The Club Paradise Tour was the second headlining tour by Canadian recording artist Drake . The tour came following the release of Drake's second studio album, Take Care . The tour's name spins off from the 2011 song " Club Paradise ", a promotional single released ahead of the release of Take Care, which, in turn, borrowed its name from a strip club in Toronto . An official poster for the tour was released along with the announcement of the venture, showing Drake in the same room as is on the album cover, expressing the despondent conflicting stance about growing wealth and fame prevalent in the album.
167-500: The tour featured Kendrick Lamar and A$ AP Rocky as opening acts for the majority of the dates throughout the tour, with various acts being added as the tour expanded beyond North America . Due to the large demand and tickets selling out in minutes in multiple locations, extra tour dates were added to the itinerary, which included a second leg across the United States. The tour became a commercial success, grossing $ 42 million in
334-625: A comedy feature with Free, Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Paramount Pictures , which is slated to be released on July 4, 2025. Tupac Shakur is Lamar's biggest influence, having impacted both his professional and personal lives. One of his earliest childhood memories is watching him and Dr. Dre film the second music video for their single " California Love " with his father at the Compton Swap Meet . Lamar has described himself as an "offspring" of Shakur's artistry and sociopolitical views. Although some publications regard him as
501-708: A conscious rapper , "Yeah, I'm a conscious artist because I have a conscience ," gave him a sense of perspective. Prodigy of Mobb Deep was a key influence on Lamar's earlier mixtapes, while his rapping technique was stemmed from Lil Wayne and his longevity. Eminem and his album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) introduced him to songwriting elements, such as ad-libs , and impacted his aggressive approach to records such as " Backseat Freestyle ". He took inspiration from N.W.A 's tenacity of representing his hometown with "courage, honesty and artistic brilliance." Various R&B and soul artists, including Marvin Gaye ,
668-431: A gang war . Despite his efforts to avoid them, Lamar soon became heavily involved with Compton's hedonistic gang culture, which led to numerous health scares and encounters with the police. He distanced himself from the lifestyle following an intervention staged by his father. When he was 16, Lamar was baptized and converted to Christianity following the death of a friend. He graduated from high school in 2005 as
835-682: A joint venture recording contract with Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records ; under the deal, TDE continued to serve as his primary label. His first commercial single, " The Recipe " featuring Dr. Dre, premiered on rhythmic crossover radio on April 2. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City , Lamar's second album and first under a major record label, was released on October 22, 2012. He worked with producers such as Pharrell Williams , Hit-Boy , Scoop DeVille , Jack Splash , and T-Minus to create an atmospheric West Coast hip hop album with heavy gangsta rap influences. Its lead single , " Swimming Pools (Drank) ", marked Lamar's first top 20 single on
1002-552: A progressive rap artist. He suggests that his music is genreless, explaining in a 2012 interview, "You really can't categorize my music, it's human music." PopDust opined that during the 2010s, a decade that was arguably defined by hip hop, Lamar constantly pushed the boundaries of what the genre could be. Lamar did not care for music production during the beginning of his career. However, as he placed an emphasis on songwriting and "making material that's universal", he grew more exacting and adventurous with his compositions . He
1169-470: A rap feud since the early 2010s. The feud escalated after the release of " Like That " by Future , Metro Boomin , and Lamar on March 22, 2024. Drake and Lamar began on favorable terms, collaborating on Drake's song " Buried Alive Interlude " in 2011 and Lamar's " Poetic Justice " in 2012. Lamar was the opening act for Drake's 2012 Club Paradise Tour . In 2013, Lamar dissed Drake and other rappers on Big Sean 's " Control ", later clarifying that his verse
1336-425: A straight-A student. He flirted with the idea of studying psychology and astronomy in college, but suspended his academic pursuits to focus on his music career. During high school, Lamar adopted the stage name K.Dot and began freestyling and battle rapping at school. His performances caught the attention of fellow student Dave Free , who traveled from Inglewood to watch him rap. They quickly formed
1503-545: A 22-year-old woman he allegedly forced into prostitution in 2014. He was only convicted of an assault charge and an unrelated weapons charge. Lamar also says that using an A.I. version of Tupac's voice would bring Drake disrespect in the Bay Area : "I think that Oakland show gon' be your last stop, nigga", and hints at having made many future diss tracks. The cover art for the track was a satellite image of Drake's mansion labeled with pins representing sexual predators. After
1670-754: A Butterfly . The album's third single, " King Kunta ", received little attention in the context of Drake and Lamar's feud until after Meek Mill accused Drake of using ghostwriters on Twitter. After the accusations became public, the lines "A rapper with a ghostwriter? What the fuck happened? / I swore I wouldn't tell / But most of y'all sharing bars like you got the bottom bunk in a two man cell" from "King Kunta" were retrospectively interpreted by multiple outlets as subliminal Drake disses from Lamar. The songs "Darkside / Gone" and "Deep Water" from Dr. Dre 's August 2015 studio album Compton also both featured Lamar verses with lines interpreted as Drake disses. On January 15, 2016, President Barack Obama sat down for
1837-547: A Butterfly is an amalgamation of genres synonymous with African-American music , most prominently jazz, funk , and soul. It redefined jazz rap by highlighting improvisation and soloing rather than primarily using sampling . Minimalist arrangements are incorporated in Damn and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Damn appealed to mainstream listeners through its pop and R&B-influenced production, while
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#17327974589572004-527: A Butterfly was named Best Rap Album, "Alright" won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, "These Walls" won Best Rap/Sung Performance , and "Bad Blood" won Best Music Video . During the ceremony, Lamar performed a critically acclaimed medley of "The Blacker the Berry", "Alright", and an untitled song . He previously performed untitled songs on The Colbert Report (December 2014) and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (January 2016). After receiving
2171-541: A Butterfly , and its producer Tony Visconti praised Lamar as a "rulebreaker" in the music industry. Pharrell Williams called him "one of the greatest writers of our times" and likened him to Bob Dylan . Lamar has also been cited as a strong influence on the works of various modern artists, including BTS , Dua Lipa , Tyler, the Creator , Roddy Ricch , and Rosalía . Lorde regards him as "the most popular and influential artist in modern music." Despite becoming
2338-422: A big concept or it's so subtle you can't even tell until you get to 20 listens." Fans and publications have theorized that his albums are related to different forms of mass media . Section.80 is regarded as a short story collection inspired and themed around events that impacted the millennial generation , such as Ronald Reagan's presidency . The nonlinear narrative structure of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
2505-533: A brief relationship with Nitty Scott , and was featured on XXL ' s 2011 Freshman Class list. He released his debut studio album, Section.80 , on July 2, 2011, which was supported by its lead single " HiiiPower ". The album explored conscious and alternative hip hop styles and experimented with "stripped-down" jazz production. Ogden Payne of Forbes considers it to be "the genesis to [Lamar] successfully balancing social commentary with mass appeal." Section.80 marked Lamar's first appearance on
2672-583: A catalyst in the upsurge of social conscience across multiple generations; challenging the status quo by encouraging listeners to reexamine social institutions. Throughout the Black Lives Matter movement and events following the 2016 U.S. presidential election , his work has been used as protest anthems . According to American studies and media scholar William Hoynes, Lamar's progressive elements places him amongst other African American artists and activists who "worked both inside and outside of
2839-479: A certain frequency, how to manipulate sound to your advantage." Lamar chooses to work with a close-knit team of musicians, rather than constantly seek high-profile talent. He has been working with his longtime producer, Sounwave , since his 2009 self-titled EP. Kendrick Lamar marked a pivotal change in Lamar's artistry. Unlike his earlier mixtapes, which consisted of freestyles over CHR and urban radio singles,
3006-414: A child due to the "empty" and "one-sided" nature of the sermons . After hearing a recording of his voice for the first time, Lamar became interested in rapping . He was introduced to police brutality after experiencing the first day of the 1992 Los Angeles riots . When he was five years old, he witnessed a murder for the first time while sitting outside of his apartment unit, as a teenage drug dealer
3173-562: A creative partnership between Drake and Live Nation Entertainment . On the evening prior to opening night, Schoolboy Q announced that the sold-out concert was unexpectedly cancelled. He blamed the cancellation on Drake and Lamar's feud, citing his longtime friendship with Lamar, and claimed the Toronto Police Service prohibited artists from Top Dawg Entertainment from performing in the city due to safety concerns. The police agency dismissed rumors of their involvement, saying
3340-550: A drug addict in the crime drama series Power (2018). After his two concert tours ended, he entered a four-year recording hiatus; although he contributed to Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift , Schoolboy Q's Crash Talk , and Sir 's Chasing Summer (all 2019). As his publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music was beginning to expire, Lamar signed a long-term worldwide deal with Broadcast Music, Inc. He and Whitney Alford welcomed their first child, Uzi, on July 26, 2019. On March 5, 2020, Lamar and Dave Free launched
3507-501: A friend of the estate: "The unauthorized, equally dismaying use of Tupac's voice against Kendrick Lamar ... who has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult." Drake also accuses Lamar of not responding to "Push Ups" because Lamar did not want to stop Taylor Swift 's new album, The Tortured Poets Department , from charting higher; Drake criticized Lamar for collaborating with Swift and other pop artists. "Taylor Made Freestyle"
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#17327974589573674-435: A friendship over their love of hip hop and the television sitcom Martin . They recorded music together at Free's makeshift garage studio and at his older brother's Hyde Park apartment. Lamar's earliest performances were held at a "super hood" comedy club and behind a tattoo parlor. Free was his hype man during that time, while his older brother was his manager and disc jockey. Lamar recorded five mixtapes throughout
3841-457: A jab towards the music industry. On November 22, 2024, Lamar surprise released GNX , an album referencing the feud and having his own version of Heart Pt. 6 . On November 25, 2024, Drake appeared on a Kick livestream with Canadian streamer xQc , describing himself as "fully intact, mind, body, and soul" and remarking that "you need facts to take me out, fairy tales won't do it". He also sent additional jabs at The Weeknd and Steve Lacy ,
4008-621: A joint contract with Dr. Dre 's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records . He rose to prominence with his gangsta rap -influenced second album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012) and its top 40 singles " Swimming Pools (Drank) ", " Poetic Justice " and " Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe ". It is the longest-charting hip hop studio album on the Billboard 200 . To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), Lamar's third album, embraced historical African-American music styles such as jazz and funk . It became his first of four consecutive number-one albums on
4175-402: A kid sometimes—I would hurt myself and they would expect me not to cry." In school, Lamar was a quiet and observant student who excelled academically and had a noticeable stutter. His first grade teacher at Robert E. McNair Elementary School encouraged him to become a writer after she heard him correctly use the word "audacity". As a seventh grade student at Vanguard Learning Center, Lamar
4342-515: A lineage that runs through James Brown 's foundational work in the 1960s, 1970s psychedelia, Prince's "sweaty" phantasmagoria in the 1980s, and 1990s gangsta rap . He was ranked the tenth-best solo singer of the 21st century by The Times in 2023. Branded as a "master of storytelling " by The New Yorker , Lamar has been referred to as one of the greatest lyricists in modern hip hop by several publications and his peers. Pharrell Williams suggests that what makes his songwriting stand out
4509-569: A lot to address." "The Heart Part 6" received negative reviews from critics and fans, amassing an estimated over 1 million dislikes on YouTube. In June 2024, Lamar announced a one-off concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California , titled The Pop Out: Ken & Friends in reference to a lyric from "Not Like Us" ("Sometimes you gotta pop out and show niggas"). The concert was scheduled for Juneteenth , which Charlamagne tha God suggested
4676-469: A major part of the feud. In "Push Ups", Drake directly dismisses Metro's involvement in the feud with the line "Metro, shut your ho ass up and make some drums, nigga". On "Family Matters", Drake targeted Metro Boomin again, saying one of Metro's friends had sex with his girlfriend. On May 5, Metro responded to Drake's claim, saying: "what we not gon do is spread lies and have my loved ones involved nobody ever hit [had sex with] my girl nigga". He also posted
4843-506: A more mainstream musical palette than To Pimp a Butterfly , exploring R&B and pop elements. Rolling Stone described its sonics as a "brilliant combination of the timeless and the modern, the old school and the next-level." Damn became Lamar's most commercially successful album. It spent four non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200, marking his third consecutive number-one album, and debuted with 603,000 units sold. All of
5010-411: A national college tour with Steve Aoki and his first international tour. He struggled with depression, survivor's guilt and suicidal ideation during promotional events upon learning of the deaths of three close friends. From October to December 2013, Lamar opened for Kanye West on his Yeezus Tour , despite disapproval from his label and management team. He was baptized for a second time during
5177-670: A new direct licensing agreement with Interscope. Lamar's conflict with Drake re-escalated in March 2024 with his surprise appearance on Future and Metro Boomin 's track " Like That ". The song spent three consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lamar's third number-one single and his first song to debut at the top spot. From April to May, he released the Drake-aimed diss singles " Euphoria ", " 6:16 in LA ", " Meet
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5344-489: A person that really didn't dive too headfirst into wanting and needing attention. I mean, we all love attention, but for me, I don't necessarily adore it." His lyrics have been a topic of media scrutiny, leading to both praise and controversy. Drake%E2%80%93Kendrick Lamar feud This is an accepted version of this page The Canadian rapper Drake and the American rapper Kendrick Lamar have been involved in
5511-535: A prominent figure in popular culture, publications have noted Lamar's unconventional approach to celebrity culture . He is notoriously reserved, reluctant to publicly discuss his personal life and generally avoids using social media . He is also decisive when engaging with mainstream media outlets, although journalists have complimented his " Zen -like" calmness and down to earth personality. According to Lamar, he has become "so invested in who I am outside of being famous, sometimes that's all I know. I've always been
5678-555: A public dispute with Spotify regarding the streaming service's Hate Content & Hateful Conduct policy. Lamar was featured on five songs throughout the year: " Dedication " by Nipsey Hussle , " Mona Lisa " by Lil Wayne, " Tints " by Anderson .Paak , and "Wow Freestyle" by Jay Rock; he also executive produced the latter's album Redemption . At the American Music Awards , Black Panther: The Album won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album. Lamar made his acting debut as
5845-403: A record that "brims with comedy , complexity and the many voices in [Lamar's] head." The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 242,000 copies sold; the highest first-week album sales of the year by a male rapper. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City surpassed The Eminem Show (2002) to become the longest-charting hip hop studio album on the Billboard 200. In October 2022, it became
6012-456: A request from basketball player LeBron James to share the untitled works, Lamar released his first compilation album, Untitled Unmastered , on March 4, 2016. It contained eight untitled, dated, unfinished, and entirely self-written tracks that were intended to be included on To Pimp a Butterfly , and continued the album's exploration of jazz, funk, soul, and avant-garde styles. Untitled Unmastered received critical acclaim and debuted atop
6179-471: A response to Lamar's verse on "Like That"; Drake claims multiple artists are better than Lamar, including 21 Savage , Travis Scott , and SZA . In addition, Drake disses several people for siding against Drake after Lamar's verse came out, including Metro Boomin, Future, the Weeknd , and Rick Ross . On "Push Ups", Drake also mocks Lamar's short stature of 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters). On April 19, 2024,
6346-450: A second time during Tech N9ne 's Independent Grind Tour, where Overly Dedicated was introduced to Dr. Dre . After watching the music video for the song "Ignorance Is Bliss" on YouTube , he reached out to Lamar with hopes of working with him and Snoop Dogg on his unfinished album, Detox . He also considered signing him to his record label, Aftermath Entertainment , and was encouraged to by artists such as J. Cole . Lamar entered
6513-489: A series of interviews conducted by YouTube influencers . In one such interview, the influencer Adande Thorne asked if Obama thought Drake or Lamar would win in a rap battle . Obama responded: "Gotta go with Kendrick. I think Drake is an outstanding entertainer. But Kendrick, his lyrics—[ To Pimp a Butterfly ] was outstanding. Best album, I think, last year." Fifteen days later, Drake released " Summer Sixteen ", dissing Obama and rapping: "Tell Obama that my verses are just like
6680-473: A son to raise, but I can see you know nothin' 'bout that". He also claims that Drake's abs were made through plastic surgery. On May 3, 2024, three days after "Euphoria", Lamar posted an Instagram Reel captioned " 6:16 in LA ", containing a new diss track, similar to how Drake released "Taylor Made Freestyle". The title parodies Drake's "[timestamp] in [city]" songs, like " 8AM in Charlotte ". The track
6847-450: A strategy that impressed Henderson but bewildered Tiffith. He was offered a recording contract by TDE in 2005, joining Jay Rock as the label's first signings. Upon signing, he purchased a minority stake in the label for an undisclosed amount. Lamar had a brief stint as a security guard when he started working on music with Jay Rock at TDE's in-house recording studio. The bond he formed with him, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q led to
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7014-511: A timeline of the feud for Vibe , referred to this time as "the Cold War between the two men". In a list of potential sneak disses on Drake's February 2015 mixtape If You're Reading This It's Too Late , Brandon Caldwell for Billboard claimed "Used To" and the bonus track "6PM in New York" contained lines targeting Lamar. On March 15, 2015, Lamar released his third studio album To Pimp
7181-521: A wide range of literary and cinematic techniques , such as hip hop skits and voice-overs , to allow his audience to follow internal and external storylines . His fusion of various film styles and his sonic influence has elevated his works to be some of the most "consistently poignant" in hip hop, and promoted the advancement of the narrative device . Lamar, who self-identifies as a musician and writer, begins his songwriting process with an assortment of premeditated thoughts that he jotted down over
7348-514: Is a tribute project to Lil Wayne 's Tha Carter III (2008) and was supported by his co-sign. Reeves felt that the mixtape was a "wrongheaded homage to a year-old, well-worn album." From February to July, he toured with the Game on his LAX Tour as a hype man for Jay Rock. Lamar disliked how his stage name diverted attention away from his true identity, and decided to retire it. He opted to use his first and middle names professionally and regards
7515-409: Is because he "knows how to be very disciplined with a subject matter, he knows that stickiness is important, and he knows that it has to be great." American Songwriter notes that for as much as Lamar is a musician, lyricist, and emcee, he is also "a playwright , a novelist , a short story author. He's literary within the art form of music." Lamar's reflective narrative songwriting pulls from
7682-568: Is billed as a coming-of-age short film that chronicles Lamar's harsh teenage experiences in his native Compton. Its cinematic scope has been compared to the screenplays written by filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino . To Pimp a Butterfly unfolds as both a poem and blank letter that explores the responsibilities of being a role model and documents life as an African American during Barack Obama's presidency . Damn
7849-400: Is dead". Other writers took a contrary view, arguing that the feud was a net positive for hip-hop. Yemi Abiade of BBC News said the feud "entertained the entire world, enhancing the legacies of two generational rap artists" and claimed that "rap music wins, yet again". With the release of Lamar's "Not Like Us" music video, numerous critics and publications recognized Lamar as the victor of
8016-425: Is heavily involved with every aspect of his production process, including the mixing and mastering stages, and is known for working long hours in the recording studio. "You gotta be hands on and know the different sounds and frequencies ," Lamar explained to Variety . "What makes people move, what melodies stick with you, taking the higher octaves and the lower octaves and learning how to intertwine that in
8183-436: Is labeled as an introspective satire that explores the dualities of human nature and morality . Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers takes on the form of a theatrical play , with confessional lyrics based on Lamar's experiences in therapy . As one of the most influential musicians of the 2010s decade , Lamar has been deemed a paradigm shift in contemporary hip hop and popular culture . His discography became
8350-556: Is not a member of a particular gang, he grew up with close affiliates of the Westside Pirus . Despite suffering hardships, Lamar remembered having "good memories" of his childhood that sparked his interest in hip hop music , such as sneaking into his parents' house parties . He was raised secular , although he occasionally attended church services and was taught the Bible by his grandmother. He felt "spiritually unsatisfied" as
8517-491: The Billboard 200 chart, and was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the 2010s . Lamar's work on the remix of Taylor Swift 's " Bad Blood " garnered his first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 . His critical and commercial success continued with his R&B and pop -leaning fourth album Damn (2017), yielding his second Hot 100 number-one single " Humble ". The double album Mr. Morale &
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#17327974589578684-541: The Billboard 200 chart, where it peaked at number 113. It sold approximately 5,000 copies in its first week of tracking, with minimal coverage from mainstream media outlets. To promote the album, Lamar performed at small venues and college campuses across the U.S. He was dubbed the " New King of the West Coast " by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and the Game during a performance in West Los Angeles . Throughout
8851-602: The 2000s ; his first, Youngest Head Nigga in Charge (Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year) , was released on April 15, 2003, through Konkrete Jungle Musik. The mixtapes primarily consisted of freestyles over the production of popular hip hop songs . In a series of retrospective reviews for Rolling Stone , Mosi Reeves complimented Lamar's "unerring" sense of rhythm and timing found in Hub City Threat: Minor of
9018-582: The 64th Annual Grammy Awards . Lamar made additional contributions to Baby Keem's album The Melodic Blue by providing background vocals and appearing on the song " Range Brothers ". In November, he held a "theatrical exhibition of his musical eras" during his second headlining performance at Day N Vegas, and featured on Terrace Martin's album Drones . He co-headlined the Super Bowl LVI halftime show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent , and Mary J. Blige on February 13, 2022, which won
9185-543: The BET Hip Hop Awards . In support of To Pimp a Butterfly , Lamar embarked on the Kunta's Groove Sessions Tour, which ran from October to November 2015 in select intimate venues across the U.S. For his work on the album and other collaborations throughout the year, Lamar earned 11 nominations at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards , the most by a rapper in a single night . He led the winners with five awards: To Pimp
9352-399: The Billboard 200 with 178,000 album-equivalent units , becoming Lamar's second consecutive number-one project. Throughout the year, he was featured on four commercially successful songs: Beyoncé 's " Freedom ", Maroon 5 's " Don't Wanna Know ", the Weeknd 's " Sidewalks ", and Travis Scott 's " Goosebumps ". On March 1, 2017, during a cover story for T , Lamar confirmed that he
9519-720: The Gangster Disciples . Lamar was named after singer-songwriter Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations . He was an only child until the age of seven and was described as a loner by his mother. Eventually, his parents had his two younger brothers and younger sister, businesswoman Kayla Sawyer ( née Duckworth). His cousins include basketball player Nick Young and rapper Baby Keem . Lamar and his family lived in Section 8 housing, were reliant on welfare and food stamps , and experienced homelessness . Although he
9686-499: The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) . After releasing the promotional single " The Heart Part 5 ", Lamar's fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers , was released on May 13, 2022. He and Alford used the album's cover art to announce the birth of their son, Enoch. The double album drew on jazz, R&B, trap , and soul influences; Alford served as its primary narrator. It
9853-614: The Recording Industry Association of America . To support Damn , Lamar embarked on his first headlining arena tour, the Damn Tour , from July 2017 to July 2018. It grossed $ 62.7 million in worldwide revenue, becoming one of the highest-grossing hip hop tours in history. At the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards , Lamar opened the ceremony with a performance of "DNA" and "Humble". He later won five awards, including Best Hip Hop Video , Best Direction, and Video of
10020-565: The State of the Union Address by The Guardian , while Billboard described it as " Shakespearean ". HuffPost opined that his work is a "great" piece of journalism because it "speaks from the prerogative of black communities facing oppression and directly attacks the institutions responsible for their pain," an achievement most reporters cannot attain. Lamar tries to carry a conceptual idea inside of his music, "whether it's
10187-462: The "big three" in modern rap. On April 5, 2024, Cole responded to Lamar on the diss track " 7 Minute Drill ", but a week later, Cole apologized for the song and removed it from streaming services. Drake then dissed Lamar on " Push Ups " and " Taylor Made Freestyle " in April. In response, Lamar released " Euphoria " on April 30 and " 6:16 in LA " on May 3. Drake responded with " Family Matters " later on
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#173279745895710354-495: The 1990s, while others use "rigid" old school elements recalling the 1980s. Lamar frequently uses syncopation in his melodies to create contradictions between his lyrical content and rhythms. With Good Kid, M.A.A.D City , he liberally plays with pronunciation , inflections , and delivery to mirror the album's emotional range. Lamar possesses a versatile tenor vocal range and a raspy, half-shout timbre , where "his throat sounds dry and his mouth sounds wet." André 3000
10521-474: The 3rd, accusing Lamar of being a domestic abuser and alleging that one of Lamar's children was fathered by Dave Free . Less than an hour later, Lamar released " Meet the Grahams ", accusing Drake of sexual predation—including sex trafficking , and fathering a second secret child (in a 2018 diss track by Pusha T , it was revealed that Drake was secretly fathering his son Adonis). Lamar released " Not Like Us "
10688-417: The April 12 diss track " Show of Hands ". Drake promoted "Family Matters" on Instagram by posting "Buried Alive Interlude, Pt. 2", a short remix of "Buried Alive Interlude" in which he mentions Lamar opening for his Club Paradise Tour. Just twenty minutes after the release of "Family Matters", Lamar released another diss track aimed at Drake, titled " Meet the Grahams ," produced by The Alchemist . On
10855-571: The Big Steppers (2022) concluded Lamar's tenure with TDE and Aftermath. His 2024 feud with Drake spawned the Hot 100 number-ones " Like That " and " Not Like Us ". His sixth studio album, GNX (2024), was a surprise release . Lamar has received various accolades throughout his career, including 17 Grammy Awards ( the third-most won by a rapper ), a Primetime Emmy Award , a Brit Award , four American Music Awards , six Billboard Music Awards , 11 MTV Video Music Awards (including two Video of
11022-605: The Big Steppers was named Best Rap Album, while "The Heart Part 5" won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. In May 2023, Lamar was featured on the standalone version of Beyoncé 's single " America Has a Problem " and appeared on Baby Keem's single " The Hillbillies ". He won four awards at the BET Hip Hop Awards , and set four records in the process. Lamar was featured in the documentary concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé and executive produced Baby Keem 's short film adaptation of The Melodic Blue . He quietly shedded his ties with Aftermath Entertainment and signed
11189-474: The EP incorporated melancholic and "doleful" original production that emphasized his lyrics. Austere jazz production was blended with alternative rap styles on Section.80 , with instrumentals drawing from R&B, boom bap , psychedelia , and downtempo . Good Kid, M.A.A.D City abandoned the tastes of contemporary hip hop by exploring a subtle, atmospheric side of West Coast hip hop and gangsta rap . To Pimp
11356-478: The Grahams ", and " Not Like Us "; all of which were either positively received or acclaimed by critics. The latter installment marked the first rap song to lead the Hot 100 with a limited tracking week. A celebratory one-off concert, titled The Pop Out: Ken & Friends , was held on Juneteenth . On September 8, 2024, it was announced that Lamar would headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show , marking
11523-465: The Isley Brothers , Michael Jackson , Teddy Pendergrass , Sade , and Anita Baker , have influenced Lamar. He performed with Prince , who impacted his vocal register , at Paisley Park to celebrate the release of the latter's 2014 albums Plectrumelectrum and Art Official Age , which GQ described as "five minutes of brilliant insanity." To Pimp a Butterfly was influenced by
11690-486: The Same . On December 17, 2013, a remix of Future 's " Shit " featuring Drake and Juicy J was released. Hip-hop fans and outlets alike speculated Drake's verse on the remix was a diss targeted towards Lamar. The same day, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith and Punch (both key figures at Lamar's record label Top Dawg Entertainment ) posted responses on Twitter to Drake's verse disregarding the supposed disses. Two days after
11857-686: The Shakur of his generation, he strives to maintain his individuality . Shakur's The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996), The Notorious B.I.G. 's Life After Death (1997), and DMX 's It's Dark and Hell is Hot (1998) influenced Lamar's artistic direction: "I don't look at these albums like just music; it sounds like an actual film." He also listened and took influence from Mos Def and Snoop Dogg during his childhood, and said, "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Eazy-E ." 50 Cent 's mixtape success inspired Lamar to become an independent artist , while his view on being categorized as
12024-496: The U.S. Billboard Hot 100 . Its other singles, " Backseat Freestyle ", " Poetic Justice ", and " Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe ", enjoyed moderate commercial success. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was met with widespread critical acclaim, who lauded Lamar's nonlinear songwriting and thematic scope. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune applauded him for giving gangsta tropes a "twist, or sometimes upend[ing] them completely" on
12191-685: The U.S. through the remix of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift 's " Bad Blood ". It won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration at the MTV Video Music Awards , while the music video for "Alright" won Best Direction . Lamar later re-recorded his featured appearance on the " Bad Blood " remix in support of Swift's counteraction to her masters dispute . He opened the BET Awards with a controversial performance of "Alright" and won Best Male Hip Hop Artist. He also won three awards at
12358-593: The Year wins) and 37 BET Hip Hop Awards (the most won by any artist). Time listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016. Two of his concert tours , the Damn Tour (2017–2018) and the Big Steppers Tour (2022–2024), are amongst the highest-grossing rap tours in history. Three of his works were included in Rolling Stone ' s 2020 revision of the 500 greatest albums of all time . Outside of music, Lamar co-founded
12525-598: The Year , but criticized his "clumsy" lyricism and that his flow was "overly beholden to ... Jay-Z and Lil Wayne". Free, who was working as a computer technician , introduced the mixtape to record producer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith while attempting to repair his computer. Tiffith was impressed with Lamar's burgeoning abilities and invited him to partake in an audition process for entry into his newly established independent record label , Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). During his audition, Lamar freestyled for Tiffith and record executive Terrence "Punch" Henderson for two hours,
12692-524: The Year for "Humble"; the latter win marked the first time an artist won the prize for a video they co-directed. Throughout the year, he was featured on the remix to Future 's " Mask Off ", SZA's " Doves in the Wind ", and Rich the Kid 's " New Freezer ". He won Best Male Hip Hop Artist at the BET Awards , while Damn won Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Album at the American Music Awards . A collector's edition of
12859-492: The Yeezus Tour ended, Lamar started working on his third album. He earned seven nominations at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards (January 2014), including Best New Artist , Best Rap Album , and Album of the Year for Good Kid, M.A.A.D City . He was winless at the ceremony, which several media outlets felt was a snub . Macklemore , who won Best New Artist and Best Rap Album, shared a text message that he sent Lamar after
13026-604: The actress that started when she was 14, and led to accusations on social media that Drake was grooming her. Drake also alleges that his inner circle fed Lamar false information about having an 11-year-old daughter, which Lamar referenced in "Meet the Grahams". He continues claiming that there were cases of domestic violence in Lamar's relationship with Alford, and claimed that Lamar had not seen his children in 6 months. Writing on social media afterwards, Drake predicted Lamar would respond shortly, saying "And we know you're dropping 6 mins after so instead of posting my address you have
13193-475: The album were " The Blacker the Berry ", " King Kunta ", " Alright ", and " These Walls "–all of which enjoyed moderate commercial success. Selling 324,000 copies in its first week, To Pimp a Butterfly became Lamar's first number-one album on the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart . Billboard commented that "twenty years ago, a conscious rap record wouldn't have penetrated the mainstream in
13360-582: The album's 14 songs debuted on the Hot 100, including the top-20 singles " Loyalty " and " Love ". Damn was the seventh best-selling album of 2017, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), while "Humble" was the sixth best-selling single of the year. By June 2018, it became the first album by a rapper or solo artist to have every song featured earn a gold certification or higher from
13527-451: The album, regardless of credit, and produced on select songs. Music critics consider Black Panther: The Album to be a milestone achievement, giving praise towards its lyrics and cultural significance. It spent two consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200, and earned the most single-week streams for a soundtrack album in history. Lamar opened the 60th Annual Grammy Awards with a critically acclaimed medley . He won five awards during
13694-588: The album, which featured its tracklist in reverse order, was released in December. On January 4, 2018, Lamar announced that he would be curating and executive producing Black Panther: The Album , the soundtrack from the 2018 film of the same name . It was released on February 9 and was supported with three commercially successful singles: " All the Stars ", " King's Dead ", and " Pray for Me ". Lamar contributed lead and background vocals to every track on
13861-560: The alleged "lie" about the hidden daughter, uploaded an edited version of the track to social media, where they edited out the third verse of " Meet the Grahams ", prompting Lamar and his label to file a copyright violation. Charles Holmes of The Ringer wrote that with "Family Matters" and "Meet the Grahams", "the Doomsday Machine has been activated", and the feud was no longer inconsequential. On May 4, 2024, Kendrick Lamar released " Not Like Us ", produced by DJ Mustard . In
14028-688: The beginning of the tour, and experienced a nervous breakdown near the end. Lamar won three awards each during the BET Awards and BET Hip Hop Awards , including Best New Artist at the former. Lamar was featured on six songs throughout the year: " YOLO " by the Lonely Island featuring Adam Levine , the remix of " How Many Drinks? " by Miguel , " Collard Greens " by Schoolboy Q, " Control " with Big Sean and Jay Electronica , " Give It 2 U " by Robin Thicke featuring 2 Chainz, and " Love Game " by Eminem . His performance on "Control"
14195-405: The best diss against Drake over a semi-instrumental track called " BBL Drizzy ", whose chorus is based on the rumor that Drake has had a Brazilian butt lift . The song samples an AI generated R&B parody song evocative of 1970s music created by comedic performer King Willonius. The instrumental received more than 3.3 million streams on SoundCloud within a week and managed to maintain
14362-594: The big three, nigga, it's just big me". The diss prompted Cole to release a response song, " 7 Minute Drill ", in which he criticizes To Pimp a Butterfly . However, in the days after he publicly apologized onstage for releasing the song and removed it from streaming services. Drake did not directly acknowledge "Like That" on tour, simply stating at one concert: "I got my head up high... and I know no matter what there's not another nigga on this Earth that could ever fuck with me". On April 13, 2024, early versions of Drake's " Push Ups " were leaked online. The song serves as
14529-490: The ceremony ended, in which he apologized for winning over him. The incident was the subject of widespread media attention, controversy and Internet memes . During the awards ceremony, Lamar performed a mashup of "M.A.A.D City" and " Radioactive " with rock band Imagine Dragons , which was met with critical acclaim. Lamar opened for Eminem on the Rapture Tour from February to July 2014. On August 9, he premiered
14696-529: The ceremony: Damn was named Best Rap Album, "Humble" won Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video and "Loyalty" won Best Rap/Sung Performance. Damn won the Pulitzer Prize for Music on April 16, 2018, marking the first time a musical composition outside of the classical and jazz genres received the honor. From May to June 2018, Lamar co-headlined The Championship Tour with several TDE artists. While on tour, he became embroiled in
14863-425: The course of one year. His personal experiences are a common source of inspiration, but he also pulls ideas from meeting new people, traveling, and experiencing different cultures . A devout Christian , he additionally shares his spiritual triumphs and struggles on his songs. He is an avid note-taker , and has developed keywords, phrases , and sounds to help him "trigger the exact emotions" he felt when writing
15030-566: The creative company PGLang and ventured into film with his creative partner, Dave Free . Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born on June 17, 1987, in Compton, California . He is the first child of former gang hustler Kenneth "Kenny" Duckworth and hairdresser Paula Oliver. Both of his parents are African Americans from the South Side of Chicago . When they were teenagers, they relocated to Compton in 1984, due to his father's affiliation with
15197-527: The creative entity PGLang , which was described at the time as a multilingual, artist-friendly service company. In October, he signed a worldwide administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group . Lamar announced through an August 2021 blog post that he was in the process of producing his final album under TDE, confirming rumors that emerged last year that he would be leaving to focus on PGLang. The following week, he appeared on Baby Keem's single " Family Ties ", which won Best Rap Performance at
15364-426: The death knell of an entire era", specifically noting both the severity of the accusations leveled against the parties involved and how the feud had been received on social media in light of those accusations. Among other beefs in 2024, the feud has also been regarded as an example of social media's influence in shifting the nature of rap beefs. In an NBC News article, Howard University professor Tia Tyree compared
15531-487: The decision to cancel the performance was made solely by History. On July 29, 2024, DJ Scheme played "Not Like Us" at History during his opening set for Ski Mask the Slump God . The two artists taunted Drake and gloated over the move with Schoolboy Q on social media. Sir , who is also signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and has close associations with Lamar, announced the following day that his sold-out concert at History
15698-518: The fact that fans choose the music they want to hear". On November 26, Drake filed another petition against UMG, alleging defamation and a " pay-to-play " scheme between UMG and iHeartRadio . Drake has been supported by Birdman , Azealia Banks , 50 Cent , the Game , and Juelz Santana , among others. Lamar has been supported by Metro Boomin , Future , Pusha T , Kanye West , The Weeknd , ASAP Rocky , Rick Ross , and Jay Rock , among others. HotNewHipHop referred to Metro Boomin as being
15865-402: The feud "has caused both men to dig deep and produce some of their best work in years". Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork labeled the feud "the most miserable spectacle in rap history", calling it a "disinformation campaign that has turned rap's all-time biggest beef into a messy, confusing conflict that, at its core, is nothing but ugly" and stated it "doesn't even sound like rap beef anymore, but
16032-516: The feud has been considered the "last great rap beef", with Holmes asserting that "[I]n terms of size, scale, and capital, we're witnessing the last rap beef of this magnitude." Multiple commentators, including Todd Boyd , compared the feud to the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry from the 1990s, which culminated with the drive-by shooting deaths of both Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. in 1996 and 1997, respectively. The feud
16199-516: The first hip hop studio album to spend over ten consecutive years on the chart. From September to October 2012, Lamar headlined the BET Music Matters Tour with Black Hippy and Stalley . He won Lyricist of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards , and was featured on ASAP Rocky 's single " Fuckin' Problems " alongside Drake and 2 Chainz , which reached the top 10 in the U.S. Lamar embarked on two headlining concert tours in 2013:
16366-430: The first time a rapper has led the performance as a solo act. Three days later, he released an untitled song to his Instagram account. On November 22, he shared a song titled "GNX", exclusively on YouTube , followed with a surprise release of the album of the same name on streaming the same day. Outside of music, Lamar starred in the animated biographical film Piece by Piece (2024). He signed on to produce
16533-438: The following day, more explicitly accusing Drake of pedophilia and disrespecting hip-hop. On May 5, Drake responded with " The Heart Part 6 ", denying Lamar's accusations and claiming that his team gave Lamar false information about the secret child. In November 2024, Drake filed two lawsuits against Universal Music Group (UMG), both his and Lamar's record label ; Drake claimed UMG used illegal tactics to artificially inflate
16700-523: The formation of the hip hop supergroup , Black Hippy . Lamar released his second mixtape, Training Day , on December 30, 2005. Reeves complimented its varied production and "well-executed" concept, which was based on the 2001 film of the same name . In 2006, Lamar signed an artist development deal with Def Jam Recordings and was featured on two singles by the Game . He also heavily contributed to Jay Rock's first two mixtapes, Watts Finest Vol. 1 and Watts Finest Vol. 2: The Nickerson Files . Lamar
16867-456: The frequent usage of "Not Like Us" after a Team USA basketball match. Curry said "it’s not the only song in America" while James said he loves the song, while agreeing that "we gotta get something else." Curry later said in an interview with GQ that he's still a 'big Drake guy'. On May 5, 2024, Metro Boomin started a contest where he would give a free beat and $ 10,000 to whoever recorded
17034-436: The image of Drake in blackface that had been used for the cover of "The Story of Adidon". Boosie Badazz criticized Lamar and Drake and their fanbases over the feud, expressing that the feud undermines their careers and respective contributions to the genre. Kurupt , Ice Cube , and Questlove echoed similar sentiments, with Kurupt saying "Life is precious, my nigga. So if y'all ain't gonna fight, stop it...". The feud
17201-449: The inciting party. Wiley claimed that Drake said he was better than Lamar, which he perceived as jealousy. He also accused Drake of personally intimidating ESPN into deleting the interview. On March 23, 2017, Lamar released " The Heart Part 4 ", popularly perceived as a diss track towards Big Sean or Drake. Lamar would later explicitly reference lines from "The Heart Part 4" in his 2024 Drake diss track " Euphoria ", seemingly confirming
17368-429: The initial demo . Considered to be a "radio-friendly but overtly political rapper" by Pitchfork , and a populist by The Wall Street Journal , Lamar's songwriting regularly infuses political criticism and social commentary concerning African-American culture . Common themes explored include racial inequality , institutional discrimination , and black empowerment . Lamar's critiques has been compared to
17535-456: The latter and Lamar would react to the stream with amusement. On the same day, Drake filed a petition against Universal Music Group (UMG) alleging they violated the RICO Act by using illegal tactics to boost streams for "Not Like Us". UMG responded the same day, denying the allegations and stating that "no amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask
17702-494: The latter of which Dre had recorded with Shakur. After these two songs, Dre performed the intro to "Not Like Us" ("Pssst, I see dead people"). Lamar concluded the concert with a "Not Like Us" encore, afterwards repeating the song five more times while dancing on stage with colleagues and members of many Los Angeles street gangs, including the Crips and Bloods , before taking a group photo onstage. The music video for "Not Like Us"
17869-596: The life force that exists in all of us." After defeating Canada in the 2024 Copa América semifinals , the Argentine national football team posted images with "Not Like Us" emblazoned above a photo of the team, a jab at Drake for betting $ 300,000 on the Canadian team. The feud was referenced on Saturday Night Live ' s Weekend Update segment. Professional basketball players Stephen Curry and LeBron James , who were both mentioned in "Meet The Grahams", discussed
18036-431: The mainstream exposure and commercial success he had experienced following the releases of his two studio albums. Drake would later confirm in an interview with MTV that the labels had wanted him to embark on a stadium tour, which he rejected. He would comment, stating "I fought for this tour, I fought really hard for this tour because, of course, they want me to go get the big bucks, go into the stadiums and cash out. But I
18203-405: The mainstream to advance a counterculture that opposes the racist stereotypes being propagated in white-owned media and culture." He has been credited with reviving jazz rap and the music video as a form of social commentary. Lamar's music has consistently garnered critical acclaim and commercial success—a rare combination in the music industry —as well as support from artists who have paved
18370-486: The middle, unnoticed, of a large quarrelsome crowd." Praised for his willingness to use his voice as an instrument, Lamar adopts different cadences , tones , modulations , and timbres to suggest conflicting personalities, paint distinct emotions, and communicate stories using characters and personas . His falsetto register, which he calls the "ghetto falsetto", has been likened to Curtis Mayfield 's. MTV writes that by manipulating his voice, Lamar calls back to
18537-417: The morning after, the video had reached over 13 million views on YouTube. CNN and NME noted widespread anticipation for the video up to its release. Numerous publications and websites called it another victory lap for Lamar in his feud with Drake. The video discredited many allegations and claims that Drake had used to diss Lamar with the appearance of his family dancing happily in the video, as well as
18704-408: The name change as part of his career growth." For his eponymous debut extended play (2009), Lamar eschewed the creative process of his mixtapes in favor of a project heavily focused on his songwriting over "lovely yet doleful" production. Reeves described the EP as the "first standout project" of his career, praising its melancholic tone. He felt that the project restored his reputation following
18871-492: The number one spot on the platform's "New and Hot" chart. The track also drew responses on social media, with celebrities and internet personalities including Elon Musk , Dr. Miami , and more reacting. In addition to freestyle raps, users also recreated the song beyond the hip hop in house , merengue and Bollywood styles. Some also created covers of the song on a variety of musical instruments , including on saxophone , guitar and harp . According to The Ringer ,
19038-423: The other in a way that would have "ignited [the feud] to proportions we have not seen since Ja Rule/50 [Cent], maybe even Ice Cube/N.W.A." In an August 2016 interview for VladTV , Wiley stated that the alleged SportsNation interview was destroyed because the inciting rapper's team intervened. On May 8, 2024, Wiley stated in his YouTube show Hydration Situation that the interview took place in 2014, with Drake as
19205-807: The past release of diss tracks on radio and CD to the instantaneous nature of releasing it on social media. The prevalence of Stan culture was also noted as a factor in the feud. Holmes noted that unlike Drake's leverage of meme culture in his feud against Meek Mill , he was at a disadvantage compared to Lamar's less accessible nature on the internet. Both artists received criticism for their use of women and family members as "punchlines" in their respective diss tracks. The Ringer noted hypocrisy in both parties' messaging, stating that Drake, who went after Lamar for allegedly abusing women, had shouted out Chris Brown on "Family Matters" and posted his support on social media of Tory Lanez , both of whom had been arrested for domestic violence. Similarly, Lamar's hypocrisy
19372-704: The perception of the former track as a Drake diss. In May 2022, Lamar released his fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers . The fifth song on the album, "Father Time" (featuring Sampha ), included a verse from Lamar which referenced Kanye West and Drake's brief peace during their respective feud : "When Kanye got back with Drake, I was slightly confused / Guess I'm not mature as I think, got some healin' to do". The lines were reported by some outlets as possible disses toward Drake and West, though they were also interpreted as nothing more than Lamar expressing surprise at Drake and West's reconciliation. In September 2021, Joe Budden alleged Lamar dissed Drake on
19539-587: The popularity of "Not Like Us", and failed to halt the release of the song, which he alleges is defamatory . Several publications have described Lamar as winning the feud in popular consensus, citing music critics and social media users. Some commentators have praised the rivalry's spectacle and the significance it gave to modern hip-hop, while others have criticized both artists for the way they made and responded to each other's accusations. Some also criticized Drake for taking legal action. Drake and Kendrick Lamar began on favorable terms. The pair's first collaboration
19706-456: The prospect of a 'beef' between himself and Drake: "It wasn't no issue from the jump. I think people talk about beef... it's just a whole 'nother dynamic. I can't see myself going bar for bar with Drake. We're two different types of artists." Despite Drake and Lamar's prior dismissals, their feud continued in the form of sneak disses Billboard identified as "subtle shots fired from both sides, but nothing groundbreaking". Marc Griffin, writing
19873-497: The recent federal raids on Sean Combs ' mansion as part of an unrelated investigation. Lamar revealing an alleged second child came in the context of Pusha T 's 2018 diss track " The Story of Adidon ", in which Pusha T publicly revealed that Drake was hiding a son named Adonis. Drake responded to Lamar on Instagram: "Nahhhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me ... these guys are in shambles", followed by multiple laughing emojis. Fans who were put off by
20040-585: The release of the song, on Google Maps , fans have found Drake's mansion and have labeled the house, using Google Maps' option to customize locations, as "Owned by Kendrick", as well as things like "A-Minor", referencing the first verse of "Not Like Us" and "Kendrick's Dog", which could be another reference to Drake's latest album, For All the Dogs . On May 5, 2024, Drake released " The Heart Part 6 ". The title references Lamar's "The Heart" series, picking up after Lamar's critically acclaimed " The Heart Part 5 ". In
20207-477: The same day as the official release of "Push Ups", Drake also released " Taylor Made Freestyle ", another diss targeted at Lamar. The song featured AI-generated vocals imitating the rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg . Shakur's estate disapproved of the AI-generated verse and threatened Drake to pull the song from social media, citing the violation of Shakur's personality rights and the decision to diss
20374-877: The scattered and distorted instrumentals of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was designed to make listeners feel anxious and uncomfortable. Several media outlets consider Lamar to be the greatest and most important rapper of his generation. Billboard , Forbes and Vibe named him the second-greatest rapper of all time , behind Jay-Z . Described as a "blazing" technical rapper and "relentless searcher" by The New York Times , Lamar's "limber, dexterous" flow switches from derivative to generative metrics , while incorporating internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes . His rhymes are typically manipulated within common time , allowing him to subtly control his metrical phonology and suggest formal ambiguities similar to pop and rock repertoires. Some of his rhyme manipulations feature "flexible" new school styles evoking
20541-542: The sentiments of his "Control" verse. "I saw him five days later at the VMAs and it was all love... If it's really 'fuck everybody' then it needs to be 'fuck everybody'. It can't just be halfway". On September 24, 2013, Drake released his third studio album Nothing Was the Same . Multiple outlets interpreted the first verse on " The Language ", the album's fifth single, as a response to Lamar's "Control" verse. Birdman , head of Drake's then-label Cash Money Records , stated
20708-468: The short film M.A.A.D , which he starred in, commissioned and produced, during the Sundance Institute 's Next Fest. He released " I " as the lead single to his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly , on September 23, which won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards . His performance of "I" during his appearance as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live
20875-482: The song " Family Ties ", released the month prior by Baby Keem and Lamar. In October 2023, on Drake's " First Person Shooter ," J. Cole suggested that he, Drake, and Lamar were part of the "Big Three" greatest rappers in modern hip-hop, as well as that he was currently the best of the three. On March 22, 2024, Lamar responded unfavorably to the "Big Three" notion on his, Metro Boomin and Future 's song, " Like That ", dissing Cole and Drake while rhyming "motherfuck
21042-399: The song was not about Lamar. In October, during the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards ' fifth cypher , Lamar rapped: "Nothing's been the same since they dropped 'Control' / And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes". These lines were popularly interpreted as further disses toward Drake and a response to "The Language", especially as Lamar appears to reference Drake's Nothing Was
21209-507: The sting of criticism he received over C4 . After striking a music publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music , Lamar released his fourth mixtape, Overly Dedicated , on September 14, 2010. It was his first project to be purchased through digital retailers. Reeves described Overly Dedicated as a partial "victory lap" that marked a shift in his songwriting. The mixtape peaked at number 72 on Billboard ' s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Lamar served as Jay Rock's hype man for
21376-456: The submission date of the case. On May 3, Drake released " Family Matters ", a response to "Euphoria" and "6:16 in LA". In the track, Drake alleges that one of Lamar's children is biologically from Dave Free , Lamar's friend and label co-founder. He also claims Lamar is a domestic abuser and unfaithful in his relationship with his fiancée Whitney Alford. The track is also directed at ASAP Rocky and Metro Boomin, who collaborated with Future on
21543-458: The tour's duration. It was the highest-grossing hip-hop tour of 2012, according to Pollstar ' s annual year end tour chart. Drake would announce the tour in October 2011, releasing dates in December, announcing that the "Club Paradise Tour" was set to feature in over college amphitheaters and multi-purpose arenas across the United States and Canada. This was seen as a shock move by Drake, due to
21710-403: The track's release, Drake addressed Lamar's 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards cypher verse and "The Language" in a cover story for Vibe , mocking the idea of them being "buddy-buddy" and stating he already "stood [his] ground" in response to "Control". Nevertheless, Drake maintained that "The Language" wasn't targeted towards Lamar. Drake also praised Lamar as a "genius in his own right" and insisted there
21877-447: The track, Drake denies the pedophile and grooming allegations made against him. He claims Lamar's accusations were based on his own trauma stemming from abuse. The Aretha Franklin song "Prove It" is sampled, and uses Franklin's lines "Now let me see you prove it / Just let me see you prove it". Drake says: "Only fuckin' with Whitneys, not Millie Bobby Browns , I'd never look twice at no teenager", referring to Drake's friendship with
22044-404: The track, Lamar more explicitly refers to Drake and members of his inner circle as pedophiles, saying: "Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one". Baka Not Nice , a member of Drake's security team, is mentioned in the line "Baka got a weird case, why is he around?", referring to when Baka was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, assault, and robbery of
22211-500: The track, Lamar speaks directly to members of Drake's family, telling his son Adonis that he is sorry that his father is Drake. Lamar alleges that Drake is hiding a second child (a daughter), that he is sexually attracted to minors, and that he is running a sex trafficking ring out of his mansion. Lamar also disses Drake's OVO label affiliates—claiming they are sex offenders harbored by Drake—and security guard. He predicts that Drake's mansion "is 'bout to get raided too", referring to
22378-418: The two artists were accused of various forms of domestic and sexual abuse . UMG, the label of both Lamar and Drake, denied rumors that they had been mediating an end to the feud. By early May, various music outlets such as Pitchfork , The Ringer , and Rolling Stone cited Lamar as winning in the feud. An Insider article claimed that both music critics and social media users conceded Lamar as
22545-417: The victor. However, Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork avowed that Lamar's victory was " pyrrhic ", while Charles Holmes for The Ringer similarly claimed Lamar was in the lead despite the victory feeling hollow. The Roots drummer Questlove condemned both for engaging in "wrestling match level mudslinging", opining that neither can reasonably be considered to have emerged victorious, concluding "Hip Hop truly
22712-464: The video credits reading "Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar". It was called a moment of re-ignition of the feud, and was seen as Lamar's " knockout punch" against Drake. Schoolboy Q was set to commence his Blue Lips Weekends concert tour , in support of his sixth studio album Blue Lips (2024), on July 18, 2024, at History in Toronto . The music venue was established in 2021 through
22879-413: The way [Lamar] did with To Pimp a Butterfly . His sense of timing is impeccable. In the midst of rampant cases of police brutality and racial tension across America, he spews raw, aggressive bard while possible cutting a rug." Pitchfork opined that the album "forced critics to think deeply about music." Lamar announced his engagement to Alford in April 2015. He earned his first number-one single in
23046-422: The way for his advancement, earning him the nickname " King Kendrick ". His Pulitzer Prize win was considered a sign of the American cultural elite formally recognizing hip hop as a "legitimate artistic medium". Senior artists such as Nas , Bruce Springsteen , Eminem, Dr. Dre , Prince, and Madonna have praised his musicianship. David Bowie 's final album, Blackstar (2016), was inspired by To Pimp
23213-453: The whips that he in / They bulletproof". Vibe 's Iyana Robertson said the ensuing conversation "... reignited a debate that has been going on since the conception of [Drake and Lamar's] respective careers". During a June 2016 airing of ESPN 's Max and Marcellus , sportscaster and former professional American football player Marcellus Wiley claimed there was a destroyed ESPN SportsNation interview of either Drake or Lamar dissing
23380-507: The works of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and funk collective Parliament-Funkadelic . The nature of Lamar's musical style has been described as "anti-flamboyant, interior and complex." He is rooted in West Coast hip hop , and has continually reinvented his sound by branching out into other genres. Due to his contributions to its audience growth, through his appeal to mainstream listeners, music critics generally categorize Lamar as
23547-415: The year to reach one billion streams on Spotify. In support of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers , Lamar embarked on the Big Steppers Tour , which ran from July 2022 to March 2024. The tour grossed $ 110.9 million in worldwide revenue, becoming the highest-grossing rap tour ever at the time. Lamar wrote, co-directed, and executive produced the short film adaptation of the song " We Cry Together ", which
23714-443: The year, he appeared on the Game's The R.E.D. Album , Tech N9ne's All 6's and 7's , 9th Wonder 's The Wonder Years , and Drake 's Take Care . Lamar began planning his second album before Section.80 was released. From February to April 2012, he opened for Drake on his Club Paradise Tour . He began working with J. Cole on a collaborative album around that time. On March 8, The Fader reported that Lamar had signed
23881-595: Was "no real issue". In June 2014, Drake posted a video on Instagram of himself rapping along to "Cut You Off (To Grow Closer)" from Lamar's 2010 mixtape Overly Dedicated . On October 29, 2014, Jay Rock released "Pay for It" featuring Lamar. The latter's verse contained lines seemingly taking shots at Drake while referencing lyrics from Drake's "The Language". However, in an interview with Dazed published on November 3, 2014, Lamar clarified: "I got no beef with Drake". On November 4, 2014, Lamar made an appearance on WWPR-FM 's The Breakfast Club and further defused
24048-427: Was a dig aimed at Drake. Lamar opened his part of the show with "Euphoria", which contained updated lyrics aimed at Drake's possession of Tupac Shakur's crown ring. Later in the show, Ab-Soul accompanied Lamar for the debut performance of "6:16 in LA". Lamar performed his verse on "Like That" for the first time before inviting Dr. Dre on stage. Lamar and Dre performed Dre's hits " Still D.R.E. " and " California Love ",
24215-475: Was also cancelled. On September 11, 2024, Lamar released a single on his Instagram Page. As of September 12, 2024, there is no given name to this song, but it is commonly known as " Watch the Party Die ", as the lyric is repeated throughout the song. Some saw it as a revival to the feud not too long after the announcement of Lamar's Super Bowl LIX Performance . The song references the feud, and many view it as
24382-420: Was also considered a debate about the future of the genre and its culture, specifically in regards towards its commercial appeal and authenticity; an MSNBC article drew parallels to the feud between Jay-Z and Nas . Likening the feud to literary debates, The Independent ' s Ryan Coogan opined that the two rappers' poetic talents had elevated their conflict from celebrity gossip to art. He further claimed that
24549-473: Was also criticized by Stevie Wonder and Macklemore for overshadowing ongoing international conflicts. Outside of the music community, the feud attracted numerous reactions from various celebrities. Actress Uma Thurman jokingly offered her Kill Bill costume to Drake for his feud with Lamar and other rappers. Former wrestler and current WWE producer Shawn Michaels , whose Sweet Chin Music finishing move
24716-414: Was also produced by Taylor Swift's usual producer, Jack Antonoff , which Vulture guessed was a reference to Drake's comments on "Taylor Made Freestyle". Fans speculated that the cover references the murder trial of O.J. Simpson with a glove on the cover, alluding to the glove presented as evidence during the trial, as well as the title referencing June 16, the day of Nicole Brown Simpson 's funeral, and
24883-444: Was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music , becoming the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be honored. Lamar began releasing music under the stage name K.Dot while he was attending high school. He signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005, where he co-founded the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy . Following the success of his alternative rap debut album Section.80 (2011), Lamar secured
25050-520: Was described as a "wake up call" for the hip hop industry and commenced his decade-long feud with Drake. Rolling Stone noted that his verse made the track one of the most important hip hop songs of the last decade. Lamar was named Rapper of the Year by GQ during their annual Men of the Year edition. Following the issue's release, Tiffith pulled him from performing at GQ ' s accompanying party and accused Steve Marsh's profile on him of containing "racial overtones". After his opening stint for
25217-443: Was entirely profane , but it helped him manage his psychological trauma and depression , which he struggled with during his adolescence. Inge played a vital role in his intellectual growth, often critiquing his lexicon and suggesting prompts to strengthen his prose. Lamar later attended Centennial High School . He was enrolled in summer school during the tenth grade, which he dreaded because it forced him to be embroiled in
25384-544: Was introduced to poetry by his English teacher, Regis Inge. Inge integrated the literary form into his curriculum as a response to the growing racial tensions amongst his students. Through its connection to hip hop, Lamar studied rhymes, metaphors and double entendres , which made him fall in love with songwriting: "You can put all your feelings down on a sheet of paper, and they'd make sense to you. I liked that." Instead of completing assignments for other classes, Lamar would scribe lyrics in his notebooks. His initial writing
25551-437: Was just like, 'I really made this album for the same people that supported me since day one' [so I can't sell out]". Encore Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and one of the greatest rappers of all time , he is known for his technical artistry and complex songwriting. He
25718-407: Was killed in a drive-by shooting . "It done [ sic ] something to me right then and there," Lamar later admitted to NPR Music . "It let me know that this is not only something that I'm looking at, but it's something that maybe I have to get used to." His parents nicknamed him "Man-Man" due to his precocious behavior, although he confessed it "put a stigma on the idea of me reacting as
25885-740: Was lauded by contemporary critics. Lamar was featured on three songs in 2014: " It's On Again " by Alicia Keys , " Babylon " by SZA , and " Never Catch Me " by Flying Lotus . He won Lyricist of the Year for the second consecutive time at the BET Hip Hop Awards . Originally scheduled to arrive at a later date, To Pimp a Butterfly was released on March 15, 2015. The album incorporated various genres synonymous with African American music , such as jazz , funk , and soul . To capture its essence, Lamar recruited producers such as Sounwave , Pharrell Williams, Terrace Martin , and Thundercat . Whitney Alford, Lamar's high school sweetheart , contributed background vocals on select tracks. Other singles from
26052-466: Was mentioned in "Not Like Us", invited the pair to settle their feud on NXT . Tennis star Naomi Osaka claimed that in her opinion, Kendrick is winning the feud, and that she has used "Not Like Us" in coming out to the court before beating Clara Burel at the Italian Open . Singer Sheryl Crow criticized Drake's use of AI in "Taylor Made Freestyle," saying: "It's hateful. It is antithetical to
26219-483: Was noted when he attacked Drake for allegedly being a sexual predator, despite featuring Kodak Black on his last studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers after Kodak had previously taken a plea deal in a first-degree criminal sexual assault case. In addition, criticism resurfaced of Lamar's threat to remove his catalogue from Spotify in 2018 in opposition to Spotify announcing they would remove XXXTentacion 's and R. Kelly 's songs from official playlists after
26386-409: Was only intended as "friendly competition". In the ensuing years, Drake and Lamar publicly dismissed speculations of a conflict between them, while media outlets identified potential disses by both parties towards each other. On March 22, 2024, Lamar dissed Drake and rapper J. Cole on "Like That" as a response to their 2023 song " First Person Shooter ", where Cole claims that he, Drake, and Lamar are
26553-476: Was released on July 4, 2024, in celebration of American Independence Day , at approximately 3 p.m. PT , after four still images from the clip were leaked to social media the day before. Dave Free and Lamar directed it, and Charm La'Donna handled the choreography and is also credited as the associate producer . The video features Tommy the Clown , and is set in Lamar's hometown of Compton, California . By
26720-560: Was released worldwide in September 2022. An accompanying concert film for the tour, Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour , was released in November. Lamar won Favorite Male Hip Hop Artist at the American Music Awards , and Favorite Hip Hop Album for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers . He received six awards at the BET Hip Hop Awards , including Album of the Year . During the 65th Annual Grammy Awards , Mr. Morale &
26887-581: Was seen in the form of Lamar's appearance on "Buried Alive Interlude", from Drake's 2011 studio album Take Care . Their relationship continued to develop amicably after Lamar opened for Drake alongside ASAP Rocky during Drake's 2012 Club Paradise Tour . Later that year, both Lamar and Drake also made an appearance on ASAP Rocky's " Fuckin' Problems ". In 2012, Drake featured on Lamar's hit single " Poetic Justice ". On August 14, 2013, Lamar took shots at Drake and several other rappers on Big Sean 's " Control ", claiming that he "had love" for all of them, but
27054-449: Was subsequently taken down by Drake on April 26, 2024. On April 30, 2024, Lamar released a diss track named " Euphoria " in response to Drake. This may be in reference to the TV show Euphoria which Drake serves as an executive producer for. Vulture described the track as Lamar showing his "pure hatred" towards Drake. In the track, Lamar criticizes Drake's parenting, saying: "I got
27221-449: Was the first rapper that introduced him to singing sensibilities in hip hop, and he writes melody-driven songs as practice for his albums. Lamar became comfortable with his vocals over time, to the point where he feels confident enough to create singing-based albums. Pitchfork noticed how his harmonies on To Pimp a Butterfly never made him sound alone throughout his "desolate" performance; comparing his vocal layering to "standing in
27388-464: Was trying to "murder" them in the rap scene. In an interview with Billboard two weeks later, Drake dismissed Lamar's verse, stating: "It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That's all it was. I know good and well that [Lamar]'s not murdering me, at all, in any platform". In September, Drake joined Elliott Wilson 's live interview series #CRWN. When prompted about the "Control" verse, Drake replied that Lamar's in-person attitude contradicted
27555-434: Was ultimately let go from Def Jam after an encounter with its president and chief executive officer, Jay-Z ; he later described it as "one of those situations where I wasn't ready." Lamar and Jay Rock released a collaborative mixtape, title No Sleep 'til NYC , on December 24, 2007. Reeves thought the project was a "fun cypher session, nothing more, nothing less." Lamar's third mixtape C4 , released on January 30, 2009,
27722-421: Was widely acclaimed by critics, who applauded Lamar's vulnerable songwriting and scope. Every track from the album charted on the Hot 100; its three singles–" N95 ", " Silent Hill ", and " Die Hard "–debuted in the top-10. Selling 295,000 units in its first week, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers became Lamar's fourth consecutive number-one album on the Billboard 200. It later became the first hip hop album of
27889-404: Was working on his fourth album, Damn . He released the promotional single " The Heart Part 4 " on March 23, before releasing the album's lead single " Humble " on March 30. The song debuted at number two on the Hot 100 and reached the top spot in its second week of charting. It is Lamar's second single, and first as a lead artist, to top the chart. Damn was released on April 14. It utilized
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