Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is a critically acclaimed and Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper who has redefined the boundaries of hip-hop. With a career marked by chart-topping albums such as ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D City’, ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, and ‘DAMN.’, as well as hits like “Alright”, “King Kunta”, and “Humble”, Lamar has solidified his status as a global superstar. Throughout his career, Lamar has received 57 Grammy nominations, winning 17, making him one of the most awarded rappers in Grammy history. Lamar has been name-checked as a favourite by US President Barack Obama, and had his songs adopted as anthems at political rallies and protests.

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born on June 17, 1987, in Compton, California, (named after singer-songwriter Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations). He is the first child of former gang hustler Kenneth “Kenny” Duckworth (a.k.a. “Ducky”) and hairdresser Paula Oliver. Both of his parents are African Americans from the South Side of Chicago.

When he was five years old, he witnessed a murder for the first time while sitting outside of his apartment unit, as a teenage drug dealer was killed in a drive-by shooting.

Lamar and his family lived in Section 8 housing, were reliant on welfare and food stamps, and experienced homelessness. Despite suffering hardships, Lamar remembered having “good memories” of his childhood that sparked his interest in hip hop music, such as sneaking into his parents’ house parties.

During high school, Lamar adopted the stage name K.Dot and began freestyling and battle rapping at school. His performances caught the attention of fellow student Dave Free, who traveled from Inglewood to watch him rap. They quickly formed a friendship over their love of hip hop. Lamar’s earliest performances were held at a “super hood” comedy club and behind a tattoo parlor.

Tupac Shakur is Lamar’s biggest influence, having impacted both his professional and personal lives. One of his earliest childhood memories is watching him and Dr. Dre film the second music video for their single “California Love” with his father at the Compton Swap Meet.

Lamar recorded five mixtapes throughout the 2000s; his first, Youngest Head Nigga in Charge (Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year), was released on April 15, 2003. The mixtapes primarily consisted of freestyles over the production of popular hip hop songs.

In 2006, Lamar signed an artist development deal with Def Jam Recordings and was featured on two singles by the Game. He also heavily contributed to Jay Rock’s first two mixtapes. Lamar was ultimately let go from Def Jam after an encounter with its president and chief executive officer, Jay-Z; he later described it as “one of those situations where I wasn’t ready.”

He released his debut studio album, Section.80, on July 2, 2011, which was supported by its lead single “HiiiPower”. The album explored conscious and alternative hip hop styles and experimented with “stripped-down” jazz production. To promote the album, Lamar performed at small venues and college campuses across the US. He was dubbed the “New King of the West Coast” by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and the Game during a performance in West Los Angeles.

From February to April 2012, he opened for Drake on his Club Paradise Tour. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Lamar’s second album and first under a major record label, was released on October 22, 2012. He worked with producers such as Pharrell Williams, Hit-Boy, Scoop DeVille, Jack Splash, and T-Minus to create an atmospheric West Coast hip hop album with heavy gangsta rap influences. Its lead single, “Swimming Pools (Drank)”, marked Lamar’s first top 20 single on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was met with widespread critical acclaim, who lauded Lamar’s nonlinear songwriting and thematic scope. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City surpassed The Eminem Show (2002) to become the longest-charting hip hop studio album on the Billboard Chart. In October 2022, it became the first hip hop studio album to spend over ten consecutive years on the chart.

The lead single to his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly, won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. To Pimp a Butterfly became Lamar’s first number-one album on the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart.

Lamar is a teetotaler and lives a drug-free lifestyle. In an October 2012 interview, he stated that he once tried marijuana, but the blunt had been laced with Angel Dust and he has not used any drugs since. A devout Christian, he additionally shares his spiritual triumphs and struggles on his songs.

Artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Prince and Madonna have praised his musicianship. David Bowie‘s final album, Blackstar (2016), was inspired by To Pimp a Butterfly, and its producer Tony Visconti praised Lamar as a “rulebreaker” in the music industry.

He earned his first number-one single in the US in 2015 through the remix of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift‘s “Bad Blood”. It won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Damn (stylized as DAMN.) his fourth studio album was released on April 14, 2017. The album topped the US Billboard 200 and topped the chart of Canada while reaching number two in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It was the Billboard Year-End number one album of 2017. The album earned Lamar a Pulitzer Prize for Music and the Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

Lamar’s fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, was released on May 13, 2022. In support of the album, Lamar embarked on the Big Steppers Tour, which ran from July 2022 to March 2024. The tour grossed $110.9 million in worldwide revenue, becoming the highest-grossing rap tour ever at the time.

Lamar and Canadian rapper Drake have been involved in an ongoing rap feud. In 2013, Lamar dissed Drake on Big Sean’s “Control”, but said his verse was “friendly competition”. In the ensuing years, Drake and Lamar denied speculation that they had dissed each other in various songs. Outside of the music community, the feud attracted numerous reactions from various celebrities. Actress Uma Thurman jokingly offered her Kill Bill costume to Drake for his feud with Lamar and other rappers.

Despite becoming a prominent figure in popular culture, publications have noted Lamar’s unconventional approach to celebrity culture. He is notoriously reserved, reluctant to discuss his personal life and generally avoids using social media.

Lamar’s “Not Like Us” swept the Song of the Year and Record of the Year categories at the 2025 Grammy Awards and also won Best Music Video, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance.