Early Life
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth grew up in Compton and began recording mixtapes as a teenager under the name K.Dot, drawing the attention of the label Top Dawg Entertainment.
Career
His major-label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012), was widely acclaimed and was followed by To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) and DAMN. (2017), which won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music. He released Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers in 2022, and in 2024 became the central figure in a widely publicized rap feud with Drake. His song “Not Like Us” won Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards, and he headlined the Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February 2025.
Legacy
Lamar has won more than a dozen Grammy Awards and is widely regarded as one of the leading rappers of his generation.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24