Kendrick Lamar
Native son of Compton, Kendrick Lamar has taken the mantle of west coast king from mentor Dr. Dre in recent years with modern classics as Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City and To Pimp a Butterfly. Lamar, known as the paragon of a consummate rapper, takes advice and inspiration from a medley of sources from the Motown vibes of the Isley Brothers, the modal musings of Miles Davis, and the trap sounds of the Atlanta rap scene. The King Kunte Groove Sessions continued his jazz-rap period, marked by Butterfly, one of few rap albums featuring live instrumentation in favour of sampling and machine-based beats. With his label mate Jay Rock and backing band, the Wesley Theory, Lamar undertakes the challenge of giving a rap tour without the usual electronic backing, but rather live band accompaniment, the natural succession from his concert with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in October.
