With a microphone in hand and camouflage five-panel cap covering his eyes, the enigmatic Kendrick Lamar walks out from the shadows onto a stage at Gramercy Theater and examines the New York City capacity crowd. White stage lights shoot up and down hundreds of fans’ raised hands screaming in anticipation for the California rapper’s first words. A thumping drum line kicks in and finally, he raises his fist and answers their calls:
"Sitting in the studio thinking about which mood would go right now, freestyle or write down, whatever…”
The mood at E. 23rd St. is intimate and electric. The 24-year-old Compton MC’s opening song, “The Heart Pt. 2,” is one of many that the east coast crowd will recite word-for-word—something he stops to admit both impresses and surprises him several times during his set.
His wide-eyed humility is charming—especially for an artist that many think is on the brink of greatness. But the fans that pack the small New York concert hall know it hasn’t been easy for Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar).
“It’s just so cool to see him come here and get all this love,” said Tim Manning, 27, of St. James. “And you can tell that he really appreciates it. He’s come a long way in the past couple years—it’s his time now.”
And it may be. But in today’s music climate, all the buzz, expectations and proclamations of greatness can consume young new artists and even set them up for failure—which often comes in the form of their first album.
“Modern day mixtape success is a good buzz-builder for an artist, but it’s by no means the end-all-be-all criteria for having a successful career,” said Joe La Puma (@JLaPuma), a writer for Complex Magazine. “There are a lot of artists who have had repeat-worthy mixtapes and have had careers that failed to live up to their full potential.”
And Kendrick Lamar has a list of peers he can look to if he wants to avoid some of their missteps. Wale (@Wale) and Drake both hit it big with mixtapes that catapulted them from their local followings to national attention. That attention included countless television appearances, magazine covers, features on tracks by everyone from Jay-Z to Amy Winehouse, and multiple appearances on the Billboard Hot 100—all before even releasing an album. Both artists eventually had offers from every major music label looking to capitalize on that attention with debut albums.
Lamar’s career has seen a similar rise since dropping his stage name “K. Dot” and releasing his self-titled EP “The Kendrick Lamar EP” in late 2009. His critically-acclaimed follow up “O(verly) D(edicated)” in 2010, an appearance in XXL Magazine’s 2011 “Freshman Class,” and co-signs from Lil Wayne, J. Cole, and Dr. Dre helped build the West Coast rapper’s buzz and keep people curious. Then came “Section.80”—widely considered one of the best projects released in 2011. The relatively unknown Compton rapper’s third solo effort debuted on iTunes ahead of pop powerhouses Lady Gaga and Adele. Soon after, West Coast icons Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Game crowned him the new face of the west coast on stage in L.A. in a symbolic gesture that brought him to tears. The conversation quickly changed from curiosity to speculation, the main question being, “what’s next?”
When Wale released “Attention Deficit” many considered his debut album a disappointment for different reasons. For Wale, an artist that had come out of the hyper-localized D.C. go-go music scene and prided himself on Seinfeld references and abstract song formats, the corporate handprints on “Attention Deficit” that included a single with Lady Gaga disappointed many of his fans. His major label debut also failed to live up to commercial expectations, too, selling just 28,000 copies—a reflection perhaps of the disconnect between artist and label.
“To establish a career that has longevity you have to have songs that have a lot of radio spins,” says La Puma. And despite his label’s efforts with the Gaga-assisted “Chillin,” radio just wasn’t interested in “Attention Deficit.”
But spins don’t guarantee success, and even platinum record sales can leave room for failure. Drake’s “Thank Me Later” debuted at No. 1 with 447,000 units and charted four different singles—but none that reached No. 1 like his previous hit “Best I Ever Had” off the enormously popular “So Far Gone.” That’s about as far as “Thank Me Later” goes in terms of failure by commercial standards. But more than that, it disappointed fans that fell in love with the sound of “So Far Gone.” The mixtape’s success launched Drake to mythic proportions. The Toronto artist was singing and rapping—and it worked. There were whispers that Jay-Z wanted him on the upcoming Blueprint 3. There was a certain sexiness in the newcomer’s mystery that mirrored his ‘90s-R&B-inspired sound. But like Wale, the time in between an artist’s last buzz-building mixtape and their first album can be critical—the sort of limbo that Kendrick Lamar currently occupies. And although Drake put himself in a better situation than Wale signing with his friends and mentor, Lil Wayne, at Cash Money, “Thank Me Later” succumbed to expectations. Labeled a classic before it met a mixing board, “Thank Me Later” was a departure from the sound that Drake and his friend and producer Noah “40” Shebib created out of thin, cool Toronto air. Although tracks from Kanye West, No I.D. and Timbaland stood on their own, the final body of work lacked the organic and stripped-down appeal of “So Far Gone.” It just didn’t feel like Drake—something he would admit in several interviews afterwards.
Both Wale and Drake were fortunate to rebound from their first albums and find success with their most recent efforts by learning from their errors as young artists. And Kendrick Lamar is better for it. So far, the California MC has made all the right moves. He’s remained independent and avoided rushing into a deal with a major label, stuck with his own crew like "Black Hippy" while hopping on Drake's Club Paradise Tour, and done a good job of managing expectations while maintaining momentum headed for his first album.
For Carefree Nation (@Carefree_Nation), the production company that booked his Gramercy Theater performance, those decisions bring value.
“For us, it’s all about timing and momentum,” said Joseph Ienuso (@joeyienuso), a partner at Carefree. “Kendrick Lamar was a perfect fit at that time; his mixtape ‘Section.80’ was super successful and he’s been doing all the right things to keep that buzz going ever since.”
And since “Section.80,” Lamar has signed on to tour with Drake alongside East Coast up-and-comer A$AP Rocky. He was also featured on Drake’s recent No. 1 album “Take Care” on the weird “Buried Alive”—a solo effort showcasing his enigmatic style and other-worldly skills as an MC.
But even if he’s sidetracked, Kendrick Lamar may have a career in acting. The highlight of his New York City show is a bit in which he pulls a chair on stage and acts out an exchange between his mother and father from his childhood.
It’s a scene that’s more Eddie Murphy than it is 2pac—the Compton rapper’s idol—and it works. The high-energy crowd’s violent enthusiasm from the booming bass line of “Rigamortis” transforms into a strange quiet before a very different kind of performance as they hang on every word. The laughter and command of a small crowd 3,000 miles away from his hometown is something special—special because fans know they may never share as intimate a moment with the artist ever again. They are sure that Kendrick Lamar is destined for greatness, and tonight they’ll watch him walk off into a haze of stage lights.
Check out more footage from Kendrick Lamar's Gramercy Theater show below courtesty of Coodie & Chike from Creativecontrol.tv (@CreativeCntrl)
His wide-eyed humility is charming—especially for an artist that many think is on the brink of greatness. But the fans that pack the small New York concert hall know it hasn’t been easy for Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar).
“It’s just so cool to see him come here and get all this love,” said Tim Manning, 27, of St. James. “And you can tell that he really appreciates it. He’s come a long way in the past couple years—it’s his time now.”
And it may be. But in today’s music climate, all the buzz, expectations and proclamations of greatness can consume young new artists and even set them up for failure—which often comes in the form of their first album.
“Modern day mixtape success is a good buzz-builder for an artist, but it’s by no means the end-all-be-all criteria for having a successful career,” said Joe La Puma (@JLaPuma), a writer for Complex Magazine. “There are a lot of artists who have had repeat-worthy mixtapes and have had careers that failed to live up to their full potential.”
And Kendrick Lamar has a list of peers he can look to if he wants to avoid some of their missteps. Wale (@Wale) and Drake both hit it big with mixtapes that catapulted them from their local followings to national attention. That attention included countless television appearances, magazine covers, features on tracks by everyone from Jay-Z to Amy Winehouse, and multiple appearances on the Billboard Hot 100—all before even releasing an album. Both artists eventually had offers from every major music label looking to capitalize on that attention with debut albums.
Lamar’s career has seen a similar rise since dropping his stage name “K. Dot” and releasing his self-titled EP “The Kendrick Lamar EP” in late 2009. His critically-acclaimed follow up “O(verly) D(edicated)” in 2010, an appearance in XXL Magazine’s 2011 “Freshman Class,” and co-signs from Lil Wayne, J. Cole, and Dr. Dre helped build the West Coast rapper’s buzz and keep people curious. Then came “Section.80”—widely considered one of the best projects released in 2011. The relatively unknown Compton rapper’s third solo effort debuted on iTunes ahead of pop powerhouses Lady Gaga and Adele. Soon after, West Coast icons Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Game crowned him the new face of the west coast on stage in L.A. in a symbolic gesture that brought him to tears. The conversation quickly changed from curiosity to speculation, the main question being, “what’s next?”
When Wale released “Attention Deficit” many considered his debut album a disappointment for different reasons. For Wale, an artist that had come out of the hyper-localized D.C. go-go music scene and prided himself on Seinfeld references and abstract song formats, the corporate handprints on “Attention Deficit” that included a single with Lady Gaga disappointed many of his fans. His major label debut also failed to live up to commercial expectations, too, selling just 28,000 copies—a reflection perhaps of the disconnect between artist and label.
“To establish a career that has longevity you have to have songs that have a lot of radio spins,” says La Puma. And despite his label’s efforts with the Gaga-assisted “Chillin,” radio just wasn’t interested in “Attention Deficit.”
But spins don’t guarantee success, and even platinum record sales can leave room for failure. Drake’s “Thank Me Later” debuted at No. 1 with 447,000 units and charted four different singles—but none that reached No. 1 like his previous hit “Best I Ever Had” off the enormously popular “So Far Gone.” That’s about as far as “Thank Me Later” goes in terms of failure by commercial standards. But more than that, it disappointed fans that fell in love with the sound of “So Far Gone.” The mixtape’s success launched Drake to mythic proportions. The Toronto artist was singing and rapping—and it worked. There were whispers that Jay-Z wanted him on the upcoming Blueprint 3. There was a certain sexiness in the newcomer’s mystery that mirrored his ‘90s-R&B-inspired sound. But like Wale, the time in between an artist’s last buzz-building mixtape and their first album can be critical—the sort of limbo that Kendrick Lamar currently occupies. And although Drake put himself in a better situation than Wale signing with his friends and mentor, Lil Wayne, at Cash Money, “Thank Me Later” succumbed to expectations. Labeled a classic before it met a mixing board, “Thank Me Later” was a departure from the sound that Drake and his friend and producer Noah “40” Shebib created out of thin, cool Toronto air. Although tracks from Kanye West, No I.D. and Timbaland stood on their own, the final body of work lacked the organic and stripped-down appeal of “So Far Gone.” It just didn’t feel like Drake—something he would admit in several interviews afterwards.
Both Wale and Drake were fortunate to rebound from their first albums and find success with their most recent efforts by learning from their errors as young artists. And Kendrick Lamar is better for it. So far, the California MC has made all the right moves. He’s remained independent and avoided rushing into a deal with a major label, stuck with his own crew like "Black Hippy" while hopping on Drake's Club Paradise Tour, and done a good job of managing expectations while maintaining momentum headed for his first album.
For Carefree Nation (@Carefree_Nation), the production company that booked his Gramercy Theater performance, those decisions bring value.
“For us, it’s all about timing and momentum,” said Joseph Ienuso (@joeyienuso), a partner at Carefree. “Kendrick Lamar was a perfect fit at that time; his mixtape ‘Section.80’ was super successful and he’s been doing all the right things to keep that buzz going ever since.”
And since “Section.80,” Lamar has signed on to tour with Drake alongside East Coast up-and-comer A$AP Rocky. He was also featured on Drake’s recent No. 1 album “Take Care” on the weird “Buried Alive”—a solo effort showcasing his enigmatic style and other-worldly skills as an MC.
But even if he’s sidetracked, Kendrick Lamar may have a career in acting. The highlight of his New York City show is a bit in which he pulls a chair on stage and acts out an exchange between his mother and father from his childhood.
It’s a scene that’s more Eddie Murphy than it is 2pac—the Compton rapper’s idol—and it works. The high-energy crowd’s violent enthusiasm from the booming bass line of “Rigamortis” transforms into a strange quiet before a very different kind of performance as they hang on every word. The laughter and command of a small crowd 3,000 miles away from his hometown is something special—special because fans know they may never share as intimate a moment with the artist ever again. They are sure that Kendrick Lamar is destined for greatness, and tonight they’ll watch him walk off into a haze of stage lights.
Check out more footage from Kendrick Lamar's Gramercy Theater show below courtesty of Coodie & Chike from Creativecontrol.tv (@CreativeCntrl)
