Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born on June 17, 1987, in Compton, California. The rapper was named after singer-songwriter Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations. As the eldest of four children, Kendrick and his family lived in Section 8 housing, were reliant on welfare and food stamps, and experienced homelessness.
Kendrick’s Early Life
Despite suffering hardships, K-Dot remembered having “good memories” of his childhood that sparked his interest in hip-hop music. After hearing a recording of his voice for the first time, he became interested in rapping. While in elementary school, Kendrick had a noticeable stutter. Despite that, his first-grade teacher encouraged him to be a writer after hearing him correctly use the word “audacity.”
By middle school, Lamar was introduced to poetry, and through its connection to hip-hop, he studied rhymes, metaphors, and double entendres, which made him fall in love with songwriting. His initial writing helped him manage his psychological trauma and depression, which he struggled with during his adolescence. In high school, he adopted the stage name K-Dot and began freestyling and battle rapping at school. He befriended who would become his long-time friend and collaborator Dave Free, and they recorded music together at Free’s makeshift studio.
Career Beginnings
When Free was working as a computer technician, he introduced Kendrick’s Youngest Head N—- in Charge (Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year) mixtape to record producer Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith. Impressed with Lamar’s potential, he invited him to audition for his newly established independent record label, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).
In 2005, Kendrick was signed by TDE, joining Jay Rock as the label’s first signings. He then met Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q, forming the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy. The following year, Lamar signed an artist development deal with Def Jam Recordings and was featured on two singles by the Game. Lamar’s stint in Def Jam was short-lived after an encounter with its president and chief executive officer, Jay-Z. K-Dot later described it as “one of those situations where I wasn’t ready.”
Kendrick’s self-titled debut EP was released in 2009 through TDE. By 2011, he released his first studio album with Section.80, featuring hits like “A.D.H.D.,” “HiiiPoWeR,” and “Hol’ Up.” Just a year later, he followed that up with Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, with even more heat on tracks like “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” “Swimming Pools (Drank),” “Money Trees,” “Poetic Justice,” “Compton,” “Backseat Freestyle,” and “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst.”
In the following decade, Kendrick released three more studio albums, a compilation album, a soundtrack album for Black Panther, as well as features and singles.
Take a Look Below at Kendrick Lamar’s 7 Best Songs Ranked:
