Kendrick Lamar is on such a killer streak right now it’s downright scary: a man who knows exactly how to marry his raw talent to a hardcore work ethic and knock out era-defining albums that are shamelessly raising the bar for everyone out there. The consummate storyteller, Lamar twists his words in ways most can only dream: verbose and poetic, but efficient and clear; fast and flashy when he wants, then slow and relentless. But he’s avoided being boxed in to anything, mining deep jazz cuts as much as trap beats, tackling the outside world or the inner turmoil – whenever you think you’ve understood him, he flips to a new angle. Bēkon speaks for him on ‘DUCKWORTH.’ when he says “It was always me vs. the world / Until I found it’s me vs. me.” In the context of latest album ‘DAMN.’ it’s not a boast, but a confession of his limitations; but then again, the truth is Kendrick only has himself to beat. Amazingly, he keeps doing it: the best rapper in the world, getting better all the time.

Fri 9 Feb, 7.30pm at The Genting Arena, Perimeter Rd, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT, £57 – £108 theticketfactory.com