Despite not having an official album out, Kendrick Lamar has built a reputation within the hip-hop culture and beyond as one of the game's most gifted lyricists. While the world is impatiently waiting for his official solo debut offering Good Kid In A Mad City, the Compton native served "The Recipe," which catapulted to the status of Los Angeles's new unofficial anthem featuring none other than Dr. Dre himself. The ode to LA"s “women, weed and weather” has brought on memories of the early '90s – the golden era of West Coast rap when the globe was chanting to the G-Funk sounds of Southern California. Consider it coming full circle, that K. Dot and his TDE-powered Black Hippy crew (Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and ScHoolboy Q) have moved to Dre's Aftermath Records. A favorite among our readers, Kendrick Lamar sat down with us and opened up on his upcoming album, his experience during Coachella, the similarities between 2Pac and DMX, J. Cole, and of course "The Recipe."

Frontpage photography: Willie Toledo