Hear Kendrick Lamar’s New Track & Watch Him Take Over L.A.

Kendrick Lamar took to downtown L.A. Sunday night (October 21) on the eve of the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city for an unannounced free show atop a bus in front of the Staples Center. The Compton MC performed two tracks from the LP and two from his prior release, Section.80. As word spread, throngs of people showed up, and police choppers and squad cars reportedly descended on the scene and eventually the fuzz cut K-Dot’s mic. We’re pretty sure that, soon enough, he’ll be performing inside the Staples Center and won’t have to worry about that happening again. Watch his live rendition of “Swimming Pools (Drank)” up top.

But that’s not all! Lamar also released a ferocious new track, “The Heart Pt. 3 (Will You Let It Die?)”. If you don’t understand why hip-hop fans are excited about this Compton MC, this is the song that will make you a true believer. Hear it after the jump.

This new track is the follow-up to “The Heart Pt. 2” from Lamar’s mixtape O(verly) D(edicated), and it follows that song’s formula of placing a relaxed soul beat underneath a bombastic, marathon verse from K-Dot. Lamar is hip-hop’s golden child, but here he is completely insecure, questioning himself now that the hype machine has christened him the next 2Pac and the savior of heady street rap (“When the whole world see you as ‘Pac reincarnated / Enough pressure to make you just open the book of David and pray to God that you’ll make it”). Lamar is far more perturbed here than at any point on good kid, m.A.A.d city, and finishes by asking “Will you let hip-hop die on October 22?” which of course is that album’s release date.

What do you think of K-Dot’s new track? Let us know in the comments, or on Facebook and Twitter.