Skip to content
News

Kendrick Lamar Will Headline SPIN’s Annual Austin Throwdown

Kendrick Lamar / Photo by Getty Images

At around this time last year, Compton’s Kendrick Lamar was just another underground rapper with potential and a forthcoming major-label debut. Fast forward to today and he may be hip-hop’s brightest star — an accomplished, moving storyteller whose good kid, m.A.A.d city flaunted the industry by proving that there’s still no formula to pop success. The album topped many critics’ lists in 2012 and is nudging up against platinum certification while appealing equally to teens sculpting the zeitgeist and old heads who haven’t touched a radio dial in 15 years.

On Friday, March 15, Lamar will bring his spotlight to Austin, Texas, where he’ll headline our annual musical bacchanal at the legendarily finger-lickin’ Stubb’s BBQ. We’ll reveal the rest of the lineup soon, along with info about how you can win the chance to attend this historic throwdown! Follow @spinsxsw for details, and stay tuned for our fest preview and free mixtape!

More Kendrick Lamar:
Cover Story: Not Your Average Everyday Rap Savior
SPIN Essential Review: good kid, m.A.A.d city
10 Records That Paved the Way for Kendrick Lamar’s ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’
SPIN’s 50 Best Albums of 2012