2012 / LISTENING GUIDE
good kid, m.A.A.d city
A coming-of-age story uses sequencing to change the meaning of individual songs.
Open the guide →THE REVIEWED CATALOGUE
Kendrick Lamar.
Narrative structure changes substantially across these records. Compare how individual songs serve the larger sequence, then read the scorecard notes where two archive reviews reach different numerical verdicts.
4albums reviewed10highest published score / 10
This is the discography covered by our structured reviews, not a complete list of the artist's releases. Collaborations filed under a joint artist credit have their own hub. Snapshot: 20 September 2026.
Reviewed albums, in release order
| Album / artist | Year | Score / 10 | Label & sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section.80 ↗Kendrick LamarListening guide → | 2011 | 9 | Top Dawg Entertainment (independent) |
| good kid, m.A.A.d city ↗Kendrick LamarListening guide → | 2012 | —Conflicting scores | Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope2 scorecards & notesPublished reviews disagree on the overall score. This album is excluded from leaderboards until the scores are reconciled.
|
| To Pimp a Butterfly ↗Kendrick LamarListening guide → | 2015 | 10 | Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope |
| DAMN. ↗Kendrick LamarListening guide → | 2017 | 9.5 | Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope |
Ranked by the published score
Equal scores share a position. Albums with unresolved scores are excluded.
- To Pimp a Butterfly10/10
- DAMN.9.5/10
- Section.809/10
Go inside the sound
Entry tracks and listening prompts from Rap DNA. These guides do not assign scores.
2015 / LISTENING GUIDE
To Pimp a Butterfly
An unstable central voice moves through jazz, funk and public expectation.
Open the guide →2017 / LISTENING GUIDE
DAMN.
Compact songs hold a larger argument about fear, pride and responsibility.
Open the guide →2022 / LISTENING GUIDE
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
An uncomfortable conversation about responsibility resists a clean redemption story.
Open the guide →2011 / LISTENING GUIDE
Section.80
Generational questions emerge through individual stories and jazz-leaning textures.
Open the guide →