10 Songs That Define Kendrick Lamar's Career
For nearly 15 years, Kendrick Lamar has achieved success in the music industry through talent and innovation, continually challenging and delighting his audience. Shunning celebrity culture and gurning interviews with the likes of Jimmy Fallon in the name of broad concepts and thought-provoking musical journeys, Lamar has justifiably become a beacon for Hip Hop greatness. Better yet, he's not even close to being done.
There are bigger hits than the songs included on this list, but these represent the milestones in Kendrick Lamar's career that show the many sides of who he is as an artist. From the songs that describe his Los Angeles upbringing to those that saw him become the first Hip Hop artist to win a Pulitzer Prize, these are the songs that define Kendrick Lamar.
10 Not Like Us
An Instant Classic That Got The Whole World Talking
It was interesting to hear public discourse about Kendrick "lacking hits" when on the road to his Super Bowl halftime show, given that "Not Like Us" is approaching 1.3 billion streams on Spotify. It won Lamar his first Song Of The Year award at the Grammys, achieving over twice as many streams as "Texas Hold 'Em" from Beyonce's Album Of The Year winner, Cowboy Carter. But none of this is why "Not Like Us" is such a classic.
Dropped as the fifth track in his war with Drake, "Not Like Us" has entered the conversation for Best Diss Record Of All Time alongside the likes of Nas's "Ether" and 2Pac's "Hit Em Up." Its irrepressible lead synth hook and sauntering Monk Higgins sample is only eclipsed by a rap so iconic it feels as though every syllable of it is already in rap folklore. Add in "that" picture from the Super Bowl and the litany of witty and devastating shots aimed at Drake's extracurricular activities and "Not Like Us" already feels like one of rap's biggest moments.
9 Backseat Freestyle
The Moment Everyone Was Put On Notice
Kendrick Lamar is an artist as much as a rapper. He's music is the kind that listeners get the most out of by spending time with his albums, which makes him less accessible to casual rap listeners. The third single from Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, "Backseat Freestyle" is the most immediate song on Kendrick's breakthrough album. The iconic stuttering intro, deep sub bass, and passionate call of "Martin had a dream" all hit the mark.
The lines attack like a martial artist, bursting with the same wide-eyed personality that Nicki Minaj was perfecting in these years (though Lamar cites Eminem as the song's lead influence). Famously, the track was written by Hit-Boy for R&B songstress, Ciara, but with the producer and Lamar bonding over their shared Californian experience, the song is impossible to imagine with anyone else on the track. A classic in every regard, the crowd yelling that "Kendrick had a dream" back at the rapper is one of the highlights of Lamar's spectacular live performances.
8 Humble
So Good It Won A Pulitzer Prize
Powered by a thumping looped piano hook to snap your neck to, "Humble" is swaggering fight music with Kendrick stalking the track like a cheetah. Its braggadocious lyrical hustle has seen it adapted by sports teams everywhere, fighters in every walk of combat sports, and used to torture Eric Cartman. Further still, this is the song that ushered in Kendrick's superstar era.
Winning three Grammys including Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance and a strong contender for the best music video of his career, "Humble" is Kendrick Lemar's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. One of the most recognizable songs on the album, its personal growth mantra and bold religious themes contributed towards DAMN winning the Pulitzer Prize for its "vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life." Word.
7 Worldwide Steppers
Kendrick Spits With An Intensity Few (If Any) Can Match
One of the things that makes Kendrick so appealing is that Lamar's music isn't meant to be for everyone. At his height, following up from the worldwide stardom of the DAMN album and everything that came with it, Lamar sends a warning shot of "I am not for the faint of heart" before going off with an uncaged frenzy about interracial relations, zombies and "Baby Shark" to the soundtrack of a dank and frantic, throbbing jazz bassline and the occasional ghostly tinkering piano. It's about as far from Lil Baby as it's possible to be.
Mr Morale and The Big Stepper is a confrontational album that's perhaps the most difficult to grasp of his whole career, and "Worldwide Steppers" is a good gauge of whether the record is for you or not. Listeners should rejoice in artists like Lamar's willingness to follow creativity instead of presenting pre-packaged Happy Meals for the masses.
6 Wesley's Theory
To Pimp A Butterfly Changed Kendrick's Wider Perception
Opening with an ear-grabbing Boris Gardiner sample that launches Kendrick's To Pimp A Butterfly opus, "Wesley's Theory" broke new musical ground for Kendrick on an album that saw him reach newfound levels of respect from the wider musical community. Funk-fueled and conceptual, Kendrick took his nascent fame and delivered the most artistically rewarding work of his career to date. The liquid bass playing of Thundercut and contributions of fellow funk royalty, George Clinton, "Wesley's Theory" is the perfect start to this musical journey.
Tearing at the fabric of American culture by pointing at the exploitation of black artists for everybody else's gain, there's just so much happening in "Wesley's Theory." Dr. Dre appearing as a deity-like figure, dizzying vocal productions and a Hall Of Fame-worthy, layered production job from Flying Lotus giving way to the Broadway jazz of "For Free?" is what makes To Pimp A Butterfly great in a microcosm. Take in the full journey, let the musicality warp your soul, and give this album your full attention, starting with "Wesley's Theory."
5 TV Off
Kendrick Proves "Not Like Us" Was No Fluke
There's something great about Kendrick Lamar seemingly dropping chart-topping bangers for fun when the mood takes him. "Not Like Us" owning the globe for the first half of 2024 with a party rap classic wasn't on anyone's bingo card. In case anyone thought it was a fluke, the swaggering "TV Off" had Kendrick owning the mainstream for the second time in one year.
The clap beat and bouncy playful synth are nostalgic and the perfect playground for Kendrick's multipronged raps, before the second half of the song reveals the song's defining "turn his TV off" hook. Produced by Mustard, he doesn't deny the band's obvious similarities with "Not Like Us." Whether you have the context of the hot producer's presence or you just like shouting the yellow condiment's name into the air for fun, "TV Off" is every bit as undeniable as Kendrick's biggest hit.
4 Ronald Regan Era (His Evils)
Kendrick Had It From The Very Beginning
Ushered in by a vocal from up-and-coming producer Ash Reiser and unflinching in its lyrical rawness, "Ronald Regan Era (His Evils)" is a hook-loaded anthem from Kendrick's debut album, Section.80. The track's beat is fueled by a live drum track that's dry and pairs perfectly with Kendrick's sincere vocals, while his creative energy energizes the mix. Lamar never needed a superstar machine behind him to show what made him a special artist from the jump.
The most striking thing about "Ronald Regan Era (His Evils)" is its early evidence that Lamar was always an elite storyteller. Painting cinematic portraits of Compton's characters and culture, Kendrick's lyrics are candid and vivid, allowing the listener to feel the "Squad cars, neighborhood wars, and stolen Mazdas" of this hard existence. It helps that his raps are also phenomenal even at this early stage of his career.
3 Squabble Up
Kendrick Points The Way To the Future
While a lot of this list points at what is and has been a glittering career loaded with world-class rhymes and artistic expression, "Squabble Up" is a flexing futuristic journey that has Kendrick bothering the mainstream on his own terms. Loaded with pop sensibilities and dance-floor cool, Kendrick impresses with how naturally his flow gels with a musical track that is removed from anything else in his canon. Its impact was instant but "Squabble Up" really came alive during his Super Bowl masterclass.
Kendrick has always operated on the highest of levels as a rapper in the studio and in the live sphere, but Lamar's confidence and star appeal at the Super Bowl represented his still-growing status. Kendrick has been impressive since his first bars and Lamar continues to find new ways to dazzle. It is remarkable.
2 All The Stars
Kendrick Is Marvel's Chosen One
For reasons so obvious they don't need to be spelled out, Black Panther was a special moment in 21st-century mainstream cinema. In a role that would have been an honor for any black musician from any era, Kendrick Lamar was chosen as the musical force to represent Black Panther, arguably the most culturally significant movie to emerge from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "All The Stars" offers a perfect hybrid of Sza's soulful minimalist vocal and Lamar's understated flow, and created a musical moment that elevated the film.
Alongside Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and TDE CEO Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, Lamar brought an all-star cast to assist with the project. Travis Scott, Future, Anderson .Paak, 2 Chainz and more make this an iconic highlight in each of these artist's careers as Kendrick and his friends' art struck a chord on more than a musical level. The tragedy of Chadwick Boseman's passing only adds to the significance of this moment in time for Kendrick.
1 Swimming Pools (Drank)
A West Coast Anthem For The Ages
Many Hip Hop legends have been dedicated to representing their place of origin, and it has always felt imperative that Kendrick Lemar is considered one of Los Angeles's greatest rappers more than anything else. The feel of the streets and the vitality of LA's culture forms the nucleus of everything Kendrick releases, and "Swimming Pools (Drank)" was Lamar's musical love letter to LA long before "Not Like Us" became the city's new anthem.
The lethal combo of GTA V's Los Santos landscapes and "Swimming Pools (Drank)" was vital in translating Kendrick's musical vision to the world. Its themes of alcoholism were universal, but the sound of the song could only come from the streets of Los Angeles. With a lazy trap beat, signature drawl, and a chorus hook from the Hip Hop gods, this song was crucial in making Lamar one of LA's favorite sons.
