Kendrick Lamar

Artist Image: Kendrick Lamar
Attribution
Image Credit: Fuzheado (Own work), CC BY-SA 4.0

Biography

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American hip hop recording artist from Compton, California. Lamar embarked on his musical career as a teenager under the moniker K-Dot, released a mixtape which garnered local attention and led to his signing with Carson-based independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). Lamar began to gain major recognition in 2010 after his first retail release, Overly Dedicated. The following year, he released Section.80, his first independent album, exclusively through iTunes. The album included Lamar's debut single, "HiiiPoWeR". By that time, Lamar had amassed a large internet following and had already worked with several prominent artists in the hip hop industry, including The Game, Snoop Dogg, and Busta Rhymes. Lamar secured a recording contract with Aftermath and Interscope Records in 2012. His major-label debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was released in October 2012 to universal acclaim. The record contained the top 40 singles "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe", and "Poetic Justice". Upon its release, the album debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In early 2013, MTV named Lamar the No. 1 "Hottest MC in the Game" on their annual list. In 2015, Lamar released his third studio album To Pimp a Butterfly, incorporating elements of funk, spoken word poetry and jazz in the hip hop record – it debuted atop the charts in the U.S. and the UK. The album was preceded by its lead single "i", which earned him his first two Grammy Awards at the 2015 ceremony: Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Later that year, Taylor Swift and Lamar's collaboration "Bad Blood" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Apart from his solo career, Lamar is also known as a member of the West Coast hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, alongside his TDE labelmates and fellow South Los Angeles-based rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 2003
Number of Albums 28
Record Label Interscope Records
Website www.kendricklamar.com
Wikipedia Kendrick Lamar on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Who did Lamar's parents name him after?

Eddie Kendricks

...His parents named him after Eddie Kendricks , with the R&B music group, The Temptations. The following year he signed with the record label, Top Dog En...
What was the name of the R&B music group Lamar was associated with?

The Temptations

... parents named him after Eddie Kendricks, with the R&B music group, The Temptations . The following year he signed with the record label, Top Dog Enter...
Which record label was Lamar signed with the following year?

Top Dog Entertainment

...Temptations. The following year he signed with the record label, Top Dog Entertainment . Lamar made guest appearances on other rappers songs including ...
Lamar made guest appearances on what other rappers songs?

Jayceon The Game Taylor and Johnny Jay Rock McKinzie

...rances on other rappers songs including those of Jayceon The Game Taylor and Johnny Jay Rock McKinzie . In 2011, Lamar released his debut studio album,...
What was Lamar's debut album called?

Section 80

...ny Jay Rock McKinzie. In 2011, Lamar released his debut studio album, Section 80 with hit singles including A.D.H.D. and HiiPoWeR. The album was certi...
Who founded Aftermath Entertainment?

Andre Romelle Dr

...e Records and Aftermath Entertainment, the record label founded by Andre Romelle Dr . Lamar released his second album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, later tha...
In what year did Lamar release his third album?

2015

...ar released his second album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, later that year. In 2015 , Lamar released his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly, which included rap...
What was the name of Lamar's fourth album?

Damn

... and Alright. The following year Lamar released his fourth studio album, Damn with the singles Humble, Loyalty, and Love. That album was certified tri...
How many copies of Damn were sold?

three million

...eleased his fourth studio album, Damn with the singles Humble, Loyalty, and Love. That album was certified triple platinumselling three million units....
What did Lamar write as a child?

stories

...After writing stories as a child, he put to music some lyrics about the rough Compton streets he grew up on. He rapped under the name KDot, releasing ...
What was Kendrick Lamar's first name?

Lamar Duckworth

...ly, and his 2017 followup, DAMN. Background and Early Life Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (who dropped his last name to perform as Kendrick Lamar) was born ...
Where was Lamar born?

Compton, California

...o dropped his last name to perform as Kendrick Lamar) was born in Compton, California , on June 17, 1987. His parents had moved to Compton from Chicago...
What city did his parents move from?

Chicago

...on, California, on June 17, 1987. His parents had moved to Compton from Chicago to escape the city's gang culture, although Lamar's father had been as...
What gang did Lamar's father belong to?

Gangster Disciples

...e, although Lamar's father had been associated with the notorious Gangster Disciples gang. As the 1980s crack trade and West Coast gang presence incre...
In what decade did the crack trade and West Coast gangs increase?

1980s

...r had been associated with the notorious Gangster Disciples gang. As the 1980s crack trade and West Coast gang presence increased, Lamar grew up aroun...
What was Lamar's first name?

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth

...terfly, and his 2017 followup, DAMN. Background and Early Life Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (who dropped his last name to perform as Kendrick Lamar) was b...
Who was directly touched by the violence of the streets?

Lamar's family

...dent who enjoyed writing, first stories and poems, and then lyrics. Lamar's family was directly touched by the violence of the streets, yet he remaine...
Who caught Dres attention with his soulful lyrics and true rhythm?

Lamar

...d stars like Eminem and 50 Cent. Aside from growing up in the same city, Lamar caught Dres attention with his soulful lyrics and true rhythm. Kendrick...
What was the name of Kendrick Lamar's 2011 album?

Section.80

...lready released the 2010 mixtape Overly Dedicated and the 2011 album, Section.80 . Both were greeted with impressive reviews, but that didnt result in ...
What year did Lamar break into the mainstream music industry with his songs Poetic Justice and Swimming Pools?

2012

... impressive reviews, but that didnt result in much radio recognition. In 2012 , Kendrick Lamar broke into the mainstream music industry with his popula...
What alias did Lamar first begin pursuing his music career as a teenager?

KDot

...n. He first began pursuing his music career as a teenager with the alias KDot . Lamar is well known for both his solo career and his involvement in the...
What is Black Hippy?

hip hop supergroup

...is well known for both his solo career and his involvement in the hip hop supergroup known as Black Hippy. The rapper has received many awards during ...
How many Grammy Awards has the rapper received during his career?

13

...k Hippy. The rapper has received many awards during his career, including 13 Grammy Awards. The mixtape gained the young rapper a lot of local attenti...
What record label signed Kendrick Lamar?

Top Dawg Entertainment

...ention and lead to him being signed by Californian indie record Top Dawg Entertainment . Kendrick Lamar began recording material with his new label and...
What was the name of the 26track mixtape released by Top Dawg Entertainment?

Training Day

...ng material with his new label and released a 26track mixtape titled Training Day . The rapper went on to appear alongside a number of upcoming acts in...
What was Jay Rocks music video called?

All My Life (In The Ghetto).

...n a number of singles and appeared on Jay Rocks music video, All My Life (In The Ghetto). The rapper began to gain more recognition after a video was ...
What was the name of the EP that Kendrick Lamar released?

The Kendrick Lamar EP

...hortly after the rapper decided to drop his stage name and return to his birth name, he then recorded and released an EP titled The Kendrick Lamar EP ....
Where did Duckworth grow up?

Compton

...Duckworth grew up in a highcrime area of Compton , where, ironically, his parents had moved to escape a violent milieu in Chicago. The music impressed ...
What did Duckworth release as Kendrick Lamar in 2010?

Overly Dedicated

...xtapes as K. Dot Training Day (2005) and C4 (2009)before releasing Overly Dedicated (2010) as Kendrick Lamar. He became a popular guest performer on t...
Who declared Lamar the new king of the West Coast?

Game, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre

...clared the new king of the West Coast by veteran rap artists Game, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre . In 2012 Lamar signed with Dr. Dres label Aftermath Enterta...
What was the name of Lamar's first LP?

good kid, m.A.A.d. City

.... Dres label Aftermath Entertainment and released his first LP, good kid, m.A.A.d. City ; it debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and yielded...
Which album broke a Spotify record?

To Pimp a Butterfly

... album with an autobiographical narrative. In 2015 Lamar released To Pimp a Butterfly , which was a huge success. The album broke a Spotify recordbeing...
What record did the album break?

Spotify

...leased To Pimp a Butterfly, which was a huge success. The album broke a Spotify recordbeing streamed more than 9.6 million timeswithin a week of its r...
What is the acronym for Top Dawg Entertainment?

TDE

...p hop supergroup Black Hippy alongside his former Top Dawg Entertainment ( TDE ) labelmates AbSoul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q. (Hub City Threat Minor of...
In what year did he release his first studio album?

2010

...his signing with indie record label TDE. He began to gain recognition in 2010 after his first retail release, Overly Dedicated. The following year, he...
Which single was included on Section.80?

HiiiPoWeR

...ed his first studio album, Section.80, which included his debut single HiiiPoWeR . By that time, he had amassed a large online following and collaborat...
What was his first number one album on the US Billboard 200?

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City

...with several prominent rappers. Lamar's majorlabel debut album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City , was released in 2012, garnering him widespread critical recogn...
What is Kendrick Lamar?

Compton, California native

...clinations inevitably attracted the mainstream film industry. Compton, California native Kendrick Lamar Duckworth grew up immersed in hiphop culture a...
How many proper majorlabel albums have displayed an unmatched mix of inventive wordplay and compelling conceptual narratives?

three

...Lamar hit his creative and charttopping stride in the 2010s. (2017), his three proper majorlabel albums, have displayed an unmatched mix of inventive ...
What type of culture did Kendrick Lamar Duckworth grow up in?

hiphop

...Compton, California native Kendrick Lamar Duckworth grew up immersed in hiphop culture and surrounded by gang activity. As a youngster, he gradually d...
When did he release his debut mixtape?

2003

...ed to rapping. He made a name for himself as K. Dot. At the age of 16 in 2003 , he issued his debut mixtape, The Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year. Wh...
How old was he when he released The Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year?

16

...rally led to rapping. He made a name for himself as K. Dot. At the age of 16 in 2003, he issued his debut mixtape, The Hub City Threat: Minor of the Y...