Kendrick Lamar albums discography

For singles released by Lamar, see Kendrick Lamar singles discography.

Kendrick Lamar albums discography
Lamar performing in 2016
Studio albums6
EPs1
Soundtrack albums1
Compilation albums1
Mixtapes5

American rapper Kendrick Lamar has released six studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play (EP), one soundtrack album, and five mixtapes. His records have sold more than 17.9 million album-equivalent units worldwide,[1] 7.5 million of which are certified in the United States.[2] Throughout his career, he has earned four number-one albums on the US Billboard 200.

Lamar began his recording career under the stage name as K.Dot. His first mixtape, Youngest Head Nigga in Charge (Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year), was released, while he was attending high school. Lamar signed a recording contract with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005, before much of his work was issued under the label. His next mixtapes, Training Day (2005), No Sleep 'Til NYC (with Jay Rock; 2007), and C4 (2009) helped him generate local recognition. After retiring his stage name with his 2009's self-titled extended play, Lamar scored his first entry on the Billboard charts with his fifth mixtape, Overly Dedicated (2010). The positively received project fared well enough to peak at number 72 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and sold 12,000 copies by October 2012.[3]

All of Lamar's studio albums have been met with acclaim from music critics and enjoyed varying commercial success. His debut album, Section.80 (2011), peaked at 113 on the Billboard 200, with minimal mainstream promotion. Lamar's popularity surged with his second album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), making it his first record under a joint recording contract with Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. It earned the highest first-week sales by a male rapper of 2012, and has spent more weeks on the Billboard 200 than any hip hop studio album in history.[4] Lamar's third album, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), marked his first number-one album in Australia,[5] Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom,[6] and the United States.[7] He earned his second American and Canadian chart-topping set in less than a year with the compilation album, Untitled Unmastered (2016).[8]

Lamar's widely successful fourth album, Damn (2017), was the Billboard year-end number-one album of that year.[9] It was also the seventh best-selling album of the year, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).[10] Lamar curated and executive produced Black Panther: The Album (2018), which broke the record for the most streams in a single week for a soundtrack album.[11] His fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), marked the conclusion of his tenure with TDE and Aftermath. A chart-topper in over ten countries, it was the first hip hop album of 2022 to accumulate over one billion streams on Spotify.[12] In 2024, he surprise-released his sixth studio album, GNX, which succeeded his ongoing beef with Canadian rapper Drake.

  1. ^ Robinson, Lisa (June 28, 2018). "The Gospel According to Kendrick Lamar". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "Artist Tallies (Albums)". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Meadows-Ingram, Benjamin (October 24, 2012). "Kendrick Lamar: The Story Behind good kid, m.A.A.d city". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  4. ^ Schatz, Lake (September 16, 2019). "Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.D city Makes History as Longest-Running Hip-Hop Album on Charts". Consequence. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  5. ^ Brandle, Lars (March 23, 2015). "Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly Floats to No. 1 in Australia". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  6. ^ "Kendrick Lamar tops UK album chart with To Pimp A Butterfly". The Guardian. March 23, 2015. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Dockterman, Eliana (March 27, 2015). "Kendrick Lamar Finally Tops the Billboard Charts With To Pimp a Butterfly". Time. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  8. ^ Goodman, Jessica (March 14, 2016). "Kendrick Lamar's untitled. unmastered debuts at No. 1". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums (Year-End 2017)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  10. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (April 24, 2018). "These Were The 10 Bestselling Albums In The World In 2017". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  11. ^ Rolli, Bryan (January 8, 2019). "Why Kendrick Lamar Was Smart To Not Release A Solo Album In 2018". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  12. ^ Griffin, Marc (August 31, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Hits 1 Billion Streams On Spotify". Vibe. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2024.