Photo by Aaron Davidson/FilmMagic

“ Lord God

I come to you a sinner

And I humbly repent for my sins

I believe that Jesus is Lord

I believe that you raised him from the dead

I will ask that Jesus come to my life

And be my Lord and Savior

I receive Jesus to take control of my life

And that I may live for him from this day forth

Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me with your precious blood

In Jesus’ name, Amen”

Now that it’s coming to the end of the decade, 1001 end-of-decade lists are coming out, and I’ve definitely been busy writing a couple of them myself. However, I haven’t had a chance to write about my album of the decade, and if you recognise those lyrics, then you know exactly what’s coming.

Kendrick Lamar was already a star on the rise when he dropped Section.80, my first introduction to him. I remember what I was up to when I first listened to S.80 — I was trawling through the internet (a football forum, for some reason) and I was trying to listen to more music. I’d grown up listening to Aussie hip hop, so I already had an affinity for the genre, but I wanted to see what else was out there. Someone put me onto this young rapper called Kendrick Lamar, and his debut album Section.80. It blew me away. If you’re a fan of Kendrick, but haven’t heard Section.80, it’s a great insight into what was to come, and the talent was already there.

When I heard he was releasing a new album, I was very excited. I can recall the day clearly I first heard GKMC. I did something I now don’t condone (download a leak of the album) and went off to my volunteer placement at an op shop, as part of my Year 9 schooling. I stuck my headphones in while I organised the shelves, and had my mind fall apart and put back together within the space of 12 tracks.

GKMC is, in my mind, the best hip hop album ever released. Maybe not objectively, but subjectively, I have never loved a piece of art more than I do GKMC. From start to finish, it is utterly captivating. Kendrick has only gotten better since 2012 as a rapper, performer and overall artist, but there’s something about the urgency in GKMC that will never be repeated.

I finally got to see Kendrick live last year, headlining Splendour In The Grass. By this time, I’d started to write more and more about music, and I was there in a reviewing capacity. Was it the best show I’ve ever seen? Definitely not. But it was pure catharsis for an hour. I was transported back to 2012, and discovering GKMC for the first time. Every time I listen to it, it’s a time capsule. I feel the same way I did hearing it for the first time, which isn’t something I can say for many other albums.

I have no doubt that Kendrick Lamar will make a ‘better; album than this in his career (in fact, he may have already have done it twice, depending on who you speak to). However, no album this decade has resonated with me as deeply, despite the fact the subject matter doesn’t directly speak to me. It didn’t need to. It set me on a path that involved a lot of music, a lot of writing and one that is definitely still playing out today. It’s my album of the decade, and I’m comfortable with that call.