Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is a highly influential American rapper, considered one of the greatest of all time. His work is celebrated for its technical skill and intricate lyrics. In 2018, he made history by becoming the first non-classical or jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music, solidifying his place as a significant figure in contemporary music.
1984: Parents Relocate to Compton
Kendrick Lamar's parents, originally from Chicago, moved to Compton, California in 1984.
June 17, 1987: Birth of Kendrick Lamar Duckworth
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born on June 17, 1987, in Compton, California.
1992: Witnessing the 1992 LA Riots and a Murder
In 1992, a five-year-old Kendrick Lamar witnessed the Los Angeles riots and a drive-by shooting, impacting his understanding of violence and his environment.
April 15, 2003: Release of Youngest Head Nigga in Charge
Kendrick Lamar, under the stage name K.Dot, released his first mixtape, "Youngest Head Nigga in Charge (Hub City Threat: Minor of the Year)", on April 15, 2003.
2005: Signing with TDE and Acquiring Stake
In 2005, Kendrick Lamar officially signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and also purchased a minority stake in the label.
2005: Signing with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE)
In 2005, Kendrick Lamar signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and co-founded the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy.
2005: High School Graduation and Focus on Music
Kendrick Lamar graduated high school in 2005 and chose to pursue his music career instead of attending college.
2011: Release of Section.80
Kendrick Lamar released his debut album, Section.80, in 2011.
October 2012: Drug Experience and Acting Role
In October 2012, Lamar discussed a past experience with laced marijuana and explained his decision to portray a drug abuser in the TV series Power.
November 2012: Donation to Hurricane Sandy Relief
In November 2012, Kendrick Lamar donated to the American Red Cross to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy.
2012: Support for Social Causes
In 2012, Kendrick Lamar publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement, commended Frank Ocean's coming out, endorsed Barack Obama's re-election campaign, and criticized his opponent Mitt Romney.
2012: Release of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
In 2012, Kendrick Lamar released his second album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, which achieved widespread acclaim and commercial success.
December 2013: Donation to Centennial High School
Kendrick Lamar donated $50,000 to his alma mater, Centennial High School, to support its music department in December 2013.
2013: Complex's Best Rapper Alive
In 2013, Complex named Kendrick Lamar the best rapper alive.
July 2014: The Rapture Tour concludes
In July 2014, Kendrick Lamar finished his stint opening for Eminem on The Rapture Tour.
December 2014: Performance on The Colbert Report
In December 2014, Kendrick Lamar performed untitled songs on The Colbert Report.
2014: Charity Concert Tour for Habitat for Humanity
In 2014, Lamar held a concert tour and donated all proceeds to Habitat for Humanity and his hometown.
2014: Forbes 30 Under 30
Kendrick Lamar was included in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in the music category in 2014.
March 15, 2015: To Pimp a Butterfly Release
Kendrick Lamar released his third studio album, "To Pimp a Butterfly," on March 15, 2015. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart, selling 324,000 copies in its first week.
April 2015: Engagement to Whitney Alford
Lamar announced his engagement to Whitney Alford in April 2015.
May 2015: Generational Icon Recognition
In May 2015, the California State Senate recognized Kendrick Lamar as a generational icon for his contributions to music and philanthropy.
November 2015: Kunta's Groove Sessions Tour Ends and Grammy Nominations
In November 2015, Kendrick Lamar concluded his Kunta's Groove Sessions Tour, which supported his album "To Pimp a Butterfly." He also received 11 Grammy nominations for his work on the album and other collaborations throughout the year.
2015: Release of To Pimp a Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar's third album, To Pimp a Butterfly, was released in 2015, incorporating elements of jazz, funk, and soul, and marking his first number-one album on the Billboard 200.
2015: Features on "Bad Blood" Remix
In 2015, Kendrick Lamar featured on the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood", his first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100.
January 2016: Performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
In January 2016, Kendrick Lamar performed untitled songs on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
March 4, 2016: Untitled Unmastered Release
On March 4, 2016, Kendrick Lamar released "Untitled Unmastered," a compilation album featuring previously unreleased demos and tracks from the "To Pimp a Butterfly" sessions.
2016: Time 100 Most Influential People
In 2016, Kendrick Lamar was featured in Time magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
2016: Time's 100 Most Influential People
Kendrick Lamar was listed as one of Time's 100 most influential people in 2016.
March 1, 2017: Confirmation of Fourth Album
On March 1, 2017, Kendrick Lamar confirmed he was working on his fourth studio album, "Damn."
July 2017: Gift to a Fan
In July 2017, Lamar demonstrated his generosity by purchasing a wheelchair-accessible van for a quadriplegic fan.
July 2017: The Damn Tour Begins
Kendrick Lamar started his Damn Tour in July 2017.
2017: Complex's Best Rapper Alive
In 2017, Complex again named Kendrick Lamar the best rapper alive.
2017: The Damn Tour
Kendrick Lamar embarked on The Damn Tour from 2017-2018, which became one of the highest-grossing rap tours in history.
2017: Release of Damn and "Humble"
Kendrick Lamar released his fourth album, Damn, in 2017, which included the hit single "Humble", his second number-one on the Billboard Hot 100.
January 4, 2018: Black Panther: The Album Announcement
Kendrick Lamar announced his involvement in curating and producing "Black Panther: The Album" on January 4, 2018.
April 16, 2018: Pulitzer Prize for Music
Kendrick Lamar's album "Damn" won the Pulitzer Prize for Music on April 16, 2018, a historic achievement for a hip-hop album.
June 2018: The Championship Tour and Spotify Dispute
In June 2018, Kendrick Lamar co-headlined The Championship Tour with TDE artists and engaged in a public dispute with Spotify over their Hate Content & Hateful Conduct policy.
June 2018: Damn Certification Milestone
By June 2018, "Damn" became the first album by a rapper or solo artist to have every song certified gold or higher by the RIAA.
July 2018: The Damn Tour Ends
Kendrick Lamar finished his Damn Tour in July 2018. The tour was a major commercial success.
2018: Forbes 30 Under 30
Kendrick Lamar was again included in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in the music category in 2018.
2018: The Damn Tour (Continued)
The Damn Tour by Kendrick Lamar continued into 2018.
2018: Pulitzer Prize for Music
Kendrick Lamar's album 'Damn' received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, marking the first time a work outside classical and jazz genres won this award.
2018: Black Panther Soundtrack and "All the Stars"
Kendrick Lamar curated and contributed original songs to the Black Panther soundtrack in 2018, including the Oscar-nominated "All the Stars" with SZA.
2018: Pulitzer Prize for Music
In 2018, Kendrick Lamar was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music, a significant achievement as the first non-classical or jazz musician to receive this honor.
July 26, 2019: Birth of First Child
Lamar and Alford's first child, Uzi, was born on July 26, 2019.
2019: Forbes Celebrity 100
In 2019, Kendrick Lamar appeared on the Forbes Celebrity 100 ranking.
March 5, 2020: PGLang Launch
On March 5, 2020, Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free launched PGLang, a creative service company.
June 2020: Participation in George Floyd and Breonna Taylor Protests
In June 2020, Kendrick Lamar participated in a peace walk to protest the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
2020: Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums
In 2020, Rolling Stone included three of Kendrick Lamar's works in their updated list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
August 2021: Final TDE Album Announcement
In August 2021, Lamar announced his final album under TDE, confirming rumors of his departure to focus on PGLang.
February 13, 2022: Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show
On February 13, 2022, Lamar co-headlined the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, which won an Emmy Award.
May 13, 2022: Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers Release
Kendrick Lamar released his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, on May 13, 2022. It was a double album with diverse influences and achieved critical acclaim and commercial success.
July 2022: Big Steppers Tour Begins
In July 2022, Lamar embarked on the Big Steppers Tour to support his album, which became the highest-grossing rap tour at the time.
September 2022: "We Cry Together" Short Film Release
Lamar released a short film adaptation of "We Cry Together" in September 2022.
2022: The Big Steppers Tour
Kendrick Lamar began The Big Steppers Tour in 2022, another highly successful rap tour.
2022: Birth of Second Child
Lamar and Alford's second child, Enoch, was born in 2022.
2022: Release of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar's double album, was released in 2022, marking the end of his time with TDE and Aftermath.
2022: Guest Appearance on SZA's Album
In 2022, Lamar made a guest appearance on SZA's album SOS (Deluxe).
2022: Big Steppers Tour
Kendrick Lamar's Big Steppers Tour, which ran from 2022-2024, is one of the highest-grossing hip hop tours of all time.
February 2023: Top Ranked Album on Rate Your Music
As of February 2023, Kendrick Lamar's album is the top-ranked album on Rate Your Music.
May 2023: Collaborations and BET Awards
In May 2023, Lamar featured on Beyoncé's "America Has a Problem" and Baby Keem's "The Hillbillies." He also won four BET Hip Hop Awards, setting new records in the process.
2023: Billboard's Greatest Rappers of All Time
In 2023, Kendrick Lamar was included in Billboard's list of the greatest rappers of all time.
March 2024: Big Steppers Tour Ends
In March 2024, Lamar concluded his Big Steppers Tour.
March 2024: Conflict with Drake and New Music Releases
Lamar's conflict with Drake reignited in March 2024. He released several diss tracks aimed at Drake, including "Like That" which topped the Billboard Hot 100.
June 7, 2024: Commencement Speaker at Compton College
On June 7, 2024, Kendrick Lamar served as the surprise commencement speaker at Compton College.
September 8, 2024: Super Bowl LIX Headliner Announcement
On September 8, 2024, Lamar was announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show.
2024: Good Kid, M.A.A.D City Ranked by Apple Music
In 2024, Apple Music named Kendrick Lamar's album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, as the seventh greatest album of all time.
2024: Release of GNX and Feud with Drake
In 2024, Kendrick Lamar released his sixth album, GNX, amidst a feud with Drake, and achieved further success with the hit singles "Like That", "Not Like Us", and "Squabble Up".
2024: Piece by Piece Film Release
In 2024, Lamar starred in the animated biographical film Piece by Piece.
2024: The Big Steppers Tour (Continued) and Co-founding of PGLang
The Big Steppers Tour continued into 2024. Also, Kendrick Lamar co-founded the creative company PGLang and ventured into film with Dave Free.
February 2, 2025: Grammy Awards Success
On February 2, 2025, "Not Like Us" won five awards at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.
July 4, 2025: Film Production with Paramount
A comedy feature produced by Lamar, Free, Parker, and Stone is slated for release on July 4, 2025, by Paramount Pictures.