Kendrick Lamar to play charity concert for Downtown Women's Center

Perhaps you're familiar with Kendrick Lamar. His "Section 80," released earlier this year, is the most acclaimed rap album out of L.A. in recent memory. He's working with Dr. Dre and has graduated to the cover of rap magazines. Even Snoop Dogg and The Game passed him the proverbial LA torch at a show this summer.

As one might infer from the socially aware themes in his music, he's also community oriented, and will be headlining a Friday night charity benefit for the downtown Women's Center and Project RISHI (Rural India Social and Health Improvement, a student-run nonprofit organization fighting poverty in Indian villages).

The concert takes place at the Music Box, with tickets going for $25-$40. The lineup will also feature performances from Lamar's fellow TDE crewmate, Schoolboy Q, along with Tiron & Ayomari, and Azad Right. If you haven't seen Lamar rap yet, there are few if any rappers doing it better right now.

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Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre & Game pass torch to Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar talks indie success, West Coast rap, and Dr. Dre

Is Kendrick Lamar (of Compton) the King of LA rap?

-- Jeff Weiss

Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Game pass torch to Kendrick Lamar

East Coast hip-hop's line of succession is relatively clear: The Notorious B.I.G. branded himself the Black Frank White, lifting one of his many pseudonyms from the white iteration, the Christopher Walken-played anti-hero of "King of New York." The throne was relatively uncontested, even though you could rightfully argue that Nas and Method Man had a claim to the crown throughout the mid-'90s. And when Biggie died, Jay-Z snatched the diadem and has largely refused to cede control since then to any would-be inheritors.

The succession plan for L.A. hip-hop has always been a bit murkier. Less "Glorious Revolution," more "War of the Roses." So it goes when gangbanging was long one of our chief exports. The king of L.A. has always been a subjective matter, less readily discussed than its New York counterpart. The first rapper to put L.A. on the national map was Ice-T, whose "6 in the Mornin' " ushered in the first wave of gangsta rap in 1986. When "Straight Outta Compton" dropped two years later, it was clear that Ice Cube had consolidated his Jheri-curled reign.

In 1992, "The Chronic" dropped, introducing the world to the lazy drawl of lanky Snoop Dogg. He may have repped the LBC, but he appeared under the auspices of Dr. Dre, a kingmaker in his own right, but one more reputed for his production than for his mike skills (writing credits on the early Dre material go to the D.O.C., Snoop and Cube).

Kendrick Lamar talks indie success, West Coast rap and Dr. Dre

Kendrick Lamar pulled off an impressive feat when he released his third mixtape, “Section.80,” early last month: He topped two of the mightiest forces in 2011 pop, Adele and Lady Gaga, on the iTunes chart.

Making the coup all the more surprising was that the Compton rapper’s release soared without being backed by a major label.

Released digitally through local indie-rap imprint Top Dawg Entertainment, the album peaked at No. 3 on the iTunes charts, debuted as the top hip-hop/rap album and landed in the top 10 in more than a dozen countries, including Australia, Germany and France -- all without radio airplay or splashy promotions.

The surprising success comes as the 24-year-old rapper is racking up some major co-signs. Such heavyweights as Snoop Dogg, Nas and Dr. Dre have championed him, and Lamar is lending a helping hand on Dre's serially delayed “Detox.” He also landed a spot on the cover of XXL's coveted Freshman list. Hopefully, all the hype will reward him in kind when when he releases his as-yet-untitled official debut, which is still in the works.

Pop & Hiss recently caught up with Lamar for a quick chat ahead of his Music Box gig Friday on the mixtape’s success, growing up in Compton and whether or not he’ll ever embrace a major label. 

Is Kendrick Lamar (of Compton) the king of L.A. rap?

There's something about Compton and rap. Always has been -- since the days when Alonzo Williams conscripted a sequin-suited Dr. Dre into the World Class Wreckin' Cru. Despite not being a part of Los Angeles proper, the incorporated city in south Los Angeles County has long cultivated its own singular culture -- one felicitious to the rap life.

Most famously, Eric Wright recruited N.W.A. to turn the city into the most infamous mailing address in America, but less publicized is the city's second wave of West Coast Hall of Famers including DJ Quik, King Tee and Compton's Most Wanted. Today, Coolio may be remembered as a Chris Rock punchline and reality star, but less remembered is the Compton-bred rapper's work in the seminal crew WC and the Maad Circle.

During the last decade, as West Coast hip-hop faded into an afterthought for many, Compton produced the Game, the Southland's only platinum-selling star. As pop rap has held sway over the last few years, the city yielded Def Jam's Y.G. and the Cash Money-signed Tyga. But not since Jayceon Taylor first came along almost a decade ago has anyone emerged to capture the tough-to-win combination of love from the streets, blogs, and eveywhere in between quite like the CPT's Kendrick Lamar.

Jay Rock reveals single 'Hood Gone Love It,' aided by Kendrick Lamar

You don't have to like Jay Rock's latest single because the hood is going to love it. That's the premise of the Watts-raised rapper's opening salvo from his much-delayed debut, "Follow Me Home," slated for release on July 26.

For those keeping score at home, Rock was previously signed to Warner Bros., where he dropped several street singles, including the Stone Henge-hard minor hit "All My Life," which never earned heavy rotation on Emmis and Clear Channel-owned stations, but racked up 600,000-plus YouTube views.

Released from his deal with WB, Rock regrouped with his Black Hippy cohorts (Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Kendrick Lamar) and regained the momentum that he had lost during the frequent postponements. Another fortuitous event occurred when Tech N9ne decided to sign him to his Strange Music imprint. It's a good fit for the gruff and guttural Rock, who makes gun-under-the-waistband street rap with a deceptive emotional resonance.

Hence, "Hood Gone Love It," where producer J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League combines Lamar and Rock with a symphonic Isaac Hayes sample. Rock sketches a picture of hood life, with "barbecue pits and mini-bikes, mini-skirts and Miller Lites." He raps like a bruising Walter Mosley character, full of tough talk and balled fists. Lamar is all motor-mouthed id, rapping circles around the slow soul. For Rock, widely regarded as one of the best L.A. rappers, it's ammunition for the hype. He shouts out "Thug Life," a nod to his Tupac fixation, while rapping in knotty double time, time like he grew up on lost tapes of Kurupt performing at Project Blowed.

Listen to the single here. (Warning: explicit language.)

The tropes and terrain are familiar -- Compton and Watts rappers rhyming about their roots and their version of old-time religion. But great rap is usually some variation of that theme. They make their own stories synonymous with their hood, and along the way, more than just the hood will love it. 

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-- Jeff Weiss

Photo: Jay Rock. Credit: Courtesy Jay Rock