Kendrick Lamar confirmed to headline BST Hyde Park 5th July
3 min read
Festival line ups don’t get any bigger than this. American Express presents BST Hyde Park makes its fourth announcement for 2020. US songwriter, producer, poet, musician, multiple Grammy Award winner and hip hop royalty – Kendrick Lamar will close the first weekend on Sunday 5th July. Kendrick is joined by Mercury Prize-winning James Blake and Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard – more names to be announced.
Kendrick Lamar is regarded by both critics and fans as one of the most skilled and successful recording artists of all time. He is also the world’s most decorated; receiving 173 awards from 390 nominations, including 13 Grammy Awards, six Billboard Music Awards and the ASCAP Vanguard Award for his work as a composer. Kendrick is an innovator in every sense of the word and broke new ground when he received the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2018, as the first non-classical or jazz artist to win the prestigious prize.
From his explosive magnum opus To Pimp A Butterfly to Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN., Kendrick’s dexterous lyrical prowess has secured his place on the world stage like no other artist before him.
From 10am Tuesday 21 January until 9.30am Friday 24 January 2020, eligible American Express® Cardmembers can exclusively purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Visit axs.com/bstamexpresale to book. T&Cs apply.
Raised in Compton, California, Kendrick embarked on his musical career as a teenager under the stage name K-Dot, releasing a mixtape that garnered local attention and led to his signing with indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment. By 2012, Kendrick released his first two albums Section.80 and Good Kid, M.A.A.D City which received critical acclaim. To Pimp A Butterfly and DAMN., released in 2015 and 2017 respectively, garnered more global attention with tracks ‘The Blacker The Berry’, ‘Alright’, ‘HUMBLE.’ and ‘LOYALTY.’.
Between the release of his increasingly iconic albums, Kendrick has regularly teamed up with international superstars as well as emerging artists, lending his distinctive rap to a wide range of musical styles. He’s worked with Dr Dre, U2, James Blake, fellow BST headliner Taylor Swift, Sia, Travis Scott and SZA – who featured on the hit ‘All The Stars’ for the Black Panther soundtrack in 2018, which Kendrick co-produced.
Aside from his acclaimed albums, Kendrick’s live show has also progressed – best highlighted via his iconic and politically charged 2018 Grammy performance, making his headline show at this year’s BST Hyde Park all the more exciting. An opportunity to witness one of the greatest modern day musicians at the peak of his powers.
Also on the bill is James Blake – one of the most prolific artists of this decade. He’s a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, who’s collaborated with the biggest names in hip-hop – Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Drake, Chance the Rapper and Jay-Z. Last year, Blake was up for two Grammy awards in rap categories, alongside Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Future for their track ‘King’s Dead’, taken from the Black Panther soundtrack. And he’s even been called “Hip-hop’s favourite Brit” by The Guardian. His fourth and most recent album Assume Form was lauded by critics, as are his awe-inspiring live shows.
Those not privy to her solo work will recognise Brittany Howard as the peerless voice and guitarist of Alabama Shakes. As a soloist, Brittany masters any genre she is drawn to; from ramshackle hip-hop, spoken word and gospel to funk, jazz and neo soul. Her critically acclaimed debut album Jaime was released last year and proved that Brittany loses none of the magic by stepping out on her own.
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