Short Summary
In his revealing BBC interview with MistaJam,
Kendrick Lamar provided insights into his artistic evolution, particularly regarding his album "
To Pimp a Butterfly," which deliberately challenged hip-hop conventions of the "ringtone rap" era by prioritizing lyrical density over commercial appeal. Despite risking radio play, songs like "
King Kunta" achieved mainstream success while referencing cultural touchpoints such as the TV show "Roots," creating multigenerational discussions. The interview explored Lamar's production collaborations with Flying Lotus during
Kanye West's
tour, his cross-genre work with Taylor Swift on "Bad Blood," his admiration for UK artist Little Simz ("the illest doing it right now"), and his incorporation of unreleased Tupac Shakur material whose contemporary relevance underscored the historical continuity within conscious hip-hop. Throughout the conversation, Lamar demonstrated his artistic philosophy of balancing commercial awareness with creative integrity, acknowledging the pressure of "sophomore jinx" expectations while making challenging creative choices that established him as one of contemporary music's most significant voices addressing universal themes of identity, struggle, and transformation.
Long Summary
Introduction: Kendrick Lamar's Artistic Journey
In this revealing BBC interview with MistaJam,
Kendrick Lamar offers rare insights into his creative process, artistic philosophy, and musical evolution. The conversation begins with a moment of nostalgia as MistaJam mentions waking up singing lyrics from Lamar's earlier work, creating an immediate connection to the artist's past catalog. When asked if he revisits his old material, Lamar admits that he generally avoids doing so because it makes him "cringe" - a sentiment he attributes to his creative personality. "I don't want to get in the mindset of my accomplishments then rather than thinking forward and what's next," Lamar explains, revealing a forward-thinking approach that has characterized his career progression.
To Pimp a Butterfly: Breaking Hip-Hop Conventions
A significant portion of the conversation focuses on Lamar's album "
To Pimp a Butterfly," with MistaJam acknowledging the bold artistic choices Lamar made with this project. MistaJam notes how the album contrasted with what he terms the "ringtone rap" era dominated by hooks rather than lyrical substance: "How dare you put out an album so lyrically dense with so many messages?" Lamar responds by explaining that his decision came from "having a whole lot of confidence in the music that inspired me to think the way I do." He acknowledges that this artistic direction meant potentially "excluding radio singles," a risk he was willing to take for artistic integrity.MistaJam points out an ironic outcome of this approach: "
King Kunta" became one of Lamar's biggest radio singles in the UK despite the album's unconventional nature. The conversation explores how the song references cultural touchpoints like the TV show "Roots," providing depth that creates multigenerational conversations. Lamar explains that even if younger listeners don't initially understand these references, playing the song around parents who recognize them can spark educational discussions: "If they don't understand it... even if they play it in the car and their parents hear it, they probably say, 'What you know about Kunta?' and they break it down."
Thematic Elements and Personal Growth
The interview highlights the recurring poetic motif throughout "To Pimp a Butterfly," which Lamar confirms serves dual purposes. "Not only the Next Generation but myself, that's the reason why this poem keeps coming back back and forth," he explains, revealing how the album functions as both public statement and personal reminder. This dual functionality reflects Lamar's self-awareness as he acknowledges: "I look in the mirror and I don't see a perfect person."Lamar discusses how the album's layered content reflects his personal conflicts and inner struggles. He expresses genuine surprise at how deeply his music affects listeners, noting that even when their specific experiences differ from his own, people connect with his work on an emotional level: "Even if the story is not similar to the person that's listening, they feel it in some type of way."
Production Collaborations: The Flying Lotus Connection
The conversation shifts to the production aspects of "To Pimp a Butterfly," specifically Lamar's collaboration with Flying Lotus. Lamar recounts receiving beats from Flying Lotus while on
Kanye West's
tour: "I remember going on the Kanye tour and like really just rocking out the majority of the beats that he gave me." He admits to being "selfish" with these beats, holding onto them even when uncertain if he would use them for his album, because he found them so compelling. Some tracks didn't make the final album but remain among his favorites: "Even the joints that didn't make the record, they still some of my favorite joints and I'm still holding them hostage."
Musical Influence and Cross-Genre Collaborations
MistaJam plays a sample demonstrating how Lamar's music has influenced other artists, with someone using one of his tempos. Lamar responds positively: "That's dope to me. I like when people dig and find different things to flip like that... it just lets me know that they're really into it some type of way."The interview touches on Lamar's post-album collaboration with Taylor Swift on "Bad Blood," which Lamar describes as an organic, enjoyable experience: "It was fun, man. We had fun. It wasn't no calculations about it. We just went in there and vibed out." He calls Taylor Swift "gangster" and a "G," expressing genuine admiration: "She's hard, let alone her music speak for itself."When discussing his selective approach to collaborations, Lamar emphasizes the importance of chemistry and "vibe" over celebrity status: "The vibe just got to be right." He explains that sometimes he connects better with emerging local artists than established names: "I've been in sessions where people I thought that would click like that and we come up with nothing, then I went back to my neighborhood and rocked on the hottest song in a city from a local cat that's just bubbling in Compton."
International Music Scene and UK Artists
When MistaJam asks if Lamar has explored music from the UK, Lamar mentions he hasn't been to the UK in three years and expresses interest in discovering local talent during his visit. He values experiencing music in its local context rather than just hearing it in America: "It's different from hearing the music in America than actually coming over here and really seeing it." Lamar specifically praises UK artist Little Simz, calling her "the illest doing it right now." He recites a line from her work ("They will get you to conform but pull you in first") and expresses a desire to connect with her more substantially during his UK visit: "I wish her much success. I got to meet her one time but it was brief, so if I'm out here and I run into her, I'll definitely chop it up." When MistaJam suggests they should collaborate in the studio, Lamar agrees: "That'll be fire. That'd be easy 'cause that's one of them things where the vibe is definitely right."
Tupac Shakur's Enduring Influence
The interview concludes with Lamar sharing a story about obtaining unreleased Tupac Shakur material for the song "
Mortal Man". He explains that a German interviewer granted him "a privilege of giving me the CD of Pac." Upon listening to this unreleased material, Lamar was struck by its contemporary relevance: "I heard it and I was like, man, this sounds like today. It sounds like everything that's going on." This recognition of Tupac's continued relevance compelled Lamar to incorporate the material into his album: "I'd be a fool if I can't put this on the album. The world had to hear them words."
Artistic Integrity Versus Commercial Success
Throughout the conversation, Lamar demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the tension between artistic integrity and commercial considerations. When MistaJam questions whether the unconventional nature of "To Pimp a Butterfly" caused anxiety, Lamar acknowledges the reality of commercial pressure: "You definitely have that down in your head. I'm not going to sit up here and say I'm Superman."He admits to considering more commercial approaches: "Maybe I should do a smash or two or three of them, you know? It's your second album, you want to release, you want to get to that celebrity status." Despite these pressures, Lamar chose artistic substance, noting it took "a lot of nerve and a lot of confidence" to make such choices on a sophomore album when "the sophomore jinx is always in the air."*There may be errors on this page.