Kendrick Lamar Vs. Himself
A definitive ranking of Kendrick’s albums
By Alejandro Ramos Staff Writer
It’s finally here. After weeks of anticipation, Kendrick Lamar’s latest album has arrived.
It’s only been out for a few days, but I can confidently say this: it’s fucking good. Kendrick has managed to do the impossible and put out yet another piece of work that feels fresh and new without sacrificing his artistic integrity.
Kendrick is one of, if not the best in the rap game right now. It’s unfair to compare “DAMN.” to other albums. So, why not compare it with his own work? After all, at this point, he is his own competition.
Below is the list of Kendrick’s work ranked from best to least best. Feel free to disagree.
“To Pimp A Butterfly”
It might not be the easiest to listen to, but “To Pimp A Butterfly” is definitely Kendrick’s best work.
“TPAB” caught a lot of people by surprise, including myself. It wasn’t what we had come to expect from his previous work. In fact, it was a little hard to get through the first couple of listens. After a while, though, it became clear how much thought and effort went into crafting what can and should be called a masterpiece.
“TPAB” exposes Kendrick’s anxieties as a black man from a lower class neighborhood. It’s a piece of work that touches on topics that are specific to Kendrick and yet resonated with fans and social activists. “Alright” even became the anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement for a period of time. And it did this all within the frame of a conversation Kendrick had with the late Tupac Shakur all throughout. Admittedly, “TPAB” is not the easiest to listen to and it’s certainly not the album I would go to when I want to relax. That doesn’t take away its importance and what it did for the community.
“Section.80”
Kendrick’s second best work happens to be an album he put out six years ago, “Section.80.”
“Section.80” is Kendrick’s debut album and he uses it to make a statement about who he is and what he is about. In “Ab-Souls Outro,” Kendrick raps, “I’m not the next pop star, I’m not the next socially aware rapper / I am a human mothafuckin’ being, over dope ass instrumentation.”
Before this, there was this idea that rappers were either socially conscious or mainstream. Kendrick broke the mold with “Section.80,” which talks about the issues that his generation faces. He mentions Ronald Reagan and the effects the former president’s political moves had (i.e. introducing crack cocaine in the hood) on he and his peers growing up. It was an ambitious project and I doubt it would have been successful if it had been his major label debut. All the same, it is the album that put Kendrick on the map.
“DAMN.”
It’s too early to say where it’ll end up in the long run, but I feel confident placing “DAMN.” in third place.
“DAMN.” feels like a return to form. It’s harder, stronger and darker than his previous albums, and that concerns me. While his delivery is aggressive, Kendrick’s lyrics convey a feeling of hurt and despair in a way he hasn’t done before. The first track seems to allude to his death while the rest of the album seems to play out like the last moments of his life. He goes back and forth while questioning his own morality. Ultimately, it’s an album that is only possible because of where Kendrick is in his career. He could have played it safe, but instead he chooses to push the limit even further.
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”
I’m going to take some heat for this, but hear me out.
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” is, without a doubt, one of the best albums of this decade. It completely went against the grain when it came out. It talks about life in a rough neighborhood in a way that didn’t necessarily glorify or demonize it. Instead, it presents life very matter of factly. “GKMC” was a great way for Kendrick to introduce himself to the masses. However, he does tone himself down a bit in this album. It’s subtle, but it is enough to make sure that his album would be received well by the larger audience.
