Kendrick Lamar is an American rapper and hip hop artist. He was born in California, in 1987 and released his first mixtape aged 16 which led him to securing a contract with an independent record label. He started gaining recognition in 2012 after the release of his first solo album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, which received critical acclaim. To date, he is considered one of the best hip hop artists in the world, and has won a total of 13 Grammy awards. Aside from his solo career, he is also a member of the hip hop group, Black Hippy.