Kendrick Lamar, famous for his self-built hip hop empire, is almost perhaps as equally infamous for his approach to marketing and branding. With over 140 million followers over social media and over 87 billion streams across streaming platforms, his success is undeniable. In this essay I will provide evidence to showcase how Lamar seemingly appears to be elusive yet still cultivates a media empire. His elusiveness is demonstrated by his infrequent media appearances as well as his apparent lack of traditional marketing techniques. I will explain how this is due to his clear and present authenticity in all of his art, as well as his accessibility – or lack thereof, – brought about by his ‘secret’ and unpromoted track drops on YouTube with no promotion, as well as the release of the ‘Untitled Demos’ prior to major releases, all of which creates an illusion of exclusivity and of closeness with the artist. I will be referring to marketing theories such as the ‘Brand Equity Theory’ as well as the ‘AIDA’ model and the ‘12 Brand Archetypes’. I did most of my research using scholarly articles and journalism online.
‘My auntie was a man now, we cool with it. The history had trickled down and made us ign’ant. My favorite cousin said he’s returning the favor And following my auntie with the same behavior’
in tracks like ‘Auntie Diaries’ (from his 2022 release, Mr Morale and The Big Steppers) make him come across as more authentic, as it is rare for artists of his stature and popularity to appear to be so vulnerable. The messages in his music make consumers feel more connected to his brand as he writes about very personal and down to earth issues which resonate and call for respect from his audience. The deeply personal lyrics in many of his songs build emotions linked to his music within his fanbase (who would most likely be younger teenagers heavily digesting his lyrics through media and streaming services). This then translates to loyalty from his audience as they have an emotional connection.
“The old rule was this: CREATE SAFE, ORDINARY PRODUCTS AND COMBINE THEM WITH GREAT MARKETING. The new rule is: CREATE REMARKABLE PRODUCTS THAT THE RIGHT PEOPLE SEEK OUT.” (Godin, 2005)
I believe this resonates with facets of Lamar’s creative portfolio as his music has a sense of emotional exclusivity due to his creative production and intelligent lyrical content. It is almost a sense of being more accessible to those who understand on a deeper level. This can further create a sense of pride within his audience, drawing them back in each time. Tracks like ‘Mother I Sober’ have very nuanced thoughts and feelings that are often not apparent to many listeners, including other artists referencing such tracks such as Drake on his track ‘Family Matters’
Furthermore, referring to the AIDA marketing model (Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action), Lamar’s dispute with fellow hip hop artist Drake could be regarded as genius from a marketing perspective, considering the following context of his album ‘GNX’ released thereafter.
The ‘Diss’ tracks sent back and forth by Lamar and Drake built up attention and generated interest from audiences in these two titans of the hip hop genre (Lamar, having over 70 million listeners on Spotify as of this writing, Drake with over 80 million.) The tracks Lamar released generated interest not only from his fan base but also from Drake’s fanbase as they would enquire to see what has been said about their favourite artist. Further on during the dispute, Lamar started releasing tracks exclusively on YouTube, with zero promotion. This seems counter productive, yet it created a sense of exclusivity and desire that a wider release would have lacked, further driving traffic to his music and his overall brand as stated in this quote from James Chrisa on Substack: “While Drake floods social media with calculated provocations and meticulously timed releases you would get from a large, high-powered PR and marketing team, Kendrick Lamar’s company has mastered the art of strategic absence – turning their selective silence into cultural currency more valuable than any viral moment.”
This then directly moves into Lamar’s release of his album ‘GNX’ which was released not long after the discourse, with minimal press and marketing as there was already much conversation surrounding his name. This tactic proved successful as the project “[…] on Nov. 22, […] sailed to No. 1 on the Billboard 200” (New York Times 2024), As well as this ‘GNX’ the album grossed 319,000 units sold in its first week compared to Lamar’s previous album release, ‘Mr Morale And The Big Steppers’ which sold 295,000 units. All of these factors combined clearly show the success he gained off the back of his feud with Drake.
Although many would argue Lamar’s track releases and album rollouts appear to be inconsistent and sudden each time (as well as some of them being hard to even source to listen to), it is almost as if the music itself is the promotion, along with its quality, personality and authenticity and exclusivity. While Drake takes a more traditional approach to marketing, it is almost the marketing of a popstar which can come across as more superficial, and less authentic. This is due to his several sponsorships and advertisements (including; ‘Nike’ sportswear and ‘Stake’ gambling). Drake’s more traditional yet less personal and more artificial marketing causes him to perform very successfully commercially yet not critically with his most recent solo album ‘For All The Dogs’ peaking at number 1 on the Billboard charts, yet The Guardian addressed its ‘dismal lyrics’ and ‘wearying misogyny’ in an article published in October 2023. Furthermore, user reviews for said album (on albumoftheyear.org) give an average rating of 48 out of 100, which goes to show that critics and audiences alike are not resonating with his music, despite the radio plays.
Secondly, I believe it is important to consider the aspect of Lamar’s Superbowl performance, at which he demonstrated why he is so authentic because of his flippancy in political contexts with relation to the media. He takes risks and uses symbolic storytelling to spread a powerful message. In his lyrical writing and performance in songs such as “Squabble and DNA” The Superbowl (being the second most popular sporting event in the U.S according to ‘YouGov.com’) is one of the most high profile events in America with an incredible amount of media coverage (with an estimated 127.7 million watching 2025’s Superbowl.) This, coupled with the state of U.S politics quickly falling to facism (proof being the recent election of Republican President Donald Trump and his funding and cultivation of ICE immigration officers, racial profiling and general funding of the police force in the face of their brutality), meant having Kendrick Lamar be the face of last year’s Super Bowl was as impactful for some as it was upsetting for others.
On the one hand, Lamar’s performance left many with a sour taste in their mouth, Donald Trump included, due to the agenda and clear anti fascist sentiment of the performance. In his first week in office, President Trump issued a series of executive orders (EOs) targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the public and private sectors.’ (CivilRights.org)
Furthermore, according to the ‘Huffington Post’ the Superbowl organisers themselves removed the Slogan ‘End Racism’ from the field and replaced it with ‘Choose love’ and many believe this was in an attempt to appease Trump. As a result, having Kendrick Lamar and an all Black cast perform during half time at the SuperBowl Trump himself attended would have enlarged an already substantial wedge between the rapper and the President. According to the ‘Huffington Post’ Donald Trump reportedly left the arena shortly before the halftime show ended. In addition to this, the all Black cast included Samuel L Jackson playing a take on an Uncle Sam character, which presented him as more of a judgemental conservative type, which is contradictory to the typical strong willed character Uncle Sam is often portrayed as.
This further ties into the mission statement of his company ‘Pg lAng’
“Although pgLang leverages social channels and marketing tactics, it defies categorization as a traditional marketing communications or PR agency…This approach diverges from typical celebrity-backed agencies, which often focus solely on branding, media, and marketing, as seen with personalities like Ryan Reynolds and LeBron James.”
On the other hand, I would say that this previous evidence works harder to prove the point of Lamar being authentic, as it shows how committed he is to his truth in the face of adversity. Kendrick’s hyper critical performance which took aim at America and American culture while such a prolific and dangerous figure of that culture was in the stands watching showcases Lamar’s dedication to his art and his message. Furthermore, this showcase of bravery and non compliance can also refer to the “12 Brand Archetypes” theory in which Lamar has clearly been branded as 2 of the 12 being a ‘rebel’ and a ‘hero’ this is a direct causality of his Superbowl performance due to his act of bravery and defiance. Being perceived as these archetypes almost subconsciously by the audience makes him stand out as a performer and artist as it shows a type of authenticity that cannot be denied, it can very much be criticised but the actions he has taken are irrefutable.
To conclude, I believe that – while on the surface Kendrick Lamar’s approach to branding and marketing might seem too controversial and lack luster – if you delve deeper into Lamar’s branding and marketing you will find that he has very intentionally created an image of himself that audiences strive to imitate and connect with, through his use of authenticity and the mysticism surrounding his name and artwork. ‘6:16 in LA’ , made during his dispute with Drake was only released to YouTube with no announcement from him or his team, or equally as importantly, his introspective and thought provoking lyrics on songs like ‘Mother I Sober’ that make his audience look inwards and become more attached to his writing and storytelling. As well as these factors, perhaps the biggest contributor to his ‘Peer deemed authenticity’ was Lamar’s Superbowl performance, which was on such a wide stage, physically and social media wise being covered and critiqued by many. I believe that putting your message out there on such a big platform as the Superbowl, during a time of right wing dogma is irrefutably authentic and elevates his branding to a deeper and more personal level.
References
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Chrisa, J. (2025). How Kendrick Lamar’s Strategic Genius and Flawless Execution Is Redefining Brand Strategy. [online] Substack.com. Available at: https://jchrisa.substack.com/p/how-kendrick-lamars-strategic-genius?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web [Accessed 6 Jan. 2026].
D’Souza, S. (2023). Drake: For All the Dogs review – repetitive rap titan needs new tricks. The Guardian. [online] 9 Oct. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/oct/09/drake-for-all-the-dogs-review-repetitive-rap-titan-needs-new-tricks.
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Houraghan, S. (2018b). Brand Archetypes: the Definitive Guide. [online] Iconic Fox. Available at: https://iconicfox.com.au/brand-archetypes/.
pg-lang.com. (n.d.). pgLang. [online] Available at: https://pg-lang.com.
Sisario, B. (2024). Kendrick Lamar’s ‘GNX’ Rockets to No. 1 on the Charts. The New York Times. [online] 2 Dec. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/02/arts/music/kendrick-lamar-gnx-billboard-charts.html.
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Sughnen Yongo (2025). Kendrick Lamar’s Set Was A Clinic In Purpose-Driven Branding. Forbes. [online] 10 Feb. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sughnenyongo/2025/02/10/kendrick-lamars-super-bowl-set-was-a-clinic-in-purpose-driven-branding/.
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Tolliver, J. (2025). Kendrick Lamar Appears To Take Patriotic Swipe At Donald Trump At Super Bowl. [online] HuffPost UK. Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/kendrick-lamar-diss-donald-trump-super-bowl_uk_67a9abfde4b0d2bb0b1f8007 [Accessed 6 Jan. 2026].
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