S+H Top Ten: Kendrick Lamar
S+H Top Ten is a series in which Scene+Heard staffers rank the ten best songs by one of our favorite artists.
10. Money Trees
“Halle Berry or Hallelujah”
Peaking at number 19 on the Billboard 100, “Money Trees” is a solid staple for any Kendrick fan. Lamar’s smooth verses and transitions highlight and recap the story told in the songs before it on the concept album good kid, m.A.A.d City. Kendrick’s ability to combine lyrical precision and outstanding musicality render this song an irresistible banger, despite its unconventional beat. KDot has plenty of lit songs to bump in his repertoire, but “Money Trees” stands out as a classic that we’ll never get tired of rapping along to. ~Kevin Chan
Highlights: ”Ya bish”; “a dollar might just fuck your main bitch, that’s just how I feel”
9. Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst
“Tired of running, tired of hunting”
Arguably the deepest and most intense song on good kid, m.A.A.d City, the 12 minute long “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” is split up into three different parts. The first part, “Sing About Me”, comes from the perspective of Kendrick’s late friend, Dave, who after telling the story of his brother’s death, suffers the same fate at the end of the first verse. After a skit interlude, the last part of the song, “I’m Dying of Thirst” is narrated by Kendrick as he details the nearly impossible task of escaping the fate that systematic inequality creates for young African Americans from his neighborhood. This song is not only powerful, but essential to Kendrick’s story and exists at the heart of much of his music. ~Blake Adler
Highlights: It’s a 12 minute song, but if you start it, you will want to finish it
8. ADHD
“Got a high tolerance when your age don’t exist”
“ADHD” is a clear standout on Kendrick’s debut studio album Section.80. Kendrick paints a drugged-out house party to illustrate the apathetic, “fuck that” mentality of his generation. Verse two is one of our first glimpses into Kendrick’s masterful economy-of-words stories, as he conversates with a girl at the party. But as is the theme of the song, the girl keeps getting distracted by alcohol and marijuana, derailing them from what could have been a meaningful conversation or intimate moment. She finally tells him that she believes every kid born in the 80’s is a crack baby. In the chorus, “got a high tolerance when your age don’t exist” could refer to 20-somethings with a sense of invulnerability, but it could also be referencing those mothers smoking crack, and Kendrick and his peers being subjected to drugs before birth. Either way, it’s incredibly poetic and evocative. ~Noah Franklin
Highlights: Underwater-sounding Odd Future sample, Kendricks funny pronunciation of “fuck that,” cliffhanger storytelling: “I’ma tell you later” (see also: “Hood Politics”)
7. Backseat Freestyle
“C-O-M-P-T-O-N, my city mobbing in the street”
“Backseat Freestyle” is perhaps Kendrick Lamar’s most virtuosic vocal performance to date. Rapping as a 16-year-old version of himself over a minimal yet instantly recognizable beat from Hit-Boy (who, unsurprisingly, also produced “N****s in Paris,” Kanye West and Jay-Z’s own unapologetic brag-fest), Kendrick pays tribute to women, Compton, and his own dominance through a series of endlessly quotable and effortlessly musical rhymes. His vocals gain momentum in tandem with the song’s instrumental, eventually erupting into a legendary third verse that has since solidified KDot as one of the best rap lyricists of the 21st century. ~Steven Norwalk
Highlights: The Trunk-Rattling Hit-Boy Beat; Kendrick’s infinite supply of flows; “beeeaaatch”
6. i (Single Version)
“I love myself”
Kendrick has been a trailblazer when it comes to covering some of the most paramount subjects matters in rap, and i serves as his piece on the importance of self love. Yup, you read that right — a rap song devoted to loving yourself and self expression. But that’s not all! i is also designed to make you feel great with its effervescent, instrument-heavy beat and classic KDot vocals. Who knew that amidst the contemporary sea of violent and aggressive hip-hop records one could make such an upbeat banger about self love? Kendrick did. ~Peter Pribyl Pierdinock
Highlights: Listening to the song once, and being in a good mood for the rest of the day; imagining Ellen DeGeneres, The Rock, and Baby Groot dancing to it
5. Humble
“Sit down… be humble”
We’re all taught to be humble, but it never hit home until Kendrick dropped this song. A constant hard-hitting loop broken up by the sporadic pauses of Kendrick’s raw words, “HUMBLE” carries anger, annoyance, and a little bit of self-satisfaction in making you feel like the humblest bitch around. Though it lacks the musicality of songs like “ELEMENT” and the lyrical strength of “Backseat Freestyle”, it holds something else: all of Kendrick’s relatable pent-up angst. And a killer electronic bass beat. ~Audrey Valbuena
Highlights: Bass chords in the beginning (0:00–0:07); the simultaneous “be humble,” “hold up bitch,” “sit down”; small pauses after each verse; the beat
4. DNA
“I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA”
Some rappers seem like they struggle to come up with anything worthwhile to say. Kendrick Lamar, on the other hand, seems like he struggles to squeeze all of his overflowing ideas into the confines of hip hop music. “DNA,” the second track off of Lamar’s excellent album DAMN, is filled to the brim with thoughts on black heritage and cultural identity, all delivered through some of Kendrick’s most fervent rhyming to date. Supported by Mike WiLL Made-It’s hard-hitting production, “DNA” is an unforgettable and unrelenting tour-de-force whose sheer intensity will leave you breathless. ~Steven Norwalk
Highlights: Geraldo Rivera’s ignorance (1:51–2:00); The beat switch midway through; “I got, I got, I got, I got”
3. King Kunta
“By the time you hear the next pop / The funk shall be within you”
With a swinging, bouncy backbeat that effortlessly matches the bravado oozing from its infectious lyrics, it’s no surprise that “King Kunta” bops its way to an impressive third place. Kendrick’s well-earned braggadocio is on full display in this funk-filled call out as he roasts the fuck out of any gold diggers and fame moochers looking to ride his coattails to stardom. A Kendrick classic, King Kunta will have you bumping your shoulders to its jazzy swagger, ready to kick the fakes in your life straight to the curb. ~Haley West
Highlights: The bubbling under the infectious drum beat (0:00–0:03); the lilting intonation in the title lyrics; “what’s the yams?”; the ICONIC “life ain’t shit but a fat vagina”; outro
2. Alright
“We gon’ be alright”
Admittedly, this song is now inextricable from its ties to social justice — and really the American soundscape of 2016 — as it quickly became a rally cry for the Black Lives Matter movement. And it’s tough to say where it would stand on this list had that not been the case. But there is a reason it became an anthem. In an album where evils are constantly stepping on Kendrick’s heels, “Alright” stands as a tower of hope. He addresses these foes, beats his chest, and turns the other cheek to rap a proud banger, all while sounding his most rousing and authoritative as an MC. ~Noah Franklin
Highlights: Chantable Pharrell chorus; the cause of much right-wing squirming: “we hate po-po/wanna kill us dead in the street fo sho”; relentless double-time flow in verse two (1:55–2:12)
1. m.A.A.d. City
“If Pirus and Crips all got along / They’d probably gun me down by the end of this song”
If you’re wondering why m.A.A.d. City tops the list, please watch this. All of Kendrick is an icon — but no other song pumps up a crowd quite like “m.A.A.d. City.” Whether you first heard this song rolling in your Benz while playing GTA V (someone made a music video pls watch), or from a friend who yelled “YAH YAH YAH” and then made you listen to the whole song, you probably haven’t been able to forget it since. “m.A.A.d. City” not only has an epic intro and classic Kendrick lyrics, but also a transition into what is almost a completely different song halfway through which sets it apart from anything else Kendrick has done. The fact that this song can incorporate two different melodies, still run cohesively, and keep the same hype all the way through makes “m.A.A.d. City” the true mark of Kendrick’s genius. ~Audrey Valbuena
Highlights: The iconic intro (0:00–0:13); verse from 0:25–0:50; transition (2:34–2:45); verse from 2:56–3:16; the hype
