Kendrick Lamar is by far one of the most exciting voices to emerge in rap in some time, with him and his Black Hippy collective gaining steam with each passing day. On the 15th Anniversary edition of Xxl, the young Compton rapper graces the cover alongside his label-boss and sometime-collaborator Dr Dre, in what serves as a symbolic, handing over the baton from one iconic rapper to a potential future king of the game.
Throughout the issue, Lamar discusses his new album good kid, m.A.A.d city, which is released through Dre's Aftermath label and features the former N.W.A. man producing and rapping on some of the album's tracks.
Lamar also divulges on his own past, including his family's violent past on the notorious Compton streets, as well as where he stands now and where he sees himself in the future.
Meanwhile, Dre talked about what he considered the future holds for the young MC, admitting that as far as he is concerned ["Kendrick] has the potential to do some really incredible great things - things that are gonna make the veterans raise their eyebrows."
The rest of the issue tracks back through the last 15-years of hip-hop, including a nostalgic look back at every single Xxl cover since the first one in 1997.