Kendrick Lamar

Indisputably the most acclaimed rap artist of his generation, Kendrick Lamar is one of those rare MCs who has achieved critical and commercial success while earning the respect and support of those who inspired him. After several years of development, Lamar hit his creative and chart-topping stride in the 2010s. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), the Grammy-winning To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), and the Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN. (2017), his three proper major-label albums have displayed an unmatched mix of inventive wordplay and compelling conceptual narratives, examining internal conflict, flaunting success, and uplifting his community. Lamar's cinematic and collaborative inclinations inevitably attracted the mainstream film industry. Black Panther: The Album (2018) was the source of three of Lamar's Top Ten pop hits.

In 2016 we hosted a day of hip-hop workshops at the special request of creative agency four23 who were curating events surrounding Lamar’s visit to Manchester for Reebok. To end the day, Kendrick himself dropped in and freestyled with participants before heading off to a secret gig at Old Granada Studios.