Not only is Kendrick Lamar the number one rapper in the world, his music videos are currently unmatched – we highlight his best.
Fresh off winning multiple Grammys for what will undoubtedly go down in the hip-hop history books as one of the greatest albums of 2017 for DAMN., it seems Kendrick Lamar can do no wrong even if he tried these days.
His latest offering, simply titled Black Panther The Album, a soundtrack for Black Panther, the latest movie in Marvels Cinematic Universe. While it’s not a solo full-length studio project, Lamar flexes his creative muscles in a major way on a compilation album that is lyrically, vocally and sonically rich from top to bottom.
While it’s far removed from the next step in the musical evolution of Kendrick Lamar, Black Panther The Album gives fans a second helping of the things that made DAMN. so great. A splattering of tracks has never sounded so fresh and focused and that’s a testament to Kendrick’s artistic vision over the course of his musical career.
In honour of the release of Black Panther (the movie) we countdown the ten best Kendrick Lamar music videos to date:
Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools (Drank)
Directed by Jerome D. Hurd, the video features Kendrick providing a introspective take on the social pressure and self-defeating attitudes that drive people to drink.
Kendrick Lamar – For Free?
Directed by Joe Weil and the Little Homies, the surreal video imagines the track’s female voice as a woman yelling down the phone at Kendrick Lamar, who chases her all over the lavish estate, telling her that “THIS DICK AIN’T FREE!”.
Kendrick Lamar – i
Directed by Alexandre Moors & the Little Homies shows Kung Fu Kenny, dancing and performing the track, surrounded by good time vibes. His moves make their way through a dark club, onto the streets, in a car and up onto a rooftop where the party continues.
Kendrick Lamar – “LOVE.”
The clip follows Kendrick in a relationship, highlighting the good times and the bad times along with some stunning imagery and a few scenes in which he wears a exceptional reflective “LOVELY” jacket. DAMN. is one of our albums of last year.
Kendrick Lamar – DNA.
Directed by music video god Nabil together alongside The Little Homies the video stars Don Cheadle who appears in the first half of the visual interrogating Kendrick while the later is attached to a lie detector.
Kendrick Lamar – Humble
Co-directed by Dave Meyers and The Little Homies, the head-turning visual features Lamar in a myriad of scenes, from a beauty salon to the Los Angeles River. In Meyers fashion, he’s even seen under a fisheye lens, riding a bicycle through the city.
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – All The Stars
Kendrick Lamar and SZA recent video for their Black Panther track “All The Stars” is an early contender for video of the year. The video is full of the Afrofuturist aesthetic of Black Panther’s fictional setting of Wakanda and even features Lamar walking in a barren landscape together with a group of black panthers.
Kendrick Lamar – Alright
The black-and-white visuals were shot all over California, including downtown Los Angeles and Oakland, resulting in a strong “all American” aesthetic.
Kendrick Lamar – ELEMENT.
Directed by Jonas Lindstroem and the Little Homies, the video contains some pretty powerful imagery, showing people on the floor covered in blood, burning houses, and kids watching a man jump off a building.
Kendrick Lamar – These Walls
“These Walls” gets an epic eight-minute set of visuals provided by directors Colin Tilley & the Little Homies. It stars comedian Corey Holcomb a shows a man in prison recalling a wild house party he had with Kendrick which ended with his arrest.
Words by Moe Topping – Check out our full album review here.
