Rolling Stone Follows Kendrick Lamar Around All Day Leading Up To SNL Performance--See The Photos [VIDEO]

Kendrick Lamar has been blowing up all year. Yeah, 2013 is just getting started, but he's already played the SNL stage and been booked for a few different summer music festivals including NYC's Governor's Ball.

"The Source" may have crowned Kendrick Lamar the "Rookie of the Year" for 2012, but Rolling Stone did one better, following K-Dot around for a full day to come away with 24 great photos of the Compton-born rapper.

Click here to see them all and check out video of Kendrick Lamar performing at SNL below:

The first photo shows Kendrick Lamar, "hip-hop's golden child," during an interview on Sirius XM. Next he meets his label rep Archie Davis at the Empire Hotel to promote "good kid, m.A.A.d. city." After that Kendrick heads over to 30 Rock at 11:15 a.m. to prepare for his big night.

Kendrick Lamar meets up with his DJ and manager as he enters NBC Studios; he's also flanked by an ever-present bodyguard. Next, K-Dot breezes through NBC security, still smiling. A shot of K. Dot and his friends riding in an elevator captures a moment of growing excitement.

We won't keep describing the photos, since you're better of peeping them yourself for an inside look at SNl studios and a day i the life of Kendrick Lamar. Which pictures of K. Dot is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.