Kendrick Lamar was the top winner at the 2025 BET Awards, held in Los Angeles on Monday, June 9.
The rapper took home the awards for Album of the Year for “GNX”, Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video of the Year for “Not Like Us” and Best Collaboration alongside SZA for “Luther”.
Lamar also shared the award for Video Director of the Year with his longtime creative partner, Dave Free.
He dominated the competition in very much the same way he has over the past year.
But what exactly sets Lamar apart as the gold standard in hip hop?
My friends know that I love all types of music. Depending on my mood, I can go from hard gqom to rap in a matter of seconds. It’s just my thing.
However, I do have a handful of artists that are goated in my book, and K-Dot is one of them.
What I am about to say might not make much sense to those who aren’t rap connoisseurs, but he is undoubtedly the most artistically inclined rapper.
Unlike most (whose lyrics tell a unique story within the song), Lamar’s entire discography is interconnected – each album telling a different side of his life.
He balances this naturally uncomfortable form of music with various recognisable hits that have their place in party scenes and aux sessions everywhere.
Lamar’s rise to the top of the rap game has no parallel. Equally lauded for his lyrics, songwriting, creativity, and perspective, Lamar has amassed a catalogue that nimbly balances self-reflection and analysis of the world around him.
Whether rapping about addiction, violence, class, his family, Compton, or how he hates Drake, Lamar contorts his voice and writes his lyrics to evoke different narrators, depending on the story he aims to tell.
I have always liked and respected his vibe! He reminds me of Tupac Amaru Shakur. They are both highly influential, talented, and passionate and have a huge impact on the hip hop industry.
Whether channeling a generation’s voice or wrestling with his contradictions, Lamar’s music demands attention.
