Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, the Good Kid from the Mad City of Compton, hasn’t released a new album since 2017’s DAMN. That hasn’t stopped fans from clamoring for a new release ever since, flooding social networks and message boards with pleas for him to drop a new album and celebrating his occasional appearances on other artists’ work. He’s become a genuine folk hero of hip-hop, combining the titanic commercial successes of peers like Drake with the murky esotericism of underground favorites like the late MF DOOM.
He didn’t come to the place overnight, though. Kendrick’s intimidating reputation as one of rap’s foremost philosophers is the result of years of both hard work and stylistic evolution. He even changed his name to make himself more marketable and relatable early in his career, a move that helped turn that name into one recognized in households all over the world. From freestyling on self-made mixtapes to reinventing the genre with every new release, Kendrick Lamar’s journey is both fascinating and integral to understanding the art form today.
2011
(Section.80)
Kendrick’s humble beginnings in the city of Compton initially saw him releasing his first, fresh-faced mixtapes as K. Dot. After catching the attention of Watts impresario Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith and signing to Top Dawg Entertainment, Kendrick changed his stage name to his real one (sans family name) and dropped the 2009 Kendrick Lamar EP formally announcing the name change. His buzz began to grow with the release of its 2010 follow-up, (O)verly (D)edicated, which showed his growing ability to tackle any topic with gusto and wit.
His formal debut album, 2011’s independently released Section.80, impressed audiences with its sales (5,300 digital copies in its first week without promotion) and with Kendrick’s detailed storytelling. In August that year, Kendrick was dubbed the "New King of the West Coast" by Dr. Dre, The Game, and Snoop Dogg at his headlining show in Los Angeles, finally exposing him to a wider audience and setting the stage for the dominance to come.
2012
(good kid, m.A.A.d city)
Through all his successes, Kendrick never forgot where he came from. How could he? The world-renowned city of Compton, California was legendary even before Kendrick entered grade school thanks to the groundbreaking efforts of DJ Quik, Dr. Dre, Eazy-Z, and NWA. By the time Kendrick signed to TDE, Venus and Serena Williams were winning tennis opens all over the world. It’s a big legacy to live up to.
Perhaps that’s why his major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was an ode to his upbringing there, a coming-of-age story that contemplated the city’s history of violence with its achievements. A modern-day masterpiece, the album established that Kendrick belonged in the upper echelons of hip-hop's elite storytellers, receiving five Grammy Award nominations including Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album. Although it controversially lost the latter to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ aptly-titled The Heist, the overwhelming sentiment among fans was clear: Kendrick Lamar had officially arrived.
2015
(To Pimp A Butterfly)
The trouble with crafting a masterpiece your first time out is following it up. After setting the bar so high, it’s often easy to experience the so-called “sophomore slump” and fall short of the lofty expectations you set. If you don’t “evolve,” there are folks who’ll say you’re washed up. If you change too much, you might lose the following you worked so hard to earn. There’s no rulebook or algorithm that you can employ to ensure you clear that bar after so much hard work.
If there was one, though, Kendrick would have set it on fire with 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly. Instead of pursuing greater commercial heights, K. Dot assembled a crew of some of LA’s finest up-and-coming musicians including Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, and Thundercat, recording a sonic freak-out jam session. On his second major release, Kendrick turned inward, examining his anxiety and survivor’s remorse over a palette of jazz and funk recalling LA’s golden eras of both genres. The results speak for themselves: the critically acclaimed album finally won him that Best Rap Album Grammy and shot him into a new stratum of both critical and commercial appreciation.
2017
(DAMN.)
Through all of this, the one thing that eluded Kendrick was the notch that every artist, no matter how humble, wants to put on their belt: a No. 1 single. Although his prior singles, such as “Poetic Justice,” "Swimming Pools (Drank)," and "B*tch, Don't Kill My Vibe" had all charted impressively, he admittedly sacrificed some accessibility with the experimentation on To Pimp A Butterfly.
But just like he had managed each time an achievement had eluded him, Kendrick reconciled art and commerce with his next album, 2017’s DAMN. Beginning with the release of lead single “Humble,” he not only secured his first No. 1 record, but also pushed the boundaries of hip-hop, becoming the first rapper ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The album, which interrogates the dichotomies of heaven and hell, love and hate, and life and death, was hailed as a unique accomplishment in the world of hip-hop and solidified Kendrick as one of the most celebrated artists in music.
Since then, though, Kendrick has seemingly focused on branching out rather than releasing new music. In 2018, he executed-produced the soundtrack from Marvel’s groundbreaking superhero film Black Panther and made his acting debut in an episode of 50 Cent’s Starz crime drama Power. More recently, he announced the formation of his own media company, PgLang, alongside former TDE president Dave Free. In 2021, PgLang produced its first artist’s debut album; true to form, Kendrick signed his own cousin, Baby Keem, and appeared on Keem’s album, The Melodic Blue. The company is also producing a comedy film with the creators of South Park.
Kendrick has said little about his new music in the past few years, though. We do know that his next album will be his last with Top Dawg Entertainment, the label that shepherded him through every stage of his career so far. That tells us that Kendrick’s next album will be special, his way of commemorating all his past achievements and setting the tone for whatever comes next.
Through all his successes, Kendrick never forgot where he came from. How could he? The world-renowned city of Compton, California was legendary even before Kendrick entered grade school thanks to the groundbreaking efforts of DJ Quik, Dr. Dre, Eazy-Z, and NWA. By the time Kendrick signed to TDE, Venus and Serena Williams were winning tennis opens all over the world. It’s a big legacy to live up to.
Perhaps that’s why his major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was an ode to his upbringing there, a coming-of-age story that contemplated the city’s history of violence with its achievements. A modern-day masterpiece, the album established that Kendrick belonged in the upper echelons of hip-hop's elite storytellers, receiving five Grammy Award nominations including Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album. Although it controversially lost the latter to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ aptly-titled The Heist, the overwhelming sentiment among fans was clear: Kendrick Lamar had officially arrived.
The trouble with crafting a masterpiece your first time out is following it up. After setting the bar so high, it’s often easy to experience the so-called “sophomore slump” and fall short of the lofty expectations you set. If you don’t “evolve,” there are folks who’ll say you’re washed up. If you change too much, you might lose the following you worked so hard to earn. There’s no rulebook or algorithm that you can employ to ensure you clear that bar after so much hard work.
If there was one, though, Kendrick would have set it on fire with 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly. Instead of pursuing greater commercial heights, K. Dot assembled a crew of some of LA’s finest up-and-coming musicians including Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, and Thundercat, recording a sonic freak-out jam session. On his second major release, Kendrick turned inward, examining his anxiety and survivor’s remorse over a palette of jazz and funk recalling LA’s golden eras of both genres. The results speak for themselves: the critically acclaimed album finally won him that Best Rap Album Grammy and shot him into a new stratum of both critical and commercial appreciation.
Through all of this, the one thing that eluded Kendrick was the notch that every artist, no matter how humble, wants to put on their belt: a No. 1 single. Although his prior singles, such as “Poetic Justice,” "Swimming Pools (Drank)," and "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" had all charted impressively, he admittedly sacrificed some accessibility with the experimentation on To Pimp A Butterfly.
But just like he had managed each time an achievement had eluded him, Kendrick reconciled art and commerce with his next album, 2017’s DAMN. Beginning with the release of lead single “Humble,” he not only secured his first No. 1 record, but also pushed the boundaries of hip-hop, becoming the first rapper ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The album, which interrogates the dichotomies of heaven and hell, love and hate, and life and death, was hailed as a unique accomplishment in the world of hip-hop and solidified Kendrick as one of the most celebrated artists in music.
Kendrick’s humble beginnings in the city of Compton initially saw him releasing his first, fresh-faced mixtapes as K. Dot. After catching the attention of Watts impresario Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith and signing to Top Dawg Entertainment, Kendrick changed his stage name to his real one (sans family name) and dropped the 2009 Kendrick Lamar EP formally announcing the name change. His buzz began to grow with the release of its 2010 follow-up, (O)verly (D)edicated, which showed his growing ability to tackle any topic with gusto and wit.
His formal debut album, 2011’s independently released Section.80, impressed audiences with its sales (5,300 digital copies in its first week without promotion) and with Kendrick’s detailed storytelling. In August that year, Kendrick was dubbed the "New King of the West Coast" by Dr. Dre, The Game, and Snoop Dogg at his headlining show in Los Angeles, finally exposing him to a wider audience and setting the stage for the dominance to come.
Aaron Williams
Hip-Hop Editor