Kendrick Lamar speaks to Hot Press

He's rap's brightest new star, with a fanbase that includes Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Pharrell Williams and a chart-topping album that outsold Rihanna.

Kendrick Lamar talks to Hot Press about growing up in super-violent Compton, California and his struggle to stay grounded as his career goes supernova.

"Plenty of people have rapped about Compton. I want to show the other side of the story, talk about the kid trying to escape temptation rather than avoid it."

"All my homeboys, they live with their grandmothers. Because everyone was involved in gangs, their dads were behind bars."

And recalls the period in his life when he decided that he wanted to be a rapper, and the importance his father played in his upbringing.

"Luckily I had a father right there for me. He was from the street, knew how things worked. I had a little more insight than the homeboys. In the end I wanted to do something positive, not continue the cycle. Music was my way out.

Read the full interview in the new edition of Hot Press which is available in shops now. Angel Haze, Guggi, Denzel Washington, Stuart Neville and
James Morris also feature in the jam packed new edition. You can order this issue here