Gangsta rap with a good rep

Gangsta rap - the hip-hop sub-genre that had its heyday in the mid-1990s - is synonymous with explicit lyrics dripping in misogyny and violence.

But with rapper Kendrick Lamar, 26, here to promote his major-label debut album good kid, m.A.A.d city, gangsta rap has been reborn - sans the derogatory references to women and homosexuals.

You would presume a young rapper from the notoriously rough Los Angeles neighbourhood of Compton - a place synonymous with drugs and gang violence - has nothing new to bring to the table, especially since other top rappers, including The Game, Dr Dre and Eazy-E, who also hail from Compton, have all fostered rewarding careers from their stories.

But there's something alluring about Lamar's autobiographical, coming-of-age lyrics, which have quickly earned him the next "King of Rap" tag.

On good kid, m.A.A.d city, he intelligently and poetically chronicles his teenage years, his first girlfriend, being infected with a sexually transmitted illness, dabbling in crime and gang violence, dealing with fame and binge-drinking.

Despite his rough beginnings, the pint-sized Lamar has maintained something of a "good boy" image in the world of rap. Perhaps this is part of the reason for the hullabaloo surrounding his snubbing by the Grammys adjudication panels at last month's ceremony.

He lost all nominations in the rap category to Macklemore, resulting in publications such as Complex, and even India.Arie, blaming "white privilege" for the rapper's loss.

He had many fighting from his corner. Macklemore himself acknowledged that Lamar should have won.

Who can forget the backstage pictures of him getting hugs from Jay-Z and Tyran "TyTy" Smith?

Lamar is the support act on Kanye West's The Yeezus Tour, which has been on a break since December and returns on Thursday next week in the US.

What can South African fans expect from his performances?

Hollywood Reporter said after a show at Staples Centre in Los Angeles: "If it were any other tour, the narrative would be about how Lamar embarrassed the headlining act [West]. Instead, the ultimate compliment is that he more than held his own. Lamar delivered arguably the most impressive opening set Staples Centre has seen."

• Lamar will perform at the Durban Wave House, Durban, tonight, Johannesburg Stadium tomorrow night and Bellville Velodrome on Sunday.