kendrick lamar Archives

Jay Rock Watches His Life Flash Before His Eyes in Money Trees Deuce (Video)

Earlier this month and seemingly out of nowhere, Jay Rock returned with "Money Trees Deuce," one of his finest songs in years. As the name suggests, the track picks up right where he left off on his stellar guest verse on Kendrick Lamar's "Money Trees" from good kid, m.A.A.d city,... Read more

June 23, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar Gets Deeply Personal in New Interview. Says He Is Trayvon Martin.

President Barack Obama appeared on Marc Maron's podcast "WTF with Marc Maron" and spoke on the enduring racism prevalent in this country and, in a breathtakingly powerful statement, said "It's not just a matter of it not being polite to say n***** in public." Throughout his tenure as president, race... Read more

June 22, 2015 News

Kendrick Lamar Proves He’s The Guy To Remix Jidenna’s “Classic Man” (Audio)

With the release of To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar returned to much of the Funk- and Jazz-infused sonic landscape set forth in Section .80, his 2011 studio debut. The two releases are punctuated in between with 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d city, a louder, more widely heard album with the... Read more

June 22, 2015 Audio

Public Enemy’s 13th Album Is Inspired By Kendrick Lamar & Run The Jewels

After 28 years of releasing albums, Public Enemy aims to make a dent in 2015. The Long Island, New York Hip-Hop group's 13th studio album, Man Plans, God Laughs will arrive in less than a month. On June 16 via Facebook, the band announced the news, sharing the artwork. Additionally,... Read more

June 20, 2015 News

Good Interview, Mad Questions. This 60-Second Kendrick Lamar Q&A is All Right (Video)

In a new mini-interview with Vevo, Kendrick Lamar managed to answer 14 questions in just 60 seconds. The MC, who just celebrated his 28th birthday, responds to the quotidian ("what was the first thing you did this morning?") to the philosophical ("who are you speaking to on 'Ain't Gotta Lie'?")... Read more

June 18, 2015 Video

The Robert Glasper Trio Has Got It Covered When It Comes To Jhene Aiko (Video)

Grammy Award-winning Jazz pianist and composer Robert Glasper has a long history of blending his own musical stylings with Hip-Hop, and his latest release embodies his appreciation for both. Covered: The Robert Glasper Trio Recorded Live at Capitol Studios features renditions of Jhené Aiko, Bilal, Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Musiq... Read more

June 17, 2015 Video

Whether It’s His Beat Or Kendrick Lamar’s, Fabolous Will Be Awwright (Video)

Fabolous has been on a freestyle tear recently, making his lyrical moves and laying them to waste over classic jams from the likes of fellow New Yorkers Nas, Mobb Deep, and the Wu-Tang Clan. Now, just days after jumping on the same stage as Kendrick Lamar and taking down Summer... Read more

June 12, 2015 Fresh, Video

Kendrick Lamar Watches Vintage Tupac Shakur Footage & Reacts Powerfully (Video)

Long before To Pimp A Butterfly, comparisons have been made between Kendrick Lamar and Tupac Shakur. Both MCs promote sensitivity, amidst surroundings and times where that is most certainly not the norm. Each poet is fiercely competitive, and not above throwing his weight around in the Rap community, albeit for... Read more

June 11, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar & Fabolous Shut Down Summer Jam 2015 (Video)

Much has been made of the unfortunate events that took place outside Met Life Stadium last night during Hot 97's 2015 Summer Jam, but inside, there was a raucous party led by Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Fabolous, 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Chris Brown, Meek Mill, Nicki Minaj, Mobb... Read more

June 8, 2015 Video

Jay Rock Releases a Sequel to Money Trees. The TDE OG Is Back (Audio)

Before ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul or Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock paved the way for the Hip-Hop juggernaut that is now TDE. In fact, many first heard Kendrick on Rock's anthemic "Hood Gone Love It." Sadly, it's been four long years since Jay Rock's album Follow Me Home was released, and he... Read more

June 2, 2015 Audio

15 Amazing Hip-Hop Albums From 2015, So Far (Video)

2015 is not even at its halfway mark, and already has proven to arguably be even more exciting than last year. Seemingly, we are living in the era of surprise. Drake dropped If You're Reading This It's Too Late on a whim, Kendrick Lamar advanced the release of To Pimp... Read more

June 1, 2015 Food for Thought, Video

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of May 2015 in One Playlist (Audio)

The month of May in Hip-Hop brought the return of some MCs who had been gone for a while and a return to form for some who sought renewed inspiration. There were a slew of 90s freestyles, as well as some previously unreleased tracks that leaked from the vaults. Whatever... Read more

May 31, 2015 Audio

Styles P’s Friday Freestyles Borrow Beats From Redman and Kendrick Lamar (Audio)

Styles P continues his Friday double feature freestyles. This week's installments find him taking on beats from a recent Kendrick Lamar release and a vintage Redman throwback. On "Ghost Night," he carries on the recent tradition of covering 90s classics, borrowing Redman's "Tonight's Da Night," from 1992's Whut? Thee Album.... Read more

May 29, 2015 Audio

Kendrick Lamar Performs These Walls For the First Time on Television (Video)

Kendrick Lamar's song "These Walls" is one of the most complex in the dense stew that is To Pimp a Butterfly. The track, which features Anna Wise and Bilal, is as much Neo Soul as it is Hip-Hop, laced with lush instrumentation from Thundercat's bass, Terrace Martin's saxophone and keys... Read more

May 27, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar & Ty Dolla $ign Show Some Dramatic California Love (Audio)

UPDATE: While the May 26, 2015 demo version of Ty Dolla $ign's "L.A." was pulled from the Internet, it now reappears in November. Presently tagged by Big Boy's Neighborhood (and posted below), the upcoming audio is expected to follow. If you were to take the musings behind Tupac and Val... Read more

May 26, 2015 Audio

A Dr. Dre & Kendrick Lamar Collaboration Surfaces With D-R-E Spittin’ Like It’s 1999 (Audio)

Leave it to a drowsy holiday weekend for some unheard Dr. Dre to rattle the Internet. From the depths of Reddit emerges an unheard Dre and Kendrick Lamar collaboration, with vocal assistance by Jeremih. "2Nite" is some sensuous Dre, presumably no relation to the music he's hinted at making for... Read more

May 24, 2015 Audio

Kendrick Lamar & Lady Gaga’s Shelved good kid, m.A.A.d. city Moment Surfaces (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga are more than simply label-mates. Yes, each artist are among the flagship, platinum, and award-winning acts within the Interscope Records family. But moreover, the Pop chameleon and King Kunta are collaborators. In fact, before Imagine Dragons, Alicia Keys, Dido, or even 50 Cent was clamoring... Read more

May 21, 2015 Audio

Oddisee Reveals He’s Produced a Song for Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole (Video)

Oddisee's The Good Fight is bringing a lot of attention to the Diamond District cofounder. Despite the fact that he's been making music on a large scale for more than a dozen years, Heads are still discovering the Mello Music Group mainstay. In an interview with Respect Due, Oddy' opens up... Read more

May 20, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar Receives the Generational Icon Award From the State of California (Video)

In the last few years, Kendrick Lamar has ascended to the pinnacle of Hip-Hop. He's established himself as one of Rap's finest lyricists through three critically acclaimed albums (Section.80, good kid, m.A.A.d. city and To Pimp a Butterfly), vaunted guest appearances on songs like Big Sean's "Control," and breakout performances... Read more

May 12, 2015 News

Inspectah Deck, Kool Keith & Headkrack Demand Justice For Unarmed Black Men (Premiere)

Three Bronx, New York MCs unite to speak on very pressing and sensitive issues in American society. Kool Keith, Inspectah Deck, and Headkrack decry the excessive force used by some law enforcement. These incidents, particularly over the last five years, have resulted in the increased death-count of Black men and... Read more

May 11, 2015 Audio, Exclusive

Styles P Paints Complex Pictures of a Hustler’s Life Over Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole Tracks (Audio)

Out of the recent spate of freestyle series, Styles P has consistently made the most interesting choices of beats to re-purpose. While others have settled comfortably in a single lane, often based on songs from a specific era, Ghost seemingly has followed no specific theme, other than to select tracks... Read more

May 9, 2015 Audio

Can An MC Be Considered The Greatest of All-Time After 5 Years? This Short Film Says YES (Video)

“Can it be that it was all so simple then?” The nostalgia effect is a strong one in Hip-Hop, and causes us not only to look back with optimistic revision, but also, at times, prevents us from embracing the greatness of late. It is not uncommon to hear someone argue... Read more

May 8, 2015 Video

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of April 2015 in One Playlist (Audio)

The month of April 2015 in Hip-Hop brought some welcomed surprises. A slew of artists released high quality freestyles over classic 90s beats, including Fabolous, Jadakiss, Styles P and Lloyd Banks, to name a few. Raekwon laid the groundwork for his F.I.L.A. (Fly International Luxurious Art) album, with releases featuring... Read more

May 5, 2015 Audio

Snoop Recruits Rick Ross & Kendrick Lamar on the Soulful I’m Ya Dogg (Audio)

Snoop Dogg's album BUSH is set to hit stores on May 12. The LP will be Snoop's first since signing his new deal with Pharrell, and it will be produced by the hitmaker. Snoop has released several tracks from the album, many featuring Charlie Wilson, and all with a distinctly... Read more

May 5, 2015 Audio

These MCs Are Nearing Elimination in the Finding The GOAT Competition. Round 5 Ends Tomorrow.

Ambrosia For Heads’ Finding The GOAT series, the search for the Greatest Of All Time MC (as determined by you), began in September, 2014 and is soon down to its final 6 contestants. At 4:59pm EST on Monday May 4, Round 5 polls will close, and Round 6 will kick... Read more

May 3, 2015 Fresh

Finding The GOAT (Round 5): Tupac vs. Kendrick Lamar…Who You Got?

With just 11 MCs remaining we have reached the critical Round 5 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). Now, only five match-up’s—all running this week—separate Round 5 from the final six MCs, including Round 4 bye winner Big Daddy Kane. Since the elimination,... Read more

April 29, 2015 Fresh

Kendrick Lamar Breaks Down To Pimp A Butterfly’s Cover Art and Its Significance (Video)

Kendrick Lamar recently sat down with Mass Appeal for an interview, of which an excerpt was released on video of him explaining the album cover of his highly lauded To Pimp A Butterfly. He explains that all the people on the album cover with him are friends and family from... Read more

April 28, 2015 Video

Finding the GOAT: Here Are Your Top 10 MCs + 1

The polls have closed and, after a fiercely competitive and unpredictable Round 4, 10 MCs advance to Round 5 (along with Rakim who had a bye), making a grand total of 11 rappers remaining in the quest to name Hip-Hop’s greatest MC, as determined by you. Since Round 1 began... Read more

April 26, 2015 Fresh

Kendrick Lamar and Glasses Malone Search for Harmony Over a Bone Thugs Inspired Track (Audio)

Although there have been a slew of freestyles over classic Hip-Hop tracks from the 90s lately, Glasses Malone's "Thuggin'" featuring Kendrick Lamar is something different. The two MCs come together on an interpolation of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's seminal "Foe Tha Love of $" and flip the script. Rather than a celebration... Read more

April 23, 2015 Audio

Knxwledge Lives Out His Hud Dreems After Producing Rap’s A-List (Audio)

Los Angeles, California-residing producer Knxwledge has been an active member of his city's eclectic beat/instrumental scene. His distinct method of blending Jazz record, psychadelic riffs and unique rhythms have gained him quite a bit notoriety and Hip-Hop heads may recognize him for his work with noteworthy MCs like Kendrick Lamar,... Read more

April 22, 2015 Audio, Fresh

Finding The GOAT (Round 4): Kendrick Lamar vs. Big K.R.I.T.…Who You Got?

We have now reached the critical Round 4 in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 21 MCs remaining (with the largest winning margin, Rakim receives a bye for the round), things are really coming down to 10 match-ups, leading AFH’s bracket-style series towards... Read more

April 20, 2015 Fresh

The Full Version of Kanye West’s All Day Remix Featuring Kendrick Lamar Is Here (Audio)

Snippets have leaked of Kendrick Lamar's verse from a remix of Kanye West's "All Day" single, and now the full version of the song has been released. The remix starts off like the original song, with Kanye West spitting the first verse, but then K-Dot replaces Theophilus London on the... Read more

April 15, 2015 Audio

Finding the GOAT: These MCs Are Going to Round 4

The polls have closed and, after a fiercely competitive and unpredictable Round 3, there are only 21 MCs remaining in the quest to name Hip-Hop's greatest MC, as determined by you. Since Round 1 began in September, more than 200 MCs have been considered and millions of Hip-Hop fans have... Read more

April 12, 2015 Fresh

Flying Lotus Interviews Kendrick Lamar and Premieres Unreleased Verse (Audio)

Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar have collaborated on a number of projects. Last year, Kendrick lent his staccato jazz vocals to "Never Catch Me" from the producer's You're Dead LP, and K. Dot tapped FlyLo to produce "Wesley's Theory," the first song on Kendrick's To Pimp a Butterfly album. The... Read more

April 10, 2015 Audio

Rapsody Breaks The Backboard With A Freestyle, After Discussing Race & Complexion (Videos)

Rapsody continues to garner strong attention over the last month. Since appearing on "Complexion" from Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, the Jamla Records veteran (of sorts) has a story that everyone is curious about. Rap' appeared on HOT 97's Ebro In The Morning this week, to speak with E,... Read more

April 7, 2015 Video

There Have Been a Lot of Kendrick Lamar Interviews. This One is Different (Video)

Kendrick Lamar has done a slew of interviews over the last few weeks since the release of his album, To Pimp a Butterfly. With so many conversations, inevitably, there is a fair amount of repetition. When Kendrick visited The Breakfast Club, however, Charlamagne, DJ Envy and Angela Yee brought something... Read more

April 3, 2015 Video

Watch Kendrick Lamar’s First Concert Post To Pimp a Butterfly in HD (Video)

Kendrick Lamar and Reebok partnered for a one of a kind rollout of Kendrick's To Pimp a Butterfly album and Reebok's ZPump Fusion shoe. 100 lucky fans and tastemakers were given the opportunity to watch Kendrick perform for the first time since the release of his LP, and receive a... Read more

April 3, 2015 Video

Listen to the Best Hip-Hop of March 2015 All in One Playlist (Audio)

Along with the start of Spring, the month of March brought much to celebrate in Hip-Hop. Action Bronson released Mr. Wonderful, his major label debut album. DJ EFN hit Heads off with a slew of amazing collaborations on his Another Time LP. Earl Sweatshirt fired the latest salvo from Odd... Read more

April 3, 2015 Audio

Rapsody Discusses Being One of Only 2 Guest MCs On Kendrick Lamar’s New Album (Video)

Unlike many of today's Hip-Hop albums, Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly LP did not feature a lot of guest contributions. There were no verses from previous collaborators like Drake, J. Cole and A$AP Rocky. None of Kendrick's TDE label mates such as Jay Rock, Ab-Soul or Schoolboy Q joined... Read more

April 2, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar Releases the Video for the Ultra-Funky King Kunta. Can You Dig It? (Video)

Even before Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly album was released, his song "King Kunta" already had people buzzing. Reports that, upon hearing the song for the first time, Pharrell had deemed it "unapologetically Black and amazing" set off a firestorm of social media chatter. When the song hit the... Read more

April 1, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar Shares Some Bars That Were Left Off To Pimp a Butterfly (Video)

Kendrick Lamar is seemingly giving radio and major media outlets the most access he has since the Section.80 days this week. The Compton, California MC—whose To Pimp A Butterfly held the #1 spot on charts for a second consecutive week—appeared on Los Angeles' Power 106' The Cruz Show. Talking at... Read more

April 1, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar Decodes His New Album and Reveals Who the Butterfly Is (Video)

Kendrick Lamar came to New York for a few short hours to announce his participation in Hot 97's 2015 Summer Jam concert. During his stint in the city, he sat down with Ebro, Peter Rosenberg, Laura Stylez and Miss Info for his most extensive interview since releasing his To Pimp... Read more

March 31, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar is Running Hip-Hop…Literally. Watch Clips From His Mobile Concert (Video)

Kendrick Lamar and Reebok partnered for a unique showcase featuring what might be Kendrick's first live performances from his new album To Pimp a Butterfly. They selected 100 guests to try out their new ZPump Fusion shoe in a 5K race. Unbeknownst to the guests the soundtrack for the race... Read more

March 29, 2015 Video

A Kendrick Lamar/Jerry Seinfeld Mashup? So Wrong…But Hard Not to Listen (Audio)

You know an album has impact when mashups of its songs are being created just a week after its release. Last week, in a sneak attack, Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly album took critics and fans alike by storm. The album has been nearly unanimously praised for the depth... Read more

March 25, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 3): Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar…Who You Got?

We have reached the third round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). With 42 MCs remaining, we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into... Read more

March 20, 2015 Fresh

With Millions Stuck On Her Words, Rapsody Commands The Moment (Video)

Rapsody fans know how important this week truly is. Appearing on Kendrick Lamar's record-breaking To Pimp A Butterfly as of its Monday sneak attack release, it is presumed that the Kooley High alum and Jamla Records artist is meeting many ears for the first time. However, for those who have... Read more

March 19, 2015 Video

From DJ Quik’s Late Protege Mausberg To Sufjan Stevens, Kendrick Lamar’s Butterfly Samples Plenty (Mix)

Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly continues resonating with Heads, many of whom are still giving the just-released album a first listen. Overall, the reaction appears extremely favorable to the body of work from the Compton, California MC who in 24 hours, broke Spotify's all-time per diem stream record. With... Read more

March 18, 2015 Audio

Kendrick Lamar’s Butterfly Soars, Breaking Spotify’s Record

The same day that The Beastie Boys' Licensed To Ill is announced as a diamond certification, selling 10 million confirmed copies, Kendrick Lamar reaches a numerically similar benchmark. The Compton, California native's sophomore major label LP, To Pimp A Butterfly has been confirmed to have streamed 9.6 million times in... Read more

March 17, 2015 News

Kendrick Lamar Speaks On The Spiritual Mindstate Behind To Pimp A Butterfly

With the surprise release of To Pimp A Butterfly earlier this week, Kendrick Lamar sat down with The New York Times to give some insight on the album. Rather than presenting the interview in a Q & A format, The New York Times article tells the story of the man... Read more

March 17, 2015 News

Surprise, Surprise. Kendrick Lamar’s New Album is Out Now! (News)

In yet another sign of the ever-changing record business in the digital age, Top Dawg Entertainment has delivered a very welcomed surprise to the Hip-Hop world. Kendrick Lamar's new album, To Pimp A Butterfly, which was originally slated for release on March 23, is now fully available for purchase. Nothing... Read more

March 16, 2015 News