KENDRICK LAMAR / SCHOOLBOY Q / KHALID / SMITH, JORJA - BLACK PANTHER THE ALBUM (SOUNDTRACK) (RED VINYL)

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper. Regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of his generation, and one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to receive the honor. Born in Compton, California, Lamar began releasing music under the stage name K.Dot while attending high school. He signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005, and co-founded the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy there. Following the 2011 release of his alternative rap debut album Section.80, Lamar secured a joint contract with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. He rose to fame with his gangsta rap-influenced second album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), which became the longest-charting hip hop studio album in Billboard 200's chart history. In 2015, Lamar scored his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, after featuring on the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood", and released his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly, which infused hip-hop with historical African-American music genres such as jazz, funk, and soul, and became his first of five consecutive number-one albums on the Billboard 200 chart. Lamar's critical and commercial success continued with his R&B and pop-leaning fourth album Damn (2017), yielding his second US number-one single, "Humble". He curated original songs for the soundtrack of the 2018 film Black Panther, earning a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the US top-ten single "All the Stars". Lamar's 2022 double album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers concluded his tenure with TDE and Aftermath. His feud with Drake and subsequent sixth album GNX (2024) spawned the Hot 100 number-ones "Like That" and "Squabble Up", as well as "Not Like Us", which became the most-awarded song in the Grammy Awards history, with five wins, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Lamar has received various accolades, including 22 Grammy Awards (the third-most won by a rapper), a Primetime Emmy Award, a Brit Award, 4 American Music Awards, 7 Billboard Music Awards, 11 MTV Video Music Awards (including 2 Video of the Year wins), and a record 37 BET Hip Hop Awards. Time listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016. Three of his works were included in Rolling Stone's 2020 revision of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Outside of music, Lamar co-founded the creative company PGLang and ventured into film with his longtime creative partner, Dave Free. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born on June 17, 1987, in Compton, California. He is the first child of former gang hustler Kenneth "Kenny" Duckworth and hairdresser Paula Oliver. Both of his parents are African Americans from the South Side of Chicago. When they were teenagers, they relocated to Compton in 1984, due to his father's affiliation with the Gangster Disciples. Lamar was named after singer-songwriter Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations. He was an only child until the age of seven and was described as a loner by his mother. Eventually, his parents had his two younger brothers and younger sister, businesswoman Kayla Sawyer (née Duckworth). His cousins include basketball player Nick Young and rapper Baby Keem. He considered studying psychology and astronomy in college, but suspended his academic pursuits to focus on his music career. Tupac Shakur is Lamar's biggest influence, having impacted both his professional and personal lives. One of his earliest childhood memories is watching him and Dr. Dre film the second music video for their single "California Love" with his father at the Compton Swap Meet. Lamar has described himself as an "offspring" of Shakur's artistry and sociopolitical views. Although some publications have regarded him as the Shakur of his generation, he has strived to maintain his individuality. Lamar maintains a low public profile, and is known to be reserved. He is reluctant to publicly discuss his personal life and generally avoids using social media. He is also decisive when engaging with mainstream media outlets, although journalists have complimented his "Zen-like" calmness and down to earth personality. According to Lamar, he has become "so invested in who I am outside of being famous, sometimes that's all I know. I've always been a person that really didn't dive too headfirst into wanting and needing attention. I mean, we all love attention, but for me, I don't necessarily adore it." His lyrics have been a topic of media scrutiny, leading to both praise and controversy. Lamar's public perception has also been influenced by the various rap feuds he has been involved with. Although some journalists declared him the winner of his highly publicized conflict with Drake, some felt that his victory was pyrrhic due to the severity of accusations introduced and the spread of online misinformation. Following the release of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, media outlets have described Lamar as the "modern hip hop messiah". Some critics dislike his "grating" political infusions, causing him to be viewed as having a savior complex. However, Lamar has declared himself to be the "greatest rapper alive" due to his personal connection to hip hop. "I'm not doing it to have a good song, or one good rap, or a good hook, or a good bridge," he explained to Zane Lowe. "I want to keep doing it every time, period. And to do it every time, you have to challenge yourself and you have to confirm to yourself—not anybody else, confirm to yourself that you're the best, period. [...] That's my drive and that's my hunger, I will always have". In November 2024, Kendrick Lamar released his sixth studio album, GNX, marking his first project after departing from Top Dawg Entertainment and Aftermath Entertainment. The album features collaborations with artists such as SZA, Roddy Ricch, and emerging Los Angeles rappers, and includes production contributions from Jack Antonoff. GNX blends elements reminiscent of his previous works, combining mainstream appeal with complex themes, and introduces new influences like the West Coast club sound. The album's release intensified Lamar's ongoing feud with Drake, particularly with the track "Not Like Us," which became a massive hit and won multiple Grammy awards. Following his performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2025, GNX returned to the top of the Billboard 200 chart, solidifying Lamar's status as a dominant force in contemporary hip-hop. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Quincey Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name ScHoolboy Q is an American recording hip hop artist from Los Angeles, California. Hanley is signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and is a member of Black Hippy along with Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul. In 2008, ScHoolboy Q released his first mixtape titled, ScHoolboy Turned Hustla and followed up in 2009 with Gangsta & Soul. In 2011, he finally released his first album titled, Setbacks. Later ScHoolboy Q released his sophomore album titled, Oxymoron in early 2014, followed by Blank Face LP in 2016. Oxymoron was also nominated for Rap Album of The Year. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Khalid Donnel Robinson, better known as Khalid (born February 11, 1998) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is signed to Right Hand Music Group and RCA Records. His debut single, "Location", was released in July 2016 and peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was later certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His debut studio album, American Teen, was released on March 3, 2017. It received four nominations at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Urban Contemporary Album. Khalid Donnel Robinson was born on February 11, 1998, in Fort Stewart, Georgia. He is of African-American and Mexican descent. His family moved to El Paso, Texas, when he was small, and he attended high school there. He began making music at an early age, writing his first song at the age of 15 and posting it on SoundCloud. In July 2016, Khalid released his debut single, "Location". The song was an immediate success, peaking at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA. It also peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. The song has received over 645 million streams on Spotify. Khalid's debut studio album, American Teen, was released on March 3, 2017. The album peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200, and was certified platinum by the RIAA. It was also certified gold in the UK and Australia. The album was nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Best Urban Contemporary Album. In 2018, Khalid released his second studio album, Suncity, which debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, and was certified gold by the RIAA. His third studio album, Free Spirit, was released in April 2019 and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. He also released his fourth studio album, Up All Night, in October 2019. Throughout his career, Khalid has collaborated with numerous artists, including Normani, H.E.R., Calvin Harris, and Disclosure. He has appeared on television shows like Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He has also appeared in commercials for the video game Just Dance 2020 and the streaming service Hulu. In 2020, Khalid won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video for his song "Talk". He also became the youngest artist ever to have three albums certified platinum by the RIAA. Khalid is an advocate for mental health awareness, and has spoken openly about his struggles with anxiety and depression. He has also been involved in numerous charity initiatives, including the El Paso Shooting Victims' Fund and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Jorja Smith is an English singer from Walsall, UK. Smith impressed many and earned attention with her hip-hop and R&B-inspired debut single "Blue Lights" and has taken the rest of the year to deliver songs that fuse soul, blues, and even classical. She spent much of 2016 getting people very excited about her effortless, informed, and deeply soulful pop with a trio of eclectic singles. Her first EP Project 11 arrives so perfectly formed it almost feels like showing off. Many songs mark Smith out as her hero Amy Winehouse’s truest successor. Smith has been performing since the age of 8 and writing songs since 11, amassing a broad catalog of mostly unreleased tracks that skew from pop to modern soul. One of the earliest songs she remembers writing was called “High Street,” about when all the stores in her hometown of Walsall, in the midwest of England, closed during the economic recession of the late-’00s, leaving behind a hollow ghost town. Walsall is a run-down place, Smith said, with “a lot of creative people, but not many possibilities.” Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.