​Born and raised in Compton, California, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is a 29-year-old award winning rapper, and songwriter. Growing up, Lamar always loved to write poetry, and he later turned these pieces into song. As a teenager he referred to himself as K-Dot, and upon the release of his first mix tape, he was signed by Top Dawg Entertainment.  

With the help of local support Lamar’s reputation soared, and he began collaborating with big-name artists including The Game, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dog, and even Dr. Dre.

2011 brought the release of Lamar’s first independent studio album titled Section. 80. This album was a huge success, so Lamar worked relentlessly to produce more music for his fans. In 2012 Lamar released Good Kid m.A.A.d City, which ranked at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and later was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.  

It comes as no surprise that after all of the acclaimed success Lamar proceeded to release 2 more albums, including his most recent titled, Damn. With a total of 7 Grammy Awards, it’s safe to say that Lamar is a respected artist within the hip-hop/rap genre. He has a loyal following due to the nature of his truthful, and soulful lyrics; including bits of his past, and the harsh realities of growing up in a gang-infested neighborhood, all of Lamar’s lyrics are filled with passion, which is why his fans love him so much.
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His summer ’17 tour called DAMN is in officially in full swing, and it features Travis Scott, and D.R.A.M as headliners. According to fans, this tour is one to rave about! 

When you hear the name John Mayer, the sound of blissful vocals should ring in your head. This widely accredited singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer has a long history of musical talent behind him, and you can expect to see him at an arena near you this summer!

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayer knew he had a special talent from a young age. His musical career began when he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, however, not long after enrolling he dropped out to form a short-lived, two-man band called Lo-Fi Masters. From here, Mayer began performing at local clubs to continue building credibility for himself, before he was asked to perform at the South by Southwest festival in 2001. After a powerhouse performance, Mayer was signed on to Aware Records, and later picked up by Columbia Records where his career soared.

In 2001, Mayer recorded his first full-length album titled Room for Squares, and in 2003 he released Heavier Things. Both albums did extremely well commercially, receiving multi-platinum status, and they even landed Mayer a Grammy award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Although Mayer typically focused his talents in the acoustic rock genre, he also began exploring the blues genre. After discovering success with this new journey, Mayer began collaborating with big-name artists including B.B. King, and Eric Clapton. He continued to release new albums, all of which were extremely successful, granting him two more Grammy awards. By 2014, Mayer had sold more than 20 million albums worldwide.

Most recently, Mayer developed an interest in the band Grateful Dead. Connecting with Bob Weir, Mayer decided to form a band himself called Dead & Company, with three former Grateful Dead members. After two successful tours, the group decided to carry out their talent, and sign on to a 2017 summer tour.
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With a total of 8 Grammy awards, this talented American singer-songwriter will be delivering show stopping performances near you this summer on The Search for Everything tour. 

Chris Stapleton has landed a top spot on #GalaxysGuide to summer, and we will be featuring him as this week’s must see artist. Stapleton is an all-American singer-songwriter, and guitarist whose music has recently been capturing large bouts of attention.

As of 2001, Stapleton worked tirelessly in Nashville, TN to build a name for himself in the country music business. Eventually gaining enough of a reputation, he was asked to write songs for George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, and more. With his work becoming recognized by prestigious names in the industry, Stapleton finally decided to embark on his first solo journey.

After years of hard work and dedication, Stapleton eventually released his first debut album in 2015 called Traveller, and with little surprise it rapidly climbed the country music charts, and received rave reviews from critics. After being nominated for several Country Music Awards, and Grammys, Stapleton has become a highly sought after performer in just a short period of time.

Currently, with only two solo albums, Stapleton has been wowing the music industry with his rapidly growing success, and reputation. However, despite his fame Stapleton has remained humble, and grateful for the support of his family and friends, and he continues to give back to his hometown community in Paintsville, KY. Performing benefit concerts at his old high school, and even donating $57,000 worth of brand new instruments to the band are just two of the most recent acts of kindness we have seen from Stapleton.  
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This country star is gearing up for The All-American Road Show tour, and if you’d like to hear what this artist has to offer, take a listen to one of his most recent chart-topping songs; Broken Halos.

​Born in Germany, and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, J. Cole is an inspirational hip-hop artist, and record producer.

​In 2007, Cole released his first mix-tape titled, The Come Up, which is how he initially gained recognition within the music industry. After signing on to Jay Z’s Roc Nation in 2009, and releasing two more successful mix-tapes, Cole decided to embark on his journey as a solo rapper in 2011. With immense success, and a growing popularity J. Cole landed his first studio album at number one on the Billboard 200, which was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

With Cole’s fourth, and most recent studio album 4 Your Eyez Only also reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart, it’s safe to say that this influential artist has a strong history of releasing crowd-pleasing tracks.

Not only does Cole produce popular songs of his own, he also produces singles for artists such as Kendrick Lamar, and Janet Jackson; because he is a self-taught pianist, he may as well put this talent to good use!

As if J. Cole’s musical talents weren’t sufficient enough, his voluntary gestures put the icing on the cake, capturing even more attention nationwide. Cole’s upbringing in the urban neighborhood of Fayetteville inspired him to give back to his community, so he started a non-profit organization called the Dreamville Foundation. This program was designed to empower, and educate young children in urban neighborhoods, and teach them that all dreams, whether big or small are attainable.

This awe-worthy rapper has been pleasing crowds since 2007, and his success is only going to grow from here! 


Written by Tara

With so many notable artists announcing tours, it’s important to stay up to date with the hottest shows of the summer. From country to hip-hop, and everything in between, we have you covered with ‘Galaxy’s Guide to Summer’. Each week we’re featuring tours that we think you need to check out.

First off we’re featuring country music’s new golden boy, Sam Hunt.

His debut album Montevallo spurred hits “Leave the Night On”, “House Party”, “Break Up in a Small Town”, “Make You Miss Me” and Hunt’s smash “Take Your Time”. The latter crossed over into pop and adult contemporary radio topping the country charts and peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2015 Sam Hunt was named New Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards and Hunt took home the hardware for Breakthrough Male of the Year at the 2016 ACM Awards. Montevallo won Digital Album of the Year at the ACMs that same year.

In 2015 Sam Hunt hit the road for his headlining “Lipstick Graffiti Tour” which featured 19 stops in total. Hunt performed at House of Blues peppered across the country as well as New York’s famed, Irving Plaza. This tour would merely get his feet wet as he set out on massive treks with both Lady Antebellum (2015) and Kenny Chesney (2016).
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Now with the release of his second album on the horizon and a new catchy song for the summer, “Body Like a Back Road” Hunt is set to headline his second tour, 15 in a 30 featuring Marren Morris, Chris Janson and Ryan Follese. The tour is double the size of his previous headlining effort and has him stopping at open air pavilions across the country, perfect setting for seeing country music live on a summer night! 

​Check back next week to see who we feature in our next #GalaxysGuide!

Written by Kristen