Brace yourself. This Friday, May 13, the world will be graced with at least one brand new Kendrick Lamar album – for the first time in five years. Streams will be through the roof, Twitter will be flooded with opinions and reactions, and sick days may even be called in by some hardcore fans. But are you a bit late to the Kendrick Lamar party? Do you fear it’s now too late to ask your friends about him? Fear not, here’s everything you need to know about the best rapper in the world.
The new Kendrick Lamar album(s): What we know
After a relatively quiet few years for Kendrick, he surprised the world when he quote tweeted a fan on April 18.
Linking to his website, Oklama.com, the quote tweet revealed a letter outlining the release date for his new album: ‘Mr Morale & The Big Steppers’.
In the weeks since, speculation has even grown about the possibility of a double album. Such speculation comes after Kendrick’s website updated to reveal an image of him holding two CDs, one titled ‘Morale’ and the other ‘Steppers’.
And this morning we finally got to hear the first of the new music. In the video for ‘The Heart Part Five’, Kendrick can be seen morphing into the likes of Kanye West and Will Smith, among others.
You can check out the new video here.
Where Kendrick Last Left us: DAMN
The last record Kendrick Lamar left us with was 2018’s Pulitzer prize winning DAMN.
Opting for a slightly more poppy feel compared to his previous two albums, DAMN featured the likes of Rihanna and Zacari.
By far the biggest track from DAMN though was ‘HUMBLE‘. Sitting at an almighty 1.6 billion Spotify streams, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’s yet to hear this banger.
Although perhaps not the most complex Kendrick release, if you’re looking for an accessible entry point, DAMN is perfect.
The critically acclaimed ones: GKMC AND TPAB
There are two albums that, in my opinion, separate Kendrick from the rest.
The first being his major-label debut, ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’. This 2012 concept album looks at a day in the life of a 17-year-old boy in the city of Compton.
From the impassioned, energetic ‘Backstreet Freestyle’, to the astute, insightful ‘Swimming Pools’, GKMC is an album not just for Kendrick Lamar fans – but music fans in general.
2015’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ is, in the eyes of many, Kendrick’s best work. After topping just about every album of the year list in 2015, including Pitchfork and The Guardian, TPAB was nominated for seven Grammys.
This is undoubtedly Kendrick’s most complex project to date. But without TPAB, rap music would not sound the way it does today.
The entry-level Kendrick Lamar playlist
If you’re still unsure where to start, fear not.
Featuring tracks from the three albums mentioned, as well as some earlier releases, some features and his brand new single, we’ve complied the ultimate beginners guide to Kendrick.
Check it out here: the beginner’s guide to Kendrick Lamar – Freshered.
Let us know what you think in the comments!