By anmol sabherwal | February 13, 2014 0 Comments

NET WORTH: $ 10 MILLION

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper from Compton, California. He recently rose to fame with his critically acclaimed album ‘Good kid MA.A.D city’. He is also a member of the Hip Hop group ‘Black hippy’. Lamar gained attention after the release of his mix-tape Overly dedicated. Next year, he released Section 8.0, an independent effort which received rave reviews from the critics.  His latest album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) .  ”Swimming Pools (Drank)”, “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”, and “Poetic Justice” are some of the famous tracks by Kendrick Lamar.Eminem recently praised Lamar in an interview for his amazing rapping skills.

Early life and Career

Kendrick Lamar was born on June 17, 1987 in Compton, California. Lamar went to Centennial High School in Compton, where he was a bright student. When he was 10 years old, he saw his idols Tupac and Dr. Dre film the video of ‘ California love’. At the age of 16, he released his first mix-tape and garnered enough underground attention.  He subsequently released many mix tapes and singles. Because of his rapping skills, he collaborated with Lil wayne, Talib kweli, Dr. Dre and Busta Rhymes. He then released his independent album( Extended play) and garnered massive attention. Aftermath and Interscope records signed Lamar and his album Good kid MA.A.D city received rave reviews. It featured at number 2 on the billboard. Kendrick is now regarded as one of the best rappers in the game.

Influences

 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas and Eminem are the top five favourite rappers for Kendrick Lamar. He also gave Lil wayne credit for influencing his style. He is also inspired by Dr. Dre, rakim and Method man. Also, DMX was a source of motivation for Kendrick Lamar. Lamar said in an interview, ”That first album [It's Dark and Hell Is Hot] is classic, [so he had an influence on me]“. 2pac is his biggest inspiration and he is inspired by pac’s philosophy and lifestyle as well.

Collectibles

The album Good kid M.A.A.D. city has sold 1,166,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 241,000 copies. In the second week it sold 63,000 albums. Many critics declared this album an instant classic and Lamar received massive praise and accolades. Complex named it the second best hip hop album in the last 5 year. It won the album of the year award at the BET hip hop awards. It  has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). On ‘ Metacritic’ the album received an average score of 91 which signifies an universal acclaim. Allmusic director David Jefferies wrote of the album, “ Besides all the great ideas and life, this journey through the concrete jungle of Compton is worth taking because of the artistic richness, plus the attraction of a whip-smart rapper flying high during his rookie season. Any hesitation about the horror of it all is quickly wiped away by Kendrick’s mix of true talk, open heart, open mind, and extended hand. Add it all up and subtract the hype, and this one is still potent enough to rise to the top of the pile”. ’The accuracy of its intimate autobiographical details is irrelevant—what matters is that this album helps you feel the internal struggles of a good kid who may not be good enough as he risks derailing his life by succumbing to the kneejerk loyalty, petty criminality, and gang warfare of the hood he calls home. Nobody is heroic here, including Lamar—from Christian strivers to default sociopaths, all the players are confused, weary, bored, ill-informed’, said Robert Christgau.

Reebok Pump Twilight Zone

Lamar owns these uber-cool Reebok shoes which are extremely expensive. He wears them quite often and he loves different types of sneakers. Lamar is just 5 foot 6 inches and carries off these sneakers very well. He recently went with Kanye west on the ‘ Yeezus’ tour.

House

This is Kendrick’s home in Compton, California.He was a small boy and lived an average lifestyle. With sheer hard work and dedication, today he is one of the most renowned names in hip hop. He is still a down to earth and sober guy from Compton. Unlike other Hip Hop musicians, Kendrick Lamar is a Non-smoker.

Awards and Accolades

BET Hip Hop awards

Year	Recipient	Award	Result
2011	Section.80	Best Mixtape	Nominated
2012	Himself	Lyricist of the Year	Won
2013		Best Hip-Hop Style	Nominated
		Best Live Performer	Nominated
		Hustler of the Year	Nominated
		Lyricist of the Year	Won
		MVP of the Year	Won
	Good Kid, M.A.A.D City	Album of the Year	Won
	“Fuckin’ Problems”	Best Collabo, Duo or Group	Won
		Best Hip-Hop Video	Nominated
		Sweet 16	Won
		People’s Champ Award	Nominated
	“Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”		Nominated
		Best Hip-Hop Video	Nominated
	“Poetic Justice”	Best Collabo, Duo or Group	Nominated

BET awards

Year	Recipient	Award	Result
2013	Himself	Best New Artist	Won
		Best Male Hip-Hop Artist	Won
	“Fuckin’ Problems”(with ASAP Rocky, Drake and 2 Chainz)	Best Collaboration	Won
		Viewer’s Choice	Nominated
		Video of the Year	Nominated
	“Poetic Justice”(with Drake)		Nominated
		Best Collaboration	Nominated
	“Swimming Pools (Drank)”	Viewer’s Choice	Nominated

ASCAP awards

Year	Recipient	Award	Result
2013	Himself	Vanguard Award	Won