Fans of Kendrick Lamar will always feverishly yearn for new music from him. He’s never been the kind of artist to drop something every single year, as some artists do. His creative output is a labor of love, and he’ll sit with ideas for years before he puts something out. It took a little over five years for him to release Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers after his blockbuster album DAMN. Consequently, his diehard fans will long for the savior to return, whether he wants to be a savior or not.
But are there any artists that might fill the void of his absence? That’s what we’re here to find out as Noisey selects four different rappers that could scratch that itch for more music from Kendrick Lamar. It could be an artist who sparks passion in some of Kendrick’s outputs or some of his descendants who have taken from his style in one way or another.
Four artists You Should Play If You Need More Rappers Like Kendrick Lamar
Baby Keem
Working with his cousin Baby Keem has allowed Kendrick to loosen up on records. Before GNX was released in 2024, he’d exercise these grand ideas or bear his entire soul on albums. As compelling and thought-provoking as those records might be, they make some fans forget that Kendrick Lamar is an incredibly fun rapper to listen to. Take “Range Brothers“, where his deranged, oddball ad-libs are hilarious, or “The Hillbillies“, where he’ll find kinship with Lionel Messi for being short kings. Whether hoping for a rare verse or listening to Keem lead with his cousin’s influence, it’ll surely fulfill that desire for new K. Dot.
Jay Rock
There’s no telling the Kendrick Lamar story without Jay Rock. Initially, Rock was primed to lead TDE into their eventual hip-hop empire before Kendrick firmly took the baton. But the pair still shares similar perspectives with their hardened street pasts. The only difference is that while Kendrick rapped as someone thrust into tense situations, there’s an intensity in Rock’s voice that feels like it’s just another day for him. In understanding Kendrick and Compton rap in general, it’s essential to play Jay Rock.
MAVI
Lazier listeners tend to chuck MAVI into the Earl Sweatshirt bubble. However, listen deeper, and you hear an artist grappling with the massive weight of the world as Kendrick Lamar did. Both reconcile with their hard upbringings and how they altered their destinies and their mental health alike. A song like “31 Days” is MAVI at his strongest, letting his soul cry and showing the scars he wears as he continues to persevere every day.
ICECOLDBISHOP
While Kendrick Lamar has mostly led as an inimitable artist, there have been a select few direct descendants who draw from him. LA’s own ICECOLDBISHOP is a rap nerd’s dream, siphoning his inspirations and applying them to his own distinct story from South Central. But records like “D.A.R.E.” see some of the inflections in his delivery mirror Kendrick in his most alien form. Any other rapper would’ve made it sound like cosplay. For BISHOP, it’s just another part of his arsenal that informs how he came up.
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