kendrick lamar Archives

Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly Tracklist Features Rapsody, Snoop Dogg & Bilal

Less than 10 days away from release, it appears that the tracklist to Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly has been made public. iTunes posted the tracks to the March 23 sophomore major label album from the Compton, California star. While only five featured guests were included on 2012's good... Read more

March 15, 2015 News

Do Remember: When Charles Hamilton Passed The Mic To An Unknown Kendrick Lamar (Video)

Miss Lauryn Hill once eloquently rhymed, "Seasons change, mad things re-arrange." In life, love, and Hip-Hop, is this not a rugged truism? As the world shifts, there are some interesting cycles. This week in the culture, Kendrick Lamar took center-stage, giving Heads a name for his sophomore major label album,... Read more

March 12, 2015 Throwback

Kendrick Lamar Reveals New Details About His Upcoming Album to Rolling Stone (News)

Details are emerging slowly but surely about Kendrick Lamar's new album. Even when speaking to his close homie and longtime supporter Big Boy earlier this week, Kendrick would not say much about his sophomore major label release. Swearing that Top Dawg would "kill him" if he spilled the beans on... Read more

March 11, 2015 Fresh

Is Kendrick Lamar’s “Butterfly” Artwork The Next Classic Hip-Hop Image?

After midnight EST this morning (March 11), Kendrick Lamar appears to have revealed the artwork to his sophomore major label album. While the March 23 LP title remains unconfirmed, the Compton, California MC took to Facebook to share a stickered image, suggesting that it's the packaging associated with his good... Read more

March 11, 2015 News

Kendrick Lamar’s Full Biggie Freestyle Tribute is 7 Minutes of Madness Over 4 Biggie Classics (Video)

Yesterday (March 9th), iconic LA DJ Big Boy hosted Kendrick Lamar as his first guest on his new show on Real 92.3 FM. Given the anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.'s passing, Big Boy had Kendrick freestyle over some of Biggie's classic tracks and released a snippet. Now, the full interview... Read more

March 10, 2015 Video

Sky’s The Limit When Kendrick Lamar Crushes A Freestyle Over Notorious B.I.G. Beats (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar verses can perform miracles. It's easy to imagine The Notorious B.I.G. smiling big, 18 years to the day after he physically left the world, as Kendrick Lamar touches some of the same kicks and snares he helped make famous. Appearing on opening day of Big Boy's Neighborhood on... Read more

March 9, 2015 Audio

Kendrick Lamar Announces Album Release Date and Title. Here’s the Story (News)

Few albums have been more anticipated in the last year than Kendrick Lamar's long-awaited follow up to his debut major label release, good kid, m.A.A.d. city. Well, the wait is over, almost...A little over 20 minutes ago, Kendrick tweeted out a link and nothing else. The link takes the user... Read more

March 6, 2015 News

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

The month of February had less days, but it was not short on good music. The tight four weeks brought new songs from Kendrick Lamar, Ghostface Killah, Scarface, Method Man, Redman, Talib Kweli, Logic, Big K.R.I.T., Slum Village, Rah Digga, Action Bronson, Kanye West, Cannibal Ox, Drake, GZA, Fashawn, Nas,... Read more

March 4, 2015 Audio

Happy 50th Birthday to Dr. Dre. Celebrate the O.G. with This Mix (Audio)

Happy Birthday to Dr. Dre who turned 50 years young today (2/18). The first 50 years were quite a ride for Andre Young. The Doc has been behind some of the most influential artists in Hip-Hop--all Hip-Hop--from N.W.A., to Snoop Dogg, to 2Pac, to Eminem, to 50 Cent, to Game... Read more

February 18, 2015 Audio

Finding The GOAT (Round 2): Kendrick Lamar vs. Royce Da 5’9″…Who You Got?

We have reached the second round in the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time). 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 consideration, pairing special match-ups... Read more

February 17, 2015 Fresh

Kendrick Lamar Emerges With A Potent Commentary On Being Black In 2015 (Audio)

With "i" winning two Grammy Awards last night (February 8), Kendrick Lamar advances the conversation with the second song from his sophomore major label album. "The Blacker The Berry," is a dense, inward look at being Black in 2015. The song pulls no punches about hatred in the world, both... Read more

February 9, 2015 Audio

Kanye West Warns The Grammy’s That If True Artistry Isn’t Honored, He & Others Will Withdraw (Video)

Last night (February 8), the 57th annual Grammy Awards were held at Los Angeles, California's Staples Center. Kanye West was among performers, as well as nominees. The Def Jam Records superstar joined Rihanna and Paul McCartney on stage to perform "FourFiveSeconds," following a touching delivery of his "Only One" earlier... Read more

February 9, 2015 News

The Polished Trailer For “Straight Outta Compton” Features Dr. Dre, N.W.A. & Lots Of Subtleties (Video)

While Compton's Kendrick Lamar won big in the evening, during the 57th Grammy Awards, Heads did not see Dr. Dre or Ice Cube in the audience, or on stage. However, the Hip-Hop legends whose fates are forever tied starred in a lengthy trailer for Straight Outta Compton, the upcoming N.W.A.... Read more

February 9, 2015 TV/Film

Better Late Than Never. Kendrick Lamar Wins His First Grammy

After the 2014 56th Grammy Awards, there were many Hip-Hop Heads who were left frustrated after Kendrick Lamar left the Award Ceremony without a single statue after being nominated seven times and most notably in losing the "Best Rap Album" award for good kid m.A.A.d. city to Macklemore, Ryan Lewis'... Read more

February 8, 2015 Fresh

Snoop Dogg & Kendrick Lamar Snoop Dogg & Kendrick Lamar May Be Working on Their First Record Together

From MC Eiht, to E-40, and of course his Aftermath Entertainment backer, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar has worked with his share of West Coast Hip-Hop O.G.'s. However, besides the 2012 BET Cypher (also including DJ Quik), Snoop Dogg and Kendrick have not had the studio collaboration. After all, in August... Read more

February 2, 2015 News

Nitty Scott Discusses Feminism, Her Bisexuality, And Past Relationship w/ Kendrick Lamar (Video)

Nitty Scott is an MC who has always been about her art, but fans may have noticed in recent months she has been showing off her body and a sexier wardrobe on social media. In a new interview on Hot 97 with Ebro and Rosenberg, she decided to address this... Read more

January 29, 2015 Video

It’s An Aftermath Party…Dr. Dre & Black Hippy Come Out For Game’s 10th Anniversary

Game has had a curious relationship with the label who helped bring him to stardom—and that doesn't mean G-Unit. Only one of Game's albums was an official Aftermath Entertainment release—the 2005 major label debut that turned 10 years old yesterday: The Documentary. While Jayceon Taylor has remained a flagship act... Read more

January 19, 2015 Video

Kendrick Lamar Speaks About His Grammy Loss & The Price of Fame with Raw Honesty

Kendrick Lamar graces the cover of the latest edition of XXL. Rather than do an interview or a standard profile piece, the publication allowed Kendrick to convey his thoughts in his words and his words, only. There were no questions and presumably no edits; just Kendrick raw and unfiltered. The... Read more

January 7, 2015 Fresh

Listen to Over 170 of the Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2014 in One Playlist (Audio)

2014 was an incredibly diverse year for Hip-Hop, musically and thematically. Many of the sounds that have dominated airwaves and web streams remained, but something returned that had been missing from the culture for quite some time: the voice of the people. In a year that saw more unrest in... Read more

January 5, 2015 Audio, Featured-homepage, Playlists

Macklemore Gets Deep About Race, White Appropriation, Grammy Awards & His Biggest Mistake (Video)

In addition to all of the great things that happened in music, especially Hip-Hop, for 2014, there have been some uncomfortable moments. As art parallels life, and life parallels art, America witnessed murders, arrests, protests, actions (and non-actions) and other public issues raise the question of racial equality. In Hip-Hop... Read more

December 31, 2014 Fresh, Video

Here Are the Best Freestyles of 2014. Nothing. But. BARS (Video)

Contrary to popular belief, a freestyle does not have to be an "off the top" verse, at least according to Big Daddy Kane and Kool Moe Dee, if you take them as credible sources. Says Kool Moe Dee in his book, There's a God on the Mic: "There are two... Read more

December 26, 2014 Featured-homepage, Video

Kendrick Lamar World Premieres a New Song on The Colbert Report (Video)

As The Colbert Report winds down, Kendrick Lamar had the distinct honor of being the show's last musical guest ever. Following in the footsteps of artists like Paul McCartney, R.E.M., Jack White and Nas, Kendrick stepped up with a world premiere of a brand new untitled song. Not to be... Read more

December 17, 2014 Featured-homepage, Video

Kendrick Lamar Addresses Ferguson, Eric Garner and Instilling Self Esteem (Video)

Over the last five years, Kendrick Lamar as been one of Hip-Hop's leading social commentators through his music. Songs like "Vanity Slaves," "Keisha's Song" and "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" address various issues plaguing the community. So, when MTV recently asked Kendrick about the events around the country... Read more

December 13, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar Explains Who He is Through Verse and Visuals (Video)

Unless you grew up in or regularly visited Southern California, most Heads have not been to the city of Compton. Kendrick Lamar's rise in Hip-Hop brought renewed attention to Hub-City, making it quite different in some ways, and quite the same in others, as portrayed by N.W.A., DJ Quik, MC... Read more

December 10, 2014 Fresh, Video

Punch Makes A Potent Song About Living Past 25, With Kendrick Lamar On The Hook (Audio)

President Punch of Top Dawg Entertainment has begun transitioning from independent label executive to a thoughtful MC in 2014. No stranger to TDE's pre-Interscope releases of the early 2010s, Punch was part of the ensemble that made albums by Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and ScHoolboy Q so potent. His... Read more

December 10, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Lecrae & Childish Gambino Join Drake, Eminem & Kendrick Lamar In 2015 Grammy Nominations

The flagship 57th annual Grammy Award nominations have been announced, in part, as they are being rolled out gradually this year. After 2014's controversial "Best Rap Performance" win by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, two more independent artists have been nominated for 2014. Reach Records star Lecrae has been nominated for... Read more

December 5, 2014 Fresh

Was Kendrick Lamar’s SNL Performance a Tribute to Method Man & ODB? RZA Speaks (Video)

Last week, Kendrick Lamar took the stage on Saturday Night Live and gave an incredibly dynamic performance of his current single, "i." The rendition featured a live band and Kendrick showcasing some of the choreography from the song's video. Strikingly, K.Dot also wore black eye contacts and his hair in... Read more

November 21, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar Brings Out Jay Rock to Crash His Saturday Night Live Party (Video)

Kendrick Lamar took the stage on Saturday Night Live for the second time in 2 years. He performed an extremely animated version of his single "i," complete with a funky live band, black contact lenses and even choreography from the video. He also flipped the flow of the song to... Read more

November 16, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar Discusses UFOs, Ghosts, Psycho Fans and More (Video)

In one of the lighter interviews he's had in some time, Kendrick Lamar stopped by LA's 97.1 to discuss several offbeat topics, including seeing ghosts and UFOs, bad date moments, psycho fan encounters and more. Check out the video. Related: Kendrick Lamar is on a Mission to Save Lives with... Read more

November 7, 2014 Video

Taylor Swift Rocks Out To Kendrick Lamar, K-Dot Freestyles Over Taylor Swift (Audio)

While plenty of Rap superstars shun interviews and duck possibly awkward media spots, Kendrick Lamar—although reclusive, welcomes the attention. Hours after Taylor Swift celebrated her milestone first-week sales by vibing out to some good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar, the Compton, California superstar was probed for a reaction while... Read more

November 5, 2014 Audio, Fresh

How Does Taylor Swift Celebrate Selling 1.3MM Albums? With Some Kendrick Lamar (Video)

It's been a big week for Kendrick Lamar. After releasing his new single "i" it was chosen as the NBA's theme song, in the league's premiere week. If you tuned into any of the games, it was all Kendrick, all the time. The only artist who had a bigger week... Read more

November 5, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar Continues To Spread The Love With i (Video)

Kendrick Lamar continues his mission to save lives musically with the official video to his lead single, "i." Kendrick clearly understands the grasp his music has within the Hip-Hop realm and even more importantly, he understands that the people who listen to his music believe in it and look to... Read more

November 4, 2014 Fresh, Video

Kendrick Lamar Is On A Mission To Save Lives With His Music (Video)

You may see a bunch of catchy headlines about Kendrick Lamar's extended interview today with Hot 97. There will be talk about Lady Gaga, Macklemore, his upcoming appearance on SNL, how many kids he wants to have...All of that is accurate, but it's fluff compared to the jewels he drops... Read more

November 3, 2014 Video

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop of October 2014 (Audio)

October yielded some of the hardest Hip-Hop of the year. Whether it was seasonal, Mercury in retrograde or something in the water, MCs brought their A-games. Here's a playlist of some of the best music of the month. You'll hear tracks from Redman, Big K.R.I.T., Logic, The Lox, Rah Digga,... Read more

November 2, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage

Big K.R.I.T. Claims King Of The South & Says He Bested “Your Favorite Rapper” Too (Audio)

Guaranteed, you've never heard Big K.R.I.T. this confident, this unleashed... Track 7 from Cadillactica (November 11), "King Of The South" is a bold statement. With an in-your-face beat, Krizzle matches with a verse. The song talks the Meridian Mississippi's "country" upbringing, and his current urban lifestyle. He paints himself as... Read more

October 31, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Kendrick Lamar Performs i After an Intro From Kevin Hart (Video)

If you've caught any of the NBA games this week, you've undoubtedly heard at least a snippet of Kendrick Lamar's single "i." Representing the theme song for the NBA's premiere week, Kendrick took the stage in Cleveland for the Cavs home opener to performer the Isley Brothers-powered single live, after... Read more

October 31, 2014 Video

Jay Rock & Kendrick Lamar Are Out To Make Opponents Pay For It (Audio)

In a year where so many are looking for heroes, Jay Rock is standing tall. Quietly, the Watts MC represents the perspective of an intelligent, strategic man, informed by some of the most cutthroat streets in the world, and a city not known to be merciful. "Pay For It" comes... Read more

October 29, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Finding The GOAT: Childish Gambino vs. Kendrick Lamar…Who You Got?

As we continue the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time), 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 consideration, pairing special match-ups in a sequence not... Read more

October 28, 2014 Fresh

Kendrick Lamar Releases the Lyric Video for i (Video)

Kendrick Lamar's new single "i" took the internet by storm and by surprise. The track, with its Isley Brothers-fueled sample, was a sonic departure from Kendrick's previous material. When you dig deeper however, the song was fully consistent with K. Dot's often complex message of struggle and, ultimately, redemption. Now,... Read more

October 10, 2014 Video

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop to Drop in September 2014 (Audio)

As we ease into October, here's a look back at some of the amazing music that came out in September 2014. You'll hear songs from DJ Quik, Nas, The Lox, Schoolboy Q, Common, Jay Electronica, MC Lyte, Childish Gambino, Raekwon, Logic, Rapsody, Yelawolf, Diamond D, Elzhi, Talib Kweli, Nature, Rick... Read more

October 7, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Playlists

Kendrick Lamar Performs His Single i For the First Time (Video)

Kendrick Lamar performed his new single "i" for the first time, at We Day Toronto. K. Dot gave an energetic rendition of the song with a live band. The footage was amateur but gives a good sense of the experience. Check out the video. Related: Flying Lotus Releases a Stunning... Read more

October 4, 2014 Video

Flying Lotus Releases a Stunning Video for His Collabo with Kendrick Lamar (Video)

The video for "Never Catch Me," Flying Lotus' collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, both showcases how amazing the song is and stands on its own as a stunning piece of art. The song, an exploration of the anxieties associated with death, and thus life itself, is a feat on its own... Read more

October 1, 2014 Video

Prince & Kendrick Lamar Share The Stage, Collaborate On Obscure Album Cut (Video)

It's only 30 seconds, but it's pretty electric. Yahoo! Video secured footage of Prince & Kendrick Lamar on stage together in the former's native Minneapolis, Minnesota. Live from Paisley Park, K-Dot and The Artist unveiled what they have in the cannon, possibly... Rolling Stone reports that the collaboration is of... Read more

October 1, 2014 Fresh, Video

Rashida Jones Directs This Mayer Hawthorne & Kendrick Lamar Look (Video)

Rashida Jones (Quincy's daughter) gets her music video directorial debut on. The television star "Parks & Recreation," "Boston Public," and "The Office" gave Mayer Hawthorne a narrative feel on his Kendrick Lamar-assisted "Crime." The song about the fast life gets a slow-moving visual that adds some new insights to the... Read more

September 29, 2014 Fresh, Video

Kendrick Lamar Got Ronald “Mr. Big” Isley’s Blessing When He Made “i” (Video)

Biz Markie might have made it a habit to have All Samples Cleared thanks to Gilbert O'Sullivan, but not all artists from yesterday are pleased with having their music touched. While O.G.'s like Bob James and Donald Byrd not only embraced sampling—they collaborated with Hip-Hop artists, other artists like Syl... Read more

September 29, 2014 Fresh, Video

With Nothing But a Table Beat, Kendrick Lamar WRECKS Another Freestyle (Audio)

There is no doubt Kendrick Lamar is back...with a vengeance. After releasing his new single "i" and engaging in a hilarious but stunning Rap battle with Power 106's Big Boy, Kendrick went back to the basics of Hip-Hop with the LA Leakers. With nothing but a beat being drummed on... Read more

September 25, 2014 Audio, Video

Kendrick Lamar May Deliver His Finest Freestyle, But Does Big Boy Shine Harder? (Video)

One day after his "i" release, Kendrick Lamar isn't out to give the spotlight up. But if anybody's testing him for it, it's not who you'd expect. On Big Boy's Neighborhood, K-Dot goes truly off the dome through 25 years of instrumentals, ranging from Nas/James Brown, to State Property, to... Read more

September 24, 2014 Fresh, Video

Kendrick Lamar Discusses His Control Verse 1-Year Later (Video)

Kendrick Lamar dropped by Power 106 and while there was reminded the 1-year anniversary of the verse that shook up the Hip-Hop world had recently passed (8/13). 13 months removed from the furor, Kendrick put the song in perspective and spoke on his relationships with many of the artists he... Read more

September 23, 2014 Video

Kendrick Lamar’s New Single is One Of The Realest Records For The Streets (Audio)

After hinting at it last week, Kendrick Lamar has released what is perceived as the first single of his sophomore major label album. Although it was forecast by some to feature Black Hippy band-mate Jay Rock, "i" is a solo set, produced by Rahki ("Black Boy Fly"). Based around a... Read more

September 23, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Fresh

Kendrick Lamar Employs a Poet’s Care On Chris Brown’s Autumn Leaves (Audio)

With snippets only surfacing in the past, Chris Brown's X album (September 16) collaboration with Kendrick Lamar surfaces in full. "Autumn Leaves" is just in time for the seasonal shift, as well as welcomed new music from two of the finest at their craft, living under the Los Angeles skyline.... Read more

September 10, 2014 Audio, Fresh