Kendrick Lamar releases his debut studio album by Top Dawg Entertainment. This album would really get Kendrick's name out there and through this more people saw his potential resulting in him getting passed down the torch of West Coast rap a few months later.
Section.80, released on July 2, 2011, through Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), marks Kendrick Lamar's debut studio album and an important moment in contemporary hip-hop. This conceptually ambitious project examined the experiences of Generation Y, particularly African American youth born during the Reagan-era 1980s, through intricate storytelling and jazz-influenced production. Developed after witnessing personal tragedy in his community, Lamar crafted a body of work addressing social realities with unflinching honesty, establishing himself as one of hip-hop's most thoughtful voices years before his mainstream breakthrough.
The album's production was primarily handled by TDE's in-house producers from Digi+Phonics, alongside contributions from J. Cole, Sounwave, Tae Beast, Terrace Martin, and others. Musically classified as conscious hip-hop with "stripped-down" jazz production, Section.80 features standout tracks including "F*ck Your Ethnicity," "A.D.H.D," "Ronald Reagan Era" (featuring uncredited vocals from Wu-Tang Clan's RZA), "Rigamortus," "Keisha's Song (Her Pain)," and "HiiiPoWeR." Guest appearances from GLC, Colin Munroe, Ashtrobot, BJ the Chicago Kid, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul enhanced the album's thematic richness while showcasing TDE's roster strength and foreshadowing the success of the Black Hippy collective.
Despite minimal mainstream marketing, Section.80 achieved remarkable commercial success for an independent release, debuting at number 113 on the US Billboard 200 and eventually receiving gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in April 2017. The album received widespread critical acclaim, earning a Metacritic score of 80, with critics praising its ambition, execution, and thematic depth. It appeared on numerous year-end lists, including Pitchfork's "Top 50 Albums of 2011" and Complex's "Best Albums of 2011," with NME later placing it at #3 on their "101 Albums To Hear Before You Die" list in 2014.
Section.80 established Kendrick Lamar's signature themes—systemic inequality, character narratives, intergenerational trauma, and self-determination—that defined his later masterpieces. This TDE-released concept album proved commercially viable hip-hop could tackle complex social issues while remaining accessible, influencing countless artists before his Aftermath/Interscope signing. Section.80 revitalized album-oriented hip-hop artistry and introduced the world to one of the 21st century's most important cultural voices.
Source: Wikipedia
Kendrick's previous release was Overly Dedicated.
His next release would be good kid, m.A.A.d city
*There may be errors on this page.
Kendrick Lamar Releases Section.80
Timelines Involved
- Event Date:
