Kendrick Lamar: From Compton’s Streets to Grammy Glory
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Kendrick Lamar winning Best Rap Album for “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” at the 2023 GRAMMYs
Source: GRAMMY.com KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE RECORDING ACADEMY
Introduction
Kendrick Lamar is a world-renowned rapper known for his intricate wordplay and lyricism, his large personality on the microphone, and his sharp conceptual vision. His songs have not only hit the mainstream but have also captivated millions around the world who want to listen to what Lamar has to say and express in his songs.
Though you may not listen to him, you have surely heard of some of his biggest songs. From “Humble”, a song that started trends on Social Media platforms, to “Not Like Us”, a Drake diss track and club banger that became a global sensation. Lamar has had his fair share of success in the hip-hop and music industry. So, how did he get here?
Rise to FAME
Source: Mixtape Cover for “The Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year”
Kendrick Lamar, or his full name, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, grew up in Compton, California. From a young age, Lamar was immersed in the world of Hip Hop.
At the age of 16, Lamar released his first mixtape, “The Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year” (2003). Though it was nothing like his music today, it was good enough to impress Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), a newly found record label at the time who decided to sign him. This would mark the start of their 18-year collaboration, making waves in hip-hop music in the later years.
For the next 7 years, Kendrick Lamar continued to release music. In 2009, Kendrick Lamar released two more mixtapes, namely “C4” and self-titled “Kendrick Lamar”. Then, Kendrick Lamar released his fourth mixtape “Overly Dedicated” (2010), and is the first tape credited to Kendrick Lamar. A year later, Kendrick finally released his debut studio album, “Section.80” (2011).
This was the first time we were able to see Kendrick Lamar’s sharp and acute conceptual vision that he does so well in his albums. The number 113 album in the Billboard 200 at the time, was enough to put Kendrick Lamar on the radars of many people. In a concert later that year, influential figures in hip-hop, namely Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and The Game had collectively dubbed him “The New King of the West Coast”, with Kendrick signing to Dr. Dre’s famous record label Aftermath.
Source: “C4” Mixtape Cover (1), “Kendrick Lamar” self-titled Mixtape Cover (2), “Overly Dedicated” Mixtape Cover (3), “Section.80” Album Cover (4)
successes
good kid, m.A.A.d. city
Source: good kid, m.A.A.d. city Album Cover
After signing with Aftermath, Kendrick would go on to release “good kid, m.A.A.d city ” (2012), which would go on to be a global success.
His conceptual vision in this album coupled with hit songs such as “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”, “Money Trees” and “Poetic Justice” have landed this album at number two on the Billboard 200 Chart, and was nominated for 7 Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year… Though Lamar didn’t win any awards, this made Lamar a household name.
In 2014, Kendrick would go on to win
He would go on to win Grammy awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for his single “i”, which would be featured in his next album, “To Pimp a Butterfly”
To Pimp a Butterfly
Source: “To Pimp a Butterfly” Album Cover
On March 15, 2015, Lamar released “To Pimp a Butterfly”, an album that will go down in the history books as one of the best albums of all time.
In this album, Kendrick details his growth in a metaphor throughout the album. From being a caterpillar scouring for anything to eat, to being trapped inside a cocoon, and finally breaking out of that cocoon and becoming a butterfly, Kendrick Lamar delivers an important message poetically and compellingly, to not let our surrounding environment that is trapping us stop us from being who we really are. Learn to break free from the shackles we are being put in, and be the loving people we humans truly are.
This album is truly a masterpiece and is no wonder that Kendrick was nominated for 11 total Grammys, 5 of which Lamar won, including Best Rap Album. This number of nominations in a single night puts Lamar ahead of the likes of Eminem, Beyoncé, and Kanye West and is only beaten by Michael Jackson and Babyface.
Source: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Source: “DAMN.” Album Cover
DAMN.
Then, Kendrick Lamar released “DAMN.” (2017).
One of Kendrick’s darkest albums yet, as seen by the bold lettering in every track on the album, this album was Kendrick’s most successful album in the mainstream.
DAMN. topped the Billboard 200, won 5 Grammys, and even won a Pulitzer Prize, something no other rapper has done. Perhaps the most notable track on the album was HUMBLE., a song that everyone recognizes upon listening, has racked up over 2.2 billion streams on Spotify and nearing 1 billion views on YouTube.
Source: “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” Album Cover
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
After a 5 year wait, Kendrick Lamar released “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” (2022), his fifth studio album and most recent to date.
Once again, it shot up to the top of the Billboard 200 and won Best Rap Album at the Grammys. Though the song has not seen as much mainstream success as DAMN., it is still an amazing album, with once again a great conceptual vision, and outstanding songs such as “N95”, “Die Hard” and bonus track “The Heart Part 5”.
Conclusion
Kendrick Lamar is perhaps one of the greatest rappers of all time. His lyrics, delivery and conceptual ideas will leave you wanting for more. But what do you think? Are there other rappers out there that can rival Kendrick Lamar? Leave it down in the comments!
Kendrick Lamar winning Best Rap Album for “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” at the 2023 GRAMMYs
Source: GRAMMY.com KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE RECORDING ACADEMY
Table of Contents
IntroductionRise to famesuccesses
- good kid, m.a.a.d. city
- To Pimp a butterfly
- damn.
- mr. morale & the big steppers