Short Summary
In this interview
Kendrick Lamar talks about his upcoming album and
rumors about his beef with Drake.He says the reason it's taken so long for the his
next album to come out is because needs inspiration so he needs to actually live life and have problems of his own because he actually wants to say something meaningful that can connect to people like he did with
good kid m.A.A.d city.There were no Caucasian people where Kendrick lived so when he sees people who are Caucasian sing his songs it makes him realize that the things he was taught were wrong since the people teaching him also never saw anyone Caucasian. This goes back to his point of making meaningful music, experiencing things that you never have before can give you inspiration for new music. He states that he will make a difference that no one has ever done with music by the time his career is over.At the end of the interview he says a
good kid, m.A.A.d city is in the works but he just needs to find the right time to work on it, to my knowledge this never released though a
short film on good kid, m.A.A.d city a few months prior did.
Long Summary
Introduction: Kendrick Lamar's Career Transition Period (2014)
On November 4, 2014, influential hip-hop artist
Kendrick Lamar appeared on Power 105.1's popular radio program The Breakfast Club, hosted by DJ Envy, Angela Yee, and Charlamagne Tha God. This interview was situated between his critically acclaimed major-label debut "
good kid, m.A.A.d city" (2012) and his forthcoming album that would later become "
To Pimp a Butterfly" (2015). During this conversation, Lamar provided significant insights into his creative process, personal philosophy, and artistic vision, and they would also talk about his upcoming
appearance on Saturday Night Live.
Kendrick Lamar's Album Development and Creative Process
Throughout the interview, Lamar revealed the meticulous approach to his craft that informed his work. When questioned about his upcoming album's release date, Lamar maintained deliberate mystery, explaining he was "still creating" without committing to a specific timeline. He described his perfectionist tendencies, noting that he recognizes a project is complete "when I start tampering with things I shouldn't be tampering with."Lamar explained his preference for quality over quantity, expressing a deliberate resistance to market oversaturation. "I think that's the only thing that I have in control," he stated regarding his album creation process, "because once it's out into the world, it's gone." Unlike many contemporaries who frequently release mixtapes and features between albums, Lamar described holding his music "precious" and "dear," preferring to keep it private until fully realized. This approach demonstrated his prioritization of artistic integrity.
Kendrick Lamar's Single "i": Musical Innovation and Social Message
A significant portion of the conversation centered on Lamar's then-recent single "
i," which had been selected as the official song for the NBA. The track represented a stylistic departure that initially puzzled some listeners. Lamar explained that the song emerged from his exploration of musical influences, specifically citing the Isley Brothers as "one of my favorite groups." He described deliberately avoiding contemporary production techniques like "808s" in favor of creating an "organic feel" reminiscent of early 1990s music.More significantly, Lamar revealed the profound social consciousness behind "i," explaining that the song addressed two specific groups: incarcerated individuals who had lost hope and fans contemplating suicide. "That's not for radio, that's not for people with money, that's for people that don't have nothing to live for," he emphasized. This revelation highlighted Lamar's emerging identity as an artist using his platform to address serious social issues.
Expanding Worldview: Kendrick Lamar's Personal Growth
One of the interview's most revealing segments showcased Lamar's evolving perspective as his career expanded beyond Compton. Having grown up in an environment with minimal diversity, Lamar expressed profound surprise at discovering his music resonated with audiences across racial, geographic, and socioeconomic boundaries. "I've been in Compton my whole life. I just started traveling, to be 100 with you," he admitted, noting that in his education, "We didn't have a Caucasian kid from elementary, middle school, to high school. I never seen one—I'm serious."This expanded exposure catalyzed a significant philosophical shift for Lamar: "Everything that I was taught was almost backwards," he reflected, referring to limitations placed on his understanding of his own potential. This transformation influenced his artistic direction, reinforcing his commitment to creating music that could transcend cultural boundaries while remaining authentic to his experiences.
Kendrick Lamar's Collaboration with Dr. Dre
The interview confirmed Dr. Dre's continued mentorship and involvement in Lamar's musical development. "Dr. Dre is involved all the time," Lamar stated, highlighting the legendary producer's influence on his work. He specifically cited Dre's perfectionist approach as complementary to his own meticulous standards, noting that Dre's "expertise of being a perfectionist is something that I build on."Lamar referenced Dre's technical knowledge as valuable to his production understanding: "A lot of people don't know the frequencies in music and why you like it—they just like to hear it. But it's technical things that musicians should know." This ongoing collaboration with one of hip-hop's foundational producers continued to shape Lamar's sonic development during this crucial period.
Kendrick Lamar on Fame, Success, and Material Wealth
Despite his rising profile, Lamar displayed philosophical detachment from celebrity culture and material wealth. "I thought I wanted to [chase fame], but it didn't—it wasn't confirmation for me," he reflected candidly. Lamar observed that material acquisition fails to guarantee fulfillment: "You get money and you feel like you going to buy all these different things...by the end of the day, you still going to be unhappy. That's what people don't understand."Instead, Lamar identified meaningful connection with diverse audiences as his primary source of artistic satisfaction. He spoke about how overcoming insecurities to reach people through his music provided genuine "confirmation of success." This perspective on authentic achievement would become increasingly prominent in his later work, which frequently examines the complex relationship between success, fame, and personal fulfillment.
Social Impact and Community Transformation in Kendrick Lamar's Vision
The interview revealed Lamar's evolving vision for social impact beyond music. Referencing Tupac Shakur's philosophy of planting seeds for change, Lamar articulated a community-centered approach beginning with his immediate surroundings: "I always say from my neighborhood first, least to spark the idea of it." He described practical examples like reconciliation between rival neighborhoods to break cycles of violence.Lamar emphasized the importance of incremental change over grandiose promises: "The misconception of everything is when people preach, they come from a standpoint to try to change the world. You can't change the world overnight—it's not going to do that. You got to start with one person, two people." This grounded perspective on social transformation would become increasingly central to his artistic identity.
Industry Relationships and Kendrick Lamar's Position in Hip-Hop
The conversation addressed rumors about tensions with
Drake following Lamar's verse on Big Sean's "
Control," which had generated substantial controversy. Lamar dismissed ongoing "beef" speculation, stating: "I think that's crazy—people need to let that go." When asked if they had spoken and resolved issues, he confirmed: "Yeah, yeah," adding "it was no issue from the jump."Notably, Lamar distinguished himself from Drake by stating, "I can't see myself going bar for bar with Drake... we're two different type of artists." This self-awareness regarding his unique position in hip-hop demonstrated Lamar's focus on defining his own artistic lane rather than engaging in conventional competitive narratives.
Personal Authenticity and Public Image in Kendrick Lamar's Career
Throughout the interview, Lamar addressed challenges in maintaining authentic relationships amid success, noting how perception shifts can strain connections: "People lose this focus of who you really are." He provided concrete examples of how seemingly minor incidents can be misinterpreted once an artist achieves financial success, describing how simply being unable to answer a text message during an interview could be misperceived as arrogance.Lamar also firmly denied false allegations about an alleged assault in Las Vegas, calling the story "the most ignorant stuff I ever heard made up." He condemned the fabrication as disrespectful to actual victims of abuse: "That person, whoever made that up, owes an apology, not to me, but to women that actually go out there and get abused."
Kendrick Lamar's Artistic Evolution and Future Directions
While deliberately vague about specifics, Lamar alluded to several future developments in his career. He mentioned ongoing plans for a potential "good kid, m.A.A.d city" movie adaptation, though without a definitive timeline: "That's something that we always talked about, you know, we just got to find the right time to continue to build on it."Lamar expressed difficulty revisiting his earlier material as his artistic vision evolved: "I don't even listen to my old records... It's even tough for me to perform them on stage because when you're in the creative mode, you want to be in a space where you're on to something new." This commitment to artistic growth rather than repeating past successes would become a defining characteristic of his career trajectory.
Kendrick Lamar's Personal Life and Relationships
The interview briefly touched on Lamar's personal life, including his long-term relationship with his high school girlfriend. When asked about potentially dating celebrity women, Lamar expressed hesitation, acknowledging the complexities such relationships might entail. He noted that men could be "just as insecure as women," suggesting the challenges of maintaining trust in high-profile relationships where both parties have demanding careers and public attention.
Kendrick Lamar's Emerging Legacy in Hip-Hop Culture
During this conversation, Lamar articulated a vision for his career that extended beyond commercial success to cultural impact: "I'm on a hunt right now, and I got a plan, and people will see it... before I'm done with this, y'all going to say that boy, he did something else that we didn't think no man can do in music." This prophetic statement anticipated his groundbreaking contributions to hip-hop that would eventually earn unprecedented recognition, including his historic Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018.*There may be errors on this page.