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Kendrick Lamar is having one of his biggest years in 2025. The American rapper took home five trophies this year at the Grammy Awards. He also made history by becoming the first solo rapper to headline a Super Bowl halftime show through his recent performance.
Lamar first rose to prominence in 2012 with his second album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. In 2022, Rolling Stone named it the greatest concept album of all time. His 2017 album DAMN. was named the 15th greatest rap album by Billboard.
The highly acclaimed rapper has multiple accolades and records to his name. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about Kendrick Lamar.
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Pulitzer win, founding a hip-hop group, and other things you didn’t know about Kendrick Lamar
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1) He donated $50,000 to his former high school
In December 2013, Kendrick Lamar donated $50,000 to his alma mater, Compton’s Centennial High School’s music department, Youth Today reported. Lamar left a check with school principal Jesse Jones who later announced it to the school’s music students, according to Youth Today.
In 2015, the California Senate announced Lamar as the 35th Senate District’s Generational Icon.
“Being from the city of Compton and knowing the parks that I played at and neighborhoods, I always thought how great the opportunity would be to give back to my community. To do that from a city all the way to a state standpoint, and have these young kids look at me as some type of inspiration is an honor," Lamar said while receiving this honor.
2) He was the first hip-hop artist to win a Pulitzer Prize
In 2018 Kendrick Lamar made history by becoming the first hip-hop artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music. The rapper won the award for his highly acclaimed fourth studio album, DAMN.
Announcing his win on their website, The Pulitzer Prize organizers called the album, “a virtuosic song collection unified by its authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”
3) He recorded his first mixtape at 16
The American rapper's first mixtape was recorded when he was just 16, according to The Fader. Lamar, who was then known as K.Dot, first released the tape in Compton.
The mixtape included songs like What The Deal, Compton Life, Put That On Somethin’, and Drop It Like It’s Hot, reported The Fader. The tape soon reached the hands of Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who decided to sign the rapper onto his record label in 2006, according to Grammy.
4) Formed hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy
Kendrick Lamar was one of the founders of the American hip-hop group Black Hippy. The group consisted of Lamar, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and ScHoolboy Q, and was formed after all the members signed to Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).
The group was first formed in 2009 and went on to release a few songs and remixes. The group disbanded in 2022 after Lamar left TDE, Complex reported.
In June 2024, the group reunited for Lamar’s The Pop Out — Ken & Friends concert. The group performed a medley of songs, including Win, 6:16 In LA, and King Kunta.
5) He was an executive producer for the Black Panther soundtrack
Lamar was an executive producer for Ryan Coogler’s award-winning Marvel movie, Black Panther. His first single from the soundtrack, All the Stars, recorded with labelmate SZA, was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe in the Best Original Song category.
According to The Verge, this was the first time Marvel hired a pop star or commissioned original songs for one of their films. The magazine reported that Coogler personally reached out to Lamar to work on the project.
Late last year, the UK’s Channel 4 produced a documentary based on Kendrick Lamar’s infamous feud with Drake, titled Public Enemies: Kendrick vs Drake.
