Kendrick Lamar is a huge rap star since his debut album good kid, m.A.A.d city was met with critical acclaim. Before K.Dot rhymed about poetic justice, he started from the bottom just like every aspiring rapper. Recently (thanks Internet), K. Dot’s 2003 debut mixtape, Hub City Threat, Minor of the Year, just surfaced that shows the young 16-year-old in action.

Even as K.Dot wasn’t a household name yet, his mixtape was evidence of his talents. Here, he raps over Lil Wayne’s “Go DJ,” dedicates a song to his hometown in “Compton Life,” and spits alongside seasoned veterans like Joe Budden and Freeway. Athough three tracks are missing, we still have 11 good ones to get a sense of his promising career.

Check out it out below via Masked Gorilla.

[via Masked Gorilla]