Pigeons & Planes Presents: Kendrick Lamar's 25 Best Songs

Why do we do this to ourselves? Best-of lists are a recurring nightmare that always ends in anxiety and guilt. This time it's the ghosts of "Ignorance Is Bliss" and "Blow My High" that will haunt us. "Complexion (A Zulu Love)" and "LOYALTY." also fell just outside our cutoff, and all apologies to "Fuck Yo Ethnicity" and "untitled 02." 

We also decided to leave off the Black Panther soundtrack. The selection was hard enough—and Kendrick himself described the project as compositions "other than [his] own." Feature verses don't count, either. This list only includes songs where Kendrick Lamar is the first name listed. 

Lastly, before you pop a blood vessel and block P&P, remember: there's no such thing as a objective list of Kendrick Lamar's best songs. This is just P&P's version. So without further ado...

Year: 2012

Album: Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City

"Swimming Pools (Drank)" was a huge moment for Kendrick Lamar. TDE had partnered with Interscope, and the major label debut album from the West Coast's new hip-hop hope was on the way. After being released in July, "Swimming Pools (Drank)" would eventually climb to No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and gain Kendrick his first Grammy nomination. It proved that he could be extremely commercially successful while still delivering a poignant reflection on the destructiveness of alcoholism and the power of peer pressure.

On top of all that, Kendrick had us all looking like damn fools, yelling the hook and turning up to this song while we ordered another round, fulfilling exactly what he was rapping about.—Alex Gardner

Year: 2011

Album: Section.80

Kendrick has always gone deep with his struggles between morality and temptation, and his followers have spent countless hours decoding these dense records. "Kush & Corinthians" is one of the earlier tracks that sent fans digging, as Kendrick draws parallels between Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and his own battles with social justice.—Eric Isom

Year: 2010

Album: O(verly) D(edicated)​

On the first track off O(verly) D(edicated) Kendrick raps over “A Peace Of Light” by The Roots. It's the second part of the "Heart" series, and Kendrick continues to prove himself as a lyricist, but what’s most attention-grabbing is the track's raw emotion.

When asked about this song by Rolling Stone, Kendrick replied, “People are literally gonna have to feel me,” and feel him we do as he raps about Compton, death, and the traps that the system creates for young people of color. Kendrick is so passionate that he literally loses his breath and ends the song with a coughing fit.—Michelle Odedina​

Year: 2012

Album: good kid, m.A.A.d city 

"Poetic Justice" samples Janet Jackson's "Any Time, Any Place" and is an open letter that depicts a fleeting romance, with a fitting assist from Drake. “Poetic Justice” is one of the softer moments on a heavy album, an early indication that Kendrick is just as powerful a songwriter when the lights dim. The track became a mainstream success and was played on the radio, and "Poetic Justice" has aged well, even if Drake and Kendrick's collaborations have dried up.—Michelle Odedina

Year: 2016

Album: untitled unmastered

The first part of a triptych dealing with desire, the feeling of achieving your goals, and the dissonance between material, physical, and spiritual fulfillment, “Levitate” is also, simply, an opportunity for Kendrick to drip swag atop a phenomenal beat by Cardo, Yung Exclusive, and Frank Dukes. It’s another example of Lamar embodying a character and a mindstate, so while the lyrics may not be much more than typical trap motivation, they allow Lamar to play a role and illustrate his point about the fleeting pleasures our society embraces.

“Levitate” is a predecessor to some of the more metallic, menacing sounds of DAMN. as well as collaborations like “New Freezer” with Rich the Kid and “Goosebumps” with Travis Scott, and it further proved that Lamar could thrive over any kind of production.—Grant Rindner

Year: 2012

Album: N/A

This is the only song on this list where Kendrick gets upstaged by the featured artist, but "Cartoons & Cereal" is what it is because of Kendrick's vision. Gunplay stepped up to the plate with what is arguably the best feature of his career, and the chaotic, other-worldy vibe of this song feels like a movie. "Cartoons & Cereal" never made it to an album and still isn't on any major streaming platforms, but it remains one of Kendrick's most ambitious and dynamic performances, and that's saying a lot.—Jacob Moore

Year: 2017

Album: DAMN.

"LOVE." is the most straightforward song on DAMN., somewhat of an outlier among the furious rapping, hard-edged beats, and plot twists that fill out the incredible album. As the title suggests, it's a love song, addressing an unnamed woman, who many fans assume is Kendrick's fiancé and long term girlfriend. Whoever Kendrick had in mind, the song touches on universal themes that underpin any relationship—love, trust, devotion, honesty—while providing an interesting counterpoint to the previous song, "LUST."

"Keep it a whole one hund': don't got you, I got nothin'," Kendrick sings on the chorus, where he's assisted by Zacari's angelic vocals, and it's that golden chorus and the warm production that helped power "LOVE." to its peak of No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.—Alex Gardner

Year: 2015

Album: To Pimp A Butterfly

When Kendrick Lamar first dropped "i" back in 2014, it was clear that his upcoming album To Pimp A Butterfly would be veering into a different lane. This lead single put more emphasis on self-love and black empowerment. But Lamar went from slightly veering to completely swerving when he followed up with "The Blacker The Berry."

The themes of self-love and black empowerment continue to be heard loud and clear. However, instead of a cookout-ready single led by a soulful sample, he delivered the flip side of that same coin—a more brash single that really makes you want to say "I'm black and I'm proud."

Jamaican artist Agent Sasco (fka Assassin) demands immediate attention as he enters to deliver the hook, and ultimately helps to bring the intensity of the entire single together. The production of the track matches the pain felt in both Sasco's and Lamar's voices—resulting in an atmosphere where listeners can feel a release without having to physically take out their frustrations.—Adrienne Black

Year: 2012

Album: good kid, M.A.A.D. City

"That’s really one big subliminal at everybody getting mixed in a situation where everyone wants to have creative control. That’s the vibe I wanted to kill," Kendrick Lamar told Complex of this song. It doesn't fit into the good kid, M.A.A.D. City narrative as clearly as most of the other tracks, but it shines even brighter as a result. 

Kendrick lays out in clear terms the approach that so much of his career seems to be based on. First, he owns up to his inadequacies as a mere mortal, opening the song singing, "I am a sinner, who's probably gonna sin again/Lord, forgive me!" But, as an artist, Kendrick has grand plans which are detailed in this song. He wants to make a difference and impact listeners by putting his vulnerability on display (as Kendrick himself explains here) and he wants his art to hold more weight than whatever the current trend is.

All this is delivered over a smooth beat from Sounwave that samples "Tiden Flyver" by Danish group Boom Clap Bachelors. The flows and instrumentation get more complicated as the song progresses, building to a beautiful string ensemble outro, a perfect ending for one of Kendrick's most ambitious songs.—Alex Gardner

Year: 2012

Album: N/A

This song has consistently been the best argument for a Kendrick/J. Cole collab album. Maybe it exists already, who knows—but regardless of what sees the light of day, "Jig is Up (Dump'n)" was early and definitive proof that these two are capable of great things together. He's ravaging that Cole and Canei Finch production, bellowing lines like "Picture plenty pussies throwing pellet guns at me" and cementing his own signature gun sound. This was a time when Kendrick was outrapping everyone, an era cemented less than a year later with the "Control" verse.—Graham Corrigan 

Year: 2012

Album: good kid, m.A.A.d city 

This wasn't Kendrick Lamar's first hit. It wasn't even the album's first single—that honor would go to "The Recipe," a Dr. Dre collab that's a classic in its own right. "Backseat Freestyle" came third, a two-bar loop with an explicit hook and no features. 

But it's a song that punches well above its weight, and became Kendrick's biggest song at the time of its release. He had everyone screaming about the Eiffel Tower, from Compton locals to Taylor Swift. Shortly after the song dropped, Swift said she turns on "Backseat Freestyle" when she needed "to immediately go from feeling victimized to feeling awesome."

Kendrick's response? "I appreciate Taylor Swift for supporting not only my music but just the hip-hop culture," he added. "There's really no gap. It's music and it feels good."—Graham Corrigan

Year: 2011

Album: Section.80

Kendrick has been hailed as the best rapper alive for a couple of years now, a champion for fans of hip-hop tradition. He's even at a level where a new rap fan may only know him as the mainstream star he is today, and resent him for it.

That fan has probably never heard "Keisha's Song." With cinematic production and a graphic, heartbreaking story, Kendrick was able to guide listeners down a path to understand and sympathize with the hardships that Keisha goes through, and then in turn apply that same sympathy to all women. It's an early example of Kendrick's ability to make his listeners confront the world beyond the fame.—Eric Isom

Year: 2017

Album: DAMN.

As soon as "HUMBLE." was released it quickly became the rap anthem of 2017. The beat recalls the golden age of West Coast rap, the lyrics confront sexism and machismo in the music industry, and while we didn't take the video into account while ranking these songs, Dave Meyers & the little homies outdid themselves on this one.

While Kendrick told Rolling Stone he’s ultimately talking to himself—or rather his ego—in the chorus, he goes on to say he’s telling the listener, “You can’t fuck with me.” Peaking at No. 1 on the charts, "HUMBLE." is the prime example of Kendrick’s insatiability when it comes to the rap game and his own music.—Michelle Odedina

Year: 2011

Album: Section.80

Most Kendrick tracks have at least a flash or two of his incredible technical skills, but Section.80’s “Rigamortis” is still maybe his purest instance of verbal flexing to date. The production is fittingly simple, a diced horn loop that sounds like game show intro music and snare-heavy percussion from Willie B and Sounwave; it’s the kind of understated production you wouldn’t necessarily expect a rapper to char beyond recognition.

The verses each ratchet up in intensity and intricacy, with Kendrick sprinting downhill through an obstacle course of internal rhymes, flow changes, and vivid imagery, culminating in the song’s ballistic final bars, which end with the sobering realization that Kendrick may have truly ended the life of your favorite MC. “Rigamortis” is one of those tracks you spend hours practicing to pull it off seamlessly while driving around with your friends, but we’ll bet you’ve never quite been able to nail that final verse.—Grant Rindner

Year: 2012

Album: good kid, m.A.A.d city ​

"The Art of Peer Pressure" is one of those songs that elevated Kendrick above his competition. The minute-long intro feels like you're settling in for a relaxed ride, but once that Suspekt sample from "Helt Alene" hits, things get serious real quick. And the story follows suit—peer pressure starts in one place, and ends in another.

It's some of Kendrick's most vivid storytelling, and where the overall arc of good kid, m.A.A.d city​ really takes off. "I've never been violent, until I'm with the homies," Kendrick raps as the car approaches its robbery site. Kendrick's recapping the moment as it's happening, and the result is a heart-pounding experience, right up until the cops takes that final right.—Graham Corrigan

Year: 2017

Album: DAMN.

At this point, Kendrick has already proved himself as one of the best ever. Yet "ELEMENT." finds the Compton artist going even further—he pulls off a left-field James Blake collaboration, pays homage to Gordon Parks in the video, and uses one of his prettiest productions to reveal a harsh truth: no amount of fame will change the fact that he'll never do it for the 'Gram, he does it for Compton.

He's also playing around with timing and dissonance on the piano, furthering the contrast between expectations and reality. This song is Kendrick establishing himself as the greatest, and doing it without compromising the man he's always been.—Michelle Odedina

Year: 2012

Album: good kid, m.A.A.d.city

What a track. Over the years, "Money Trees" has become a fan favorite for TDE followers, ourselves included. It's the kind of slow-burning track that you become addicted to over time, with a different part to look forward to on every listen. Anna Wise's gorgeous bridge is a personal favorite, but this was also the song that catapulted Jay Rock back into the spotlight, and might contain the best hook on GKMC. DJ Dahi flips a Beach House sample into something between eerie and inspirational, and the rest is history.

But beyond the musicality and catchiness, "Money Trees" is a sobering reflection on the life of crime Kendrick has led thus far in the album, and a stark appraisal of gang life: “Everybody gon' respect the shooter/But the one in front of the gun lives forever."—Graham Corrigan

Year: 2011

Album: Section.80

What separates Kendrick’s social commentary from many of his peers' is that he has always been willing to immerse himself in the scenarios he is discussing instead of writing from an outsider’s perspective. On “A.D.H.D.” he’s just another partygoer, trying to get a blacked out friend back on his feet, drinking lean in the kitchen, and lusting after a girl.

The beat is dense and gritty, and Lamar’s speedy flow creates the atmosphere of a party perpetually on the verge of going off the rails. “A.D.H.D.” deals with topics of drug abuse and generational boredom with brutal honesty, and it also helped sow the seeds for Lamar to tackle issues of race, poverty, and systemic oppression on good kid, m.A.A.d. city, To Pimp a Butterfly, and DAMN.​—Grant Rindner

Year: 2015

Album: To Pimp A Butterfly

Barack Obama's favorite song of 2015 gets a nod here for a few reasons. Vibrant storytelling? Check. Awe-inspiring production? Yes. A deeper message that resonates across the social spectrum? Most definitely. "These are moments in my life deeper than just handing somebody a dollar," Kendrick told MTV News in 2015. "These are actually moments of integrity, actually being able to talk to somebody. Me talking to him was simply a thank you from God. And I felt God speaking through him to get at me."

The true story of Kendrick's interaction with a homeless man became one of To Pimp A Butterfly's strongest pillars, an affecting track of humility and perspective that reminds us all that no one is above a little kindness. And when asked about the song's deeper meaning, Kendrick was direct. "Help as many people as you can, if you want to live forever."—Graham Corrigan

Year: 2017

Album: DAMN.

"DUCKWORTH." might not have the sticky hooks of "Alright" or "A.D.H.D.," but what the last (first?) track on DAMN. lacks in pop appeal, it more than makes up for in emotional weight. "DUCKWORTH." is, in essence, the story of how Kendrick ended up in music. He relates how the stories of Anthony (Tiffith, a.k.a. Top Dawg) and Ducky (a.k.a. Kenneth Duckworth, Kendrick's father) circled each other until the inevitable moment of contact. Their stories are two sides of the same Compton coin, and positions Kendrick's lot in life as a product of chaos, survival, and chicken.

Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence?—Graham Corrigan

Year: 2011

Album: Section.80

It's hard to imagine it now, but before Section.80, Kendrick Lamar was seen by many as just another talented blog rapper. He could rap well and he always had a message, but the revolutionary tone on "HiiiPOWER" laid out the mission statement and established the foundation for Kendrick's greater impact beyond music.

With references to Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Fred Hampton, Tupac Shakur, Kurt Cobain, and Lauryn Hill, the J. Cole-produced song attacks racism, societal issues, and government. Tupac once admitted that he may not change the world, but he guaranteed that he would spark the brain of someone who will. "HiiiPOWER" is the song that made it clear that Kendrick Lamar is willing to accept that challenge.—Jacob Moore

Year: 2012

Album: good kid, m.A.A.d city

"Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst" is the kind of wildly ambitious song—both in terms of storytelling and structure—that few artists would dare try, let alone be able to pull off. In the course of 12 minutes and two distinct musical sections, Kendrick raps from three different perspectives, while the interludes and outro (from legendary poet and activist Maya Angelou) help continue the album's narrative. 

“‘Sing About Me’ is definitely a true song,” Kendrick told MTV News in 2012. “First verse is speaking from my partner talkin’ to me, speakin’ on a story of how I was there when his brother passed and I got to watch him take his last breath.” In the second verse, Kendrick references Section.80 track "Keisha's Song," and raps from the perspective of Keisha's sister, who is upset at Kendrick for telling her sister's story and making a judgment about  her lifestyle in a song. The verse comes to a sinister end as the vocals fade slowly out after Keisha's sister says, "I'll probably live longer than you and never fade away." Finally, in the third verse, Kendrick is rapping from his own perspective, addressing the characters from the previous verses about the trauma of growing up surrounded by death. 

This alone would make for an incredible song, but Kendrick isn't done, following the hook with a skit and a beat switch. On this part, Kendrick is attempting to reckon with the cycle of violence he sees around him, saying he's "tired of runnin', tired of huntin'/My own kind." The final skit, as K.Dot and his friends are led in prayer rather than seeking revenge, offers some hope for redemption and change. Altogether, it's an entire movie told in a single song that will go down in rap canon as a true great.—Alex Gardner

Year: 2017

Album: DAMN.

We had a lot of trouble choosing which DAMN. song would rank highest on this list. "ELEMENT.," with its hypnotic melodic hook and pointed lyrics, "DUCKWORTH.," with its revelatory ending, and undeniable banger "HUMBLE." all make strong claims.

In the end, though, we couldn't escape "DNA." After experimenting with funk and jazz on To Pimp a Butterfly, King Kendrick returned in 2017 to remind us that he's the best rapper alive. "DNA" features some of his fiercest rapping over a monstrous Mike Will Made-It beat, and just when you think the ride couldn't get any wilder, the beat transforms around the two-minute mark and Kendrick blacks out.

"You mothafuckas can't tell me nothin'," Kendrick raps at the beginning of the second verse, and he's right. He's at the top of his game, from music to live shows to videos, and we're privileged to be witnesses.—Alex Gardner

Year: 2015

Album: To Pimp A Butterfly

"Alright" is one of the rare instances in which the weight and importance of the song exceeds that of the music itself.

"We gon' be alright" has come to represent a host of feelings; pain, anger, defiance, perseverance, happiness, hope. Kendrick has made a career out of taking what people—his family, his community, his country—feel, and making it intensely personal. Universality is what powers "Alright."

Writing about music feels, at times, like a exercise in futility. Too often, we describe music as "important," when what we really mean is it's new, or cool, or a different perspective. Which is important, but not in a way that touches the real world. What "Alright" did was make an overwhelming case for what music itself is capable of. It can give voice to feelings too complicated to express without music. It can have impact. It can change things.—Brendan Klinkenberg

Year: 2012

Album: good kid, m.A.A.d. city

Why is "m.A.A.d city" Kendrick Lamar's best song? Is it the yawks? Is it his frenzied delivery, voice cracking and gasping for breath as he tries to outrun death and violence? Is it the beat switch that comes halfway through, shoving listeners from an adrenaline rush to a Compton blunt ride? Is it Kendrick's careful explication of gang life, bleeping and masking the real names of his accomplices amidst chilling details? Is it his last verse, vocal pitch slowly pulled down into the depths?

In short, yes. King Kendrick has explored all four corners of the human condition since GKMC dropped, but the rabid, deranged wisdom of "m.A.A.d city" still cuts the deepest, bringing the fear that often accompanies rage into sharp focus.

This is the moment in GKMC when violence stops being a threat and becomes a reality. "I look at society as one big pot of gumbo, with just so many temptations," Kendrick told Rap Genius back in 2013. "So me hoping for some type of peace is like something I can hope for forever, or I can get it within one moment... I am a realist, but at the same time what separates me from the rest of my homeboys is the fact that I can dream of this hope rather than just saying, ‘Fuck everybody, and shit is about to happen, and I’m about to be on this corner with the homies.’" —Graham Corrigan