It’s not an exaggeration to call Kendrick Lamar, Pulitzer Prize winner for Music, one of the greatest rappers of all time. He changed the game with his clever lyricism, rapping about political and personal issues in a way that has captured a generation. 

His most recent album, GNX, has only added to the mastery that is his full discography. But where does it rank compared to the rest of his body of work? Keep reading to find out our ranking of Kendrick Lamar’s albums from best to worst.

We’re hoping Kendrick will bring his new Grand National tour with SZA to the UK in 2025. If you’re thinking the same thing, you can register your interest with Seat Unique to be the first to know about tour announcements and VIP ticket sales.

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Kendrick Lamar’s Albums Ranked in Order

No. 8: ‘Overly Dedicated’

Overly Dedicated is Kendrick Lamar’s fourth mixtape, but the first released under his government name. For that reason, fans consider this the first Kendrick Lamar album, released all the way back in 2010. It features guest appearances from other LA rappers like Jhene Aiko, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q. 

Upon release, Overly Dedicated received good critical reviews, with listeners seeing how this was the beginning of something great for the up and coming rapper. The mixtape was not quite Kendrick in his full form, but that was soon to come.

No. 7: ‘untitled unmastered.’

untitled unmastered. Is a compilation album, consisting of unused demos from To Pimp A Butterfly era. While some argue that it doesn’t count as a new album, the record has previously unreleased music that follows the political and avant-garde themes of To Pimp A Butterfly. 

The songs are full of the jazz and funk that Kendrick is known for, building on previously used themes in a way that fleshed out the existing album even more. While it may not match up to the mastery that came before it, it expanded on it, and that certainly wasn’t unwanted.

No. 6: ‘Section.80’

Section.80 is Kendrick Lamar’s debut album, released in 2011. It was his first full-length studio album, having previously released mixtapes and EPs under the pseudonym ‘K.Dot.’ You can feel how much Kendrick evolved between Overly Dedicated and Section.80, as he finds his rhythm rapping about political and social issues.

It can best be described as a conscious hip-hop album, with the inclusion of such songs as ‘A.D.H.D.’ which criticises the crack epidemic in the 80s, or ‘HiiiPOWER’ where Kendrick makes reference to multiple black activists from history.

No. 5: ‘Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers’

A lot more established in his career by this point, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is a concept album about Kendrick Lamar’s journey with therapy. The album came after a five-year musical hiatus, and the evolution and development in Kendrick’s subject matter is clear. 

Critics have called Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Kendrick’s most confessional album yet, due to the honesty of his lyrics as he opens up about his childhood and generational trauma. Kendrick’s digital bonus track ‘The Heart Part 5’ was his first solo release in five years, going on to win two Grammy Awards.

No. 4: ‘DAMN.’

DAMN. is the album that gave Kendrick Lamar his first number one single, ‘HUMBLE.’ It received widespread acclaim, and was when Kendrick really started to be catapulted into mainstream fame, earning him his Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy for Best Rap Album. 

It’s a mixture of modern and old school, conscious yet has the ability to have fun, and that’s what made it so successful. The album also has massive features like Rihanna and U2, again bringing in a new audience to his unique style of music. 

No. 3: ‘GNX’

GNX is Kendrick Lamar’s most recent album, released in 2024. The album was released amid a media storm, as Kendrick Lamar and Drake were engaged in a very public feud involving diss tracks sent between the two rappers. Everyone was waiting for Kendrick’s next album, and it certainly did not disappoint. 

Singles ‘squabble up,’ ‘tv off’ and ‘luther’ had much success on the charts, and Kendrick will be joined by album feature SZA for his 2025 Grand National tour. If you want to be there to see this incredible album live if he comes to the UK, you can register your interest with Seat Unique.

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No. 2: ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’

good kid, m.A.A.d city was only Kendrick’s second studio album, yet the impact it had still remains to this day. Massive producers like Dr Dre and Pharrell Williams took part, along with appearances from Drake, Dr Dre, and Jay Rock. The album tells the story of Kendrick’s upbringing in Compton, LA, with themes of gang life and drugs underscoring his adolescence. 

Massive hits to come out of this album were ‘B**** Don’t Kill My Vibe,’ ‘Money Trees,’ and ‘Swimming Pools (Drank),’ painting pictures of characters and situations Kendrick endured growing up. The cover artwork for good kid, m.A.A.d city features a child Lamar, two of his uncles, and his grandfather, with the adults' eyes censored to show that the album is told through his eyes.

No. 1: ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’

Fans often consider To Pimp A Butterfly Kendrick Lamar’s magnum opus, at least so far. The album features jazz, funk, and soul elements that have since become synonymous with Kendrick’s music, along with his signature ‘conscious hip-hop’ political subject matter. 

To Pimp A Butterfly won Best Rap Album and Album of the Year at the Grammys in 2016, a testament to how he became the voice of a generation when it came to racial injustice and empowerment. Single ‘Alright’ became the anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement as activists sang it during protests.

Get Kendrick Lamar Tickets

Kendrick Lamar is setting off on the North American leg of his Grand National tour with SZA in January of 2025, and fans everywhere are holding out hope that he makes it into a world tour after the success of the Big Steppers tour in 2024. 

If you’d like to be there in style if Kendrick Lamar tours the UK in 2025, you can register your interest with Seat Unique today. You’ll know as soon as a tour is announced, plus you’ll be notified when VIP tickets go on sale to be first in line. 

For incredible seats with the best views of the stage, access to VIP lounges with complimentary bars and food, and many more great perks, don’t miss out and sign up to our mailing list today!

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