Festival Republic is a UK music promoter . It was founded as Mean Fiddler Group in 1982 by Irish-born chairman John Vincent Power , as a venue-management and music-promotion group. After the group was taken over by Hamsard Ltd in 2005, the focus became more concentrated on festivals, and in 2007 the venues along with the Mean Fiddler name were sold on, with the remaining company being renamed Festival Republic. Melvin Benn is the current managing director.
126-678: The group was founded in 1982 by Irish-born chairman John Vincent Power, with a venue called simply Mean Fiddler. At the end of the 1980s they took control of the Reading Festival from Harold Pendleton, beginning a move into festivals. After acquiring the LA2 in Charing Cross Road in 2000, they were renamed to become the Mean Fiddler Music Group . In April 2005, they accepted a takeover bid from Hamsard Ltd,
252-625: 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
378-708: 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 ,
504-431: 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
630-682: 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
756-552: 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
882-425: 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
1008-547: 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
1134-527: 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
1260-541: 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
1386-410: A barrage of audience-thrown bottles and cans) is a frequent occurrence at the festival. During the 1970s and 1980s, there were often mass-participation can and bottle fights, and unpopular bands have been bottled offstage throughout the festival's history since the first large-scale "cannings" of 1973 and 1974. Examples include: Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987)
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#17327945593791512-422: 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
1638-533: 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
1764-583: 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
1890-479: 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,
2016-414: 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
2142-531: A co-operative company 50.1% owned by Live Nation UK (formerly the entertainment division of Clear Channel UK but now part of Live Nation International) and 49.9% owned by Irish event organiser MCD . In 2006, the Mean Fiddler Music Group reduced its touring and promotion activities to concentrate on running festivals. It maintained control of the Reading and Leeds festivals and announced
2268-550: 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
2394-435: 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
2520-402: 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
2646-515: 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
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#17327945593792772-506: 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
2898-411: 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
3024-557: A new addition, Latitude Festival . In 2007, the Mean Fiddler Music Group was sold along with several venues to Mama Group Plc in order to allow Festival Republic to concentrate fully on promoting festivals. As part of the sale, Mama Group acquired the rights to the Mean Fiddler trademark. Festival Republic's flagship events are the Reading and Leeds Festivals . These are a pair of annual events which take place simultaneously on
3150-670: 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
3276-993: A pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm on Richfield Avenue in central Reading, near Caversham Bridge . The Leeds event is held in Bramham Park , near Wetherby , the grounds of a historic house. Headliners and most supporting acts typically play at both sites, with Reading's Friday line up becoming Leeds' Saturday line-up, Reading's Saturday line-up playing at Leeds on Sunday, and Leeds' Friday line-up attending Reading on Sunday. Campsites are available at both sites and weekend tickets include camping. Day tickets are also sold. The Reading Festival,
3402-491: A predominantly goth and indie music policy that alienated much of the traditional fan base and saw attendances plummet. Attendances continued to fall between 1989 and 1991, but began to recover from 1992, when new organisers took over from the Mean Fiddler group, broadening the festival's musical policy. In 1991, Nirvana made the first of their two appearances at Reading, midway down the bill. The following year, in 1992, they played what would be their last UK concert, which
3528-535: 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
3654-555: 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
3780-403: 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
3906-456: 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
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4032-450: 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
4158-450: 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
4284-521: 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
4410-514: 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
4536-401: 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 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
4662-409: 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
4788-568: 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
4914-425: 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
5040-436: 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
5166-556: 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
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5292-517: 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 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
5418-541: 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
5544-556: 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 & 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),
5670-666: 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 the creative company PGLang and ventured into film with his creative partner, Dave Free . Kendrick Lamar Duckworth
5796-602: 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
5922-582: 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
6048-543: 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
6174-452: 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
6300-710: The Longitude Festival and Electric Picnic . In Norway, they run the Hove Festival . In Germany they have expanded from running the Berlin Festival to running the first European Lollapalooza . They have previously been responsible for Big Chill festival, which last ran in 2011, and were the operators of the Glastonbury Festival from 2002 until 2012. Reading and Leeds festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are
6426-499: 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
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#17327945593796552-557: 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
6678-565: 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
6804-570: 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 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
6930-402: The 1960s, the festival moved between several London and Home Counties sites, being held at Windsor Racecourse , Kempton Park , Sunbury and Plumpton , before reaching its permanent home at Reading in 1971. Since 1964, when the festival added a Friday evening session to the original Saturday and Sunday format, it has been staged over three days, with the sole exception of 1970 when a fourth day
7056-503: The 1980s, the festival followed a similar format to that established in the late 1970s, with leading rock and heavy metal acts performing on the last two days, and a more varied line-up including punk and new wave bands on the opening day. In 1984 and 1985, the Conservative-run local council effectively banned the festival by designating the festival site for development and refusing to grant licences for any alternative sites in
7182-495: 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
7308-605: 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
7434-474: 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
7560-1040: The Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. In addition they also run the Latitude Festival in Suffolk , the Wireless Festival and the Community Festival in London, EDC UK in Milton Keynes , and the Download Festival in Leicestershire . They also produce a BBC Proms In The Park and BBC Radio 2 Live In Hyde Park, which both take place on the same weekend in September in London's Hyde Park . In Ireland, they organise
7686-533: 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
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#17327945593797812-465: 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
7938-493: The Mission , Alice Cooper and Status Quo . 1988 saw an attempt to take the festival in a mainstream commercial pop direction, featuring acts including Starship , Squeeze , Hothouse Flowers , Bonnie Tyler and Meat Loaf (who was bottled off stage), and the subsequent disputes led to the ousting of original festival promoter Harold Pendleton by the Mean Fiddler Music Group organisation. Pendleton attempted to relocate
8064-529: The NJF Festival moved to the larger Windsor Racecourse . The following year a second stage (the Marquee Stage) was added, but when the festival was moved to Sunbury in 1968 it reverted to a single-stage format. The festival was held at Plumpton Racecourse in 1969 and 1970. After moving to Reading, the festival's line-up became primarily composed of progressive rock , blues and hard rock during
8190-803: The Reading area. In 1984, many acts were already booked and tickets were on sale, with Marillion due to headline. The promoters tried in vain to find a new site but a proposed move to Lilford Hall in Northamptonshire failed. The proposed line-up was published in Soundcheck free music paper issue 12 as: Friday 24 August – Hawkwind , Boomtown Rats , Snowy White , the Playn Jayn, Dumpy's Rusty Nuts , Wildfire, Chelsea Eloy, Tracy Lamb, New Torpedoes; Saturday 25 – Jethro Tull , Hanoi Rocks , Steve Hackett , Club Karlsson, Nazareth , Twelfth Night , Thor , Silent Running , New Model Army , IQ ,
8316-653: The Roaring Boys, She; Sunday 26 – Marillion , Grand Slam , the Bluebells , Helix , Clannad , the Opposition , the Enid , Young Blood, Scorched Earth, and Terraplane ). After Labour regained control of the council in 1986, permission was given for fields adjacent to the original festival site to be used, and a line-up was put together at short notice. The following year saw a record attendance, headlined by
8442-686: 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
8568-563: 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
8694-496: 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
8820-685: 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
8946-598: 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,
9072-524: 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
9198-492: 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
9324-475: 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
9450-582: 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
9576-451: 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
9702-588: 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
9828-688: 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"
9954-677: The bill for day three. In 1996, the Stone Roses played the last gig before their break-up at the festival. In 1998, the Reading Festival absorbed the failed Phoenix Festival , resulting in an on-stage dispute between Beastie Boys and the Prodigy over the song "Smack My Bitch Up". In 1999, the festival added a second venue at Temple Newsam in Leeds , the site of V Festival in 1997 and 1998, due to increasing demand. In
10080-551: The bill, including the Rolling Stones , Georgie Fame , and Long John Baldry , and by 1965, such acts were in the majority, with jazz sessions reduced to Saturday and Sunday afternoons only. This format continued until 1967 when jazz was limited to just the Saturday afternoon session. By 1969, jazz had disappeared entirely from the line-up. In 1964, a Friday evening session was added to the existing weekend format. In 1966,
10206-490: 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
10332-529: 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
10458-425: 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
10584-527: 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
10710-625: The early 2010s, with a new record capacity of 105,000 recorded in 2019. In the same year, 200 artists played at both festivals. The festival typically has the following stages: On 12 May 2020, it was announced that the year's festivals were cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . The festivals were due to host Rage Against the Machine 's first UK show in 10 years, along with Stormzy and Liam Gallagher 's first appearances as headliners. The 2021 festival included two main stages with six headliners, among them Stormzy and Liam Gallagher from
10836-584: The early and mid 1970s, and then became the first music festival to incorporate punk rock and new wave in the late 1970s, when the Jam , Sham 69 , and the Stranglers were among the headline acts. The festival's attempts to cater for both traditional rock acts and punk and new wave bands occasionally led to clashes between the two sets of fans at the end of the 1970s, though the festival gradually became known for focusing on heavy metal and rock acts. During
10962-590: The exceptions of 2009 and 2010 when the bands playing Leeds played Reading the following day, and the bands on the opening day of Reading closed Leeds). After a successful first year in Leeds, the increasing popularity of outdoor music festivals led to the Reading Festival selling out quicker every year. However, the Leeds Festival was plagued by riots and violence, which led to problems in retaining its licence. The worst incidents occurred in 2002, following which
11088-474: The festival to a new site near Newbury using the name "Redding Festival", but threats of legal action by the new promoters of the original festival, as well as a reluctance by Newbury District Council to issue a licence for the proposed Newbury Showground venue, blocked Pendleton's plans. Meanwhile, the official Reading Festival, now managed by Mean Fiddler, continued at the Thames-side site in Reading, with
11214-464: The festival was moved to Bramham Park north-east of Leeds. Since then, security at both sites has increased and problems have been reduced. The early 2000s saw a varied but predominantly rock line-up, though as the decade progressed the Main Stage and Radio 1 Stage featured many indie bands. Despite being predominantly a rock festival, several hip-hop artists have appeared at the festival over
11340-516: 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:
11466-430: 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
11592-401: The first year, all bands performed at the Leeds site the day after they played Reading, with the Reading Festival running from Friday to Sunday and the Leeds Festival running from Saturday to Monday. However, in 2001, the festival moved to the current format, wherein the Reading line-up plays at Leeds the following day, with the opening day line-up from Leeds playing the final day in Reading (with
11718-523: 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
11844-429: 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
11970-439: The larger festival. The Reading Fringe has run annually since then. Flags were banned from both festival sites in 2009, with the organisers citing health and safety concerns. Flags and banners had been a traditional part of the Reading Festival since the early 1970s, originally used to enable motorcycle groups and others to identify themselves and find each other inside the main arena. Reading Festival continued to expand through
12096-573: The line-up. More recently hip hop has comprised an increasing proportion of the lineup, including headline sets by artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone . The festivals are run by Festival Republic , which was divested from Mean Fiddler Music Group. From 1998 to 2007, the festivals were known as the Carling Weekend: Reading and the Carling Weekend: Leeds for promotional purposes. In November 2007,
12222-405: 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
12348-414: The mid-1990s, the festival had begun to regain its former status as the popularity of UK outdoor festivals increased. Britpop and indie began to appear on the bill alongside the traditional rock and metal acts, and rap acts such as Ice Cube began to appear regularly on the main stage, to mixed receptions. Public Enemy headlined the second day of the 1992 festival. Beastie Boys were about halfway down
12474-486: 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
12600-408: 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
12726-447: The older of the two festivals, is the longest-running popular music festival in the UK. Many of the biggest bands in the UK and internationally have played at the festival over five decades. The festival has had various musical phases over the years, but since the current two-site format was adopted in 1999, rock, alternative , indie , punk , and metal have been the main genres featured in
12852-408: The previous year's line up. In 2022, Festival Republic came under fire following a number of incidents at both festival sites. At Reading, multiple fires were reported, as well as mugs, chairs, cups and other objects being thrown. Stabbings were also reported. At Leeds, 16-year-old David Celino died after it was suspected he had taken ecstasy . Bottling acts off stage (being forced off stage by
12978-877: 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
13104-468: 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
13230-613: The sponsored title was abolished after nine years and the Reading Festival reclaimed its original name. In 2011, the capacity of the Reading site was 87,000, and the Leeds site was 75,000, an increase of several thousand on previous years. The Reading Festival was originally known as the National Jazz Festival , which was conceived by Harold Pendleton (founder of the Marquee Club in London in 1958) and first held at Richmond Athletic Ground in 1961. Throughout
13356-507: 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
13482-465: 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
13608-478: 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
13734-507: 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
13860-415: 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
13986-443: 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
14112-536: The years, including Cypress Hill , Ice Cube , Beastie Boys , Eminem , Xzibit , Jay-Z , 50 Cent , Dizzee Rascal , and the Streets . In 2005, the main stages at both Reading and Leeds were made larger, featuring cantilevered video screens. The same year the Reading Fringe Festival was established in Reading, with venues in the town hosting acts hoping to draw crowds and industry figures from
14238-415: 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 the Year wins) and 37 BET Hip Hop Awards (the most won by any artist). Time listed him as one of
14364-483: Was added, running from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 August. The National Jazz Federation (NJF) Festival was established at the height of the trad jazz boom, as a successor to the Beaulieu Jazz Festival , initially as a two-day event held at Richmond Athletic Ground . The line-up for the first two years was made up exclusively of jazz performers, but in 1963, several rhythm & blues acts were added to
14490-602: 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 the Gangster Disciples . Lamar was named after singer-songwriter Eddie Kendricks of
14616-520: 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
14742-443: 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
14868-544: 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
14994-407: 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
15120-740: 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
15246-527: Was released as a live album/DVD Live at Reading in November 2009. Singer Kurt Cobain came onstage in a wheelchair pushed by music journalist Everett True and wearing a medical gown, parodying speculations about his mental health. The 1992 festival was hit by extreme weather, with a thunderstorm on the Saturday drenching the site, leaving it ankle-deep in mud, and blowing away the Comedy Tent. By
15372-447: 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 &
15498-449: 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
15624-434: 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,
15750-421: 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
15876-404: 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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