Kendrick Lamar Ranks His Own Albums 

Don't be alarmed... but there's a tiger on your chest

I'm not surprised at all; wouldn't most artists rank their newest material as their best?

The thing is you could literally rank those albums in any order and I would respect your opinion. They're all that good

GKMC = A New Hope TPAB = Empire Strikes Back DAMN. = Return of the Jedi

Never call it TPAB out loud again.

fantano: hey you know this is just my opinion right *artists ranks his own discography based on his artistic achievement* fantano:tbap tepab teebad teebag

Kendrick does have a solipsistic streak. Not a criticism, just an observation. He prefers the albums that are self-referential, or relate to his personal experiences directly. When you look at it this way, it's easy to understand why he would rank Section.80 and To Pimp a Butterfly as his worst two (these are both records that embody more collective black experiences), whereas Good Kid, M.A.A.D City and DAMN reflect more personal narratives (the former, a fictionalised account of his formative years; the latter, an introspective account of his battles with himself in the light of having attained fame through music). Just my $0.02...

my favorite to least favorite: 1. TPAB 2. DAMN. 3. GKMC 4. Section 80 the best to worst (my opinion) 1. TPAB 2. GKMC 3. DAMN. 4. Section 80

Tee PAB

1. To Pimp a Butterfly 2. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City 3. DAMN. 4. Section 80

My worst to best: 4) Section. 80 3) DAMN. 2) Good Kid m.A.A.d City 1) To Pimp a Butterfly

1. The new CALassic 2. ??

Kendrick Lamar saw Melon give DAMN. a 7 and told Fantano the truth

You're not Martin Luther King

Mine: GKMC TPAB DAMN Section 80

IT AINT NO EASY GRAB THEY GOT TEE-PAB

my jaw actually dropped when he said tpab was 3rd

Idc what anyone says as a hip hop listener GKMC is my fav album by Kendrick it's what I would call a classic hip hop album imo.

It's extremely unfair to say that DAMN is messy or incoherent. It just doesn't hold your hand the way TPAB does. Virtually every track on DAMN ties in with something else on the album. It's a broader, macro-level examination of life (think Dark Side of the Moon and its focus on large subjects) and yet somehow more personal than anything he's ever dropped (FEEL, FEAR, PRIDE, even a bit of biography with DUCKWORTH). Though it uses a wide array of topics as jumping off points, it's ultimately an album about the frailty and weakness of mankind and the role of luck and fate in our lives. There's the hugeness of Kendrick's success and the weaknesses and fears of the man himself after the stage lights go down. Set them side by side and you get an album like DAMN that juxtaposes huge, swirling emotional highs (GOD, LOVE) against suffocating lows (FEEL, FEAR) to illustrate who Kendrick is as a person at this point in his life. I've seldom felt closer to him as a listener than I do when I put on DAMN, even though it stunts from time to time. If there's any album out that can make a person both feel like a god and infinitesimally small in the span of 55 minutes, it's DAMN. And that's special.

While i respect your opinion, i cant see how yr missing the strongly thematic message of DAMN. Again, if TPAB is BORN TO RUN, then DAMN. is Kendrick' Nebraska: stripped way down to just a beat and a message. In both cases u get simple powerful, relatable but not watered down American music. Also when u speculate on KF Kenny's intentions for DAMN (which i know u do alot, and thats cool, its part of yr style) you have noticeably not payed attention to what Kendrick or anyone else has said abt wat his intentions were. So u kind of invented and believed yr own narrative. Now if you dont like it as much or arent into it as much or dont put as much stock in it as his other albums, thats fine, totally cool, thats all you bb: like what you like. But the reasoning you provide def seems myopic and maybe stuck in some echo chamber of yr own making. That is my opinion. Peace & respect, Thanks.

L - Lemme G - Get uuuhh B - Boneless pizza wit a T - Two liter 🅱oke

1. Good Kid, Mad City / TPAB 2. DAMN. / Section.80

Anytime I listen to TPAB I always have to finish the album. Can't say I do the same with DAMN but I still enjoy it.

Can't decide which I like more between gkmc and Damn. All I know is, both are better than S80 and neither are as good as tpab

Lil B > Music

doitlooklikeiwasleftoffbadandboujee?

"I can't believe he gave DAMN a 10 but TPAB a 7" - The Mano Fantano

I remember the first time I ever even listened to Kendrick, I listen to tPaB all the way through and it was one of the most gripping musical experiences of my life. I was shocked by how a modern artist could have created a record so narrative-driven, so symbolic, so epic, and so original. It’s still my favorite album of his.

Cal Chuchesta > Kendrick

teapab

my rankings 1. TPAB 2. GKMC 3. Section 80 4. DAMN None of these albums dissapointed me I dont feel like every album should be held to such a high standard because one of them happened to be one of the best albums ever Like, i wouldnt judge damn the same way id judge TPAB because i dont expect every single album he releases to be the best in history

Tight tiger shirts > tee pab

king kunta > kendrick

1. TPAB & untitled 2. Damn 3. GKMC 4. Section 80. Nobody ever mentions Untitled. Shit had some of my favourite tracks in his entire discography.

I want a text tone of you saying "project"

Honestly Anthony I think you go into this with too negative/skeptical an attitude to be fair to DAMN. It's fine if you gave it a 7, that's not the problem and it's a fair score, but the real problem is that you can't wrap your head around it being incredibly valuable to Kendrick because you don't think it's as valuable. You immediately come in with the "He's probably just saying this to pimp it out cus it's his newest release" which already comes off a bit insulting considering that Kendrick is the farthest thing from a sellout that has came out of hip hop this century. Then you start saying that while everything else Kendrick says about DAMN is accurate, the album doesn't have as powerful a message to you than TPAB. Again, that's just your opinion. Kendrick himself might hold more emotional value to the messages in DAMN than any of his other albums. Maybe his own personal demons and faults (Which he goes into at great length on this album) mean more than the overall racial oppression plus some personal introspection he describes in TPAB (Let's not forget 'u' here, cus it's amazing). I'll give you the benefit of the doubt though, you're right about DAMN probably shifting place in the future because Kendrick's mentality changes with each album, and it's not technically the best album he's made, but that's our opinion. Kendrick is 'DAMN' well allowed to feel the way he feels about this album whether it's lesser or greater than his others, because it's his opinion and his point of view. You look at his opinion in a quantitative way when this quote and likely the rest of the interview was qualitative. So yeah, I don't think it's fair to give your opinion on an opinion without looking at the perspective of said opinion fairly.

Do a colab with Anthony Fantano and TheNeedleDrop please

Section .80 - 8.5 GKMC - 10 TPAB - 10 Damn. - 8.5

1.) To Pimp a Butterfly 2.) Good Kid, M.A.A.D City 3.) untitled unmastered 4.) Section.80 5.) DAMN.

I put Damn right behind TPAB and slightly above GKMC. I like how the album can be interpreted differently when listening to the full album vs just some of the songs

Anthony fantano is the type of person to critique kendricks ranking of his own music as if he knows more about what Kendrick was doing than Kendrick lmao

Lil Pump is a modern genius

“TEEEEPAB”

I think a lot of people put GKMC over TPAB because the songs are alot more radio friendly. I feel like from a musical perspective, alot of people who are musicians can appreciate TPAB more. It's not really a casual listen like GKMC could be. I also appreciate the lyricism and storytelling in TPAB more; Blacker the Berry, How much a Dollar Coast and Mortal Man particularly. Those are the two main and simplified reasons why I enjoy TPAB more. TPAB is my favorite personally, after GKMC, then Section.80 and then DAMN.

I disagree with Kendrick's list tbh despite liking DAMN. a lot....

Review 🅱️oneless pizza

Best to Worst - To Pimp a Butterfly - Good Kid, M.a.a.d City - DAMN. - Section 80

I think the fact that everyone's struggling with these just goes to show how awesome Kendrick has been with his album drops.

might as well give cal his own channel

you kinda look like Deadendhiphop

My personal favorite list: 1.GKMC 2.DAMN 3.TPAB 4. Section.80

Rank your extra chromosomes

honestly i think DAMN. is the best project he's ever put out. I absolutely love it. I wish I could erase my mind and listen to it for the first time again.

It’s not about what’s objectively best, its what youre looking for in an album. GKMC is a great narrative, easy to follow, and has some great beats. TPAB is highly conceptual, full of risks, and incredibly artistic. DAMN. is Kendrick looking within himself, his relationship with God, and life on top. And theyre all perfect

Section 80 is by far his best work it's so nostalgic with songs like ADHD it brings you back to the time you first heard it

Proof that some race related stereotypes are true: I am black and I love MELON

Untitled Unmastered >

His albums are so close together in terms of greatness that I don't even pay attention to how people rank them. Though I do find it interesting that kdot ranked TPAB at #3.

I feel like it's normal not to agree with an artist though, because he has entirely different reasons for liking or disliking a project of his. Writing these projects gives him a relationship with them that you won't get just by listening to them, so it's almost inevitable that he'll find different things to appreciate in these projects.

TPA🅱️

melon kenny

My list from worst to best: Section 80 Damn Good kid, mad city To pimp a butterfly teenage emotions

I like it how he says it's a 'hybrid' of all his preceded albums. "DAMN" wouldn't have the genetic makeup and composition without the references of previous-composed songs from previous albums. It really is a composition of different songs and references he's used in his previous work if you listen carefully to the lyrics. It's not a bad album at all - i feel like it's a step of maturity and growth for Kendrick as a musician, artist, and he's trying to solidify his social and political statement on his identity and race for sure. I can go into smaller micro details of what particular things he's references in DAMN, but heck it caught me by surprised that he was even referencing songs from section 80, which made me smile because it just means he himself is reminding himself of how far he's come as an artist - creatively, and musically.

Good to hear more of your thoughts on Damn. That album is still growing on me with each listen

The thing here is: I like listening to the songs from DAMN. by themselves. I can listen to DNA. and just leave it at that. I can listen to HUMBLE. and then move on. I really have a hard time listening to any ONE song from TPAB, other than King Kunta, and not feeling like I need to listen to the rest of the album.

I'm a total Kendrick fangirl.. Since O.D. and I finally agree with you 100%. Although I understand the reasons.. It bums me out that more people can't grasp what TPAB is all about (I admit it took me probably 10 listens before it clicked) and has since been my #1. Anywho, Keep up the good reviews. Stay true.

My favorite is and always will be section.80, it means a lot to me personally

good kid, m.A.A.d city = Batman Begins To Pimp a Butterfly = The Dark Knight DAMN. = The Dark Knight Rises

Dude i love u (i feel i have to clarify that so that non agreeing doesn't get mistaken has hate bla bla) but honestly debating how an artist feels or ranks their own creation it's kinda lame. I mean i doesn't matter how you/we see it from an external pov, especially if you try to be objective about it. And it matters even less how he's going to see a project made today in 5-10 years since any interal debate/personal growth that, i imagine, an artist goes through when creating something it's more linked, and matters, to their present than to the idea of how the record could be perceived over a decade. Keep doing what you're doing, thanks for turning me on Algiers they're great.

I initially had the same opinions as you on Damn. But I think depending on where your head is at with this album your enjoyment varies. I was going through some shit last week and put this on... man when you are depressed everything on this album clicks. It kind of reminds me of Neon Genesis Evangelion in that way. Kendrick was really in a bad place when he put this album together and if you are in that headspace then it will come of incredibly relatable.

4 years later and this video is still up to date

In terms of whole album experiences, my list would be: 1. To Pimp a Butterfly 2. Good Kid, Maad City 3. DAMN. 4. Section.80 Although I think DAMN is yet to be properly figured out and keeping in mind that each record 100% has it's own strengths that others don't.

His most personal albums came first, I can see why he ranked it like he did

4. Damn. 3. Section 80. 2. GKMC 1. TPAB I love all of them almost equally though.

One other point is that Ab-Soul said that DAMN. was internally seen as kendrick going back to his roots, back closer to the types of sounds and themes he would have had interest in in the early days of his career so it is possible that part of the reason Kendrick ranks the albums as such is due to authenticity

"Trying to get people excited for the new record". Well.... nearly 5 years later....

1. good kid, m.A.A.d city 2. DAMN. 3. To Pimp A Butterfly 4. Untitled Unmastered. 5. Section.80

I like all of his albums but my rankings are: 1: good kid maad city 2: TPAB 3: Section.80 4: Damn

To Pimp A Butterfly is a like an experience you can almost never come back to cause it'll never be as good as the first time, while DAMN. is an album that you can come back to at anytime and it still sounds fresh as fuck. Both of them are great in their own unique way.

Wait he’s wearing a tiger shirt, tiger has 5 letters, the 5th album is gonna be the best

Section 80 was the best album IMO. Top to bottom the tracks were amazing (maybe disluding no make up), the album was cohesive and just like Kendrick said, it was raw. Plus you can listen to it casually without following the storyline

1. To Pimp a Butterfly 2. good kid, M.A.A.D. City 3. DAMN. 4. Section .80

you just know you're a great artist when you see people not having arguments on wether you're a good artist or not but instead on which one of you albums was the greatest.

This would be a much better rating: 1. (The Best) To Pimp A Butterfly 2. good kid m.A.A.d. city 3. untitled unmastered 4. Section.80 5. DAMN. 6. Overly Dedicated 7. (The “Worst”) The Kendrick Lamar EP

I think Section. 80 was the best. And I don't know why no one else has stated that. It was psychadelic, had a strong message, beats were great, performance was insane! I love that album. One of the best albums of all time. The only dull moment is the hook on No Makeup. Other than that. It is pure fire.

I just got into hip hop and gotta say Good Kid is my favourite

I think Kendrick ranked his albums from least favourite to his favourite and not from worst to best. The reason is I think he ranked his albums that way is he ranked his albums based on their personal level, being DAMN. the most Kendrick's personal album(him and his emotions), GKMC(family and homies), TBAP(Black community) and S80(a generation).

I think also, DAMN has some really really interesting coded messages that fantano hadn't found yet, when i started picking up on all of them, i started rating damn higher and higher

Review a boneless pizza

1. TPAB 2. GKMC 3. S80 4. DAMN in my opinion 🤷🏽‍♂️

I don’t think I’ll ever get over how hard you missed the theme on DAMN. It has focus and cohesion as much as the two before it, it just doesn’t hold you hand to let you know.

For me, I agree with Kendrick's list because DAMN and GKMC are albums I find myself revisiting a lot, both casually and in depth. A lot of the time, I don't have to patience to go through and fully appreciate the story on TPAB. And Section 80 doesn't come close to touching these last 3 albums. There's a track on DAMN for every Kendrick mood I may be in. I also understand it way more than the others because of how many times I replayed it. Idk it just fits for me

Compthony Kentano

Gkmc in my opinion is the greatest album of all time. Maybe in all genres, but definetly in rap

I feel like kendrick ranked the albums not by how good they were, but what they mean to him at this moment. my personal favorites in order:worst to best: DAMN, Section 80, Good kid, and TPAB. I like all his albums so far.

It took me some time to find out whether "good kid, m.A.A.d city" or "To Pimp a Butterfly" was my number one by Kendrick. But in the end, it had to be "To Pimp a Butterfly" just because it's such a unique experience, so extremely well done, and so interesting! And it really feels like all songs were made to be where they are. "DAMN." has a lot of great tracks, but it fails to feel as good as an album to me (though I felt it had a better flow in reverse), and "Section.80" is interesting, but to me it feels like Kendrick doesn't have the self esteem and the production needed to pull it off quite yet there

am i the only person who likes Section.80 more than DAMN 😳😳

1.TPAB 2.Damn. 3.GKMC 4.Section 80 IMO

Never thought Kendrick would be wrong about his own record ranking

4:48 "DAMN. may sort of change itself, you know, in terms of its rankings down the road, not only for him but for the rest of us too." Melonhead has already completed the first step in taking back giving DAMN. a 7.