Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper from Compton, California. Starting his career as a teenager under the name K-Dot, Lamar drew the attention of Top Dawg Entertainment and gained recognition in 2010 after the release of his debut retail release Overly Dedicated. In 2011 he released his debut studio album Section.80.
Lamar made his debut release under a major label with good kid m.A.A.d city in 2012, debuting at number 2 on the Billboard 200. His third album To Pimp a Butterfly was released in 2015 to critical acclaim, topping the charts in the US and UK and winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. His fourth album DAMN. also topped the Billboard 200 and its lead single "HUMBLE." topped the Billboard 100. 
Over his career Lamar has received twelve Grammy Awards, Time magazine listed him in their 100 Most Influential People in 2016 and in 2018 he became the first non-classical, non-jazz artist to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
== Career ==
=== 2004-09: Career Beginnings ===
In 2004, at the age of 16, Lamar released his first mixtape Youngest Head Nigga in Charge (Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year) under the name K-Dot. He received local recognition and signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, an indie label. In 2005 he released the mixtape Training Day under the label. In 2009, he released the mixtape C4 and decided to drop K-Dot and go by his name. He subsequently released The Kendrick Lamar EP. Also in 2009 he founded the rap group Black Hippy with ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul.
=== 2010-11: Overly Dedicated and Section.80 ===
In 2010 Lamar released Overly Dedicated which charted at number 72 on the Billboard Hip-Hop charts. In 2011 Lamar was selected for the annual XXL Freshmen Class. In 2011 Lamar released the single "HiiiPoWeR" as the lead for his upcoming album Section.80. In July he released the album as an independent release, to critical acclaim.
=== 2012-13: good kid m.A.A.d city ===
In March 2012 Lamar signed with Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment, ending his time as an independent artist. In October 2012 he released good kid m.A.A.d city his debut major label album. The album charted at number 2 on the Billboard 200. In August 2013 Lamar generated controversy in his verse on Big Sean's "Control", vowing to lyrically 'murder' all up and coming rappers and proclaimed himself King of New York. Many rappers produced diss tracks in response. In 2013 he also toured with Kanye West on the Yeezus Tour.
=== 2014-16: To Pimp a Butterfly ===
In September 2014, Lamar released the song "i" as the lead single to his upcoming third studio album, which ultimately won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song. In March 2015, he released To Pimp a Butterfly to positive reviews, topping the Billboard 200. That year Lamar won five Grammy Awards. In March 2016 he released a compilation album Untitled Unmastered, containing eight untitled tracks which were demo tracks from his previous album. The album topped the Billboard 200.
=== 2017-Present: DAMN. and Black Panther Soundtrack ===
In early-2017 Lamar released "HUMBLE." as the lead single off his upcoming fourth album. The song topped the Billboard 100. Lamar released DAMN. in April 2017, his third album to top the Billboard 200. In 2018 it was announced Lamar was curating the soundtrack for the upcoming Marvel film Black Panther. In February 2018 Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By was released, topping the Billboard 200. Lamar won five awards at the 60th Grammy Awards. In 2018 he also won the Pulitzer Prize for Music, the first non-classical or jazz artists to receive the award.
== Discography ==
=== Studio albums ===
Title 	Album details	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions
Title 	Album details	US 	US
R&B/
HH 	AUS 	BEL (FL) 	CAN 	FRA 	IRL 	NZ 	SWI 	UK
Section.80 	
* Released: July 2, 2011 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg
* Format: CD, digital download	113 	21 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
good kid, m.A.A.d city	
* Release: October 22, 2012 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg, Aftermath, Interscope
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download	2 	1 	23 	46 	2 	57 	26 	7 	38 	16
To Pimp a Butterfly 	
* Release: March 16, 2015 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg, Aftermath, Interscope
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download	1 	1 	1 	4 	1 	17 	6 	1 	3 	1
DAMN. 	
* Release: April 14, 2017 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg, Aftermath, Interscope
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download	1 	1 	2 	2 	1 	3 	2 	2 	3 	2
=== Compilation albums ===
Title 	Album details	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions
Title 	Album details	US 	US
R&B/
HH 	AUS 	BEL (FL) 	CAN 	FRA 	IRL 	NZ 	SWI 	UK
Untitled Unmastered	
* Released: March 4, 2016 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg, Aftermath, Interscope
* Formats: CD, LP, Digital download	1 	1 	3 	11 	1 	55 	9 	5 	9 	7
=== Mixtapes ===
Title 	Album details	Peak chart
positions	Peak chart
positions
Title 	Album details	US
R&B/HH	US
Heat.
Y.H.N.I.C. (Hub City Threat: Minor
of the Year)
(as K-Dot)	
* Released: 2003 (US)
* Label: Konkrete Jungle
* Formats: CD	— 	—
Training Day
(as K-Dot)	
* Released: June 1, 2005 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg
* Formats: Digital download	— 	—
No Sleep 'Til NYC
(as K-Dot, with Jay Rock)	
* Released: December 24, 2007 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg
* Formats: Digital download	— 	—
C4
(as K-Dot) 	
* Released: January 30, 2009 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg, Intergroove
* Formats: Digital download	— 	—
Overly Dedicated	
* Release: September 14, 2010 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg
* Formats: Digital download	72	46
=== Soundtrack albums ===
Title 	Album details	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions
Title 	Album details	US 	US
R&B/
HH 	AUS 	BEL (FL) 	CAN 	FRA 	NZ 	SWE 	SWI
Black Panther: The Album	
* Released: February 9, 2018
* Label: Top Dawg, Aftermath, Interscope
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download	1 	1 	2 	8 	1 	93 	2 	1 	7
=== EPs ===
Title 	Details
Kendrick Lamar	
* Released: December 31, 2009 (US)
* Label: Top Dawg
* Formats: Digital download
=== Singles ===
Title 	Year	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Peak chart positions	Album
Title 	Year	US 	US
R&B/
HH 	US
Rap 	AUS 	BEL (FL) 	CAN 	FRA 	NZ 	SWE 	UK 	Album
"HiiiPoWeR" 	2011	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Section.80
"My People"
(featuring Jay Rock)	2011	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Bastards of the Party
"The Recipe"
(featuring Dr. Dre)	2012	— 	38 	23 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" 	2012	17 	3 	3 	67 	— 	99 	59 	— 	— 	57 	Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
"Backseat Freestyle" 	2013	— 	29 	22 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	79 	Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
"Poetic Justice"
(featuring Drake)	2013	26 	8 	6 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
"Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe"	2013	32 	9 	7 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	178 	Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
"i" 	2014	39 	11 	8 	48 	— 	61 	68 	31 	— 	20 	To Pimp a Butterfly
"The Blacker the Berry" 	2015	66 	25 	16 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	83 	To Pimp a Butterfly
"King Kunta" 	2015	58 	20 	11 	32 	15 	52 	80 	24 	90 	56 	To Pimp a Butterfly
"Alright" 	2015	81 	24 	20 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	109 	To Pimp a Butterfly
"These Walls"
(featuring Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat)	2015	94 	34 	25 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	77 	To Pimp a Butterfly
levitate" 	2016	90 	27 	16 	— 	— 	— 	197 	— 	— 	93 	Untitled Unmastered
"Humble" 	2017	1 	1 	1 	2 	15 	2 	21 	1 	10 	6 	Damn
"Loyalty"
(featuring Rihanna)	2017	14 	7 	6 	20 	— 	12 	41 	15 	35 	27 	Damn
"Love"
(featuring Zacari) 	2017	11 	6 	5 	29 	— 	22 	75 	24 	58 	39 	Damn
"All the Stars"
(with SZA) 	2018	7 	5 	— 	2 	21 	7 	21 	2 	9 	5 	Black Panther: The Album
"King's Dead"
(with Jay Rock, Future and James Blake)	2018	21 	13 	10 	58 	— 	23 	172 	— 	— 	50 	Black Panther: The Album
"Don't Don't Do It"
(with N.E.R.D)	2018	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	No One Ever Really Dies
"Pray for Me"
(with The Weeknd)	2018	7 	4 	— 	9 	22 	5 	14 	12 	4 	11 	Black Panther: The Album
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