Kendrick Lamar hit the stage at the 2013 American Music Awards to perform two of his songs on Sunday in Los Angeles, Calif at the Nokia Theatre.

The 26-year-old, who was accompanied by a live band and a female singer, kept it casual in black pants, a white T-shirt and a black jacket as he rapped Swimming Pools (Drank) and Poetic Justice.

Both songs appear on his debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, released in October 2012. Lamar was also nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for the record. However, the award was given to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis earlier in the night.

Despite his loss, Lamar was a big name in hip-hop this year, especially because of the controversy he caused in August with the content he rapped on Big Sean's song Control, which also features Jay Electronica.

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On the track, the Compton native crowned himself one of the best rappers in the game along with Jay Z, Nas, Eminem and Andre 3000. Although he's from the West Coast, he also deemed himself the "King of N.Y."

The Poetic Justice rapper also called out several other hip-hop artists, including J. Cole, Wale, Pusha T, Meek Millz, ASAP Rocky, Big K.R.I.T., Drake, Tyler the Creator and Mac Miller. Lamar even added Big Sean and Jay Electronica to the list.

"I'm trying to make sure your core fans never heard of you," he rapped about them. "They don't want to hear not one more noun or verb from you."

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Some rappers, who were referenced in the song, responded to Lamar's rap.

For example, Mac Miller tweeted, "If I can't do no more nouns or verbs ima start comin with the wildest adjective bars that anyone has ever heard."

Rappers who weren't mentioned on the track even responded with their own diss songs, including Joell Ortiz and Joe Budden.


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