TRUE TO HIS ROOTS

Rap icon Kendrick Lamar's recent Grammy haul has cemented his status as the king of hip-hop

- JANICE BECKETT-MSIZA

HE'S THE first solo rapper to headline a Super Bowl halftime show, the only hip-hop artist to win a Pulitzer Prize and he counts Barack Obama among his legions of fans.

Yet despite reaching dizzying heights of fame Kendrick Lamar remains grounded and true to his roots.

Take, for example, the recent Grammy Awards where he was the night's standout star, going home with gramophones clutched in his arms. In a heartfelt speech he honoured the city of Los Angeles devastated by the January fires and paid tribute to the areas of Compton, Watts, Long Beach and Inglewood where he cut his musical teeth.

"We're going to dedicate this one to the city," he said after winning the record of the year for his runaway hit Not Like Us.

"This is my neck of the woods that held me down since a young pup... Most importantly the people and the families out in the Palisades and Altadena. This is a true testament that we can continue to restore the city. And we're going to keep rocking." Kendrick (37) may stand at just 1,65m but he's a giant in the hip-hop world.

His hit Not Like Us won the Grammy for song of the year, best music video, best rap song and best rap performance - the most for a rap song. The track, which is aimed at his long-time nemesis Drake, was the standout leader of the hip-hop scene in 2024, topping the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart for 21 consecutive weeks and surpassing the record set by Lil Nas X's Old Town Road.

It also featured during Kendrick's Super Bowl half-time performance earlier this month, which saw a surprise appearance from Serena Williams, one of Drake's exes.

Although Kendrick doesn't ever say the name Drake in the song there's no doubt it's aimed at the Canadian - the latest salvo in a running battle between the rap superstars. Kendrick, however, doesn't see himself as an angry guy and says he wrote the song believing in the co-existence of love and war.