section_path: Artistry/Voice
section_name: Voice
paragraph_text: Voice
  
  Several media outlets consider Lamar to be the greatest and most important rapper of his generation. Billboard, Forbes and Vibe named him the second-greatest rapper of all time, behind Jay-Z. Described as a "blazing" technical rapper and "relentless searcher" by The New York Times, Lamar's "limber, dexterous" flow switches from derivative to generative metrics, while incorporating internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes. His rhymes are typically manipulated within common time, allowing him to subtly control his metrical phonology and suggest formal ambiguities similar to pop and rock repertoires. Some of his rhyme manipulations feature "flexible" new school styles evoking the 1990s, while others use "rigid" old school elements recalling the 1980s. Lamar frequently uses syncopation in his melodies to create contradictions between his lyrical content and rhythms. With Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, he liberally plays with pronunciation, inflections, and delivery to mirror the album's emotional range.
  
  Lamar possesses a versatile tenor vocal range and a raspy, half-shout timbre, where "his throat sounds dry and his mouth sounds wet." André 3000 was the first rapper that introduced him to singing sensibilities in hip hop, and he writes melody-driven songs as practice for his albums. Lamar became comfortable with his vocals over time, to the point where he feels confident enough to create singing-based albums. Pitchfork noticed how his harmonies on To Pimp a Butterfly never made him sound alone throughout his "desolate" performance; comparing his vocal layering to "standing in the middle, unnoticed, of a large quarrelsome crowd."
  
  Praised for his willingness to use his voice as an instrument, Lamar adopts different cadences, tones, modulations, and timbres to suggest conflicting personalities, paint distinct emotions, and communicate stories using characters and personas. His falsetto register, which he calls the "ghetto falsetto", has been likened to Curtis Mayfield 's. MTV writes that by manipulating his voice, Lamar calls back to a lineage that runs through James Brown 's foundational work in the 1960s, 1970s psychedelia, Prince's "sweaty" phantasmagoria in the 1980s, and 1990s gangsta rap. He was ranked the tenth-best solo singer of the 21st century by The Times in 2023.
  
  Several media outlets consider Lamar to be the greatest and most important rapper of his generation. Billboard, Forbes and Vibe named him the second-greatest rapper of all time, behind Jay-Z. Described as a "blazing" technical rapper and "relentless searcher" by The New York Times, Lamar's "limber, dexterous" flow switches from derivative to generative metrics, while incorporating internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes. His rhymes are typically manipulated within common time, allowing him to subtly control his metrical phonology and suggest formal ambiguities similar to pop and rock repertoires. Some of his rhyme manipulations feature "flexible" new school styles evoking the 1990s, while others use "rigid" old school elements recalling the 1980s. Lamar frequently uses syncopation in his melodies to create contradictions between his lyrical content and rhythms. With Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, he liberally plays with pronunciation, inflections, and delivery to mirror the album's emotional range.
  
  Lamar possesses a versatile tenor vocal range and a raspy, half-shout timbre, where "his throat sounds dry and his mouth sounds wet." André 3000 was the first rapper that introduced him to singing sensibilities in hip hop, and he writes melody-driven songs as practice for his albums. Lamar became comfortable with his vocals over time, to the point where he feels confident enough to create singing-based albums. Pitchfork noticed how his harmonies on To Pimp a Butterfly never made him sound alone throughout his "desolate" performance; comparing his vocal layering to "standing in the middle, unnoticed, of a large quarrelsome crowd."
  
  Praised for his willingness to use his voice as an instrument, Lamar adopts different cadences, tones, modulations, and timbres to suggest conflicting personalities, paint distinct emotions, and communicate stories using characters and personas. His falsetto register, which he calls the "ghetto falsetto", has been likened to Curtis Mayfield 's. MTV writes that by manipulating his voice, Lamar calls back to a lineage that runs through James Brown 's foundational work in the 1960s, 1970s psychedelia, Prince's "sweaty" phantasmagoria in the 1980s, and 1990s gangsta rap. He was ranked the tenth-best solo singer of the 21st century by The Times in 2023.