LA rapper Kendrick Lamar is trying hard to adapt

Twenty-five years ago the Los Angeles suburb of Compton was the epicentre of a hip-hop revolution, spawning NWA and gangsta rap. Now Compton is once more at the epicentre of hip-hop with the emergence of 25-year-old Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, whose Good Kid, MAAD City has been labelled the most impressive hip-hop album in years.

Kendrick, who will line up at Birmingham's O2 Academy on Monday, served notice of his talent in 2010 with the release of his fourth mixtap, Overly Dedicated.

The following year, his independently-released album, Section.80, was a rousing success with the underground and mainstream alike. It showcased his exceptional abilities as a storyteller and lyricist.

Kendrick sang with rap royalty Dr Dre in 2012, then continued his rapid progression by collaborating with rap legends Jay-Z and Drake. Demonstrating a penchant for mesmerising lyrical displays his Section.80 album earned him a BET Hip Hop Award nomination, successfully highlighting societal ills and the struggles of generation Y.

More recently however, it was his major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city that propelled him into superstardom. Now the Black Hippy comrade is among rap's elite and believed by many to wear the crown as the hottest MC in the game.

Kendrick has had to adapt quickly to handle the pros and cons of his new-found fame.

"I always thought money was something just to make me happy. But I've learned that I feel better being able to help my folks, 'cause we never had nothing. So just to see them excited about my career is more of a blessing than me actually having it for myself.

"My folks ain't graduated from high school or nothing like that, so we always had to struggle in the family – and I come from a big family. But as far as me handling this, it's a weird feeling because it's like a blur right now.

"I think my worst problem is actually living in the moment and understanding everything that's going on. I feel like I'm in my own bubble. People tell me all the time, 'You're crazy, going there by yourself,' because it wouldn't have soaked in yet that I'm supposed to be quote 'Kendrick Lamar' –whoever this guy's supposed to be.

"I still feel like me. So it's really about me trying to adapt – that's like the toughest thing for me right now. I feel like I'm in my own world.

"It's got its pros and cons. I still know who I am and I haven't let everything consume me. But on the other end, I have to know when I'm me – when I go out in public, to the person that sees me on TV and has a conception of who I am. That's the only catch. That's the flip side to it.

"But I think whatever pressure I feel, it all comes from me, from within. I always was that person who was hard on myself and challenged myself no matter what I was doing, whether it was passing third grade or playing basketball."

Lamar performs at Birmingham's O2 Academy on Monday July 8. Tickets cost £28 and are available from www.O2academybirmingham.co.uk