Kendrick Lamar is an American rapper born on June 17, 1987. Inspired by Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre, Lamar started rapping while in elementary school and even released his first mixtape at the age of 16 while still in high school.
His mixtape attracted the attention of major record labels and by the early 2000s, he inked a deal with Top Dawg Entertainment. In 2008, he made an appearance in a music video for Jay Rock’s “All My Life (In the Ghetto).” He also worked with Ya Boy, The Game and he was featured on songs including “The Cypha” and “Cali Niggaz”.
In 2010, he dropped a mixtape called “Overly Dedicated” and the album even reached the Billboard 200 charts that year. He subsequently released his very first album known as “Section.80” and it reached number 13 on the Billboard charts.
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By 2011, his popularity started to rise and was even named “The New King of the West Coast” by The Game, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg. Since then, he has embarked on several tours and made guest appearances for other musicians.
Lamar is the first non-classical or jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music for his album “Damn”. Also, his feature on the remix of “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift in 2015 won them a Grammy for Best Music Video and an MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.
In total, he has won 17 Grammy Awards. The rapper was once named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. Lamar’s net worth is now reportedly $140 million. The rapper has minted millions from endorsement deals with Nike and American Express, according to Forbes.
Lamar and Drake have been embroiled in what has been described as one of the most high-profile and heavily discussed hip-hop feuds in recent history. Over several weeks, the two renowned emcees traded jabs and also made scathing allegations against each other in their respective diss songs. Their feud, however, has seemingly died down after Lamar released his Not Like Us diss track to the Way 2 Sexy rapper on May 4.
Beyond his music and diss tracks, Lamar is also an entrepreneur with several ventures. Some of the properties linked to him include;
PGLang, LLC: the musician co-founded PGLang, LLC, a dynamic American entertainment powerhouse alongside accomplished record executive Dave Free in 2020. The company has collaborated with talents like Baby Keem and esteemed brands such as Calvin Klein.
EngineEars: Founded by Grammy winner Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, EngineEars became a marketplace for audio engineers. Its first round of funding raised $1 million and it features investments from Lamar.
“Quality of sound is still important in music,” Lamar said to TechCrunch in 2021 after investing in the Los Angeles-based music startup. “Ali has always been a progressive thinker. Engineers will transcend the culture.”
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE): Lamar is a part owner of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). The company contributes to the heartbeat of American hip-hop and R&B music, making it one of the most powerful hubs for growing talent.
Lamar is also into real estate. He has many properties, including a $2.65 million home he owns in Calabasas, Calif. In 2014, he purchased another home for $523,400. He also owns a $9.7 million mansion in Manhattan Beach.
