10 Reasons Why You Should Listen to Kendrick Lamar | The Odyssey Online
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10 Reasons Why You Should Listen to Kendrick Lamar

He told us that "We gon' be alright!"

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10 Reasons Why You Should Listen to Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar may be one of the best rappers of our time and possibly ever in the history of hip-hop. With two albums that are considered “universally acclaimed” by critics, he is thought of as a new savior of rap music with his meaningful lyrics and wordplay. K-Dot (his original rap name) is redefining what it means to be a rapper and how to make a positive influence on listeners. Everyone should appreciate Kendrick, and here's why.

1. He loves to give back to the community.

Kendrick, on numerous occasions, has visited schools and told them the importance of education. He tells the many students that they should live life in a positive way and avoid violence that they could face. He even handed out toys with cohorts from his label Top Dawg Entertainment in Watts and has a deal with Reebok to keep kids off the streets. In 2015, he received the California State Senate Generational Icon Award for his actions.


2. His major-label albums each have a concept behind the project.

Many musicians have albums come out that have a wide array of songs that each have a different theme. But, in Kendrick’s case, his albums "good kid, m.A.A.d city" and 2015’s "To Pimp a Butterfly" each have a central theme that is projected through the songs on each album. With "GKMC," the central theme is Lamar discussing his life in his hometown Compton, California and the struggles of growing up in that environment. "TPAB" focuses on what is means to be a black man or woman and why one should be proud to be black in America. The concept affects not only the message of the songs but also the genre. In "GKMC," he had a more gangsta rap image to the album, but on "TPAB" he had a jazz influence.

3. "To Pimp a Butterfly" is dedicated to Tupac.

Originally titled "Tu Pimp a Caterpillar" (TuPaC), Lamar wanted the album to be told to Tupac. Kendrick went to the length of finding an old interview of Tupac and edited it so that it would seem as if Kendrick and Tupac were talking. The end result is amazing and can be checked out on the final track "Mortal Man" as well as the poem that Kendrick recites throughout the album.


4. Each few lines of the poem in "TPAB" are interpreted into a song on the album.

Kendrick wrote a poem for the album titled "Another N****" and details whether or not Kendrick should embrace every black man even though they may have different values. The songs on the album play a part in the poem because they each show a theme that is in the poem, such as how a African American is portrayed in America or the hypocrisy Kendrick deals with that leads close to self-hatred. Another poem is spoken to Pac by Kendrick that speaks on the roles of the caterpillar and butterfly and how they interact with each other.

5. He is Dr. Dre’s latest protégé.

The great Dr. Dre, who has played a part in rap music for the past 30years, took Kendrick under his wing and put him out there for everyone to listen to him. Dr. Dre gave Kendrick a medium to focus all his energy in, much like what Dre did for artists like Snoop Dogg and Eminem.

6. He called out his fellow rappers that started controversy in hip-hop.

In the Big Sean song "Control," he called out 11 of his peers (and friends), saying that he is the king of rap at the moment. Obviously that caused some controversy between those who were mentioned and those who believe they deserve to be mentioned. But, controversy aside, that song is a track every Kendrick fan should listen to.


7. He was on the remix to "Bad Blood" with the fellow music powerhouse Taylor Swift.

How could you not love this duo’s song, especially with Kendrick going off on two verses? Taylor gave much praise to "TPAB," and there was rumor there would be collaboration between the two. Our prayers were answered at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards when they graced us with this amazing song. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Kendrick’s first record to do so.

8. "Alright" has become an anthem of hope to all.

What the song says is that no matter what happens, we are going to be alright, even with all the violence occurring in this country. We need to stick together in order to have peace.


9. He finally won two Grammys after being snubbed the year before.

In 2014 Kendrick was up for seven Grammys, including Album of the Year, for "GKMC" and went home with none. Instead, Macklemore won the awards that he and Kendrick were nominated for. This seems suspicious, especially since Kendrick is now compared to Macklemore. But, for his song "i," Kendrick went home with Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance in 2015.

10. "TPAB" broke a record on Spotify.

The album broke a record for most listens of an album in a day, which was 9.6 million listens. It broke the record previously set by Michael Buble and still has control over it. Kendrick got out to the masses and was given love for what he produced.

Kendrick Lamar has definitely solidified his place in music history and will be here to kill every track he is on for a long time, hopefully with another album within two years, a group album with TDE and a joint-album with J. Cole all in the works.


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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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