Kendrick Lamar is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Compton, California, whose work blends West Coast hip hop with elements of jazz, funk and spoken-word. Emerging in the early 2000s and rising to prominence in the 2010s, he is associated with contemporary hip hop and experimental and conscious rap, noted for complex lyrical narratives, dense internal rhyme schemes and thematic albums that address social issues, personal struggle and identity. His music often features layered production, shifting perspectives and ambitious conceptual frameworks, and he has worked within both independent and major-label contexts during his career.