6. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022)

Kendrick Lamar’s fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, was one of the most anticipated releases in years, arriving after a five-year hiatus following DAMN.. While DAMN. earned its share of praise, it didn’t reach the heights of Kendrick’s masterworks good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012) and To Pimp A Butterfly (2015). With Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick once again ventures into new territory, crafting a deeply introspective and challenging record that solidifies his reputation as one of Hip Hop’s most creative and complex artists.

This album dives headfirst into Kendrick’s internal world, exploring his fears, regrets, and contradictions with striking honesty. Where good kid, m.A.A.d city painted a vivid portrait of his Compton upbringing and To Pimp A Butterfly tackled collective struggles and systemic issues, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers turns inward. The result is raw and unfiltered, a snapshot of a man grappling with his identity in real-time. Kendrick doesn’t shy away from difficult truths or messy emotions, which gives the album a confessional quality.

The album’s double-disc structure complements its duality, oscillating between calm reflection and sharp tension. Themes of healing, generational trauma, and moral conflict run throughout, but they aren’t tied up neatly. Instead, the contradictions remain unresolved, adding to the album’s complexity. Sonically, the production is sharp and precise, often stripped back to let Kendrick’s voice and words take center stage. It’s not always easy to digest, but that seems to be the point.

However, for all its ambition and honesty, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers struggles with replay value. Its weighty themes and emotionally dense content make it a rewarding listen, but it’s not an album you’ll find yourself reaching for repeatedly. Compared to Kendrick’s other works, which often balance depth with accessibility, this one feels more like a reflective experience than a go-to listen. While it deserves credit for its daring approach, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers ultimately ranks sixth on this list. Its intricate, layered nature makes it an important part of Kendrick’s discography, but it lacks the staying power of his best work. | 7/10

5. GNX (2024)

Kendrick Lamar’s 2024 surprise album, GNX, landed like a curveball, surprising fans and critics alike. Known for intricate storytelling and heavy conceptual themes, Kendrick flips the script here with a looser, more visceral project. The energy is pure West Coast—a soundtrack for blaring from car speakers on a hot LA afternoon. While unmistakably Kendrick, with clever wordplay, hard-hitting beats, and moments of brilliance, GNX lacks the ambition of masterpieces like To Pimp a Butterfly or Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.

GNX isn’t as groundbreaking; it’s a digestible, fun collection of tracks that reflect Kendrick’s current mindset—angry, reflective, and less concerned with perfection. It’s not an album that redefines the genre or pushes a grand cultural agenda, but it doesn’t try to be.

The album opens strong with “wacced out murals,” where Kendrick’s fiery delivery takes aim at the industry and some of his idols over pounding drums and ominous strings. Tracks like “reincarnated” stand out for their introspection, with Kendrick weaving imagined past lives into a soulful meditation on history and identity. Meanwhile, songs like “gloria” and “luther” add depth, and SZA’s smooth vocals add texture in her two standout features. However, not all experiments land—tracks like “gnx” (featuring LA newcomers) and “dodger blue” falter under weak production, a recurring issue throughout the album.

While GNX lacks the cohesion of Kendrick’s earlier projects, its looseness offers charm. It feels less like a masterpiece and more like a mixtape—a snapshot of where Kendrick is now. Though uneven, it’s still proof that even on an off day, Kendrick remains miles ahead of most peers. | 7.5/10

4. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. (2017)

For us, DAMN marked a noticeable dip in Kendrick Lamar’s streak of greatness following two back-to-back classics. While it’s not a bad album by any means, the overwhelming praise it received upon release felt disproportionate. The reaction to DAMN—critics and fans alike hailing it as an “instant classic”—felt more like a reflex than a true evaluation. Kendrick’s reputation often makes him nearly immune to criticism, much like the reverence surrounding legends like 2Pac and Biggie. Suggesting DAMN falls short of Kendrick’s best work is almost guaranteed to spark backlash. But the truth is, DAMN isn’t flawless, nor does it measure up to good kid, m.A.A.d city or To Pimp a Butterfly. It’s an okay album, but not extraordinary.

Where To Pimp a Butterfly was a sprawling, layered exploration of social and political struggles through the lens of Black music history, and good kid, m.A.A.d city told a cohesive coming-of-age story steeped in the streets of Compton, DAMN feels less focused. It lacks a clear thematic thread to tie everything together. Instead, it leans into a looser, more fragmented structure. Some tracks, like “DNA” and “DUCKWORTH,” stand out with their sharp production and powerful energy. “DNA” is hard-hitting and raw, while “DUCKWORTH” tells an intricate story, carried by vivid lyricism and shifting beats. These moments remind you of Kendrick’s skill and vision. But elsewhere, the album falters. Tracks like “LOVE” drift toward a more commercial sound, veering into territory that doesn’t feel natural for Kendrick.

It’s not that DAMN doesn’t have its highlights—it does. The production, at times, is striking, and there are flashes of Kendrick’s lyrical brilliance. But it’s hard to ignore how disjointed the album feels compared to his earlier work. Even its biggest accolades, like the Pulitzer Prize, felt misdirected. The Pulitzer board seemed to have missed the moment for To Pimp a Butterfly and retroactively awarded Kendrick’s follow-up instead, an odd recognition for an album that doesn’t carry the same weight or scope.

Ultimately, DAMN is fine. It has its strengths, but it doesn’t feel as purposeful or cohesive as Kendrick’s best projects. It’s a solid album, but far from the masterpiece it was immediately labeled to be. Compared to other albums in his catalog—and even other Hip Hop albums released in 2017—it simply doesn’t hold the same lasting power. | 7.5/10

3. Kendrick Lamar - Section.80 (2011)

Kendrick Lamar’s official debut album, Section.80, arrived after a string of mixtapes that had already earned him attention. With 16 tracks spanning an hour, the project feels purposeful and grounded. While it would take another year for Kendrick to break into the mainstream with good kid, m.A.A.d city, this album shows his potential in full force. Musically, Section.80 leans toward a more traditional Hip Hop sound than the experimental styles Kendrick would explore later. The production is thoughtful, pairing well with his relaxed delivery and introspective lyricism, creating a listening experience that’s engaging, though often heavy in tone.

There’s a rawness here that makes the album feel personal. Songs like “Keisha’s Song,” “Ronald Reagan Era,” “Poe Man’s Dreams (His Vice),” and “Hol’ Up” stand out with their vivid storytelling and sharp writing. These tracks dig deep into topics like systemic struggles, personal vices, and the environment Kendrick grew up in. The mood of the album is reflective and sometimes dark, but it’s balanced by moments of sharp wit and charisma. While not every track hits the same mark—“Blow My High” feels less impactful than the rest—it doesn’t take away from the strength of the album as a whole.

Section.80 may not have launched Kendrick into the spotlight, but it laid a strong foundation for everything that came after. It’s an album that rewards careful listening, offering substance and depth that lingers long after it ends. | 8/10

2. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city (2012)

In 2012, Kendrick Lamar released good kid, m.A.A.d city, his second album and major-label debut, and it instantly became a defining moment for Hip Hop. From the first listen, it was clear this project was different—an intricate, immersive dive into Lamar’s teenage years in Compton, surrounded by gang violence, peer pressure, and the struggles of his community. Framed as “a short film by Kendrick Lamar,” the album is less a collection of songs and more an unfolding narrative, piecing together moments of triumph, regret, and survival.

Each track contributes to the story, and while songs like “Backseat Freestyle” and “Swimming Pools (Drank)” might feel larger-than-life on their own, they’re even more powerful in the context of the album. The balance between standalone appeal and storytelling depth is a rare achievement. Every track pulls listeners deeper into the emotions and dilemmas Kendrick faced growing up—whether it’s the haunting introspection of “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” or the explosive energy of “m.A.A.d city” with MC Eiht.

The production plays a crucial role in shaping the album’s mood. A mix of ominous beats, atmospheric melodies, and sharp transitions mirrors the tension and chaos of the stories Kendrick tells. Tracks like “Money Trees,” featuring Jay Rock, and the hometown anthem “Compton” with Dr. Dre, bring different textures to the album, from smooth and reflective to celebratory. These shifts in tone keep the listener engaged while staying true to the narrative arc.

Even the visuals—the album cover, the photographs inside—are an extension of the story. The iconic cover art, featuring a family photo blurred and worn, feels as personal as the music itself, grounding the album in the reality Kendrick describes—another reminder that this is a deeply personal reflection of life as a young Black man in Compton.

good kid, m.A.A.d city reveals more with every listen. Its layered storytelling, lyrical depth, and emotionally charged themes demand patience and attention, inviting listeners to peel back the layers over time. It’s an album rooted in specific experiences but broad enough to resonate far beyond them. With this release, Kendrick not only proved himself as a master of his craft but also created a body of work that continues to hold weight over a decade later. This is like a time capsule, a vivid portrait of a place, a moment, and a young man finding his way through it all. | 9.5/10

1. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly (2015)

What more can be said about To Pimp A Butterfly that hasn’t been said a million times already? This is a monumental album, the kind of work that only comes along once in a generation. Comparisons to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On or Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back aren’t exaggerations—they’re earned. This is an opus that exists on a scale few others have ever reached.

With good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick Lamar had already given the world a near-perfect album. But To Pimp A Butterfly takes that foundation and builds something far more expansive. It’s introspective yet outward-facing, personal but unflinchingly political, raw and unpolished in its truths while executed with the precision of an orchestra. Musically, it’s staggering. Live instrumentation, swirling jazz-funk, deep-pocket grooves, and elements of neo-soul all flow together, creating a sound that feels like the essence of Black musical history distilled into 79 minutes. Every note feels deliberate, every arrangement layered with meaning.

This isn’t an album you throw on in the background or casually skim through. It demands attention. There’s a weight to it—a gravity that forces you to sit with its truths and grapple with its contradictions. Kendrick moves between moments of self-doubt, anger, pride, and despair, his words weaving a narrative that feels both deeply personal and universal. And the guest appearances don’t distract from his vision; they enhance it, creating a larger tapestry of voices and perspectives.

To Pimp A Butterfly is dense and challenging, but it’s also rewarding. It’s not designed for easy consumption, and that’s part of its brilliance. By refusing to compromise its vision, Kendrick delivered something timeless—music that will be revisited and reinterpreted for decades to come. Few albums ever achieve this level of ambition and execution, let alone succeed at both.

If there’s one album from the 2010s that will be studied, dissected, and remembered far into the future, it’s To Pimp A Butterfly. This is more than just a piece of music; it’s a towering work of art. | 9.5/10