Born on June 17, 1987, in Compton, California, Kendrick Lamar took inspiration
from the legendary gangsta rap stars who originated from his tough neighborhood
– including Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur and Eazy-E - and crafted a style that talked
about the harsh realities of his upbringing with an honest lack of machismo.
Originally calling himself K-Dot, he was made to freestyle for two hours at his
audition for Top Dawg Entertainment because label bosses couldn't believe that a
16-year-old could come up with such talented rhymes. Eventually, they believed
and signed him up, and his rep...