearly. But I think there’s something to be said about defying the expectation that Kendrick would come back and release an album full of his thoughts and emotions about the state of the world. I mean, we have a new president, an accompanying insurrection, tragic losses of LA heroes, a global pandemic, and of course, more senseless killings of our people resulting in worldwide protests at a time where we werd all being encouraged to stay inside. All things we’d assume Kendrick would be eager to tell us about, given his track record. But instead Kendrick said “f*** y’all and f*** the world, I’m still working on myself”. What followed in the 1855 days since his last record was a critical look at his own flaws as a man, and an honest look at the savior complex American culture has thrusted upon its own celebrities. It is equal parts Kanye’s The Life Of Pablo & Jay Z’s 4:44, but through the lens of one of the defining poets of a new generation. With narration from his fiancé Whitney, controversial Floridian Kodak Black, and spiritual/self-help teacher Eckhart Tolle, this is a journey through the mind of Kendrick Lamar. A deeply personal album that while not about the things we thought it would cover, inspires us to look inward and work on ourselves. Change happens in small steps, from government elections to the foods we eat. Unfortunately, like TLOP, this album is very musically inconsistent and lacks a true musical identity outside of the themes explored. Sure there’s pretty much a piano on every record, and some choir vocals or Beatles-esque Kendrick harmonies introducing many of the tracks but one second we’re in church with Kendrick while he defends his gay aunt and his transgender cousin and the next we are listening to a Pharrell-produced Yeezus throwback. While, like TLOP, this could be the point and K Dot is attempting to explore the complexity of his own human nature by not confining himself to one particular soundscape, it ultimately holds this record back. This is especially true when you consider that it is in fact a double album perfectly split down the middle with 9 songs each. This was a perfect opportunity to give each disc its own distinct sound to further drive home the themes and messaging of each. The Big Steppers is the family focused (and more radio friendly in my opinion) disc one, Mr. Morale is the more internally focused disc two, but other than these semi-distinct themes, musically both discs are all over the place. It feels a bit like a Section.80 part two with some help from Baby Keem and the added benefit of Kendrick Lamar just being that much better of an artist now. A very good album, but only one of his best by a technicality. Let’s see what he delivers post-TDE.
Editor’s Note: When I originally wrote this it was #4, but the concept of embracing all aspects of his humanity has grown on me and given some impact to album’s chaotic nature. This is a journey of sounds with the intention of not “pleasing everybody” (as he gets his Nina Simone on about on “Crown”) but instead pleasing every part of himself. The beats may not follow one consistent vibe, but no human being is one thing all of the time. We’re all imperfect. So is this subject-to-change ass list.
2. DAMN. (2018) - If the Black Panther Album was Kendrick’s More Life, DAMN. is the Nothing Was The Same of the K Dot canon. It is concise, thematically consistent, and potent in its brevity. This is Kendrick’s boldest and most brash work yet. Despite how short and in your face a lot of the music is, the lyrical content exudes a depth that succeeds in relatability where many artists fail by either being too detailed or not detailed enough. This is the first non classical album to ever win the pulitzer prize after all. But beyond the messaging, this is the most radio-friendly Kendrick has ever been. This accessibility is clearly a focus, and helps the intricacies of life as a Black man in America be painted in such a way that it’s really pop music for us, like a lot of rap music is. The titles being all caps with punctuation is no mistake, framing the record in a raw package. “DNA.” & “HUMBLE.” are trap-flavored bangers tailored to rap radio and are dedications to our culture upon closer examination. “LOYALTY. (feat. Rihanna)” & “LOVE. (feat. Zacari)” are smooth explorations of what a relationship really means. “ELEMENT.” is modern rap excellence with one of the catchiest hooks Kendrick has ever delivered. “LUST.” has some of the coldest drums I’ve ever heard on a song, and makes great use of Kendrick’s multiple voices to explore the emotions associated with the title. “GOD.” is a reassuring “flex with me” tune that would be corny in the hands of a lesser MC (salute Mike Hector on the beat too). “FEAR.” is peak songwriting in any genre as it details the relationship a Black man can have with fear at any point in his life. “DUCKWORTH.” is the incredibly ironic story that explains exactly why Kendrick Lamar was chosen to be Kendrick Lamar. The universe works in mysterious ways, as does Kendrick himself. The record is so masterfully crafted that it was created to be listened to in reverse order as well, and was rereleased as a collector’s edition in this order to accent this for listeners. Both sides are book-ended by death. Let me make one thing clear, this is my personal favorite Kendrick Lamar album. Maybe one day I’ll even argue it as his best. But as it stands, there is one body of work that towers above the rest.
1. good kid, m.A.A.d city - You know how them baby picture albums do. This is the one that catapulted Kendrick Lamar into the mainstream to worldwide success. This is Illmatic meets Boyz N The Hood. This is a movie about growing up in Compton, made into an album. And it’s a cinematic masterpiece. There are hits like “Swimming Pools”, “Bitch Dont Kill My Vibe”, “Poetic Justice”, “Money Trees”, “m.A.A.d city” & “Backseat Freestyle”. But beyond that there is a narrative about Kendrick Lamar’s come up and his own rise to fame. There is no high and mighty message to this album like others in his catalogue, but this is pure observation in a way that few albums can claim to show mastery of. The beats are hard, California love letters, and Kendrick’s vocals perfectly reflect his storytelling capability. “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst” is one of the most heartbreaking manifestos ever put to wax and could potentially be considered his best song. “The Art of Peer Pressure” literally puts you in the car with Kendrick & the homies. “good kid” starts the Kendrick-Pharrell legacy off strong with a noire detective type beat and an honest look at the streets Kendrick called home. “Compton” & “The Recipe” finally deliver on the promise of Kendrick & Dre to spectacularly LA-style results. Without this project, we simply don’t have Kendrick Lamar. He avoided the sophomore slump and delivered on his debuts potential in a way not seen since Kanye West’s Late Registration. What we wanted was a follow up to Section.80. What we got was one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.