Apple adds hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar to iTunes festival lineup

By Shane Cole

Grammy-nominated West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the second day of next month's iTunes Festival in Austin, Texas, the latest lyrical luminary to appear at the event's U.S. debut.

Lamar will be joined on stage by fellow Top Dawg Entertainment recording artists Schoolboy Q and Isaiah Rashad, rounding out the condensed five-day festival that will also feature performances from Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Soundgarden, Pitbull, Keith Urban, and Willie Nelson. The current iTunes Festival lineup is available to view at the official SXSW site, and more artists are promised to be revealed in the coming days.

Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Lamar made his major label debut in 2012 with "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City." He is the recipient of seven Grammy nominations including Best New Artist and Album of the Year.

The addition comes one day after Apple added legendary rockers Soundgarden to the bill.

Traditionally held in London, Apple announced last week that the iTunes Festival would make its stateside debut at this years's rendition of the annual South by Southwest music festival. Music fans unable to make the trek to Texas will be able to watch the performances live on their Mac, iOS device, or Apple TV.