Kendrick Lamar had a humble beginning in music before his career jumped off. As a mastermind in hip-hop songwriting, Lamar has staked his claim as not only the best rapper alive but the best rapper of all time. Using his experiences in poor neighborhoods in Compton, California, Kendrick has found ample success from his retrospective and conscious lines, mixed with incredible production. Below, we will rank every Kendrick Lamar album from worst to first.
Throughout his 20-year career, starting as K.Dot, he worked his way through high school battle rapping and free-styling with his classmates in the lunchroom. As his career moved along, that rap-battling eventually turned to storytelling and ultimately made him one of the most iconic and popular musical artists of the 2010s and 2020s. With his most recent release – GNX – Kendrick now has released six studio albums, one EP, one soundtrack album, one compilation album and five mixtapes.
Delving into music, the following Power Rankings from FlurrySports will rank all six Kendrick Lamar albums based on listenability, production and songwriting in general. Lamar is one of my favorite artists of all time and I consistently find myself going back to each of these albums consistently.
Ranking Every Kendrick Lamar Album in 2025
6. Section.80
Although we got The Kendrick Lamar EP and Overly Dedicated from Lamar in the years prior, Section.80 was really the introduction that the masses had for him. At 24 years old, Lamar dropped his debut album and, while not a classic by any means, Section.80 still stands the test of time as the Kendrick Lamar album that launched a rap god.
In Section.80, you can tell that he is hungry and ready, as he brings in a young and naive sound to the game. Even at this young age, Lamar tells the story of how drugs and violence can corrupt the people around him. While this album probably has the most lowlights of any Kendrick album, just because it is his first, there are some standouts. “A.D.H.D.” still holds up as one of Lamar’s greatest tracks, while “Rigamortus” shows Lamar’s ability to relentlessly spit bars over fun and groovy beats. As a whole, Section.80 feels a little more sporadic than his other works, but for a debut album from one of the best of all time, it stands up to this day.
5. GNX
GNX is Lamar’s latest drop in the midst of his beef with Drake. I am probably lower on this Kendrick Lamar album than most and am probably too low, but in my mind, GNX does not stand up to the four albums above it on these power rankings. That does not mean that it is a bad album by any means.
More than just his beef with Drake, Lamar, who is never afraid to take shots at anyone in the game, takes shots at all-time hip-hop legends, including Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. “wacced out murals” opens the project and brings listeners to the overall theme of the album, that basically being anger. Kendrick raps about the loss of authenticity throughout not only the rap genre but in his culture as well. We hear him get more and more riled up as he dives in “squabble up” and “tv off.” With production credits from Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Mustard and others. Lamar’s latest release features a great appearance from SZA on “luther.” I don’t love that Lamar has leaned into slamming Drake in the past six months, but as a whole, partnered with his Super Bowl Halftime appearance, the album really feels like a big F-U to the Canadian rapper, as well as a victory lap around the rap game.
4. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
After Lamar’s previous three albums, fans were expecting big things when he announced that he was in the process of unrolling his next joint. While not his greatest album ever created, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers comes across as Lamar at his best when it comes to story-telling. From the deaths of two of his friends and Los Angeles legends, Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle, to childhood trauma, Lamar opens up more than he ever has before. The conscious hip-hop album rides a minimalistic production style while revolving around jazz, r&b and soul. “N95” is obviously the highlight on the album, but songs like “We Cry Together” and “Silent Hill” help to keep listeners interested throughout the hour-long record. Being a double album, all 18 songs work together in great harmony and the album rounds out with a top-five Kendrick song of all time, “The Heart Part 5.”
3. good kid, m.A.A.d city
This might be the biggest surprise in these power rankings. I would guess that good kid, m.A.A.d city would sit within the top two on most people’s list of Kendrick Lamar albums. Either way, this album certainly ranks as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time and it is probably the album that brought Lamar into everyone’s living room. Maybe other than DAMN, this album is probably the one that you are going to hear the most from with the singles. Songs like “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”, “Backseat Freestyle” and “Poetic Justice” help to establish Lamar as one of the kings in the hip-hop sphere. “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” are songs that we continue to hear 13 years later when we are out. “M.A.A.D. City” and “Money Trees” showcase some of the best features in hip-hop and “The Recipe” features an incredible guest performance from Dr Dre.
good kid, m.A.A.d city is probably a top 15 hip-hop album of all time and that speaks volumes for Lamar’s discography as this ranks third on my list.
2. DAMN.
DAMN is an incredible Kendrick Lamar album and ride as a hip-hop fan. “HUMBLE” and “D.N.A.” are probably Lamar’s two biggest hits, but the album turns up so much more when you get to songs like “PRIDE” and “LOVE.” I may be higher than others on this album, but the inclusion of the contemporary R&B gives this album a really cool sound. We go from high energy to easy listening and then back to high. What we saw as introspective story-telling from Lamar in good kid, m.A.A.d city makes its way into DAMN, while still being able to make those catchy tunes. We see music superstars Rihanna and U2 join Lamar on this record, adding just that much more variety to DAMN.
While being that album that found everlasting play on the radio, Lamar’s fourth studio album continues the theme of following a linear storyline. DAMN becomes even more fun when you read into the thought that listening to the album in reverse order gives it a whole new meaning. Kendrick was already the best in the world when DAMN came out and this joint cemented his status as number one.
1. To Pimp A Butterfly
While maybe not his most popular or catchy album, there is no doubt in my mind that To Pimp A Butterfly is not only Lamar’s magnum opus but also a top-three album in hip-hop history. On top of that, this album may be one of the greatest albums in history regardless of genre.
From what we have seen from Lamar in the past with infusing genres into his albums, this record perfects it. Using jazz, R&B and G-Funk, Lamar creates an ever-changing group of songs that keeps everyone interested while listening. Kicking the album off with a bang in “Wesley’s Theory”, anyone listening to the album instantly realizes that this is not a hip-hop album that they have heard in the past. With aid from Dr. Dre and Thundercat, among others, it is more than just Lamar who shines on this album. “King Kunta” and “Alright” are hip-hop bangers, but deeper cuts, like “Hood Politics” and “How Much A Dollar Cost” help to tie that Kendrick sound together. Every song on this album is a new journey and I guarantee that you will love every second of every journey. Also, please listen to “i” on SNL – it is one of the best live hip-hop performances that you will ever hear.
Those are our power rankings of Kendrick Lamar’s albums, as of 2025, but we want to know your personal rankings! Share this article with your personal rankings and thoughts!
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