Mainstream music is so popular that artists must conform to it if they want to build their fan base. I considered this statement true up until this week. Artists must conform, but at the same time they can stay true to their artistry, which is why I picked Kendrick Lamar as my focus for this article.

Lamar, formerly known as K-Dot, is thriving in the hip-hop scene. Of course, Dr. Dre had a big influence on this occurrence. Still, I choose Lamar due to his ability to be able to keep his name mentioned on the radio as well as around underground listeners.

He is in mainstream music, but also staying true to himself and his artistry. Just because his music is geared toward a broader audience doesn’t mean he is not authentic anymore. Lamar is plenty real with us. "To Pimp a Butterfly" has shifted the hip-hop scene tremendously. He may not have a single on the radio from the album but that doesn’t seem to matter. His features are speaking pretty loudly when it comes to his success with Taylor Swift. When I first heard his "Bad Blood" feature I couldn’t help but say, "He is on fire!"

"To Pimp a Butterfly" discusses Lamar's personal views and reflections. Nothing about this album was easy to listen to when I first heard it. Everything was pure imagery and I believe it transformed hip-hop for the better. It was a completely different route than I ever expected. Still, I noticed that Lamar was getting bigger.

I heard his features on the radio after his album came out, which surprised me due to the fact that I was being narrow-minded. I was expecting Lamar to stay away from the big radio artists. But regardless of being on the radio, I had a lot of respect for his features. He had changed my view on what a "big name" in the music industry is.

So I believe that an artist can be true to their vision and keep the industry happy. I want to thank Lamar for giving me hope for future artists to come. I think Lamar is a huge influence on a lot of artists that are trying to make it in hip-hop today.