While Kendrick Lamar’s history-making wins at the 2025 Grammys may still be fresh on everyone’s minds, what shouldn’t go unnoticed is the rapper’s consistent dedication to highlighting the city that shaped him into the artists he is today: Los Angeles.
Lamar, who was born and raised in Compton, has never shied away from embracing South Central L.A. nor has he departed from the cities musical influences, styles, and swag. After signging to Top Dawg Entertainement in 2005, Lamar would go on to build his credibility in L.A. which eveventually led him to forming the rap supergroup Black Hippy alongside fellow TDE labelmate and rapper Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q in 2008, releasing his debut album “Section .80" in 2011, collaborating with countless rappers both from L.A. and other major cities and more.
Fast forward to today and it’s clear to see that Lamar’s influence in the Los Angeles music scene has gone far beyond the perimeter of this major city but it’s helped create a spotlight for other talent—past and present—to gain their shine too.
So it’s in that vein that we felt it fitting to take a look at a handful of other artists who have and are putting the sounds of Los Angeles on the map.