Having just revealed the release date for his debut album drop, Kendrick Lamar has also been keen to discuss the current Hip-Hop scene.

In an interview with UK’s R&R Productions, he opened up on the subject of his favourite current MCs.

Kendrick said that first and foremost in his estimation were his Black Hippy crew, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock. However, he also named Def Jam’s most recent signee, Gunplay, as one of his favourite up and comers.

"I got a lot of folks that I mess with -- first and foremost, my folks…Black Hippy - Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul," he said. "We lock in and we're real competitive, that's where I get my thrive and my skills and all that from, just off their energy. Outside of [them], I mess with a few people. Somebody I'm bumping right now is Gunplay, you heard him on Cartoons and Cereal."

Kendrick also discussed his forthcoming LP, explaining that the pressures of living up to expectations with Good Kid, m.A.A.d City were great. He described releasing the album as a process by which he could prove his worth to listeners.

"I really just kept everything in-house [with Good Kid, m.A.A.d City], people that I've been grinding with since day one," he said.

"They know me, they know my sound and I feel they're the best - Dave Free, Soundwave, Tae Beats, Willie B, the whole Digi+Phonics movement. It's really tight-knit, man. I really still want to show and prove. A lot of people get to this position where I'm at and feel like they've made it, so they want to go out and reach out to all the big producers. I still feel like I need to show and prove myself for my first album that I stand alone on my own two feet creatively, and now, that's exactly what I'm going to do with the music."

- By Fiona Guest