By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

GULF SHORES, Alabama — Kendrick Lamar’s journey has, literally, taken him from the bottom to the top.

“That’s a crazy feeling,” said Lamar of the rapturous response from the audience at the Boom Boom Stage just moments after playing a

“That’s my first time out here, so to get that type of love on my first trip is [an] amazing feeling.” Of course, it’s not Lamar’s first festival show, but there was something about watching the massive crowd singing along to nearly every line to every song from his catalog that really made an impact on the Compton, California, MC.

“Let it all hang out onstage, man,” Lamar said about what he learned from the festivals he played last year. “At the show they want to see a great performance. Festivals they want to see a great performance and party at the same time.” That’s why he made sure to play three or four songs back-to-back and spray the over-heated throng with water at Hangout to keep their energy up.

When MTV News’ Sway Calloway asked what it was like to see nearly everyone in the audience shouting along to most of the songs, Lamar said the feeling was indescribable. “You know what I trip off on Sway?” he said. “Knowing where I wrote the lyrics at. When I wrote them it was this small little kitchen in Compton and to come all the way across the world, the country and these people singing it like they wrote it with me? That’s the best feeling.”

We’re live-streaming performances throughout the weekend on our official Hangout hub, bringing you interviews, behind-the-scenes access and on-demand performances from all your favorite artists on MTV.com, VH1.com, CMT.com and LogoTV.com. Highlights from Hangout 2013, will also air on MTV, VH1, CMT, MTV2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, VH1 Classic and Palladia.

MTV, VH1 and CMT are on the ground at Hangout 2013, bringing you all the latest news, interviews, performances and more from the Shores. If you’re not able to be there, be sure to check in and watch live streaming performances all weekend.

Tags hangout music festival, Kendrick Lamar