Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987), better known simply as Kendrick Lamar, is an American rapper, and songwriter from the Los Angeles area. He first gained major attention after the release of his 2010 mixtape O(verly) D(edicated). In 2011, his album Section.80, released exclusively through iTunes, instantly ranked as one of the top digital hip-hop releases of the year. Lamar has amassed a large internet following, is a member of hip hop collective Black Hippy, along with Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul, and has worked with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Wiz Khalifa, Game, Drake, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross, Meek Mill, and Tech N9ne among other popular artists.