In October 2012, Lamar's highly anticipated major-label debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was released to wide acclaim. Now the quiet, observant kid who made good grades in school was poised to become rap's newest superstar.
Aftermath was distributed by major label Interscope (Universal Music), which would have the marketing, sales and distribution muscle to take Lamar's career to the next level. Dre signed him to his independent record label, Aftermath Entertainment, alongside more established rap stars Eminem and 50 Cent (in a joint venture with Top Dawg). Titled Section.80, it was released exclusively on iTunes.Īs the buzz on Lamar continued to build, Dr. That same year, Lamar released his first full-length independent album under Top Dawg Entertainment. He also put out a fourth mix tape, Overly Dedicated. In 2010 Lamar dropped the K-Dot tag and began using his own name. Lamar and these other performers eventually formed their own rap collective, Black Hippy. He went on to release two other acclaimed mix tapes, Training Day (2005) and C4 (2009), steadily working with other up-and-coming West Coast rappers like Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q. The project was enough to get Lamar a record deal with Top Dawg Entertainment, a respected California independent label and feeder to major labels. At age 16, in 2003, he circulated a mix tape called Youngest Head Nigga in Charge, which drew a lot of interest in his native Southern California and beyond. He adopted the moniker K-Dot and began performing his lyrics as a rapper. Lamar's family was directly touched by the violence of the streets, yet he remained thoughtful and soft-spoken, ever the keen observer, even as a child.