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By Nadeska Alexis (@neweryork)

Kendrick Lamar was rumored to sign with Interscope Records as early as last summer, but Fader reports that the deal is now official. According to Top Dawg Entertainment founder Anthony Tiffith, his company has secured a joint distribution deal with Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment for the Compton rapper and his group Black Hippy.

Under the new deal Kendrick Lamar’s projects, including his upcoming album Good Kid in a Mad City will be jointly released via Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Aftermath Entertainment while releases from the rest of Black Hippy (Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q) will be distributed via Top Dawg Entertainment and Interscope.

Schoolboy Q dropped his most recent album Habits & Contradictions in January, while Kendrick continues to rack up honors for his 2011 independent release Section. 80. Black Hippy is scheduled to performing at the upcoming SXSW festival in Austin, Texas and Kendrick Lamar will also hit the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee in June.

When Lamar dropped his Section.80 album last summer, he explained to MTV News that he had to get used to the idea of charging for his music, after releasing several projects at no charge. "It was something that I had to understand, that my company had to make me understand. I'm putting out this free music, constantly putting it out," Lamar said. "My whole thing is bringing music back to where people actually buy it, but at the same time, you know what? I don't think I'm ready yet to start selling my project because I feel the world don't know me yet."