Lamar is now among the hip-hop sphere's most prominent names. At SXSW 2013, he was still in the midst of his initial rise, having seen his debut major label record released in fall 2012. He had just appeared on Saturday Night Live and released a video for his collaboration with Drake. This on-stage interview and his three Music Festival showcases only ratcheted up the hype that helped launch his career into the next level.