The 16 Best Kendrick Lamar Songs of All Time

Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl LIX Pregame + Apple Music Halftime Show Press Conference on February 06, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
Billboard via Getty Images

Kendrick Lamar’s ascension to the top of the rap game has no parallel. Equally lauded for his lyrics, songwriting, creativity and perspective, Lamar has amassed a catalog that nimbly balances self-reflection and analysis of the world around him.

Whether rapping about addiction, violence, class, his family, Compton, or how he really hates Drake, Lamar contorts his voice and writes his lyrics to evoke different narrators, depending on the story he aims to tell. Over the years, this evocative storytelling has brought Lamar both critical and commercial success, with chart-topping songs, Grammys and even a Pulitzer Prize. His next gig? Headliner of this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. With an assist from SZA, Lamar is set to bring his complex narratives to the biggest stage in the world.

In preparation for the show, Variety staffers selected Lamar’s key tracks. Inevitably, some favorites didn’t make the cut, but this list shows a cross-section of some of Larmar’s best lyrics and songwriting, and are all essential. — WE

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