History Music / KendrickLamar

--->Something's in the water
--->And if I gotta brown-nose for some gold
--->Then I'd rather be a bum than a motherfuckin' baller

* GenreThrowback: The video for "King Kunta", to classic West Coast hip-hop videos, right down to the aspect ratio.
* GratuitousSpanish: On his feature verse on Schoolboy Q's "Collard Greens", he starts out in English, then transitions seamlessly into Spanish.

* IfItBleedsItLeads: ''now crawl your head in that noose, you'll wind up dead on the news''

-->You might catch me in UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}} looking like a boss\\

But nothing like my hometown I'm forever living

-->I want, I want, I want, I want\\

Look what I done for you...

* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: Averting this trope was the point of "The Blacker the Berry".

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: In "Auntie Diaries", a young Kendrick stands up to his pastor as he's being transphobic towards his cousin Mary-Ann and calls him out. In the narration, Kendrick even calls this "the day I chose humanity over religion".
* SelfEmpowermentAnthem: "i", which is especially powerful considering its heavy contrast with [[TearJerker "u"]].

-->Seen a light-skinned nigga with [[BoomHeadshot his brains blown out]]\\

But ever since that day, I was lookin' at him different

* {{Troll}}: Listen to his ad libs on Jay Rock's "Win". He's mentioned quite a few times before that he has a "Gemini's sense of humor".

--->So don't matter how much I say I like to preach with the Panthers\\

Hypocrite!]]

* AsTheGoodBookSays: The old man in "How Much a Dollar Cost" cites [[Literature/BookOfExodus Exodus 14]] to remind Kendrick about the value of humility. In addition to foreshadowing that the old man is God, mentioning Exodus 14 implicitly compares Kendrick to the opulent Pharaoh, who was killed in an action of divine justice.

** The first and final line of ''DAMN.'' spoken by Kendrick is "So, I was taking a walk the other day." We hear it first in the opening track "BLOOD." and then again in "DUCKWORTH.", after the song ends with several sounds from previous songs on the album being played in reverse as if the whole album is being reversed back to the very start.

Kendrick released his first mixtape at the tender age of sixteen. Having signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, he continued to pump out acclaimed mixtapes and finally released his debut album in 2011, titled ''Section.80''. The album won him great critical acclaim and revealed to the public the great potential the young MC had, including Music/DrDre and Music/SnoopDogg, who crowned him the "New King of the West Coast" at a concert.

In August of 2013, Kendrick featured on the Music/BigSean song "Control". His verse, in which he managed to call out the entirety of the rap game's current artists while simultaneously claiming that he is the best in the game and urging the others to catch up, was widely considered to be the year's best display of raw lyricism. Kendrick's verse became so popular that some are [[SpotlightStealingSquad surprised to learn that there are two other artists on the song]]. That verse can be heard [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2z4YSqcmus here]].

Following the release of the album, Kendrick took a five-year hiatus from music, reportedly partially caused by a two-year period of writer's block while also giving him time to executive produce the soundtrack for ''Film/BlackPanther2018'', become a father of two children with his longtime partner Whitney Alford, and found the entertainment company [=pgLang=] with creative partner Dave Free. He announced work on a new album, his last under Top Dawg Entertainment and first under [=pgLang=], in August 2021. The album, titled ''Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers'', was released on May 12, 2022.

** In "DUCKWORTH.", after telling an extensive story between two characters (Kendrick's father and Top Dawg; [[spoiler:Top Dawg, robbing a KFC, decided not to kill Kendrick's father since he gave him free and extra food]]), Kendrick brings it all together with the final lines.

* ArcWords: Every song from "King Kunta" onwards on ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' ends with an expanding monologue that begins with "I remember you was conflicted, misusing your influence."
** "Ain't nobody prayin' for me" is a recurring phrase on ''DAMN.'', appearing in some form on "ELEMENT.", "FEEL.", the album version of "HUMBLE.", and "FEAR." It ends up getting its own song in ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}: The Album'', in the form of "Pray For Me", which doubles as a [[TragicVillain tragic]] VillainSong.

* DoingItForTheArt: [[invoked]] Explicitly spelled out in "King Kunta":
-->Something's in the water
-->And if I gotta brown-nose for some gold
-->Then I'd rather be a bum than a motherfuckin' baller
** In an interview, he stated that he could've easily made an album full of hits with Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, but he felt compelled to speak as honestly as possible instead.

* MessianicArchetype: A subtle one and of course, humble one. [[http://www.complex.com/covers/kendrick-lamar-interview-turn-the-page-2014-cover-story/ Kendrick himself]] said he feels he's ''spiritually inspired'' by God himself into his music. He also credits Him as the reason he was able to survive the violence of Compton during the [=90s=]. In fact religion becomes a reoccurring theme throughout his music.
** This is deconstructed in ''Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers'', while Kendrick himself understands the idea of him being viewed as a "savior" to some, in regards to the music scene as well as to those struggling, he himself is a human being and can't always save everyone, as much as he wants to. This is exemplified in the final track "Mirror", where he choses himself in the end and apologizes to the listener for not being the "savior" they truly wanted.

* ThePerilsOfBeingTheBest: A recurring narrative theme following Kendrick's rise to superstardom and critical adulation has been his struggles in dealing with the idea of being a "savior" to hip-hop as a genre, American race relations, or even black culture in its entirety. ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' repeatedly grazes on his feelings of insecurity and depression keeping up with his reputation ("u" is an extended rant against himself [[SurvivorsGuilt for "failing" to save those he left behind in his ascent]]), and ''Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers'' sees Kendrick fully confessing to his savior complex and accepting that -- [[SamaritanSyndrome as much as he seriously wants to]] -- he is a mortal man who can't carry the responsibility of singlehandedly leading the causes he wants to fight for, and simply can't save everyone.

Kendrick began hinting towards a fourth album in late March of 2017, with the release of promotional single "The Heart Part IV" signaling an upcoming return and notably ending with the line, "Y'all got 'til April the 7th to get your shit together."[[note]]The album was simply made available for pre-order on the 7th and not released, much to the dismay of fans.[[/note]] Following the release of lead single "HUMBLE.", the album, titled ''DAMN.'', was released on April 14 to widespread critical acclaim, becoming the best-selling rap album of the year with 600,000 units sold. On April 17, 2018, ''DAMN.'' also became the first non-classical or jazz album to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

--> '''K. Dot''': Mama, I'm fit'na use the van right quick! [[BlatantLies Be back...15 minutes!!!]]

* JumpScare: A [[DownplayedTrope minor one]] near the end of "BLOOD."
-->'''Kendrick:''' "'Hello ma'am, can I be of any assistance? It seems to me that you have lost something. I would like to help you find it.' She replied: [[spoiler: "Oh yes, you have lost something. You've lost...]][[spoiler: your life.'" ''[gunshot]'']]

* LoveHurts: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gThiEx7NZQ Opposites Attract]]" implies this, and that's not even getting into the crap he went with Sherane in ''GKMC''.

-->''I want, I want, I want, I want\\
([[Music/MarvinGaye But I want you to want me too...]])\\

Look what I done for you...''

* ShoutOut: Several to establish ''good kid'''s mid-2000s setting.
** A song named "Sherane, a.k.a. [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Master Splinter]]'s Daughter".
** When Kendrick meets Sherane, she's dancing to Music/{{Ciara}}.
** When Kendrick is driving to Sherane's house, he references [[Music/FiftyCent Curtis Jackson]].
** In "The Art of Peer Pressure," Kendrick and his buddies are riding round listening to Young Jeezy (who featured on Kendrick's song "Westside, Right on Time", released as a non-album single just prior to the release of ''good kid'').
** "I fucked Sherane and went to tell my bros / then [[Music/{{Usher}} Usher Raymond]] 'Let it Burn' came on."

** At one point during "Hood Politics", Kendrick briefly namedrops [[Music/RunTheJewels Killer Mike]].

-->''A friend never leave Compton for profit\\

You promised you’d watch him before they shot him.''

-->''Seen a light-skinned nigga with [[BoomHeadshot his brains blown out]]\\

But ever since that day, I was lookin' at him different''

--->''[[spoiler:"You're lookin' at the Messiah, the son of Jehovah, the higher power\\

'''I am God'''."]]''
** At the end of "Mortal Man";
---> ''[[spoiler:[[Music/TupacShakur "The ground is gonna open up and swallow the evil."]]]]''
** In "DUCKWORTH.", after telling an extensive story between two characters (Kendrick's father and Top Dawg; [[spoiler:Top Dawg, robbing a KFC, decided not to kill Kendrick's father since he gave him free and extra food]]), Kendrick brings it all together with the final lines.
--->''Then you start remindin' them about that chicken incident\\
Whoever thought the greatest rapper would be from coincidence?\\
[[spoiler:Because if Anthony killed Ducky, Top Dawg could be servin' life\\
While I grew up without a father and die in a gunfight.]]''
** In "The Blacker the Berry," Kendrick repeatedly tells the listener that he's "the biggest hypocrite of 2015" and hints that "once [he] finish[es] this," it will be clear to the listener why he saying this. The song ends with the following lines:

With this recognition, Kendrick signed to both Interscope and Aftermath and in 2012 released his second full-length album, ''Music/GoodKidMAADCity'', an album about his teenage years and experiences with drugs, alcohol and gang violence. It was highly regarded as one of the best albums of the year, which led to mass controversy when it lost all of its UsefulNotes/GrammyAward nominations. Most of the outcry came from its loss of Best Rap Album to Music/{{Macklemore}} & Ryan Lewis' ''The Heist'', which is considered one of the greatest [[AwardSnub snubs]] in modern Grammys history, which was an opinion echoed even by Macklemore.

With this recognition, Kendrick signed to both Interscope and Aftermath and in 2012 released his second full-length album, ''Music/GoodKidMAADCity'', an album about his teenage years and experiences with drugs, alcohol and gang violence. It was highly regarded as one of the best albums of the year, which led to mass controversy when it lost all of its UsefulNotes/GrammyAward nominations. Most of the outcry came from its loss of Best Rap Album to Music/{{Macklemore}} & Ryan Lewis' ''The Heist'', considered one of the greatest [[AwardSnub snubs]] in modern Grammys history, which was an opinion echoed even by Macklemore.

* [[[Troll]]]: Listen to his ad libs on Jay Rock's "Win". He's mentioned quite a few times before that he has a "Gemini's sense of humor".

* [[Troll]]: Listen to his ad libs on Jay Rock's "Win". He's mentioned quite a few times before that he has a "Gemini's sense of humor".

With this recognition, Kendrick signed to both Interscope and Aftermath and in 2012 released his second full-length album, ''Music/GoodKidMAADCity'', an album about his teenage years and experiences with drugs, alcohol and gang violence. It was highly regarded as one of the best albums of the year, which led to mass controversy when it lost all of its UsefulNotes/GrammyAward nominations. Most of the outcry came from its loss of Best Rap Album to Music/{{Macklemore}} & Ryan Lewis' ''The Heist'', considered one of the greatest {{Award Snub}}s in modern Grammys history, which was an opinion echoed even by Macklemore.

-->--'''"Mortal Man"'''

With this recognition, Kendrick signed to both Interscope and Aftermath and in 2012 released his second full-length album, ''Music/GoodKidMAADCity'', an album about his teenage years and experiences with drugs, alcohol and gang violence. It was highly regarded as one of the best albums of 2012, and mass controversy was elicited when [[AwardSnub it lost all of its]] UsefulNotes/GrammyAward [[AwardSnub nominations]]. Most of the controversy came from the fact that several of the awards that the album was up for (including Best Rap Album) went to Music/{{Macklemore}}, who would later state that he himself believed that Kendrick was robbed.