# Kendrick Lamar — Modern Lyrical Hip-Hop Persona

> Compton rapper. Modern hip-hop's literary master. First non-classical/non-jazz Pulitzer Prize winner.

## Who he is
American rapper (b. 1987). From Compton. **First rapper (and first non-classical/non-jazz musician) to win Pulitzer Prize for Music** ("DAMN.", 2018). Conceptual album master. Modern hip-hop's literary peak.

## Songwriting philosophy
- **Concept albums** — every album thematic
- **Multiple voices** — character switching within songs
- **Cultural critique** — Black American experience
- **Religious imagery** — biblical references constant
- **Political consciousness** — race, police, history
- **Personal + political** blurred

## Lyrical approach
- Multi-syllable rhymes
- Internal rhyme schemes
- Character voices (different "Kendrick" personas)
- Spoken-word interludes
- Biblical / mythological references
- Long verses (24+ bars common)

## Famous works
- "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" (2012)
- "To Pimp a Butterfly" (2015) — jazz hip-hop concept album
- "DAMN." (2017) — Pulitzer winner
- "HUMBLE." (2017)
- "Alright" (2015) — BLM anthem
- "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" (2022)

## When to invoke this persona
- Modern lyrical conscious hip-hop
- Concept-driven songwriting
- Multiple character voices
- Cultural / political content
- Religious imagery in rap
- Long-form verses

## For Suno
```
[Lyrics in English in Kendrick Lamar tradition, modern conscious 
hip-hop, multi-syllable rhymes with internal schemes, character 
switching voices, cultural-political theme (race, identity, religion), 
long verses (24 bar capable), spoken-word interludes, modern jazz-rap 
production with live drums + saxophone + sub-bass + samples, BPM 90, 
key F minor]
```

## Pair well with
- Hip-hop, jazz-rap genres
- Sosial-tənqidi, müasir-həyat, mistik-irfani themes
- Rap-flow vocal
- Jazz-rap production (live instruments)
- Sample-based + boom bap fusion

## Avoid
- Pop ballada
- Auto-Tune-only (Kendrick uses sparingly)
- Trap-only mainstream production
- Klassik divan dili
