Heritage Edition – Kendrick Lamar’s Enduring Legacy

Kendrick Lamar is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer recognized as being one of the most culturally impactful and important artists of the decade. Lamar was born on June 17th, 1987, in Compton, California. His parents had moved three years earlier from Chicago to escape the high crime and violence. They moved to California with only $500 and lived in motels and their car. After saving up enough money to rent their first apartment, they would go on to have Lamar (Velvet Ropes).

He was an only child until he was seven. He loved basketball and dreamed of playing in the NBA. In seventh grade, his teacher introduced him to poetry and his vision changed. After that, he started writing nonstop. In an interview with Spin, Lamar states, “As a kid, I used to stutter. I think that’s why I put my energy into making music. That’s how I get my thoughts out, instead of being crazy all the time.” He began rapping when he was thirteen (The Business Insider).

Lamar grew up surrounded by poverty and gang wars. He says he witnessed his first murder at age five, it was a teenage drug dealer gunned down outside his apartment building. He witnessed his second murder when he was eight as he was walking home from elementary school. Some of his close friends were West Side Pirus, a local Blood affiliate, and his mom says her brothers were Compton Crips (The Rolling Stone). 

His family was not financially stable, they survived on welfare and food stamps. His mom did hair for $20, and his dad had a job at KFC. In school, Lamar was a quiet, observant kid who received good grades (Hip Hop Scriptures). Lamar went to Centennial High School in Compton, California, and became the first in his family to graduate. He was a straight-A student and regrets not going to college (Cheat Sheet). 

Kendrick Lamar went by K-Dot from 2003 to 2009. In an interview with Hard Knock TV, Kendrick states, ”I wanted people to know who I am as a person and who I represent, so I woke up one morning and said the best way to start it off is getting my name changed, my real name” (“Kendrick Lamar Talks Being a Good Kid in Maad City, Project with J Cole, Dr. Dre, Tupac, Not Smoking”). 

He released his first mixtape in 2003 at age sixteen under the name K-Dot. A year later, the record label, Top Dawg Entertainment was impressed by his mixtape so they signed him. In 2011, he released his debut studio album, Section 80. The album was certified gold, selling more than 500,000 units. In 2012, Lamar left Top Dawg Entertainment and signed with Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment. 

In 2012, his major-label debut, Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, was considered an “instant masterpiece” (The Washington Post). In this album, he addresses all the issues of teenage life in Compton, self-pity, anger, and arrogant retrospect. This album was widely praised for Lamar’s lyrical ability and narratives. Good Kid, m.A.A.d City debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, it spent 450 weeks on the Billboard 200 (The Source). It’s currently the longest-charting hip-hop studio album in history. It also sold over 242,000 copies within its first week.

In 2015 Lamar released To Pimp a Butterfly, which was his second major-label album, it was a huge success. The album broke a Spotify record, it streamed more than 9.6 million times within a week of its release. It was nominated for eleven Grammys, but only won five, including Best Rap Album and other nominations including Album of the Year and Song of the Year. 

To Pimp a Butterfly and its single “Alright,” became the unofficial soundtrack to the Black Lives Matter movement among a continuing wave of fatal police violence against unarmed black Americans across the country (Insider). This album addresses issues surrounding race, oppression in Black communities, and systemic injustice. The song “Alright” became an important protest song in the Black Lives Matter movement, at demonstrations, the chanted hook quickly became a fixture (NPR). 

His cultural impact was solidified after he was awarded the California State Senate’s Generational Icon Award in 2015 (The Rolling Stone). He was given the key to the city, Compton. Lamar received the 35th Senate District’s Generational Icon Award on the Golden State’s Senate floor.

His message has always been the same (Good Times). It’s always been about the struggle and black empowerment. It’s always been about the streets and for the streets. He has also rapped about his struggle with self-doubt, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

Lamar recently performed at the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI halftime show on February 13, 2022. He also released the first single from his upcoming next major album that same month. Lamar was recently announced as a headliner for Glastonbury Festival 2022, which is a five-day festival in England that takes place June 22 – June 26, 2022. This festival features popular artists like Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. 

Today, Lamar lives in Eastvale, California with his fiance Whitney Alford and their three-year-old daughter. He has announced that he will be releasing an album later this year.