Following “To Pimp a Butterfly,” his landmark 2015 album, Kendrick Lamar faced exceedingly high expectations for his follow-up. “Damn” (Aftermath), out today, is an outstanding achievement as the 29-year-old once again creates and dominates an evocative landscape with his long-form storytelling, an eagerness to explore musical forms, and a rapping technique that communicates pathos, empathy, anger and confusion in equal measure.

The music of “Butterfly” was largely the product of many artists from the Los Angeles jazz scene...