Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is regarded by many critics and contemporaries as one of the most important and influential rappers of his generation, and as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Raised in Compton, California, Lamar embarked on his musical career as a teenager under the stage name K-Dot, releasing a mixtape that garnered local attention and led to his signing with indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). He began to gain recognition in 2010 after his first retail release, Overly Dedicated. The following year, he independently released his first studio album, Section.80, which included his debut single "HiiiPoWeR". By that time, he had amassed a large online following and collaborated with several prominent hip hop artists, including The Game, Busta Rhymes, and Snoop Dogg.

Lamar's major label debut album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, was released in 2012 by TDE, Aftermath, and Interscope Records to critical acclaim. It debuted at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum by the RIAA. The record contained the top 40 singles "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe", and "Poetic Justice". His critically acclaimed third album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) incorporated elements of funk, soul, jazz, and spoken word. It debuted atop the charts in the U.S. and the UK, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 58th ceremony. In 2016, Lamar released Untitled Unmastered, a collection of unreleased demos that originated during the recording sessions for To Pimp a Butterfly. He released his fourth album, Damn, in 2017 to further acclaim; its lead single "Humble" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the album itself became the first non-classical and non-jazz album to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Aside from his solo career, Lamar is also known as a member of the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, alongside his TDE label-mates Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q. He has received many accolades over the course of his career, including 13 Grammy Awards. In 2012, MTV named him the "Hottest MC in the Game" on their annual list. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016.

Early life
Kendrick Lamar was born in Compton, California on June 17, 1987, the son of a couple from Chicago. His father, Kenny Duckworth, was a member of street gang Gangster Disciples. 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 attended Centennial High School in Compton, where he was a straight-A student.

Personal life
In April 2015, Lamar became engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Whitney Alford. Alford gave birth to their first child in 2019. Lamar is a cousin of NBA player Nick Young. He used to smoke cannabis, but has since quit.

Lamar is a devout Christian, and says he converted following the death of a friend. He has been outspoken about his faith, both in his music and interviews. He announced to an audience in the Staples Center during 's Yeezus Tour that he had been baptized in 2013. Lamar has credited God for his fame and his deliverance from crime that often plagued Compton in the 1990s. He also believes his career is divinely inspired and that he has a greater purpose to serve mankind, saying in an interview with Complex, "I got a greater purpose, God put something in my heart to get across and that's what I'm going to focus on, using my voice as an instrument and doing what needs to be done."

In 2014, Lamar dressed up as for  and when asked about his decision, said: "If I want to idolize somebody, I'm not going to do a scary monster, I'm not gonna do another artist or a human being—I'm gonna idolize the Master, who I feel is the Master, and try to walk in His light. It's hard, it's something I probably could never do, but I'm gonna try. Not just with the outfit but with everyday life. The outfit is just the imagery, but what's inside me will display longer."

The introductory lines to his 2012 album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City include a form of the Sinner's Prayer. His song "i" discusses his Christian faith. Lamar's 2017 album Damn has a recurring theme based around religion and struggle