Kendrick Lamar is rolling solo on the cover of XXL for the first time in his career.

The “i” rapper leads the Winter 2014 edition, commemorating a return to newsstands since the publication briefly went out of print. He previously has been featured on three covers, the most recent being with the Black Hippy crew last October. For this issue, the 27-year-old Compton native, who is working on his highly anticipated follow-up to 2012’s good kid, m.A.A.d city, put together his own piece for XXL titled “Writer at War.”  

In the story, K-Dot delves into topics like fame, how stardom has changed him and his relationship with fans, his recording process and more.

The issue also spotlights some of the rappers who kept us talking in 2014, including YG, French Montana, Big Sean and E-40. 

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(Photo: XXL, Winter 2014)