Kendrick Lamar's first musical release was a mixtape.
Kendrick Lamar . Born and raised in Compton , California , he embarked on his musical career as a teenager under the stage name K-Dot , releasing a mixtape that garnered local attention and led to his signing with indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment ( TDE ) . His major label debut , good kid , m.A.A.d city , was released in 2012 by TDE , Aftermath and Interscope Records to critical success .