Lyrically, I am still trying to get on board with the Kendrick Lamar sound. I hear all kinds of rave reviews on his sound and ability. However, the specialists and important people over at ASCAP Vanguard Award recognize Kendrick’s lyrical abilities.
ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams commented: “Kendrick Lamar’s smart, structured story-telling and genre-bending sound make him stand out amongst his peers. He pushes boundaries with his creativity, perfectly illustrating everything that the ASCAP Vanguard Award recognizes.”
ASCAP VP of Rhythm & Soul Membership Nicole George-Middleton commented: “Kendrick is one of the most exciting acts in the rap game today, and we know big things are in store for his career. It’s no wonder that he’s been dubbed ‘the new king of the West Coast’ by rap veterans like Snoop Dogg.”
And for these reasons, this is why he is set to receive the ASCAP Vanguard Award at 26th Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.
The invitation-only event will take place on Thursday, June 27th, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
Past ASCAP Vanguard Award honorees include Beastie Boys, Taio Cruz, Diplo, Janelle Monáe and Santigold.
25-year-old rapper-songwriter Kendrick Lamar grew up in Compton, California, listening to and idolizing rap icons like Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. It was those 90s rappers that inspired Lamar to first begin recording and releasing music in 2003, originally under the moniker K. Dot. After releasing a series of mixtapes, Lamar started gaining attention from popular artists and producers, including Lil Wayne and Dr. Dre. With his major label debut, 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city, Lamar wanted to construct an album that presents a dialogue on what kids in his generation are going through today. The album sold more copies in its first week than any other debut album that year, and earned massive nods from Pitchfork, The New York Times, MTV and hundreds of other outlets. Earlier this year, Lamar topped MTV’s annual Hottest MCs in the Game list, beating out industry heavyweights like Nas and Kanye West.
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