Kendrick Lamar and how he won five Grammy Awards

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Kendrick Lamar: Rap's new superstar

Kendrick Lamar was the big winner at the Grammy Awards this year in Los Angeles.

He won best rap album, rap performance, rap/sung collaboration, rap song and music video for Bad Blood with Taylor Swift.

Image source, Getty Images
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Kendrick Lamar's backing dancers appeared in prison chains

Taking home five gramophones was just one great in a fantastic year for Kendrick Lamar.

That year includes a nod from President Obama who said his album To Pimp a Butterfly was "outstanding".

The White House tweeted a video saying: #YouTubeAsksObama: "Drake or Kendrick Lamar?" Watch @POTUS answer this question and more during a lightning round., external

So the president of the United States believed Kendrick had the best album last year but the Grammys felt that accolade belonged to Taylor Swift.

This is why 2015 was Kendrick's year

He performed for free on the back of a lorry driving through Los Angeles.

He tweeted in March last year: 9pm. meet me here. 8950 Sunset Blvd. 930pm. meet me here. 8466 Melrose Ave., external

And only gave fans one hour notice.

But they came out in their thousands.

Watch footage from Kendrick Lamar's impromptu show on the back of a moving truck in Hollywood. , external

He released an album eight days earlier than advertised.

Take note Frank Ocean.

It was because it was accidently put on iTunes before it should have been.

And even Taylor Swift wanted him to be part of her squad.

She tweeted: KENDRICK PUT HIS ALBUM OUT EARLY. NO ONE TOUCH ME., external

He then featured in her video for Bad Blood.

Kendrick starred as Welvin Da Great., external

Kendrick went against the message of most record labels and rap artists, releasing what real people wanted to hear.

"You know the songs that are out, we all love these songs. They sell a lot of singles and make these record labels a lot of money," he said.

But those "really living" in the streets don't want those singles, he added.

"They want to get away from that".

He also broke a Spotify record.

The CEO of Top Dawg Entertainment, Kendrick's label tweeted: To Pimp a Butterfly was streamed 9.6m times on the 1st day. new global record 4 the most streams in a single day worldwide by a new release., external

Kendrick took the crown from Drake who got 6.8m streams of If You're Reading This It's Too Late in a day.

He was awarded with a generational icon award from the California state senate.

It was for his willingness to give back to the community of Compton.

Watch the ceremony from the California state senate., external

He said: "Being from the City of Compton and knowing the parks that I played at and the neighbourhoods, I always thought how great the opportunity would be to give back to my community off of what I do in music."

Oh and he has the first ever American number one album with the word pimp in the title.

Previous entrants were Pimp C's Pimpalation in 2006 which got to number three, as well as Dirty's Keep It Pimp & Gangsta which got to number 63 in 2003.

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