Unpopular Opinion: Kendrick Lamar’s discography has already surpassed Jay Z, Nas and Kanye.

[Rigby.]

The Booth was dead before the beef. Facts.

Just troll the stans then. It’s fun

shyt (mainstream) hip hop as a whole needed that beef. Media and public avenues wouldn’t still be playing off that beef if there was something more relevant to leech off of.

Hip hop had one of its worst selling years in terms of albums in 2023. I think Lil Uzi’s joint in Q3 of that year was the first one that actually went #1 on billboard first week. Industry people on twitter were talking about agents being redirected from working for rap acts to trying to find pop acts.

If someone actually wanted to make the case that beef was fabricated or inflated, THIS would be the case I’d hear. That (mainstream) hip hop was becoming so stagnant in terms of new juice that Cohen and whoever else just took the old guard and milked out one more mega event out of em.

 

[Unbothered]

It depends on who you're asking, TBH, and the generation of listeners. People who came up as youths and young adults (now 35+) listening to Jay Z and Nas might find it hard to listen to an artist like Kendrick because his style doesn't reflect their era.

Basically, if you're someone who grew up during or is a big fan of the golden age and prime years (late 80s-90s, and maybe early 00s) of Hip-Hop, a guy like Kendrick doesn't really appeal to that crowd of listeners so his discography isn't that impressive due to the differences in his style and era.

I don't think his discography is better than Jay and Nas, but maybe better than Kanye. However, at the same time, it all depends on who you're asking; I don't think it makes sense to compare his work to his older contemporaries, considering the differences in era, which plays a role in their style of music.

To rate a guy like Kendrick, you'd have to rate him against artists of his time for it to make sense.

 

[tuckgod]

It’s becoming a pretty popular opinion

 

[Rigby.]

I'd go as far as to say that at this point Kendrick has to be compared to the absolute goat artists in music, not just in rap. He's making hip hop proud by having the only two perfectly composed albums.

You feel that way about GKMC? I assume you mean like track listing and album structure when you say composed. I like the sequencing on that, but I don’t know if the first act in that album is perfect per se. I guess narrative albums should theoretically have a leg up (if they’re executed right) because you’re following a linear storyline. Idk if it’s better sequenced than MBDTF though. And that has the advantage of not having a guiding storyline - it just flows incredibly well off the back of the music and the theme song by song.

That being said, I don’t know if I can think of another rap album that’s comparable in terms of sequencing, so you may still have a point.

 

[tuckgod]

TPAB, in my humble opinon works as an art piece, not so much an all time great jammin rap album.

But then again, we are in an era where people care more about 'music theory' and a bunch of other periphrial shyt besides the RAP.

And that's not to say there was no spits on that album, but that the acclaim didn't necessarily generate from the core of the culture and artform. It's championed very loudly by a demographic that see's rap as inferior, hence the "best album in ANY GENRE!" said by people who seem to only listen to rap because it's prevalent.

He's being held up for trancending rap, as if that's what the goal should be for a rapper...shyt is....

That album is full of bops the label placed on it is funny like it’s a Def Jux album or something

 

[Art Barr]

Kendrick doesn’t have any hip hop albums better than Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint.

In time-line comparison. Kendrick was younger and actualized.
Before Jay debuted and bit to produce rd.
Plus Kendrick ghostwote a top draw to prominence and dominance. Kendrick never needed a ghost like Jay did from 1st and 15th.
to make portions of the blueprint.



Art Barr

 

[Ziggiy]

He’s not seeing Nas.

Maybe Jay and Kanye. Kanye has been releasing trash for almost a decade now and its only so many times that people can cite his first five albums as to why he deserves to be called the best “artist” in Hip Hop.

 

[Westbama Heartthrob]

Troll harder bruh

I'm as good a troll as you are a father

 

[Iverson_64]

He's the most consistent rapper of the bunch by far.

But, when measuring their highs, I'm not sure.

Jay has Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint, Black Album, American Gangster, and 4:44 which are very strong albums and albums I personally prefer listening to over Kendrick's best albums.

Kanye has College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, 808's, MBDTF, Good Fridays, Yeezus(I actually f*ck with it since I've gotten into industrial stuff), and Kids See Ghosts. And that's not even including Watch The Throne and his produced albums like Be, Daytona, and Don't Quit Your Day Job.

Nas has Illmatic, It Was Written, Stillmatic, Lost Tapes, Life Is Good, and the Hitboy series which was largely quality except for Magic 2.

However, it's undeniable they have lower lows than Kendrick too.

Kendrick doesn't have a Kingdom Come, Magna Carta, Nasir, Nastradamus, Jesus Is King, Vultures 2, etc. in his catalog that's a major stain to his catalog.

I guess you can say Kendrick is like Steph Curry in that regard. No misses but the highs compared to other legends remains contestable.

 

[ahomeplateslugger]

IWW
Lost Tapes
MAGIC
Stillmatic
LIG
KD3


thats 7

if you think those albums are better than DAMN then to each his own.

GKMC or TPAB would probably clear any nas album. i don't want to disrespect illmatic because of its impact but i think most hip-hop heads would understand if you say GKMC/TPAB > illmatic.

 

[viktordoomsecretwars]

Kendrick is a severly overrated hip hop artist because this generation loves to gas up any above average shyt. Be it music, sports, art, culture etc.

Case in point, Kendrick was ill when he came out with Overly Dedicated, Section 80, Good kid Maad city and to a lesser extent, To pimp a butterfly.

He has been on a precipitous decline since then, while mainstream media shines his knob over mediocre projects and idiots believe the hype.


Kendrick's discograhy surpassed Nas? Loony toons

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

He's the most consistent rapper of the bunch by far.

But, when measuring their highs, I'm not sure.

Jay has Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint, Black Album, American Gangster, and 4:44 which are very strong albums and albums I personally prefer listening to over Kendrick's best albums.

Kanye has College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, 808's, MBDTF, Good Fridays, Yeezus(I actually f*ck with it since I've gotten into industrial stuff), and Kids See Ghosts. And that's not even including Watch The Throne and his produced albums like Be, Daytona, and Don't Quit Your Day Job.

Nas has Illmatic, It Was Written, Stillmatic, Lost Tapes, Life Is Good, and the Hitboy series which was largely quality except for Magic 2.

However, it's undeniable they have lower lows than Kendrick too.

Kendrick doesn't have a Kingdom Come, Magna Carta, Nasir, Nastradamus, Jesus Is King, Vultures 2, etc. in his catalog that's a major stain to his catalog.

I guess you can say Kendrick is like Steph Curry in that regard. No misses but the highs compared to other legends remains contestable.

Kendrick doesn’t have STREET classics.

 

[Pure Water]

Kendrick doesn’t have STREET classics.

You about as far from the streets as an Indian is from a bar of soap. How the hell would you know?

This nikka just be talking out his ass.

 

[ISO]

if you think those albums are better than DAMN then to each his own.

GKMC or TPAB would probably clear any nas album. i don't want to disrespect illmatic because of its impact but i think most hip-hop heads would understand if you say GKMC/TPAB > illmatic.

Insane post.

 

[L $ C]

great discography, I can see it maybe online with jay at this point but not close to nas or kanye tbh