Bluesfest announce a mammoth addition to the line-up for the 5 Day Festival held annually over Easter, just north of Byron Bay (EVENT DATES: Thu 24th March to Mon 28th March 2016).
Compton born, Platinum selling, Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar will be headlining the opening night of Bluesfest on Thursday 24th March 2016. It is a massive coup for Bluesfest to add the highly respected and successful artist, considered by many as the No. 1 Rapper and Hip Hop artist in the world right now, to the impressive bill announced so far for 2016.
An exceptional storyteller and lyricist and known for his compelling and poetic albums, Kendrick Lamar has even been likened to Bob Dylan by fellow Industry heavyweight, Pharrell Williams. Lamar was nominated in seven categories, including Best New Artist and Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2014. In 2015, at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, Kendrick won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for his track “I”.
Kendrick Lamar’s third and most recent album, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Chart, #1 on the Billboard R&B and Hip Hop Albums Chart, #1 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart among topping other charts worldwide. It even features Bluesfest alumni George Clinton on the opening track ‘Wesley’s Theory’ and has received rave reviews across the globe such as;
“The Compton MC’s second major-label album is a masterpiece of fiery outrage, deep jazz and ruthless self-critique…” ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE
“Kendrick Lamar could be the greatest rapper of all time.” THE VERGE
“Lamar wants nothing less than greatness, and To Pimp a Butterfly is yet another step forward on that path.” TIME
32 artists have been announced so far for the 27th Annual Bluesfest and tickets are reported to be selling fast. True to Bluesfest tradition, the announcements will continue to roll out in the lead up to the 2016 festival.
ARTIST BIO
Kendrick Lamar is one of the rare artists who has achieved critical and commercial success while earning the respect and support of those who inspired him.
A native of Compton, California, Lamar originally rapped as K. Dot and released a series of mixtapes under that name. Youngest Head Nigga in Charge (2003), issued when he was only 16 years old, caught the attention of CEO Anthony “TopDawg” Tiffith who immediately signed a young Lamar to his label, Top Dawg Entertainment.
Training Day (2005) and C4 (2009) also preceded his decision to go by his birth name. The latter was issued the same year he became part of Black Hippy—beside fellow Top Dawg artists Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and ScHoolboy Q—a group whose members, for the most part, appeared on one another’s mixtapes and albums. Overly Dedicated (2010) was the first Kendrick Lamar mixtape and fared well enough to enter Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart that October.
His first official album, Section.80 (2011), was released as a digital download the following year and entered the Billboard 200 at number 113. By that point in his career, Lamar’s reputation had been strengthened through guest appearances on dozens of tracks, and he had the support of veteran West Coast stars as well. During a 2011 concert, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg dubbed him “The New King of the West Coast,” a notion Dre endorsed more significantly by signing Lamar to the Aftermath label.
Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was released in October 2012 and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. Three of its singles—“Swimming Pools (Drank),” “Poetic Justice,” and “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”—reached the Top Ten of Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, with each one enjoying lengthy stays on playlists of urban U.S. radio stations. More significantly, the album showcased Lamar as an exceptional storyteller capable of making compelling concept albums.
In early 2015, he announced that his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly, was due in March with tracks featuring Snoop Dogg, Bilal, Thundercat, and George Clinton. A technical accident caused the digital album to be released eight days early, but it immediately earned rave reviews and topped the Billboard 200 with sales of 325,000 copies within its first week.
2016 BLUESFEST SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
KENDRICK LAMAR
2016 ARTISTS ALREADY ANNOUNCED:
TOM JONES • THE NATIONAL – exclusive
NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
UB40 feat. ALI CAMPBELL, ASTRO & MICKEY VIRTUE – exclusive
JOE BONAMASSA – exclusive
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND • JACKSON BROWNE
CITY AND COLOUR • THE DECEMBERISTS
THE CAT EMPIRE • JASON ISBELL • TWEEDY
STURGILL SIMPSON • STEVE EARLE AND THE DUKES THE WORD • GRACE POTTER • LORD HURON BLACKBERRY SMOKE • VINTAGE TROUBLE
NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE • SONGHOY BLUES SHAKEY GRAVES • ALLEN STONE • ST PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES • LUKAS NELSON AND PROMISE OF THE REAL • THE SELECTER • RHIANNON GIDDENS • JANIVA MAGNESS •LUCKY PETERSON • EMDEE
THE WAILERS
PRESENT BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 4 ALBUMS IN ENTIRETY
EXODUS, SURVIVAL, UPRISING & LEGEND OVER 4 NIGHTS
*** and so many more artists to be announced ***
All 5 & 3 & 1 day festival and camping tickets are on sale through www.bluesfest.com.au or phone the office on 02 6685 8310.
Tickets are also available through Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au and Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au
Bluesfest Facebook: www.facebook.com/bluesfestbyronbay
Bluesfest Twitter: @bluesfestbyron Bluesfest Instagram: @bluesfestbyronbay
