In the past 10 years alone, rap production has gone through phases of pitched-and-sped-up soul samples, lush R&B sounds, and minimalist electronica. Most notably, rap production-the sound behind the lyrics-has gone through remarkable and rapid changes, particularly within the last decade. This tendency of the hip-hop community to embrace change and originality extends beyond vocal stylings. But because of the excitement of its originality, the hip-hop community at large has embraced Lamar and his counterparts. These rappers voices are highly noticeable and decidedly rougher than the smooth voices of Jay-Z or Tupac. And of course we cannot forget Nicki Minaj, whose creative and constantly changing tone is completely unlike any rapper prior, male or female. Danny Brown has also received commercial and critical acclaim for his last two albums despite his piercing and shrill voice (and a correspondingly bizarre haircut).

Chance The Rapper, who raps with a particularly childish voice, is another hip-hop artist whose meteoric rise illustrates the music community’s acceptance of rappers with different tones. The acceptance of Lamar’s unconventional tone and omnipresent vocal effects not only speaks to his remarkable talent, but also to the bigger movement in hip-hop towards recognizing rappers with all sorts of different vocal tones. Lamar develops a wide range of emotions through raising, lowering, fading, and multiplying his vocal tracks in tracks like “m.A.A.d City” and “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst.” Not only does Lamar have a uniquely high-pitched, particularly narrow voice-as best demonstrated on the hooks of “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Real” -but he also, through computer effects, digitally manipulates his voice.

But because of his prominence in the rap world, it is particularly important to examine his voice and its role in his success. Kendrick Lamar is not the only recent hip-hop artist with a unique voice to receive critical and commercial acclaim. However, the recent widespread embrace of Lamar and his different vocal sounds and tones-those that may be off-putting at first-represents and illustrates the greater movement in hip-hop towards artists with slightly bizarre and unusual voices, and an even greater social movement that hip hop is advancing. Of course, every famous rapper-and every vocal artist, for that matter-has his or her own unique voice. But in spite of these undeniable strengths, Lamar’s fame is particularly surprising given his characteristically unique and unconventional rapping voice. Only a handful of rappers can call themselves the king of both New York and the West Coast, but few questioned Kendrick Lamar when he asserted his cross-continental reign in his standout verse on “Control.” Lamar’s incredible success is understandable based on his unusually deeply personal lyrics and his understated beats.

Kendrick lamar changing his voice