“At first, I was scared to show fear because you can never be sure how people will perceive you. But I dared myself to do that, to stand out.”
—Kendrick Lamar[1]
Kendrick Lamar:[]
Biography:[]
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born in Compton, California, on June 17, 1987. He went to Centennial High School. His parents moved to Compton from Chicago to escape gang life influence. He seemed to learn from the gang life and not attracted to it. He began to write at a young age while maintaining a stellar grade point average. At eight years old, Kendrick watched Dr. Dre's film "A Music Video". Watching this film inspired him to become a rapper.
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Fame:[]
He started rapping under the name K-Dot. When he was sixteen, he made a mix tape called "Youngest Head Nigga in Charge" which began his group of followers mostly in California. This mix tape led him to gain a record deal with Top Dawg Entertainment. Shortly after, he released two more mix tapes in 2005 and 2009.
In 2010, he stopped using K-Dot and began to use his own name, Kendrick Lamar. He released Section .80 and was exclusively released on iTunes. He continued writing and toured with artists such as Young Jeezy, The Game, Talib Kweli, Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne. Dr Dre saw Kendrick and began to mentor him as both a musician and a businessman. Dr. Dre signed him to his independent record label, Aftermath Entertainment. Kendrick, who was a quiet and studious young man, was now set to be one of rap's biggest hits. His top hit song, Swimming Pools, was released in 2012.
Kendrick Lamar - Swimming Pools (Drank)
In 2015, Lamar released another album, To Pimp a Butterfly. This album featured artists such as Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams. This album was a highly raved about album. He was nominated for eleven Grammys and won the first award of 2016 for best rap album. In 2018, he was nominated for seven Grammys and won five that night.
Pulitzer Prize:[]
In April 2018, Lamar won a Pulitzer Prize for his album DAMN.. This win made him the first artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for rap music. The Pulitzer board called the album "a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life".[1]
Present:[]
As his fame continues to expand, so does his array of talents. He made his acting debut on a crime drama Power written by 50 Cent. He has also taken part on soundtracks Black Panther and Divergent.