Best Kendrick Lamar songs: Official clips, audio, description
Содержание
Kendrick Lamar's best songs have something for everyone. There are straightforward pop songs that. incentivise imagination, deep-rooted metaphors that require repeated careful listening and political songs that delve into the history of black oppression.
With only a few solo albums under his belt, Kendrick has managed to turn the rap ecosystem into a food chain, at the top of which, he sits. He's the undisputed king of rap, the future owner of a bust on Mount Rushmore. And yet he's almost impossibly To pick just 30 songs to highlight his amazing discography. Without further ado, here's our selection of Kendrick Lamar's 30 best songs (so far).
30. For Sale?
K.Dot is always ready to explain the politics of the music industry, exploring the good and evil that drive the activity forward. On "For Sale?", he takes a look at how rappers are forced to boast gold, cars and women to prove their wealth while refusing to give in to temptation.
29. Jay Rock - Vice City feat. Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul
In "Vice City," Jay Rock makes a disparate comment about the role of black women in society. Kendrick Lamar picks up refrain, showing the struggle between folding the paper and realising the problems that spending the money will cause. It reads:
I pray to a C-Note, my mum gave up hope/I can't stand myself/I just bought a new coat, I might go broke/I can't stand myself
Which translates to:
I'm praying for a C-Note, my mum's lost hope / I can't stand myself / I've just bought a new coat, I might go broke / I can't stand myself.
28. The Blacker the Berry
With a message as powerful as "The Blacker The Berry," Kendrick Lamar knew he had to get his work out there first-class musicians. K.Dot invited the collaboration of Terras Martin, Robert Glasper, Lala Hathaway, Thundercat and Anna Wise to complete the instrumental part. This allowed Kendrick to express profound ideas about racial inequality in the heartland of America.
27. LUST.
The album "DAMN." Kendrick Lamar turned out to be more straightforward than "To Pimp A Butterfly." The songs are about simple things with simple concepts. "LUST." in particular is about routine, about how quick and easy it is to ruin what you hold dear, in a favour of things like lust and desire. Kendrick ponders this concept, eventually realising that giving in to these cravings - it's just part of life, whether we like it or not.
26. Big Shot feat. Travis Scott
The film Black Panther wouldn't have gained such popularity if it wasn't for the Big Shot soundtrack in the execution Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott, in which the artists show off their recitation skills. In an interview with Billboard, Scott explained their relationship, saying:
I met him at the [MTV Video Music Awards] one day, and he came up to me and said: "Hey man, I'm making love to your music. . . That's super cool and inspiring." I was like, "Wow, that's the best rapper in the world - he's making love to my music!"
25. HUMBLE
Kendrick Lamar wasn't always sure if "HUMBLE." would be a hit, but his team's persuaded him otherwise. She wasn't wrong in the end and the song became the lead single "DAMN." but the beat was written by "Mike Will Made It" for Gucci Mane. K.Dot listened to the beat, and after spitting it, the duo decided to include it on their debut album "Mike Will Made It Ransom 2," but the team convinced Lamar to keep the track for their new album.
24. Hood Politics
In the song "Hood Politics" from To Pimp A Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar's voice shifts to a higher pitch, giving to himself the sight of a young man trying to get out from under the hood and struggling with the lessons he had learnt as an adult.
23. Sherane aka Master Splinter's Daughter
Where do you start on one of the best hip-hop albums of all time? From the record "g.o.o.d.. k.i.d. m.A.A.A.d. city" track "Sherane aka Master Splinter's Daughter", has become a mesmerising ode to the creative Kendrick's approach. The song begins as an exciting romance, but ends with Kendrick driving to Sherene's house only to see her surrounded by two guys in black hoodies.
22. Big Sean - Control feat. Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica
The song "Control" is seven and a half minutes long and was included on Big Sean's 2013 album "Hall of Fame." The three rappers give their best performance, but Kendrick eclipses everyone and immediately causes controversy by calling about a dozen rappers by name and telling them he wants to tear them all up in the booth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ-X2cIsIiw
21. Rigamortus
Kendrick Lamar has so many hits that sometimes it can be overlooked that the MC from Compton might surprise you with something. In "Rigamortus" from West Coast classic, "Section.80," Kendrick shows off his skills by comparing his rap game to the cadaveric rigor mortis, when toxins are released from a body left to rot and decompose.
20. Poetic Justice feat. Drake
On "Poetic Justice," Kendrick Lamar and Scoop DeVille use the melody from Janet Jackson's "Any Time, Any Place" and turn it into a absolutely new track. Deville didn't sell his beat to anyone for a while and several artists (like 50 Cent) wanted it. But the beatmaker eventually gave the track to Lamar, who was able to turn the piece into a monumental rap song.
19. ADHD
Kendrick Lamar often reminisces about his hometown of Compton, California. In "ADHD" from "Section.80," he links the current overuse of medication by young Americans to the high tolerance drugs and medications by people born in the 1980s. This is an early example of Kendrick as a sociologist exploring the connections in American history and how much of it stems from the root causes of white supremacy.
18. XXX feat. U2
The song deals at length with moral ambiguity and Kendrick eventually comes to a thesis That any moral compass can be violated under the wrong circumstances.
17. Keisha's Song (Her Pain)
"Keisha's Song," taken from Kendrick Lamar's 2011 album "Section.80," gave fans a glimpse of just how talented he is. Kendrick recorded the song for his younger sister, showing off the weight and injuries that the prostitution can inflict on women, though very explicitly refusing to demonise them, instead highlighting the social inequalities that force so many women into this work.
16. All The Stars feat. SZA
Kendrick Lamar and SZA teamed up for a stellar collaboration on the soundtrack to the film Black Panther, so it makes sense that they named the song "All The Stars". The track was a hit, to say the least. It was nominated for Best Song at the 76th Golden Globe Awards and the 91st Academy Awards, and received four nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
15. Compton
Hear Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre rap over beats from Just Blaze, - any rap fan's dream. As always, Kendrick impressively with a bizarre couplet:
Fix your lenses forensics would've told you Kendrick had killed it/ Pretend it's a massacre and the masses upon us/ And I mastered being the master at dodging your honour
Which translates to:
Fix your lenses, forensics would tell you Kendrick killed him / Pretend it's a massacre and the masses are upon us / And I've learned to masterfully evade your honour.
14. Complexion (A Zulu Love) feat. Rapsody
Kendrick Lamar's work Complexion (A Zulu Love) sheds light on the problems of colourism in popular culture, especially how they negatively affect the standards the beauty of black people. In an oral history of the album, Kendrick explained what inspired the song, saying:
The idea was to make a record that reflected all the facial features of black women. There is a division between light and dark skin because it's just in our nature, but we are all black. This concept came from South Africa and I saw all these different colours speaking a beautiful language.
13. Institutionalised feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Snoop Dogg
With "To Pimp A Butterfly", Kendrick Lamar continues the triumphant King Kunta with "Institutionalised". The first track was recorded when Kendrick was at the height of his popularity. On "Institutionalised," he plugs Bilal, Anna Wise and Snoop Dogg for a draw another picture in which he realises the cold reality of "g.o.o.d. k.i.d. m.A.A.A.d." in which he will remain, no matter how fast he runs.
12. DUCKWORTH
Kendrick Lamar's "DUCKWORTH," taken from "DAMN." 2017, finds Lamar in his storytelling bag. This time he's reading about former gangster Anthony Tiffith, who is a subsequently based Top Dawg Entertainment, and on his father, known as Ducky. Kendrick looks at their relationship before K.Dot signed with the label, creating a warm moment for the MC.
11. How Much a Dollar Cost feat. James Fauntleroy & Ronald Isley
You can listen to "How Much a Dollar Cost" from "To Pimp A Butterfly" and marvel at Kendrick Lamar's narration, his abilities compose metaphors about poverty, selfishness and the role of God. The magnificence of the piece is that President Barack Obama named it his favourite song in 2015.
10. Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils)
Poetically, Kendrick Lamar places "Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils)" in Compton, the very neighbourhood that suffered from Reagan's war with the offences. But in a catchy version of "Section.80," Kendrick sounds defiant, reading:
We're far from good, not good from far/ 90 miles per hour down Compton Boulevard/ With the top down, screamin', "We don't give a f–k"/ Drink my 40 ounce of freedom while I roll my blunt
Which translates to:
We're far no good, no good from afar/ 90 miles an hour down Compton Boulevard/ With the top down, screaming: "We don't give af-k"/ Drink my 40 ounces of freedom while I roll my joint.
9. Untitled 02 | 06.23.2014.
Shortly after the release of "To Pimp A Butterfly," Kendrick Lamar quickly returned with an exciting and mysterious A project called "Untitled Unmastered". "Untitled 02 | 06.23.2014" is outstanding, sounding like many of the tracks from Butterfly. The song explores Kendrick's duality as both a Compton resident and global superstar.
8. LOYALTY. feat. Rihanna
"LOYALTY." - is Kendrick Lamar's attempt to create. Of course, Rihanna represents the absolute pearl works, but Kendrick uses it to explore his soul with a beat that is presented in a funk-pop-hop style.
7. Money Trees
Kendrick Lamar's "Money Trees" has a bunch of memorable lines like these, for example:
It go Halle Berry or hallelujah/Pick your poison tell me what you do/ Everybody gon' respect the shooter/ But the one in front of the gun lives forever.
Which translates to:
Come on, Halle Berry or hallelujah / Pick your poison, tell me what you're doing / Everybody will respect the shooter / But the one in front of the gun lives forever.
It's only four bars, but they do a great job of conveying the theme of the song, with Kendrick going back to meet with Sherene and her two friends, deciding on the best course of action.
6. Backseat Freestyle
We all know Kendrick Lamar can rap, but damn, he proves his incredible talent in the song "Backseat Freestyle" from Good Kid M.A.A.d City. Despite the imagery, Kendrick combines the genius and fun banter while rapping:
All my life I want money and power/ Respect my mind or die from lead shower/ I pray my d-k get big like the Eiffel Tower/ So I can f-k the world for 72 hours
Which translates to:
All my life I want money and power/ Respect my mind or die from lead rain/ I pray my sex organ gets as big as the Eiffel Tower/ So I can make love to the world for 72 hours.
5. Wesley's Theory feat. George Clinton and Thundercat
Kendrick Lamar kicks off To Pimp A Butterfly with "Wesley's Theory," featuring George Clinton and Thundercat. In the track, Kendrick establishes the themes of the record, specifically, excellence Whites in America controlling black entertainers for profit.
4. Swimming Pools (Drank)
For Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools (Drank)." - is where it all started. It was the first single from the Good Kid album, which was introduced with him to a much wider audience. It's a real hit, with Kendrick struggling to deal with the social pressures associated with binge drinking.
3. Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe
"Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" has certainly become a classic, but it wasn't always that way. The chorus was originally supposed to feature Lady Gaga's vocals, but scheduling conflicts prevented this kind of collaboration. The song is one of the highlights of the discographies Kendrick Lamar, but it's hard not to wonder what might have been if the two did connect.
2. Alright
Few things are better than Kendrick Lamar letting his fans know that no matter what, things can work out in the end. The song eventually became associated with the "Black Lives Matter" movement after several youth protesters chanted the chorus, demonstrating the unwavering the power of Kendrick's vision.
1. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
"Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst." - is epic to say the least. The track is in two parts and lasts a total of 12 minutes. Mentioned among Kendrick's fans as his best solo lyrical performance.
