Kendrick Lamar is American hip-hop royalty, with twenty-three tracks and three albums that have sold more than a million copies and gone platinum. As a respected MC, Lamar speaks to socially conscious issues and racial injustice in his lyrics. His fans connect with his music and message, and he rocketed to star status. Born in Compton, California, Lamar witnessed hardships early in life, from seeing a shooting and racial riots to poverty. He turned those experiences and thoughts into words when he realized his love for writing, especially lyrics. Lamar learned songwriting from some of his musical heroes—DMX, Snoop Dogg, and Jay Z. Then his mixtapes got him signed to a label and his music started hitting the charts. Soon Lamar was going on tour and winning Grammys, and today this rapper's music influences and reaches fans around the world.