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.
Alien Girl
Kendrick Lamar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where's she from? No I.D. (That girl's an alien)
And if I die before I wake, I pray that I'm in outer space
UFO fly away (So let's go-go, go-go, let's go-go, go-go)
She got me going, I'm all in
Fifty stories, I'm falling
Where you been? Is it planet Mars?Far beyond the stars? Are you a Martian?
You're unfamiliar but still I feel ya
Energy sending me towards the ceiling
I'm high now, are you up there?
If you was, I would climb every other stair
I gotta stare, I mean wow
And I'm wowed, no one compares
You must have won, you must have won
Every pageant in America when you was young
Lips, hips, hair drips down her back
(Crazy) Body frame (Crazy) Insane (Crazy)
The only girl that can make time
Then make me, stop
She looks better than Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Halle Berry, Miss Jolie
Where's she from? No I.D. (That girl's an alien)
And if I die before I wake, I pray that I'm in outer space
UFO fly away (So let's go-go, go-go, let's go-go, go-go)
So now we on, so now we going
Living in the city of the unknown
I show her off, I stunt with her
We do it sweet, they look bitter
Look at her get up, I hear 'em say
But why him? I hear 'em hateI laugh at it rather than jab at it
Then continue eternal life as a crack addict
Cause I'm addicted, and you the drug
Cold turkey? No sir
You gotta be an Odyssey from heaven and above
You definitely know, probably I gotta give it up
Lips, hips, hair drips down her back
(Crazy) Body frame (Crazy) Insane (Crazy)
The only girl that can make time
Then make me, stop
She looks better than Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Halle Berry, Miss Jolie
Where's she from? No I.D. (That girl's an alien)
And if I die before I wake, I pray that I'm in outer space
UFO fly away (So let's go-go, go-go, let's go-go, go-go)
You something different, I'm glad I found you
So pretty, I'll never do anything to hurt you
The song Alien Girl by Kendrick Lamar is about an out-of-this-world woman who captivates the singer in the song. He describes her as looking better than famous celebrities such as Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and Halle Berry. The repetition of the phrase “That girl’s an alien” is used to emphasize that she is completely different from anyone or anything he has ever encountered before. The singer is in awe of her beauty and even questions if she is from another planet with lyrics like “Are you a Martian?” He declares that he has fallen for her and uses the metaphor of being high to describe his heightened feelings for her.
In the second verse, the singer talks about how they are living in the city of the unknown and how he loves showing her off. He mentions how other people may hate on their relationship, but he chooses to ignore it and continue loving her because he is addicted to her. The singer expresses how he never wants to hurt her because she is so special and different. Overall, the song is a tribute to a woman who is so unique and captivating that she seems almost out of this world.
Line by Line Meaning
She looks better than Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Halle Berry, Miss Jolie
The singer is comparing the girl's beauty to famous women and stating that she looks even better than them.
Where's she from? No I.D. (That girl's an alien)
The singer is expressing their amazement at the girl's beauty and saying that she must be from another world.
And if I die before I wake, I pray that I'm in outer space
UFO fly away (So let's go-go, go-go, let's go-go, go-go)
The singer is saying that if they were to die, they hope to go to outer space and be with the girl, who they believe is an alien.
She got me going, I'm all in
Fifty stories, I'm falling
Where you been? Is it planet Mars?
Far beyond the stars? Are you a Martian?
The artist is expressing their infatuation with the girl and asking if she's from a place far away, like Mars or beyond the stars, and if she's actually an alien.
You're unfamiliar but still I feel ya
Energy sending me towards the ceiling
I'm high now, are you up there?
If you was, I would climb every other stair
I gotta stare, I mean wow
And I'm wowed, no one compares
You must have won, you must have won
Every pageant in America when you was young
The artist is saying that even though the girl is unknown to them, they feel a strong connection to her and her energy. They are in awe of her beauty and suggest that she must have won every pageant when she was younger.
Lips, hips, hair drips down her back
(Crazy) Body frame (Crazy) Insane (Crazy)
The only girl that can make time
Then make me, stop
The singer is describing the girl's physical features and saying that she is so beautiful that she can make time stop for them.
So now we on, so now we going
Living in the city of the unknown
I show her off, I stunt with her
We do it sweet, they look bitter
Look at her get up, I hear 'em say
But why him? I hear 'em hate
I laugh at it rather than jab at it
Then continue eternal life as a crack addict
The singer and the girl are now together and he is showing her off to others. Despite others' jealousy, the singer chooses to laugh it off and continue to be with her, likening his love for her to a drug addiction.
Cause I'm addicted, and you the drug
Cold turkey? No sir
You gotta be an Odyssey from heaven and above
You definitely know, probably I gotta give it up
The artist is saying that he is addicted to the girl and can't simply stop loving her, comparing her to a heavenly being. He knows he should probably leave her, but he can't bring himself to do it.
You something different, I'm glad I found you
So pretty, I'll never do anything to hurt you
The artist affirms their deep affection for the girl and says that they will never cause her any harm.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENDRICK LAMAR, MARK SPEARS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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