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Comment by krrishd | Hacker News Reader

Super excited to see something hip-hop related at the top of HN, especially Kendrick.

For anyone looking to understand why he's likely one of the best lyricists/storytellers of our time, here's some recommended songs from him:

* Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst

* Momma

* Wesley's Theory

I'd recommend checking out his projects as a whole (Section.80, Good Kid m.a.a.d City, To Pimp a Butterfly), but those songs distill a lot of what's best in him.

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His choice of side musicians is amazing as well, he had Joe Limberg who has been mixing jazz trumpet and hip hop since 1992, lots of really incredible musicians get to work on his records and you can hear it in the end result. Maybe I'm slightly biased because I played with Joe in a couple jazz groups in the 90s but this music is so exciting because LA has this long history of jazz and Lamar ties together that legacy with the future forward vision of hip hop. He's not necessarily the greatest rapper ever some of his stuff is over produced and over exaggerated, nobody is perfect but the way he ties together the history with the future is exciting.

Robert Glasper, whose piano is all over To Pimp A Butterfly, is also extremely worth checking out. It's been great seeing him get more exposure with Kendrick. https://open.spotify.com/album/7M4DuL9Z6JqcNapcOUTPNS

Agreed, I would also add:

Collect Calls

The Art of Peer Pressure

How Much Dollar Cost (Obamas fabourite song)

Blacker The Berry

FEAR

All good additions, totally agree. So much solid work to choose from.

Up voting for ‘How Much A Dollar Cost.’ What a fucking track.

and sourcing it didn't require venturing beyond economist.com

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