Kendrick Lamar

Indisputably the most acclaimed rap artist of his generation, Kendrick Lamar is one of those rare MCs who has achieved critical and commercial success while earning the respect and support of those who inspired him. After several years of development, Lamar hit his creative and chart-topping stride in the 2010s. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), the Grammy-winning To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), and the Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN. (2017), his three proper major-label albums, have displayed an unmatched mix of inventive wordplay and compelling conceptual narratives, examining internal conflict, flaunting success, and uplifting his community.

Early Life

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born in Compton, California, on June 17 1987, the son of a couple from Chicago. Although not in a gang himself, he grew up around gang members, with his father - Kenny Duckworth, being a Gangster Disciple. His first name was given to him by his mother in honor of American singer-songwriter Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations. He grew up on welfare and in Section 8 housing. As a child, Lamar attended McNair Elementary and Vanguard Learning Center in the Compton Unified School District. He has admitted to being quiet and shy in school, his mother even confirming he was a "loner" until the age of seven. As a teenager, he attended Centennial High School in Compton, where he was a straight-A student.

awards

Lamar has won thirteen Grammy Awards. At the 58th Grammy Awards, Lamar led the list of nominations with 11 mentions, passing Eminem and Kanye West as the rapper with the most nominations in a single night, and second overall behind Michael Jackson and Babyface, who hold the record of 12 nominations. Lamar was the most-awarded artist at the ceremony with five. good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp a Butterfly and Damn have all won for Best Rap Album. Those three albums were featured on Rolling Stone's industry-voted list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2020. Lamar has received two honors in his hometown. On May 11, 2015, he received the California State Senate's Generational Icon Award from State Senator Isadore Hall III who represents California's 35th district. On February 13, 2016, Mayor of Compton, California Aja Brown presented Lamar with the key to the city, for "representing Compton's evolution, embodying the New Vision for Compton." In 2015, Billboard included Lamar in "The 10 Greatest Rappers of All-Time". Complex magazine has ranked Lamar atop "The 20 Best Rappers in Their 20s" annual lists in 2013, 2015 and 2016. DAMN. won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, making Lamar the first non-jazz or classical artist to win the award.