Rankings kendrick lamar albums
To date, Kendrick's catalog hasn't produced a plethora of options that would have Clear Channel music directors salivating, though, he did score a couple of moderately big hits with his universally acclaimed major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city. While "Swimming Pools" was the bigger hit, but “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” (which peaked at No.
Kendrick doesn’t just rap, he's almost like a method actor the way he’s able to convey different sides of himself―the lyrics puncture but it’s how he delivers them that truly leaves you in a state of awe. “ God himself would say you fucking failed” is still one of the most heart-dropping lyrics heard in a rap song. Kendrick doesn’t sugarcoat his self-analysis, the guilt overruns like a bathtub filled with the blood of every friend and family member that couldn’t be saved. Listeners hear the words of a man who has had too much to drink and too much time to think, musing over his every shortcoming in the mirror. His words drip with pain and passion, the internal conflict is suffocating and enthralling how can you not have empathy for this soul on the brink of breaking down? When the beat switches, the epically gripping track enters an even more ominous space. “ Loving you is complicated,” Kendrick recites over a brooding, jazzy foundation. The initial screaming that begins the song is piercing, the sounds of a man who is being haunted by something so bone-chilling all he can do in response is release a cry of agony. He exposes his own personal scars on “u,” arguably his most personal and revealing song to date. The uptempo tune is sweet and carries an incredible message, but Kendrick also understands how difficult it is to battle against depressive thinking and suicidal thoughts. Self-love is what Kendrick preaches on “i,” the first single from TPAB―a song reinforcing a positive perspective to combat depression. Thunderous and powerful-when Kendrick wants to send a message you feel it in your bones. While "The Blacker the Berry" is one of his more controversial singles, there’s no question that the overall message the song provides is a necessary one. Every word carries weight, he is a dragon breathing the kind of fire that can melt steel beams, you can almost hear the microphone melting under the weight of his scorching, politically charged assault. Kendrick’s voice only adds to the impaling paranoia he has a growl in his tone as if he were channeling the Darkman who taught us It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, the focus squarely on being black in a society where racism doesn't just exist, it thrives.
Rankings kendrick lamar albums full#
There's a chilling sense of dread when the drums hit like you’re about to witness a man commit an act so violent even a church full of holy men wouldn't forgive him if confessed. “The Blacker the Berry” is one of several songs on To Pimp a Butterfly that takes a plunge into the darkness of problems that exist in our present-day world and the one that most aggressively faces them head-on. His gaze doesn’t divert from what plagues people but rather sharpens the focus, especially when it comes to the black community.
Social commentary has always been prevalent in Kendrick’s music. Kendrick is truly a special artist, and "How Much a Dollar Cost" is one example of that greatness at work. It's a display of Kendrick’s beautiful understanding of how incredible storytelling is art, and how it can still be one of the most captivating approaches to rap music.
His faith is once again being tested, but this time by the man himself. The exchange that takes place over a dollar between the two is riveting. Much of the magic from TPAB sprouts from the album's unexpected guests―Lucifer as Lucy blew minds and the ghost of Tupac was a resurrection no one foresaw―but the biggest surprise was the son of God as a homeless man on “How Much a Dollar Cost.” Kendrick doesn’t know the homeless man is Jesus, all he sees is a panhandler begging for money to feed a starving addiction. While that Kendrick was much younger, full of questions and wonder, he once again confronted his beliefs five years later on To Pimp A Butterfly, his celebrated sophomore major label album. Look no further than "Faith," a shining early example from 2010's Kendrick Lamar EP. Christianity has been a subject that Kendrick has explored from various vantage points throughout his praiseworthy career.