The 20 Greatest Kendrick Lamar Songs
Via 2018 Pulitzer Prize Awards Ceremony
Kendrick Lamar’s has one of the best discographies in HipHop. His catalog is full of gems you missed or were never aware of. Maybe you forgot about his brilliant and underrated album, untitled unmastered, or his standout run of mixtapes released before his mainstream breakthrough. And when it comes to the hits, he has a way of outdoing himself so thoroughly that each banger replaces the last. “Swimming Pools (Drank)” is one of the greatest songs of the past decade. It exists on the same album (2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d. city) that has “Backseat Freestyle,” which is, somehow, even better. His instantly iconic L.P.s To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN. are similarly stocked with classics. With his final Top Dawg Entertainment album being released this week, I thought it would be the perfect time to look back on how far he’s come. So I’ve compiled a list of his 20 greatest songs, from monster hits like “DNA” to anthems like “Alright” to must-hear deep cuts. Ranking the list wasn’t easy — with an artist like Kendrick, who’s spent his entire career going from high point to high point.
20. “Keisha’s Song (Her Pain),” feat. Ashtrobot (2011)
“Keisha’s Song (Her Pain)” is an epic portrait so haunting it sticks with you long after you’ve stopped listening. Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest artists of his generation because of the pain you feel when you listen to his music. Keisha’s in the neighborhood doing what she does. But only he sees her: She’s someone’s daughter or little sister. He honors her, observing, “in her mind, she made it where/Nothin’ really matters.” Keisha’s demise at the end also feels, chillingly, like her redemption for all that she has done.
19. “Let Me Be Me” (2009)
While not as celebrated as his later work, this song from Kendrick Lamar’s self-titled E.P. marks a critical evolution — and, by extension, a generation of L.A. rappers breaking away from the region’s storied gangsta-rap past. “I grew up with killers, man/People who killed, man/But my character could never be like them, man/And they respect that/Say that I’m real, man,” he raps over the lengthy track, which has a melancholy, reflective and sounds refreshing to hear.
18. “P&P,” feat. Ab Soul (2009)
“I’m going through something in life/, But p**y and Patrón will make you feel alright,”
Is what is harmonized by Kendrick Lamar throughout the track. It’s a lush melody marked by pain and hurt. Kendrick opens up with a story about getting beaten up and nearly killed, then asks why people use sex and alcohol to cope with the pain of existence. Since Kendrick Lamar’s E.P. isn’t available on streaming platforms, listeners may be more familiar with the track’s Overly Dedicated sequel, “P&P 1.5.
17. “Michael Jordan,” feat. ScHoolboy Q (2010)
Kendrick Lamar’s overly dedicated was his breakthrough mixtape that hooked fans on the emcee. Micheal Jordan is the first time many people heard Schoolboy Q and Kendrick on a track together, and it was hard-hitting.
16. “For Free? (Interlude)” (2015)
Kendrick Lamar’s Poetry drops into “For Free? (Interlude)” and feels right at home. He’s overcharging Betsy Ross’ Stars and Stripes for all the unhealed wounds left on the backs of his ancestors. “All I have seen was Spam and raw sardines,” he tells a frustrated woman. As long as “the man” can conjure up so-called welfare queens, he will have to talk trash.
15. “Complexion (A Zulu Love),” feat. Rapsody (2015)
“Complexion (A Zulu Love)” is like a jazzy vignette in 1970s black cinema. Kendrick and Rapsody are firing from all cylinders In one of the standout tracks from Kendrick’s classic To Pimp a Butterfly album.
14. “DNA” (2017)
“I wanted that sh*t to sound just as crazy,” producer Mike Will Made-It told NPR. “I wanted it to sound like he’s battling the beat.” “DNA” is a war-ready song with Kendrick sounding more hungry than ever. Kendrick is recounting where he started from and how he’s now stunting. Using a Fox News clip that criticizes his music, he attacks everyone. He is fighting the beat. The outcome: a song used in commercials, pregame intros, and bumped in the streets all over the country.
13. “The Art of Peer Pressure” (2012)
Is it possible to lose innocence when you’re Black? How often have you lied so you can kick it?
When it comes to painting a picture on a track, Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest. Kendrick can Connect with fans. He comes off as a regular guy who genuinely grew up in a mad city because he had no choice. we’ve all had friends that get us in more trouble than we’d manage on our own. “The Art of Peer Pressure” is a testament to the perils of masculinity and proximity, a near-death portrait where everyone can return home after a crazy day.
12. “Duckworth” (2017)
The Black man’s Butterfly Effect, whether you believe in coincidence or not, for every action we make, there will be consequences for it. . By the record’s end, we know Kendrick wouldn’t exist if things went another way in that KFC way back. This is Dot as a vessel, channeling two pivotal figures of his life into an autobiographical current that weaves all three stories into one. You hear their origins and what they’ve become — another storytelling masterclass with a great twist.
11. “Ignorance Is Bliss” (2013)
Kendrick Lamar understands the importance of understanding human emotions and getting caught up in things we weren’t ready for, but it’s here now. Kendrick will offer an elegy for the dead as quickly as he kills you. Kendrick is aware of where he is from and all that comes with it. If you do not know about something, you do not worry about it, and Kendrick painted that well.
10. The Heart Pt. 2,” feat. Dash Snow (2010)
Kendrick samples a famous recording from the late artist Dash Snow for this mixtape cut that served as an introduction to his talents. It’s a fitting pairing. Like Snow, Kendrick would emerge as one of the culture’s most uncompromising voices. In “The Heart Pt. 2,” he’s painting a vivid and urgent portrait of an artist coming into his own. His voice grows, and she shows the urgency to be just heard.
9. “Westside, Right on Time,” feat. Young Jeezy (2012)
Kendrick and Jeezy came together for one of the best tracks released in 2012. This soul sample allowed Kendrick and Jeezy to trade bars in a fun and urgent way.
8. “Element” (2017)
“I’m willin’ to die for this shit,” Lamar screams on this competitive rap track from DAMN. First introduced by LeBron James on Instagram, the song details Kendrick being the best in the rap game, his father’s jail money, and him getting into fights in front of his mother. Produced by James Blake, this track planted K.Dot’s flag as the best rapper alive, without a doubt.
7. “King Kunta” (2015)
Made with L.A. legend DJ Quik, “King Kunta” is Kendrick Lamar’s effective stab at G-funk. D.J. Quick and Kendrick created a modern G funk classic with King Kunta that would help introduce new fans to G funk. It’s a hard-hitting, funky party track that finds Kendrick declaring himself at the rap game’s top.
6. “Cartoon & Cereal,” feat. Gunplay (2013)
Cartoon & Cereal is a Kendrick Lamar track that felt like it would have sounded perfect on good kid, m.A.A.d city. Gunplay was the star of the way by providing one of the most significant final verses of the last decade.
5. “How Much a Dollar Cost,” feat. James Fauntleroy and Ronald Isley (2015)
“How Much a Dollar Cost” is a track that allows listeners to imagine what if God is already amongst us. Kendrick raps about his interaction with an unusually persistent houseless man and seems to ask, “What if life is one big test to see if we’re ready for heaven?” The whole track makes you think about your purpose in life, and if you were to leave tomorrow, what would God say to you.
4. “M.A.A.d City,” feat. MC Eiht (2012)
We all have felt paranoia in our own lives or watching a movie. Kendrick once again paints a picture that can be relatable to anybody. Kendrick Lamar continues to build around being a witness and participant; secrets are kept tight until the loud silence. Connect that with MC Eiht, and two generations link up for a hard-hitting storytelling track.
3. “Rigamortis” (2011)
“Aiming at your celebrity/This is studio felony,” says the young Compton emcee “Rigamortus.” The track was recorded in three takes, with Kendrick rapping in a double-time flow over a taut, jazz-inflected beat, this highlight from his first album, Section 80, got him on Drake tours, made him a new Interscope signee, and had people excited for everything that Kendrick Lamar did next. This song got HipHop fans wondering if a new legend was upon us and the answer to that question is yes. Kendrick Lamar is a legend in HipHop because of the time and detail in his music.
2. “Sing About Me (I’m Dying of Thirst)” (2012)
“Sing About Me (I’m Dying of Thirst)” is a song that should be discussed in schools because of how people live this story. Kendrick Lamar questions himself about why he chooses to immortalize his close friends in his songs after they have died. As humans, we feel like we have to continue our family and friends’ legacy once they are no longer on this earth, and Kendrick does a great job of painting that in the song.
1. “Alright” (2015)
Alright is Kendrick Lamar’s greatest song because of how important it has become to this generation. Shortly after its release, “Alright” became an anthem for the emerging Black Lives Matter movement, chanted at marches and protests. Pharrell and Kendrick put together a song that people from all over the world can play during a rally for senseless murders. This song will be getting played twenty-five years from now because of what is going on in the world.
