2011: After a handful of mixtapes and establishing subtle notoriety as the next potential luminary of hip-hop, Kendrick Lamar released his Section.80, and astonished the unsuspecting masses in the ...

Kendrick Lamar can add another plaque to his mantle. The Compton MC's Section.80 album, which dropped in 2011, has been certified gold by the RIAA. The project received its certification on April 14.

Compton-based rapper Kendrick Lamar didn't want to become conscious rap's new hope, and in many ways, he's not. His latest offering, Section.80, has as many personal meditations on the nature of ...