Chapter 2: “California Love”
Before World War II: This and other statistics on Compton are taken from Ayala Feder-Haugabook, “Compton, California (1867–),” Black Past, August 20, 2017, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/compton-california-1867/.
in 1971, a gang called the Crips: Celeste Fremon, “Behind the Crips Mythos,” Los Angeles Times, November 20, 2007, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-nov-20-et-book20-story.html.
In 1972, the Bloods: “Pirus,” United Gangs, accessed April 3, 2020, https://unitedgangs.com/bloods-2/pirus/.
“It’s the world before N.W.A”: “N.W.A on Their Legacy: ‘It’s the World before N.W.A and the World after N.W.A,’ ” Billboard, online video, November 23, 2017, https://www.billboard.com/video/nwa-on-their-legacy-its-the-world-before-nwa-and-the-world-after-nwa-6663745.
In August 1965: Information on the 1965 Watts riots taken from “Watts Riots,” Civil Rights Digital Library, March 3, 2020, http://crdl.usg.edu/events/watts_riots/?Welcome, and “Watts Riots,” History.com, August 21, 2018, https://www.history.com/topics/1960s/watts-riots.
In 1991, almost two weeks: The story of Latasha Harlins and Soon Ja Du can be found in several places, most notably Angel Jennings, “25 Years Later, Vigil Marks Latasha Harlins’ Death, Which Fed Anger during Rodney King Riots,” Los Angeles Times, March 16, 2016, https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0317-latasha-harlins-vigil-20160317-story.html.
“A guy was out there”: “Kendrick Lamar: ‘I Can’t Change the World Until I Change Myself First,’ ” Morning Edition, National Public Radio, December 29, 2015, https://www.npr.org/2015/12/29/461129966/kendrick-lamar-i-cant-change-the-world-until-i-change-myself-first.
“My father said”: Jessica Hopper “Kendrick Lamar: Not Your Average Everyday Rap Savior,” Spin, October 9, 2012, https://www.spin.com/2012/10/kendrick-lamar-not-your-average-everyday-rap-savior/2/.
On YouTube, there’s a video: “Kendrick Lamar In High School Rapping,” YouTube video, posted by “Entertainment Scoop,” July 23, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un-W1qsKC1Q.
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter: Elias Leight, “10 Things We Learned from Jay-Z’s Interview with David Letterman,” Rolling Stone, April 6, 2018, https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/10-things-we-learned-from-jay-zs-interview-with-david-letterman-629627/.
“He was telling me”: “Life & Rhymes: Kendrick Lamar,” YouTube video, posted by “Google Play,” October 23, 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tse4hze7Au4.
“Uncle Mike helped me”: “New Juice: 8 Influential People to Watch,” Vibe, August 26, 2013, https://www.vibe.com/photos/new-juice-8-influential-people-watch.
“He was always like”: Datwon Thomas, “Kendrick Lamar and Anthony ‘Top Dawg’ Tiffith on How They Built Hip-Hop’s Greatest Indie Label,” Billboard, September 14, 2017, https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/7964649/kendrick-lamar-anthony-tiffith-interview-billboard-cover-story-2017.
The streets still tugged: Kris Ex, “More Levels, the Brains behind Top Dawg Entertainment,” XXL, October 24, 2012, https://www.xxlmag.com/news/2012/10/tde-sidebar-kendrick-coverage/.
The rapper grew up: “Bounty Hunter Bloods,” United Gangs, accessed April 3, 2020, https://unitedgangs.com/bounty-hunters/.
Snoop Dogg was still around: Touré, “Snoop Dogg: America’s Most Lovable Pimp,” Rolling Stone, December 14, 2006, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/snoop-dogg-americas-most-lovable-pimp-67188/.
“I was chasing him”: “Jay Rock On Meeting Kendrick, His Motorcycle Accident, & ‘Redemption,’ ” YouTube video, posted by “HOT 97,” June 20, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSrn52pynsQ.
In 2005 alone: Megan Garvey, “Compton Killings Highest in Years,” Los Angeles Times, January 2, 2006, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jan-02-me-compton2-story.html.
“He was like”: Jeff Weiss, “Sounwave: How the Kendrick Lamar and ‘Black Panther’ Producer Quietly Made America’s Soundtrack,” Rolling Stone, May 29, 2018, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/sounwave-how-the-kendrick-lamar-and-black-panther-producer-quietly-made-americas-soundtrack-629632/.
“They weren’t coming”: Insanul Ahmed, “Who Is Ab-Soul?,” Complex, July 10, 2012, https://www.complex.com/music/2012/07/who-is-ab-soul/joining-tde.
“I walked in”: Insanul Ahmed, “Who Is SchoolboyQ?,” Complex, February 3, 2012, https://www.complex.com/music/2012/02/who-is-schoolboy-q/.
If you ain’t one: Jordan Darville, “Top Dawg Entertainment’s Hilarious Studio Rules Should Be the New Constitution,” Fader, June 7, 2017, https://www.thefader.com/2017/06/07/top-dawg-studio-rules-shut-up-and-look-ugly-for-the-homies.
Chapter 3: The Birth of Kendrick Lamar
Jay Rock was the first: Shawn Setaro, “Strange Days: How Kendrick Lamar Became a Star with Help from Tech N9ne,” Complex, March 22, 2019, https://www.complex.com/music/2019/03/kendrick-lamar-became-star-help-from-tech-n9ne-strange-music.
“K-Dot—this was”: Nerisha Penrose, “Kendrick Lamar & Kobe Bryant Talk Career Growth & Defining ‘Greatness’ at Complexcon 2017,” Billboard, November 7, 2017, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8029975/kendrick-lamar-kobe-bryant-interview-complex-con-video.
“They ain’t on my level”: Quoted in skoroma, “Ice Cube Explains Why He Refuses to Work with New Rappers,” HipHopDX, March 26, 2010, https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.10902/title.ice-cube-explains-why-he-refuses-to-work-with-new-rappers.
“He’s the same person”: “Flying Lotus on His New Album ‘Flamagra,’ Solange Changing His Studio Habits & the Beauty of Dr. Dre’s Elusive ‘Detox’ Album,” Billboard, May 20, 2019, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8512211/flying-lotus-interview-flamagra-solange-mac-miller-dr-dre-kendrick-lamar.
“We got a call like”: Charles Holmes, “Kendrick Lamar Reveals That He Got His First Call from Dr. Dre in a Chili’s,” MTV, December 12, 2017, http://www.mtv.com/news/3052718/kendrick-lamar-dr-dre-chilis-phone-call/.
“It came to a point”: “Kendrick Lamar + The Maccabees,” Future Sounds with Annie Mac, BBC Radio 1, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05xqnf4.
He’s been called a coach: Jayson Greene, “The Compton Sessions: How Dr. Dre Created His Comeback,” Pitchfork, August 12, 2015, https://pitchfork.com/features/overtones/9703-the-compton-sessions-how-dr-dre-created-his-comeback/.
“I was in Detroit”: “Dr. Dre FULL INTERVIEW (Part 1) | BigBoyTV,” YouTube video, poseted by “BigBoiTV,” March 26, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoQy2BUdxhg.
“It was a rock”: “Kendrick Lamar – GGN News S. 2 Ep. 2,” YouTube video, posted by “SnoopDoggTV,” August 16, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpW5dDJzBas.
it peaked at number 72: “Kendrick Lamar,” uDiscoverMusic, accessed April 3, 2020, https://www.udiscovermusic.com/artists/kendrick-lamar/.
“They taught me”: Erika Ramirez, “Kendrick Lamar Talks ‘Section.80,’ New Album and Upcoming Videos,” Billboard, September 2, 2011, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/467608/kendrick-lamar-talks-section80-new-album-and-upcoming-videos.
Then in August: “Kendrick Lamar Gets Passed Down Torch HiiiPower Live Music Box Los Angeles, CA 8/19/11,” YouTube video, posted by “hawaiiangroove,” August 21, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYjyVjI2-z0.
“a weird kid”: Tom Breihan, “Kendrick Lamar: Section.80,” Pitchfork, July 21, 2011, https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15653-section80/.
Over at XXL: Adam Fleischer “Kendrick Lamar, Section.80,” XXL, July 5, 2011, https://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/reviews/2011/07/kendrick-lamar-section-80/.
Chapter 4: A Star Is Born
“This was before: Lizzy Goodman, “Kendrick Lamar, Hip-Hop’s Newest Old-School Star,” New York Times, June 29, 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/magazine/kendrick-lamar-hip-hops-newest-old-school-star.html.
“I know it’s fifteen thousand people out there”: “Studio Life: Kendrick Lamar talks Club Paradise Tour & ‘Cartoons & Cereal,’ ” YouTube video, posted by “3 Little Digs,” February 27, 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLLznVTQI5Q
“It was about”: Steven Horowitz, “Kendrick Lamar Explains Why He Signed to Aftermath & Interscope,” HipHopDX, August 13, 2012, https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.20777/title.kendrick-lamar-explains-why-he-signed-to-aftermath-interscope.
“I wanted to do something that felt good”: Insanul Ahmed, “The Making of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city,’ ” Complex, October 23, 2012, https://www.complex.com/music/2012/10/the-making-of-kendrick-lamars-good-kid-maad-city/before-the-album.
It peaked at number 17: “Chart History: Kendrick Lamar,” Billboard, accessed April 6, 2020, https://www.billboard.com/music/kendrick-lamar/chart-history/HSI/song/753377.
“We’ve done a lot, but we haven’t sold any records”: Benjamin Meadows-Ingram, “Kendrick Lamar: The Story Behind ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city,’ ” Billboard, October 22, 2012, https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/474529/kendrick-lamar-the-story-behind-good-kid-maad-city.
“setting spiritual yearnings”: Jody Rosen, “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” Rolling Stone, October 22, 2012, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/good-kid-m-a-a-d-city-185646/.
“autobiographical intensity”: Jayson Greene, “Kendrick Lamar: good kid, m.A.A.d city,” Pitchfork, October 23, 2012, https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17253-good-kid-maad-city/.
Upon its release: For the Billboard chart history of good kid, m.A.A.d city, see “Chart History: Kendrick Lamar,” Billboard, accessed April 6, 2020, https://www.billboard.com/music/kendrick-lamar/chart-history/TCL/song/762071, and Bryan Rolli, “With ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D City,’ Kendrick Lamar Tops Eminem for Billboard 200’s Longest-Charting Hip-Hop Studio Album,” Forbes, September 18, 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrolli/2019/09/18/kendrick-lamars-good-kid-maad-city-surpasses-eminems-the-eminem-show-to-become-longest-charting-hip-hop-studio-album-on-billboard-200.
Em was one of his biggest: Victoria Hernandez, “Eminem Declares Kendrick Lamar’s ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’ A ‘Masterpiece,’ ” HipHop DX, October 22, 2016, https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.40965/title.eminem-declares-kendrick-lamars-good-kid-m-a-a-d-city-a-masterpiece.
“No disrespect
