Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar has come a long ways in two short years. His career took off after his mixtape Overly Dedicated. Complex Magazine and XXL took notice and he was featured in XXL’s Freshman Class along with Meek Mill, Yelawolf and Diggy Simmons. The song Ignorance Bliss from the mixtape caught legendary producer Dr. Dre’s attention. It was his lyrical content and delivery which Dre felt inspired to get in touch with the undiscovered talent. The independent artist signed a $2 million record deal with Interscope and Dre’s Aftermath records. In 2012 Kendrick Lamar dropped his debut studio album good kid, m.A.A.d city. The 1st single Swimming Pools was released that summer. The song peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its thirteenth week of charting after gradually climbing up the chart. It first appeared on the Hot 100 at number 100 and progressed from number fifty-five and thirty-two to its peak. “Swimming Pools (Drank)” also serves as Kendrick Lamar’s first entry on the UK Singles Chart, where it debuted at number 63. His second single Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe. The song has since peaked at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his third Top 40 hit as a solo artist. As of May 23, the song has been on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks. He recently performed the single with R&B singer Erykah Badu. The song was originally recorded with Lady GaGa, but the song was never recorded due to artist conflicts and scheduling issues.
