Some consider him a rapper, while others see him as a poet, but one thing universally acknowledged is that Kendrick Lamar is a musical genius. Since making his debut with the studio album \u201cSection.80\u201d in 2011, Lamar has transitioned from an emerging emcee to one of the most esteemed lyricists in the music industry.<\/p>\n
In a 2014 interview with The New York Times, Pharrell Williams drew a remarkable comparison between Lamar and the legendary Bob Dylan, considered one of the greatest singer-songwriters ever. \u201cYou can just see the kid\u2019s mind like a kaleidoscope over a beat,\u201d Williams remarked. In another conversation with Apple Music, Williams attributed Lamar\u2019s exceptional songwriting skills to his disciplined approach to subject matter.<\/p>\n
Despite his legendary artistry, Lamar has faced significant personal tragedies over the years. In his 2010 track \u201cCut You Off (To Grow Closer),\u201d the rapper touched on the death of his grandmother, a pivotal figure in his childhood. \u201cEver since grandma died, everyone parted ways \/ Argue on holidays,\u201d he rapped. This loss is just one of the many hardships Lamar has endured.<\/p>\n
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Kendrick Lamar was born on June 17, 1987, to Paula Oliver, a hairdresser, and Kenneth \u201cKenny\u201d Duckworth, a former gang member. In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Lamar revealed his father\u2019s involvement with the Gangster Disciples, a gang in Chicago\u2019s South Side. His mother, displeased with this lifestyle, issued an ultimatum to Duckworth, urging him to leave the gang life. \u201cShe said, \u2018I can\u2019t f*** with you if you ain\u2019t trying to better yourself. We can\u2019t be in the streets forever,'\u201d Lamar recalled.<\/p>\n
The couple eventually moved to California, settling in Compton. \u201cThey were going to go to San Bernardino. But my Auntie Tina was in Compton. She got \u2019em a hotel until they got on their feet, and my mom got a job at McDonald\u2019s,\u201d Lamar told Rolling Stone. Struggling financially, Oliver and Duckworth alternated between sleeping in their car and motels. \u201cEventually, they saved enough money to get their first apartment, and that\u2019s when they had me,\u201d Lamar added.<\/p>\n
However, despite the move, Duckworth and Oliver never fully escaped street life. \u201cThey wasn\u2019t no perfect mothaf***as. My pops did his thing. My moms did her thing. In the streets, you know what I\u2019m saying? Together. They stayed with it for the sake of me. I\u2019m their first born,\u201d Lamar explained in a 2010 interview with Paul Cantor.<\/p>\n
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After starting their family, Lamar\u2019s parents struggled to make ends meet, relying on government welfare and food stamps. \u201cMy moms used to walk me home from school \u2014 we didn\u2019t have no car \u2014 and we\u2019d talk from the county building to the welfare office,\u201d Lamar recounted to Rolling Stone in 2015. Despite their efforts to shield him from their financial struggles, Lamar quickly realized the situation. \u201cI realized his work schedule wasn\u2019t really adding up,\u201d he said of his father\u2019s job at KFC. \u201cThey wanted to keep me innocent. I love them for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lamar has fond memories of his childhood, despite the challenges. His parents often threw house parties, some of which he snuck into. They also made sure he had gifts on special occasions. \u201cI didn\u2019t know it was hard times because they always had my Christmas present under the tree and for my birthday,\u201d he recalled to Spin.<\/p>\n
Growing up in Compton, Lamar witnessed significant violence. At just four years old, he experienced the chaos of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. \u201cI remember riding with my pops down Bullis Road, and looking out the window and seeing motherf***ers just running,\u201d Lamar recounted to Rolling Stone. Amidst the riots, his father seized the opportunity to loot. \u201cI can see smoke. We stop, and my pops goes into the Auto-Zone and comes out rolling four tires. I know he didn\u2019t buy them. I\u2019m like, \u2018What\u2019s going on?'\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
When he was only five, Lamar saw a teenage drug dealer get killed in a drive-by shooting. \u201cIt was outside my apartment unit. A guy was out there serving his narcotics and somebody rolled up with a shotgun and blew his chest out,\u201d he shared with NPR. These traumatic experiences profoundly shaped Lamar and his music. He has frequently addressed police brutality in his songs, notably in his 2015 single \u201cAlright,\u201d which has become an anthem for protests in the Black community.<\/p>\n
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In 2015, Lamar released \u201cu,\u201d a track from his album \u201cTo Pimp a Butterfly,\u201d where he detailed his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts. \u201cI know your secrets, n****, mood swings is frequent, n**** \/ I know depression is restin\u2019 on your heart for two reasons \u2026 And if this bottle could talk I cry myself to sleep,\u201d Lamar rapped.<\/p>\n
In an interview, Lamar explained that the song drew inspiration from his upbringing. \u201cNothing was as vulnerable as that record, so it\u2019s even pulling from those experiences of coming up in Compton \u2026 the experience of going through change,\u201d he shared with MTV. Part of his mental health struggle stemmed from survivor\u2019s guilt after losing childhood friends to violence in Southern California.<\/p>\n
In \u201cI,\u201d another song from \u201cTo Pimp a Butterfly,\u201d Lamar again touched on his struggles, revealing, \u201cI\u2019ve been dealing with depression ever since an adolescent.\u201d To cope, Lamar sought therapy, which was a significant step for him as a Black man. \u201cTo challenge myself to go therapy, s***, that\u2019s like a whole new step in a whole new generation. That\u2019s growth,\u201d he shared with Spotify during a trip to Ghana.<\/p>\n
In tenth grade, Lamar attended a summer school he had to walk to every day amidst a gang war. \u201cThis was the time the gang rivals was heavy between my neighborhood and the neighborhood a few blocks down. We would always debate, like \u2018Damn, I hate going to this summer school class cause we gotta walk home at this time in the summertime where we know the war likes to pop off around the evening,'\u201d he recounted in a 2012 Vevo Lift interview.<\/p>\n
Despite attempts to stay clear, Lamar got involved in gang activities, including home invasions and robberies. This led to trouble, with police visiting his home and his parents disciplining him by making him leave the house for two days. \u201cThat\u2019s a scary thing, because you might not come back,\u201d he told Rolling Stone.<\/p>\n
In a 2015 interview with NPR, Lamar opened up about the tragic death of his friend Chad Keaton, who was injured in a drive-by shooting in 2013. Lamar felt immense guilt for not being able to visit Keaton in the hospital before he died. \u201cChad was a really hard one for Kendrick. It was really hard for him because Chad was younger than us. The little bro,\u201d Lamar\u2019s friend and business partner Dave Free said in \u201cThe Big Hit Show.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Lamar has been open about his battle with sex addiction, which led him to cheat on his longtime partner, Whitney Alford. In his 2022 album \u201cMr. Morale & the Big Steppers,\u201d Lamar candidly addressed this issue in the track \u201cMother I Sober.\u201d \u201cInsecurities that I project, sleepin\u2019 with other women \/ Whitney\u2019s hurt, the purest soul I know, I found her in the kitchen \/ Askin\u2019 God, \u2018Where did I lose myself? And can it be forgiven?'\u201d he rapped.<\/p>\n
Despite initially hiding his addiction from Alford, she eventually encouraged him to seek therapy. \u201cPure soul, even in her pain, know she cared for me \/ Gave me a number, said she recommended some therapy,\u201d he explained in the song.<\/p>\n
Lamar and Alford have been together since high school, and their relationship has grown deeper over the years. In 2015, Lamar confirmed their engagement, and the couple has since welcomed two children, daughter Uzi in July 2019, and son Enoch in 2022. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t even call her my girl. That\u2019s my best friend. I don\u2019t even like the term that society has put in the world as far as being a companion \u2014 she\u2019s somebody I can tell my fears to,\u201d Lamar told Billboard in 2015.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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