Top 10 Best Kendrick Lamar Songs
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, a name synonymous with modern hip-hop excellence, has crafted a discography that reads like a sonic novel of societal commentary, personal introspection, and unadulterated artistry. From his early mixtapes to his Pulitzer Prize-winning albums, each project serves as a chapter in a larger narrative of growth and evolution. His music isn't just about catchy hooks and beats. It's a journey through the complexities of life, love, and everything in between. You'll find yourself nodding along to the infectious rhythms while simultaneously pondering the deeper meanings behind his thought-provoking lyrics.
Honestly, you can tell when rappers have really experienced the darkest that society has to offer, and you feel it in this song. He doesn't just mess around like Tyler, the Creator, whose music has a time and a place. He really creates a picture in your head, and that's a great accomplishment for a modern-day rapper.
I wish he wasn't such a sell-out working with ASAP, Drake, and 2 Chainz, but that's irrelevant.
This has everything you could possibly want in a record. A dope beat, great production, A+ lyrics, storytelling, conscience, metaphors, a great hook, a fantastic feature verse, everything. You can turn up to this, you can be angry listening to this, you can play this at parties, but you can also draw inspiration from this record. It's perfect.
This song not only discusses a very important aspect of adolescent life but also touches base on one of the most important lessons you can learn: self-control. It features a conversation with his own conscience and explains his struggles with alcohol and the social norm regarding the use of substances like it. It truly is his poison of choice, and he worries if it will be the end of him.
He refuses to smoke marijuana, as explained in m.A.A.d City, because of some pretty nasty experiences with the substance. However, he is still worried about collapsing under the weight of the poisons and substances that he does consume.
It's a great song, most likely not his most meaningful but contains some of his greatest flows and an incredibly catchy hook. The bridge before the chorus is also one of the most climactic drops featured in any of Kendrick's songs. Two thumbs up for the king of West Coast Hip-Hop.
This is Kendrick Lamar's best song of all time so far. He just pours out his soul into this song on a beat that makes you feel so sentimental when listening to it. He touches on his family life as well as problems in Compton, and problems that young African Americans are facing. The title is also perfect, and is symbolic of how he was at a point in his life when he was lacking spirituality.
This is my favorite song of Kendrick's, and at least in my top 10 of all time. Twelve minutes of pure, honest rapping about his killed friend and finding protection by God. The memorable, great beat and the chill flow make this song an absolute masterpiece and Kendrick's best song.
A pretty great song about the desperation of people to be rich, while Jay Rock has a great verse. No wonder Black Hippy is arguably the best rap collective around because they always find something meaningful to rap about and express it very well. And they don't just brag about their wealth, although they also rap about the effects that rap and fame have on them.
The synergy of this song is incredible. Everything fits together so snugly, a true modern-day masterpiece. The final verse by Jay Rock is a heavyweight swinging for the fences in the final round, topping off a stellar song.
This was Kendrick's breakthrough, showing us what he was and still is capable of. It's one of his most underrated songs ever written. If you have never heard of Kendrick Lamar before and are interested in what he's like, I would strongly recommend giving this track a listen.
Kendrick bodies this beat. The lyrics are amazing as usual, but he really connects with many of today's issues in society. The metaphors are great as well. They actually work with the song, unlike pointless metaphors thrown in by other rappers to get spins.
Choosing the best Kendrick Lamar song was really tough for me since they are all pretty good. However, I have to say that "The Blacker the Berry" is his best. Kendrick just lets everything go in this song, and you can hear and feel his emotions. I don't think any other rapper, even Tupac, has expressed their emotions as well as Kendrick did in this song.
The beat, Kendrick's lyrics, and his flow combine to create this masterpiece. He addresses the topic of racism very well and also reveals its hypocritical nature.
This is where we see Kendrick returning to his roots. He goes back to the old West Coast style of hip-hop where they focus on a funky beat instead of one based on bass. If you're listening to the song and you don't immediately start dancing, you're doing it wrong.
This is such a weird song, but also one of the easiest to enjoy once you've listened to it a few times. I used to hate it, and now it is one of my favorite songs of all time and definitely my favorite by Kendrick. This gets my vote.
I love the funky vibe and lyrical genius of this song. It may not be his best in terms of depth or meaning, but every time I listen to it, I have to listen 10 more times because it's so good.
Let me explain what this song is about: ahem
It's about how Kendrick is NOT happy with where hip-hop is going.
That's enough to make it one of the most meaningful rap songs of all time.
This song pumps me up every time I listen to it. Why only 8? It should be in the top 3 with m.A.A.d city and Swimming Pools. "Look inside your soul and you'll find nothing..." Kendrick, Ukraine loves you.
This song has the best beat, and it also has awesome lyrics. It shows what Kendrick Lamar is all about.
I was going through a rough period in my life. I never thought I would be happy again, until I heard this song. It puts a smile on my face every time I hear it. It is nowhere near his best song lyrically or flow-wise, but I would lie if I didn't say this was my favorite.
Kendrick is the best rapper of our time and a realistic G.O.A.T contender at this point, and I believe that he doesn't have a bad or even average song out.
I'm not even a fan of Kendrick, but this song is something the industry needs more of. As someone who plays bass, I really appreciate the way he flows over such a great bass line. It's complete art and deserves more respect in regards to talent and the message it sends.
This is the easiest song to understand what he is saying, and it goes well with the beat.
I love the flow on this. It is definitely one of his best.
This is the best Kendrick Lamar song, hands down!
The Newcomers
My personal favorite Kendrick song. Great production, top-tier flows, and great lyrics.
I could talk for hours about the genius of this entire album, but this track is my favorite. The production by Pharrell is amazing and makes for one of my favorite instrumentals in hip-hop history.
Despite the darker lyrics Kendrick writes, this song always lifts me up whenever I listen to it. It has one of the catchiest choruses I have ever heard in a song, and the music video is brilliant.
Lyrics, beat, vibe. What song has a better connection between these three elements than this very song? This song isn't just alright. It's amazing.
Humble should be ranked higher, with its amazing lyrics and beat. It's superb for those times you crave rap. I mean, come on, with this rap, he has won a Grammy award.
Out here roasting Drake, Big Sean, and others. Really great song and music video.
Best song of 2017. Right up there with California Dreamin' and Castle on the Hill.
This song has an amazing story to it. It talks about how everyone should treat others with respect regardless of who they are. The song conveys the story of a homeless man asking Kendrick for a dollar at the gas station. Kendrick denies the man who actually turns out to be Jesus Christ.
If you really follow Kendrick's lyrics on this track (as you should for all of this genius's work), then there's no way your spine didn't chill to 0K at the end of that last verse. It nearly turned me into a religious man.
I am completely addicted to this song. His flow in the second part of the song is incredible. The beat gets me pumped, and the bass, especially in the second part, is insane.
This is the best track from DAMN. It sums up his life with a perfect beat. The give me some ganja part is actually important as it symbolizes his struggles with marijuana.
Kendrick wears his heart on his sleeve with fierce intensity, the likes of which we have yet to see from him. I think this is his best work.
Arguably Kendrick at his most emotionally potent, this song features a smooth backing track with lazy brass accompaniment. This contrasts with a broken hotel radio and Kendrick's pained accusations against himself. It's deeply personal yet incredibly relatable and is a must-listen for anyone who has ever hated themselves or those who want to understand the depressed mind.
This should be higher up the list. It's one of the best songs from To Pimp A Butterfly. It's so emotional, and it's a little scary how depressed and self-loathing Kendrick is here. The first part was nice, but the second part, where his voice starts to break, is amazing.
This is one of the best intros to an album you will ever hear. I still think this is one of the best songs on the album. If you haven't, listen to this album before the others.
This is the beginning of the story that Lamar tells in To Pimp A Butterfly, and it is incredible. Every time you listen to this, each beat, each verse grows. This is perfection and needs to be in the top 5.
This is epic. No words can describe the production and lyrics. And Dr. Dre's verse is awesome. Kendrick all the way!
I just want to say that the snare in this track is possibly one of the best snares I've ever heard. The EQing gives it such a satisfying "pop." Other than that, this is a great song. Kendrick has a great flow, and the lyrics paint the perfect picture of his younger, more arrogant self.
The song showcases Kendrick as an ignorant teenager, with a passion for money, sex, and violence. Despite the deeper meaning, it's a pretty fire song too.
Even though it's different from his normal lyrics, it goes into the mind of a 16-year-old kid over a fire beat.
Lyrically, this song is easily number one, not through its story, but purely through sentence and word structure.
His flow in this song even challenges the great Notorious B.I.G. A must-listen for fans.
This should easily be in the top ten. It has the best lyrics I've ever heard Kendrick drop.
Everything about this song is perfection: beats, vocals. It's a hip-hop track that doesn't sound like a hip-hop track. Meaning, this song is the definition of music, or it's better than a lot of music out there. This song may not have flowed if it was put on GKMC, but it would have been a perfect fit for TPAB!
This is top 3 for sure. Too many people just bump to his new stuff when he has just as good, if not better, songs from back when he wasn't as popular. Great lyrics, and I love the flow of the verses!
This song drills into your bones. The beat and lyric combination is second to none. This is true hip-hop and one of Kendrick's greatest works.
This is one of the most important songs on To Pimp a Butterfly. Kendrick is questioning his fans' loyalty, and he is literally interviewing Tupac in this song! Later, he explains the reason for the album's title. It deserves to be in the top 10 at least.
I'm sorry, but I think there was a glitch in the system. This is at #35, but it really needs to be #1. Hopefully, the admin will fix this in the future.
The message is simple: Are you believing in Kendrick's integrity, or are you going to abandon him and turn on him when things get bad?
I concur, Poetic Justice has a great flow, rhyme scheme, lyrics, and feel. Feeling is the most important part of music.
How is this not at least in the top ten? I swear people have no taste!
So good, except for Drake's part, but even that had a purpose.
One of the best songs about sex, mostly because of that funk-influenced beat. It's more or less about sudden fame and what happens when a rapper can't handle it.
How is this not higher? As Kendrick's most treasured song on the album, it deserves to be at least in the top 10. Great storytelling and metaphor usage in this song, combining three topics into three verses accompanied by an amazing Compton funk beat.
The flow ties the song together, and Kendrick's voice just adds the icing on the cake. Definitely my favorite pick of Kendrick showing his lyricism and poetic values.
Absolutely one of the best songs on Section.80. The first time you hear this song, you need to listen again. The beat is inspiring, and the lyrics are brilliant.
The second of the two singles from Section.80, this one is underrated. It has a good beat and great lyrics from Kendrick.
Should be at least number ten. This one had a great beat and great lyrics, just like all of his songs.
XXX. is really underrated. The middle verse is insane. I think that verse alone makes it one of his best, up there with Duckworth and Fear on DAMN., in my opinion.
The middle verse is the hardest thing I've ever heard, easily his most emotive and raw track.
Yesterday, I got a call from my friend at 1:01. He said this song was badass. I listened. It was indeed badass.
How did this not make the top 10, but A.D.H.D did? This is a classic K Dot track and one of his best, to be honest.
Kendrick is the best rapper alive. This song has the most amazing flow and beat. It should be in the top 10.
I love everything about this song, both the lyrics and the beat. It should definitely be in the top 10.