section_path: Artistry/Influences
section_name: Influences
paragraph_text: Influences
  
  Tupac Shakur is Lamar's biggest influence, having impacted both his professional and personal lives. One of his earliest childhood memories is watching him and Dr. Dre film the second music video for their single " California Love " with his father at the Compton Swap Meet. Lamar has described himself as an "offspring" of Shakur's artistry and sociopolitical views. Although some publications have regarded him as the Shakur of his generation, he has strived to maintain his individuality.
  
  Shakur's The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996), The Notorious B.I.G. 's Life After Death (1997), and DMX 's It's Dark and Hell is Hot (1998) influenced Lamar's artistic direction: "I don't look at these albums like just music; it sounds like an actual film." He also listened and took influence from Mos Def and Snoop Dogg during his childhood, and said, "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Eazy-E." 50 Cent 's mixtape success inspired Lamar to become an independent artist, while his view on being categorized as a conscious rapper, "Yeah, I'm a conscious artist because I have a conscience ", gave him a sense of perspective.
  
  Prodigy of Mobb Deep was a key influence on Lamar's earlier mixtapes, while his rapping technique was stemmed from Lil Wayne and his longevity. Eminem and his album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) introduced him to songwriting elements, such as ad-libs, and impacted his aggressive approach to records such as " Backseat Freestyle ". He took inspiration from N.W.A 's tenacity of representing his hometown with "courage, honesty and artistic brilliance". Various R&B and soul artists, including Marvin Gaye, the Isley Brothers, Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass, Sade, and Anita Baker, have influenced Lamar. He performed with Prince, who impacted his vocal register, at Paisley Park to celebrate the release of the latter's 2014 albums Plectrumelectrum and Art Official Age, which GQ described as "five minutes of brilliant insanity". To Pimp a Butterfly was influenced by the works of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and funk collective Parliament-Funkadelic.
  
  Tupac Shakur is Lamar's biggest influence, having impacted both his professional and personal lives. One of his earliest childhood memories is watching him and Dr. Dre film the second music video for their single " California Love " with his father at the Compton Swap Meet. Lamar has described himself as an "offspring" of Shakur's artistry and sociopolitical views. Although some publications have regarded him as the Shakur of his generation, he has strived to maintain his individuality.
  
  Shakur's The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996), The Notorious B.I.G. 's Life After Death (1997), and DMX 's It's Dark and Hell is Hot (1998) influenced Lamar's artistic direction: "I don't look at these albums like just music; it sounds like an actual film." He also listened and took influence from Mos Def and Snoop Dogg during his childhood, and said, "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Eazy-E." 50 Cent 's mixtape success inspired Lamar to become an independent artist, while his view on being categorized as a conscious rapper, "Yeah, I'm a conscious artist because I have a conscience ", gave him a sense of perspective.
  
  Prodigy of Mobb Deep was a key influence on Lamar's earlier mixtapes, while his rapping technique was stemmed from Lil Wayne and his longevity. Eminem and his album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) introduced him to songwriting elements, such as ad-libs, and impacted his aggressive approach to records such as " Backseat Freestyle ". He took inspiration from N.W.A 's tenacity of representing his hometown with "courage, honesty and artistic brilliance". Various R&B and soul artists, including Marvin Gaye, the Isley Brothers, Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass, Sade, and Anita Baker, have influenced Lamar. He performed with Prince, who impacted his vocal register, at Paisley Park to celebrate the release of the latter's 2014 albums Plectrumelectrum and Art Official Age, which GQ described as "five minutes of brilliant insanity". To Pimp a Butterfly was influenced by the works of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and funk collective Parliament-Funkadelic.