Written by: David Williams
This week marks the return of Kendrick Lamar’s fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. It has been five long years since his last record. Think of all the things that have happened since the last time we received a Kendrick album. If I had to compare waiting for new music from him to anything, I would say it resembles wandering the desert aimlessly searching for any droplets of water you can find. We have barely heard anything from this man on record since 2020. Only two features have been released since then both on his cousin Baby Keem's debut album The Melodic Blue. Needless to say, the hype is through the roof for this new album.
In only four studio albums Kendrick has established himself as one of the best rappers of all time. Three out of his four records are already regarded as classics. He has reached the top of the mountain musically and has just stayed at its highest peak. Generally, when an artist releases such quality music on an album you would see at least some drop-off on the next project they release. Somehow Kendrick has managed to outdo himself time after time.
With that being said, let’s look at where his albums stand to see how they ranked amongst themselves:
4 Section.80 (2011)
The debut album from Kendrick Lamar came in the form of Section.80. This is where the foundation of his music gets laid. He touches on topics about the 80s crack era and racism throughout the record (Ronald Reagan Era). Kendrick has the feel of Kobe Bryant in his rookie season in the NBA. A young, bold artist that shows flashes of greatness but just has to harness his skills to reach his unlimited talent.
The California presence of his predecessors is strong on this album. “Kush & Corinthians” is a smooth track that could have been made by Snoop and Nate Dogg in the 90s.
“HiiiPower” is produced by the one and only J. Cole. In this song, Kendrick brings social commentary to a mainstream audience. “Visions of Martin Luther staring at me/Malcolm X put a hex on my future someone catch me,” he raps. He is just scratching the surface of his potential on this album.
Kendrick’s storytelling also shows promise in the tracks “Tammy’s Song (Her Evils),” which has a heavily inspired Timbaland beat, and “Keisha’s Song (Her Pain)” which reminds me of Tupac’s “Brenda’s Got a Baby” where you have a tale that just tugs at your heartstrings whenever the song comes on.
Section.80 is essentially the origin story of K. Dot’s career. The themes on this album are consistent with what will come in the future. He finds out a way to bring these ideas to light on a much grander scale.
3. Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City (2012)
“Compton, Compton/Ain’t no city quite like mine” is Kendrick Lamar’s love letter to the city where he grew up. So grab a khaki Dickies suit to pair with your finest Nike Cortez sneakers and let K. Dot take you through the city of Compton. This album certified Kendrick as a rising star that you have to respect. good kid, m.A.A.d city has everything all rolled into one with bangers like “Money Trees,” “Backseat Freestyle,” and “Compton,” and catchy commercial success songs like “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Swimming Pools.”
The storytelling is above and beyond his previous album with songs like “Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter” and “The Art of Peer Pressure.” He paints a visual view of what goes on in the streets of Compton, California. I can’t help but think of the movies Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society when these songs come on.
One of the ultimate stamps of approval is when legends want to get involved with your music. Dr. Dre executive produced the album. Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige were also featured on the deluxe version. 2012 was the year Kendrick put everyone on notice that he is going to be on top of hip-hop if not now very soon.
2. DAMN. (2017)
Do you want to know how talented Kendrick is as an artist? DAMN won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for music. It is the first time in Pulitzer history that this award was given to someone not in the classic or jazz faction. This is a historical achievement that only speaks to how talented he is as a musician.
Kendrick is at his most fun on this record as it is where the creation of his alter ego Kung Fu Kenny is born. The persona is based on Don Cheadle’s Rush Hour 2 character of the same name. On tour, there was even a video that was Kill Bill inspired that played before each show displaying his karate skills.
He skates on these beats more effortlessly than Michelle Kwan. In “XXX” he even found a way to make U2 sound cool again which hasn’t happened since the Clinton Administration. That probably was the deciding factor in giving him the Pulitzer by achieving this feat. “HUMBLE” was one of the songs of the summer in 2017. “DNA” is a lyrical fire at its hottest.
The production on DAMN is his most mass appealing sound throughout. Kendrick is taking a victory lap around his competition showing just how head and shoulders he is amongst his peers.
1 . To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
We have now come to the best album in Kendrick’s discography To Pimp a Butterfly. This record mixes so many different genres: jazz, neo-soul, funk, and rap all rolled into one beautiful sounding piece of music. TPAB is his Mona Lisa painting.
The themes of racism, institutionalism, and police brutality were influenced by Lamar’s trip to South Africa. He can slide through each topic clearly and concisely making sure his message gets across to the listener. Being able to discuss this subject matter in such a skilled manner makes this one of the most important albums in the last ten years.
“Alright” is a flat-out anthem. With top-tier production from Pharrell and the infectious chorus makes this song an all-time classic. “Momma” uses a velvety smooth sample by Lalah Hathaway that will have you closing your eyes and zoning out for hours.
“King Kunta” is a funkadelic song at its strongest. “The Blacker The Berry” Kendrick raps with the ferocity of Ice Cube in his prime. “You hate me don’t you” you can feel his anger through the speakers.
K. Dot is on quite the run of albums. He has released three classics in a row. His quality of music over the last eleven years has put him in rare air. With the pending release of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers based on history, there is little doubt that his newest release will be nothing short of magnificent.