Rapper Kendrick Lamar is the talk of the town. All towns. And all of the internet, too. After his Super Bowl performance earlier this month, he has people loving and hating him for what was both a star-studded show and one with many hidden themes and messages. But one thing is for sure, people are talking about the Los Angeles artist and his GRAMMY-winning Drake diss song “Not Like Us.”
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Here below, we wanted to offer three excellent and varied songs from Lamar for those skimming these vaunted pages and finding themselves wanting to know more about the 37-year-old lyricist. To date, Lamar boasts six studio albums, including his latest GNX, which came out earlier this year. These are three of Kendrick Lamar’s best songs for those who want to know more about him.
[RELATED: American Songwriter’s Top 50 Rappers, One for Each Year of Hip-Hop]
“I” from To Pimp a Butterfly (2014)
The lead single from Lamar’s hit 2014 album To Pimp a Butterfly. It’s a lively song with a cornucopia of instrumentation but also shows Lamar’s incredible vocal dexterity. Rhymes about self-appreciation and standing up tall no matter what is happening in the world or around you at home. Of course, there are many more nuanced ideas embedded in the song, too. On it, he raps,
I done been through a whole lot
Trial, tribulation, but I know God
The Devil wanna put me in a bow tie
Pray that the holy water don’t go dry-yay
As I look around me
So many motherf- wanna down me
But an enemigo never drown me
In front of a dirty double-mirror they found me
“Reincarnated” from GNX (2024)
An incredible song that balances philosophy, religion, and existentialism with the lives of three historical figures, from a blues guitarist to singer, who suffer from family issues and addiction. Then the song goes into Lamar’s own life and he has a conversation with someone inside of his head who calls him out for liking conflict more than resolution. It’s like a novella more than a track. On it, Lamar raps,
I did past life progression last year and it f*cked me up
Reincarnated on this earth for a hundred plus
Body after body, lesson after lesson
Let’s take it back to Michigan in 1947
My father kicked me out the house ’cause I wouldn’t listen to him
I didn’t care about his influence, only loved what I was doing
Gifted as a musician, I played guitar on the grand level
The most talented where I’m from, but I had to rebel
“Purple Hearts” from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022)
If you want to try an entire album from Lamar, check out Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. It can be hard to find your way into Lamar’s music—admittedly he’s dense and highfalutin. But once you’re in, it becomes like a favorite book. And this song shows his softer side and also his genius, along with a couple other big names like Summer Walker and Ghostface. On the song, Lamar raps,
This my undisputed truth, uh-huh
My life is like forbidden fruit, my b*tch know better than I do
A woman’s worth, I barely went to church
I’d rather fast with you than f*ck it up
F*ckin’ with skirts ’cause I’m rational
A n*gga still gon’ be a n*gga, emoji heart, my family pictures
Two-steppin’ away from rappers, I don’t trust their true intentions
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
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