Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) the son of a couple from Chicago. Although not in a gang himself, he grew up around gang members, with his closest friends being Westside Piru Bloods and 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. In 1995, at the age of eight, Lamar witnessed his idols Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre filming the music video for their hit single “California Love”, which proved to be a significant moment in his life. 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 graduated from Centennial High School in Compton, where he was a straight-A student
Musical style
Lamar has been branded as the “new king of hip hop” numerous times. Forbes said, on Lamar’s placement as hip hop’s “king”, “Kendrick Lamar may or may not be the greatest rapper alive right now. He is certainly in the very short lists of artists in the conversation. “Lamar frequently refers to himself as the “greatest rapper alive” and once called himself “The King of New York.”
On the topic of his music genre, Lamar has said: “You really can’t categorize my music, it’s human music.” Lamar’s projects are usually concept albums. Critics found Good Kid, M.A.A.D City heavily influenced by West Coast hip hop and 90s gangsta rap. His third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly, incorporates elements of funk, jazz, soul and spoken word poetry.
Called a “radio-friendly but overtly political rapper” by Pitchfork, Lamar has been a branded “master of storytelling” and his lyrics have been described as “katana-blade sharp” and his flow limber and dexterous. Lamar’s writing usually includes references to racism, black empowerment and social injustice, being compared to a State of Union address by The Guardian. His writing has also been called “confessional” and controversial. The New York Times has called Lamar’s musical style anti-flamboyant, interior and complex and labelled him as a technical rapper.Billboard described his lyricism as “Shakespearean”.
Achievements
Lamar is known as a virtuoso who constantly pushes musical and artistic boundaries with his projects. He’s earned 14 Grammy awards for his work, and “Damn” was the first non-classical and non-jazz album to win the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2018.
The rapper on Friday dropped his latest album, “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers.” It’s his first studio album in five years since 2017’s “Damn.”
Some of his tracks are already making headlines
Several tracks on his new album have already generated buzz for their stirring lyrics.Several tracks on his new album have already generated buzz for their stirring lyrics.In his song “Auntie Diaries,” Lamar begins his rap: “My auntie is a man now/I think I’m old enough to understand now.”In a later verse, Lamar elaborates: “Demetrius is Mary-Ann now. I mean he’s really Mary-Ann, even took things further/Changed his gender before Bruce Jenner was certain/Living his truth even if it meant see a surgeon.”Variety called the song a “powerful, genre-shifting statement on transphobia.”Lamar also used his new music to talk about anti-vaccine rhetoric in his song, “Savior,” featuring Baby Keem and Sam Dew.In the song’s second verse, Lamar appears to reference Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who opted against Covid-19 vaccination.
“Seen a Christian say the vaccine mark of the beast/Then he caught COVID and prayed to Pfizer for relief/Then I caught COVID and started to question Kyrie/Will I stay organic or hurt in this bed for two weeks?” Lamar raps.
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