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Kendrick Lamar, paying tribute to A Tribe Called Quest onstage in Australia. #kendricklamar #tpab #notlikeus #drdre #grammy #hiphop

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Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (1987-now) is an American rapper and songwriter. Lamar is regarded as one of the best hip hop artists of all time, and is known for his complex and consicious lyrics.

Lamar began releasing music in high school under the stage name K.Dot, where he would sign with TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment). Lamar would release several mixtapes, most notably Overly Dedicated (2010). Lamar would release his first studio album, Section.80 (2011), which was met with postive acclaim. Kendrick would be mentored by Dr. Dre, and eventually would rise to fame from his second album, good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012). This album was met with critical acclaim, and is the longest charting hip hop album on the Billboard 200.

To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) would find him reaching generational status, as this album would embrace African American history. TPAB was met with critical acclaim, as many would call it the "greatest rap album ever made" due to it's impact on African American culture and complex lyrics.

Lamar has won many awards, most notably his 2018 pulitzer prize, which made him the first person outside of classical and jazz music to do so. Other notable awards are his 17 grammy awards (third most by rapper), his 29 BET hip hop awards (most by any artist), and his 11 MTV music video awards.

Recently, Lamar has created his own brand, pgLang, with long time collaborator Dave Free. He has worked with Baby Keem, Kodack Black, and Future recently. Lamar has been in the spotlight recently for his beef with Drake, as they dissed each other back in forth. The climax reached peak when Kendrick released "meet the grahams" 20 minutes after Drake dropped his diss, "Family Matters." Lamar would double down with "Not Like Us" the next day, and would capitalize the victory lap in the beef, as well as contender for song of the summer.

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Kendrick Lamar performing in a 2018 concert. #kendricklamar #howmuchadollarcost #god #money #anger #resentment

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"How much a dollar really cost?" One of the highlights on Lamar's groundbreaking album, To Pimp A Butterfly, is a story of a homeless man begging Kendrick for a dollar. Kendrick travels to South Africa looking to be inspired, where he encounters a homeless man at a gas station, looking for a dollar.

"A piece of crack that he wanted, I knew he was smokin',
he begged and pleaded." Kendrick imagines the homeless man using his money to buy drugs. So Kendrick denies the man of a dollar, which he keeps begging for.

"'Cause now I'm starin' back at him, feelin' some type of disrespect, if I could throw a bat at him, it'd be aimin' at his neck." Kendricks temper starts to grow as he turns impatient. Kendrick tries to drive away, but the man keeps asking for a single dollar. They start staring at each other and Kendrick's anger just grows and grows.

"So I'ma tell you like I told the last bum, crumbs and pennies, I need all of mines, and I recognize this type of panhandlin' all the time." Kendrick recognizes this as a greedy man just trying to make a extra couple of bucks, and he keeps on ignoring him. Kendrick starts feeling some sort of resentment, but instantly the anger grows back as he starts thinking about the drugs the man would buy with his money. The homeless man starts to get fed up when Kendrick says he needs all his money, and the man reveals his true self.

"I am god."

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Photo of Kendrick Lamar taken by Peter Yang for Variety Magazine. #kendrick #tpab #humble #dna #damn #singaboutme

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In 2017, Kendrick Lamar would release his Pulitzer prize winning album, DAMN. I was 9 at the time. I remember HUMBLE. and DNA. topping the charts, and I recall the music videos vividly (I used to always watch music videos). This would be my first encounter with Lamar.

Fast foward 5 years later, a small underground rapper that I bet you've never heard of by the name of Kanye West started influencing me to listen to more of the rap genre. I really enjoyed the songs DNA. and HUMBLE., so I decided to visit the album. I really enjoyed it, as songs like XXX., DUCKWORTH., and PRIDE. would captivate me.

But it wasn't until my first listen to To Pimp a Butterfly that Kendrick would really put himself into my favorite artists. I remember listening to the album in awe, of all the complex lyrics and poetic segments, and all the ear candy that would really get me to recognize Kendrick Lamar as one of the best rappers of his generation. Tracks like "The Blacker the Berry," "i," and "Mortal Man" are some of my favorite songs of all time.

Fast forward to now, Kendrick Lamar is my favorite rapper, and I connect personal experiennces of my life with his music, as his witty lyrics and grand instrumentals really are a core memory that will stick with me.

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Kendrick Lamar on stage during DAMN. tour. #compton #gangs #drdre #violence #kendrick #rap

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Lamar was born in Compton, which is one of the most well known rap cities in the country. Compton has sprouted many great artists, such as N.W.A, The Game, and Steve Lacy to name a few. Compton is known for its crime, such as its gang violence and the "war" between Bloods and Crips. These gangs are the reason why so much rappers come out of Compton hungry and passionate, as they want to succeed and get out of the streets. This sparks major creativity from many artists, as some of the best artists have came from Compton.

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Kendrick Lamar onstage in Dallas in July. #grammys #compton #streetwear #westcoast #betawards #designer

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Kendrick Lamar's fashion journey mirrors his musical evolution, as he started out his fashion career with West Coast style outfits, to now his own creative aesthetic that reflects his growth as a artist and a human.

In the early stages of his career, around the time of his debut "Section.80," Lamar embraced a West Coast vibe, as he would wear oversized jerseys, baggy jeans, and classic sneakers. His style reflected his commitment to authenticity, aswell as his experience of his upbringing.

During the "good kid, m.A.A.d city" era, his fashion would begin to evolve slowly, as he would still rock his streetwear style, but he would start rocking LA based brands, as well as being one of the first supporters for Virgil Abloh's fashion journey.

With the release of "To Pimp a Butterfly" in 2015, Lamar would depart from streetwear, and start experimenting with bold patterns, statement accesories, and a moroe avant-garde approach. He would start collaborating with high-end designers, solidifying his presence in the fashion world.

The "DAMN" era saw Lamar fuse streetwear and high end fashion pieces. He would be seen wearing luxury, as he would feature pieces from brands like Balenciaga, Off-White, and Fear of God. His style was all about blending luxury brands with his Compton roots.

In recent years, Lamar's fashion has continued to evolve, showing how he can push the boundaries of fashion, artistic abilities, and being a better human. One thing that has been consistent about his fashion is to keep the streetwear style intact. A champion of African Americans, Kendrick has always used fashion to embrace their art and envision their ideas.

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Kendrick Lamar, photographed by Annie Leibovitz. #tupac #drdre #snoopdogg #jazz #westcoast #africanamerican

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Kendrick Lamar's musical influences spark from his area, which is mostly West Coast. The West Coast gang violence, culture, and music has inspired many artists like Lamar to create their own sounds with inspiration from their hometown.

Lamar was inspired by many West Coast artists, as he sprinkles in the social consience of 2pac, the West Coast vibes of Snoop Dogg, and the artistic talent of Dr. Dre into his songs to develop his own tunes. Kendrick also is inspired by some East Coast legends, such as Nas, Biggie, and Jay-Z.

Jazz is another inspiration for Lamar, as all of his albums have jazz influence, mostly To Pimp a Butterfly. This album also has many funk influences too, from African American artists George Clinton, the Isley Brothers, and Flying Lotus.

Kendrick Lamar uses all these people's sounds and ideas to make his own songs, while using his own creativity, artistic ability, and his life to add to his music, which makes him one of the greatest artists of his generation.