Kendrick Lamar's new album cover
Twitter (@KendrickLamar)

On the heels of the just-released "good kidd, m.A.A.d city," Kendrick Lamar is poised for superstardom.

Get ready to hear plenty about Kendrick Lamar in the coming months. The 25-year-old Compton, Calif.- born Lamar is signed to Interscope/Aftermath Records and already has won the approval of some of the biggest names in rap like Dr. Dre, Rick Ross, Drake, Lil Wayne, Snoop Lion, Busta Rhymes and Young Jeezy. He’s worked with the biggest rap stars of today, and his appeal is crossing over to the pop world. Earlier this year, Lady Gaga tweeted that she had worked with Kendrick Lamar on a song.

The hype for Lamar has been growing steadily since 2003, when he released his first mixtape. Since then, Lamar has released a few more mixtapes, opened up for Game on a national tour and won praise from peers and press alike. After the digital release of Lamar’s debut album, "Section.80," in 2011, the hype grew even louder, leading to his eventual signing to Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment.

All of this serves as background for why the release of Lamar’s new album, "good kidd, m.A.A.d city," is such a big deal. Leading up to the release of "good kidd, m.A.A.d city," Lamar played an impromptu show outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles. He tweeted about the show and the scene was soon packed with fans, essentially shutting down downtown Los Angeles, reports Allhiphop.com.

Kendrick Lamar may be the next rap superstar, having won the support of fans, peers and critics. Early reviews for "good kidd, m.A.A.d city" are overwhelmingly positive, with everyone from Rolling Stone and Spin to the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune and Pitchfork praising the album as a near-masterpiece.

Kendrick Lamar stopped by Conan O'Brien's show and performed “Swimming Pools (Drank)” off of "good kidd, m.A.A.d city." You can view the performance below.