Kendrick Lamar - How To MC

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Kendrick Lamar - How To MC" on The Toure Show

Podcast Information:

• Title: Toure Show
• Host/Author: DCP Entertainment
• Episode: Kendrick Lamar - How To MC
• Release Date: January 26, 2025
• Description: Touré engages with successful individuals to uncover the secrets behind their achievements, offering valuable insights for listeners on their own journeys.

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Introduction

In the compelling episode titled "Kendrick Lamar - How To MC," host Torre delves deep into the mind and experiences of one of hip hop's most influential figures, Kendrick Lamar. Recorded backstage at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn just hours before a highly anticipated Kendrick performance, this interview explores Lamar's journey to success, his creative process, his encounters with significant figures like President Obama, and his vision for empowering his community.

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1. The Making of a Great MC

Obsession and Dedication

Kendrick Lamar attributes his success to an unwavering obsession with hip hop. Torre emphasizes, “He worked and practiced and grinded and wrote and put in the sweat equity to become an unbelievable talent” ([00:51]). Kendrick elaborates on this passion, stating, “I think first you gotta just genuinely have like an obsessive love for music” ([03:29]). This deep-seated love for the craft began at a young age and was fueled by influences from legends like Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, and Snoop Dogg.

Practice and Perseverance

Kendrick discusses his rigorous practice regimen, highlighting the importance of writing relentlessly, even producing “terrible verses” and “terrible hooks” ([04:19]). He emphasizes the value of constructive criticism from trusted peers, which helps refine his skills. “You just have to be obsessed with what you want to do,” Kendrick asserts ([03:35]).

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2. Creative Process and Artistic Balance

Breaking Down the Craft

Kendrick breaks down his creative process into manageable components. He recounts, “Today I want to see how this sound when I do a verse that actually feels like aggression” ([05:07]). This methodical approach allows him to experiment with different emotions and styles, fostering both innovation and consistency.

Maintaining Artistic Integrity

When questioned about balancing meaningful messages with the artfulness of his music, Kendrick explains, “Music plays two ways in my head. It plays as a sport, a contact sport, and it also plays as something that you can connect to” ([09:10]). He strives to merge competitive energy with relatable themes, ensuring his work resonates on multiple levels.

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3. Meeting President Obama: A Pivotal Moment

A Historic Encounter

One of the most profound moments in Kendrick's career was meeting President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. He reflects, “From a standpoint where I just go back to the earliest memories of my grandmother, speaking about the idea of a black man being in office, that's what blows me up” ([07:35]). This encounter reinforced his belief in the power of representation and the potential for positive change within the black community.

Shared Reflections

Kendrick recalls Obama's admiration, “he said, wow, how did we both get here?” This shared sentiment underscored the journey from struggle to achievement. He adds, “He understands that it's so much more work to do. This is the idea… we have to keep pushing” ([35:24]). This dialogue with Obama deepened Kendrick's commitment to his role as an artist and community leader.

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4. Impacting the Community Through Music

Connecting Beyond Boundaries

Kendrick's music is deeply rooted in his community, yet it transcends geographical and cultural barriers. He discusses how songs like "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" were initially intended for his immediate surroundings but found universal resonance. “There are white kids that have no idea of the block that I'm talking about, and they can relate to it in some form” ([10:49]).

Addressing Systemic Issues

The conversation touches on systemic challenges faced by the black community, such as racism and lack of opportunities. Kendrick emphasizes, “Installing confidence in them, let them know that I come from where you come from and you can ultimately make a change” ([07:53]). His efforts extend beyond music, as he actively works to create job opportunities and empower youth through community initiatives.

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5. Discipline and Personal Growth

The Role of Discipline

Kendrick highlights the critical role discipline plays in his life and artistry. “Discipline shows who you really are… how much discipline you have when the camera's off” ([18:32]). He acknowledges the constant struggle against various vices and the importance of maintaining self-control to harness his true potential.

Balancing Personal and Professional Life

The interview delves into Kendrick's challenges in balancing his demanding career with personal responsibilities. He admits, “Learning how to balance the time between my family and the ultimate chase of spreading this message” ([20:54]). This balance is essential for him to stay grounded while fulfilling his role as a cultural influencer.

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6. Addressing Criticisms and Expanding Narratives

Representation of Black Women

Kendrick faces critiques regarding the representation of black women in his music. He responds thoughtfully, acknowledging the complexity of the issue: “I come from where I come from, all I know is black women” ([23:58]). While he defends his work, he also recognizes the need for more inclusive perspectives and expresses willingness to engage in dialogue with women to better address their experiences.

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7. Personal Practices and Reflection

Meditation and Mental Health

Kendrick shares his meditation practices, emphasizing the importance of reflection in his hectic schedule. “I have to just sit down and reflect on what's going on for these 30 minutes” ([25:04]). This routine helps him stay centered amidst the demands of fame and creative pressure.

Overcoming Trauma

Growing up in a violent environment, Kendrick discusses the psychological impact it had on him and others. “It completely was chipping at my confidence” ([26:12]). Music became his refuge and a path to resilience, allowing him to transform personal trauma into artistic expression.

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8. Community Initiatives and Empowerment

Creating Opportunities

Kendrick is actively involved in community-building efforts to reduce incarceration rates among black men. He explains, “I'm offering these jobs… put the power in their hands” ([28:55]). By providing employment and mentorship, he aims to create a ripple effect of positive change within his community.

Vision for Compton

The transformation of Compton is a recurring theme, with Kendrick noting, “More opportunities. They see that people actually care” ([31:09]). He highlights the contributions of various community leaders and the importance of maintaining confidence and pride in one's roots to drive ongoing progress.

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9. Evolution of Hip Hop and Artistic Legacy

Perspective and Growth

Kendrick reflects on how his experiences, including his trip to Africa, have broadened his worldview and influenced his music. “It's a complete mind fuck… you have to immediately be brainwashed by the idea again of you a part of the problem” ([35:25]). This expanded perspective allows him to infuse his work with deeper meaning and greater empathy.

Artistic Influences Beyond Hip Hop

He draws inspiration from a diverse array of figures outside of hip hop, such as Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, and Malcolm X, underscoring the interdisciplinary nature of his creativity. “These people have the same eye, their passion is obsessive” ([41:15]). This blend of influences enriches his music, making it both artistically robust and socially impactful.

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Conclusion

Kendrick Lamar's interview on The Toure Show provides an in-depth look into the mind of a modern MC who is not only redefining hip hop but also striving to uplift his community. Through relentless dedication, disciplined practice, and a profound sense of responsibility, Kendrick exemplifies what it means to be a true artist and leader. His insights offer valuable lessons for aspiring musicians and anyone seeking to make a meaningful impact in their own fields.

Notable Quotes:

• “I can sometimes cut the whole world off to write a verse that is perfect to me” ([00:51]).
• “All right, I say that's one of my greatest records because it gave these kids an actual voice” ([02:07]).
• “I have to just sit down and reflect on what's going on for these 30 minutes” ([25:04]).
• “Music's for the world” ([10:29]).
• “Discipline is the ultimate power” ([19:50]).
• “Installing confidence is just installing confidence” ([07:53]).

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Follow-Up

Stay tuned to The Toure Show for upcoming episodes featuring other remarkable individuals. Next week, Torre will host Black Thought from The Roots, discussing millennial rappers and the evolution of hip hop.

For more episodes and updates, visit DCP Entertainment's website and follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @toureshow.

Transcript

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[Kendrick Lamar]

But I'm so passionate about it, I can sometimes cut the whole world off to write a verse that is perfect to me, or damn near perfect.

[Torre]

He's one of the greatest MCs of all time, certainly the greatest of his era. And he acquired his immense skill precisely because he was and is obsessed with hip hop. He worked and practiced and grinded and wrote and put in the sweat equity to become an unbelievable talent. He didn't pop out the womb, Ryman. He constructed his talent through years of work and his obsession with hip hop and with getting better as an emcee. And that is why we're all obsessed with his music now. Kendrick Lamar on tour, a show. I want this to be a place where I talk to successful people to find out what makes them successful. I want to kind of look into your mind and see what your key tactics are and hear what your best attitudes are and understand your perspective on what you've mastered. I was so excited to be able to interview Kendrick, and we cover a lot of ground in this conversation. What was it like being with Obama in the Oval Office? How do you practice emceeing? What are his favorite words? What's his best verse ever? What's his greatest record ever?

[Kendrick Lamar]

All right, I say that's one of my greatest records because it gave these kids an actual voice and the actual practice to go out here and make a difference.

[Torre]

He talks about how we actually get to being all right, politically speaking and the impact of seeing dead bodies when you're a kid and the impact of the increasing racism in Trump's America.

[Kendrick Lamar]

You know, it's something that me and you already knew that was there, but now it's televised, you know, on major, major platforms. And it just built another fire in me.

[Torre]

This interview was conducted backstage at the Barclays center in Brooklyn hours before a hot Kendrick show. It was originally done for the COVID of I D magazine, but I had to get you guys the whole interview. I had to hook you up. It's that good. I'm proud to present Kendrick Lamar on tour a show.

[Interviewer]

You know, if I was Talking to Steph Curry, I could be like, you know, so you're the best.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And how did you get there? You know, you did your shots, you did your running, your nutrition, whatever. What is it for you? Like, what are the, what are the elements that lead to someone becoming best rapper of their era?

[Kendrick Lamar]

I think first you gotta just genuinely have like an obsessive love for music.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Period. And that started at a young age for me, four years old. Just always been in the house party environment and I just, you know, just had a love for music. Hip hop from oldies. And that transferred over to me actually writing music. And now I'm listening to people that, you know, actually inspire me. Jay Z, Nas, Biggie, Snoop. And now I have an obsessive passion for writing, you know, so along with being the student of the game, I have an obsessive passion for practicing. And all that has to come together as one. You just have to be obsessed with what you want to do.

[Interviewer]

How do you practice?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Practice being in that studio writing terrible verses, writing terrible hooks. If your homeboys and your friends and people that you trust telling you that's garbage and, you know, growing thick sk, you know, getting back in there and doing it all over again, that's practice, felon.

[Interviewer]

So, yeah, I mean, if you write, everything you write is not dope.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Oh, yeah.

[Interviewer]

I mean, even if you're a great writer, a bunch of the stuff you write is whack.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

But most people don't have somebody around and be like, yeah, that's whack.

[Kendrick Lamar]

And then you eventually grow an ability to know when something is too far fetched and you, you know, you don't have to have someone else listen to it to tell you if it's good or not. You already know that's not good. I can challenge myself to take that to the next level.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah. Is there anything, I mean, like with Steph or whoever, like, you know, you would break down the parts of your shot. Okay, today we're gonna practice follow through. We're gonna practice picking up off the dribble.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right.

[Interviewer]

Just. So how do you break what you do down into smaller pieces?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, yeah, I did a lot of that in the early stages of me being in the studio and just even learning the equipment, pro tools, and how the mic work and how to use my voice to inflict certain type of emotions. This all became a time when 16 all the way to 23. Me going in the studio and say, okay, today I want to see how this sound when I do a verse that actually feels like aggression. Okay. Today I want to see how this hook feel. I want to see what this bridge feel like. You know, all these was like baby steps for me. And like you said, eventually, you know, some were trash and some got great, but it became a process of me just trying different things and experimenting.

[Interviewer]

You like the sound of your voice on wax?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Really?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Most MCs say no.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, yeah. You know, that's the thing that actually drove me to recording a lot. When I heard my voice play back, it definitely didn't sound like how I thought I sound, that's for sure. But it was just like magic to me. Like, damn, this device just captured what I just said, how I felt when I said it. And I was addicted to it. I wanted to keep doing it.

[Interviewer]

But let's talk about. Alright. For a minute.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right.

[Interviewer]

Cause how do we get to. All right.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

You know what I mean? Like, we need more political power. We need more justice.

[Torre]

How do we get.

[Interviewer]

How do we as a side get to that?

[Kendrick Lamar]

How do we get to that unifying and knowing what we're capable of? I think a lot of times, you know, it always starts. I always go back to the community, simple as that. Because I see these kids growing up without a father. So they don't have this confidence, they don't have this moral past, you know, of knowing that they're better than the environment that they're in. So getting to our right is just installing confidence in them, you know, to let them know that I come from where you come from and you can ultimately make a change not just from what you're seeing around you, but from where it's here, what's right here in the mind. You change that whole thing around. And that's where the concept comes about.

[Interviewer]

Take me back to meeting Obama in the Oval.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

I mean, that must be incredible.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And he's like, I know you, I like you.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah. Like, that's incredible. Yes, it's incredible. From a standpoint where I just go back to the earliest memories of my grandmother, you know, speaking about the idea of a black man being in office, that's what blows me up. You know, she's passed away when I was 13, 14 years old. Being in there and talking to him and seeing the type of intelligence that he has and the influence that he have, not only on me, but my community. It just always takes me back to the idea and reflecting on how far we have came with this idea and how far we can go further.

[Interviewer]

How far we can go.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah. With him even being out you know, that was just the idea, him being in office. It just sparks the idea of that, you know, us as a culture, as a. As a people, we could do anything that we want to do. And we have the smarts and the brains and the intelligence that's been there since day one to do it.

[Interviewer]

I mean, your music is clearly coming from. I want to impact people.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And a lot of times when we make art meant to impact people, you lose some of the artfulness of the music. Because he's trying to make a message, be it a painting or a song or what have you. So how do you maintain that balance of. I have a point, I have a message, but we're still gonna keep it funky?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah. Great question. Music plays two ways in my head. It plays as a. Well, hip hop plays two ways. Plays as a sport, a contact sport, and it also plays as something that you can connect to. Songwriting. This contact sport comes from me growing up and listening to battles like Nas and Jay Z and listening to the aggression of pot. That's the sport for me. I would never be able to shake that ability to have that competitive nature. That's where it can get funky. That's where I can say whatever I want, however I want, whenever I want. Expressing myself and, you know, just having fun. Then the other side, showing the duality of that. Showing something that people can actually relate to, you know, and connect with. And I think both of them plays together very well because it just shows. This is not just a rapper trying to sell you lyrics. This is me being a human. This is showing all the reflections of who I am. You know, I have that competitive nature, and I also have the compassion, you know, to talk about something that's real.

[Interviewer]

Is the music for black people?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Is it for black people? Yeah, it's for the world. Music's for the world. What do you mean when you say black people?

[Interviewer]

I mean, when I'm doing my thing, I'm like, who is the audience?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Ah, okay.

[Interviewer]

For black people, you know what I mean? If white people want to come along and read my shit, great. But black people, my first audience. Is that how you see your work?

[Kendrick Lamar]

When I made Good Kid Mad City, I definitely would say that, yes. Because I was making that just for my community. I was making it for the dudes around the corner. So when I went overseas in London and I hear these kids that, you know, these white kids that have no idea of the block that I'm talking about, and they singing it, but they can also relate to it in some form or Fashion because they have their own personal struggles. Then I seen that the idea of starting this concept for my community, it reached further because people pour their own ideas of what the songs mean to them. But ultimately, that initial standpoint come from me making songs for my community.

[Interviewer]

So, okay, so when you make songs for your community and your art seems to come from. I am rooted in my community even as I get bigger and bigger.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right.

[Interviewer]

So when you see all the white fans, are you saying, what are they getting out of it, or.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, that's what I was saying in the beginning, this 2012, you know, I'm new to traveling and all this stuff. I never even been out of Compton, let alone the U.S. you know, so I'm looking at them, you know, seeing these lyrics, and I'm saying, yeah, what do you get out of it? What are you feeling? And I just so happen to happen to talk to the fans, you know, after the shows or at meet and greets, and ask them why this inspired you, you know, and they look at me, look at the story of Good Kid, Mad City or any of my songs as, you know, a kid trying to escape, you know, you know, his environment however he can. And they applied to themselves. You know, one kid was, you know, abusive, drug abuse, and he was trying to escape that. You know, another kid, you know, was being bullied. He was trying to escape that. So they was pulling different things from their own personal lives into the music. And that's when I knew it was relating further than just my story.

[Interviewer]

There's lots of different ways that people are oppressed.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Exactly.

[Interviewer]

And they can come into your music via their own way. Even if they're white, they can still find exactly that road in.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yep.

[Interviewer]

Can you talk about some of the. Some of the books that you've read recently or years ago that had a big impact?

[Kendrick Lamar]

The biggest impact from the jump, it was always. Well, I said this before my teacher Mr. Ange Brown's book. To me, it's Malcolm X book.

[Interviewer]

Autobiography.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, the autobiography. I think initially this was the first idea that even inspired how I was going to approach my music from the simple back of starting it, from the idea of wanting to better myself, but being, you know, in this mind state of, you know, my reality. The same way Malcolm was, you know, he wasn't always Malcolm X. You know, he had to come from somewhere. He had to come from tribulation and struggle. These were the ideas that rooted my approach to music. Because while I'm writing these raps, I'm still in the midst of it. I'm still in the midst of Detroit Red, you know. Yeah, yeah. 16, 17 years old, and I'm looking around, but I also knew it was a sense of responsibility that I had in me that eventually would be rooted some way somehow. And that book, you know, always carried throughout my music. Simple as that.

[Interviewer]

So now, because there was what, four different Malcolms.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Right. So now that you're here, because you said when you were writing, you felt that connection to Detroit Red.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right.

[Interviewer]

So who do you. Which Malcolm do you feel you are closest to now?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Both. It had to be both, Will.

[Interviewer]

The Red, the X, the Hel Hodge, Shabazz.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Had to be. Had to be Red, Red and X, Red and X. Because it was. It was a coming of age, you know, between them two time periods. And I feel like I'm right in the cuffs of that, you know, I'm 30 years old, you know, this is me finally recognizing my full potential, you know, as. As someone who not only motivates himself, but, you know, can be a leader for those that surround them who don't have a voice.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, you're definitely a leader. And people are like needing the music. Like, you know, like if you took a four year break, I think they would lose.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right.

[Interviewer]

I mean, it's an opportunity and a heavy responsibility, right?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, definitely. It's definitely a responsibility. You know, just simple fact, you know, I'm still human being, you know, I'm still a person. I still have family, I still have my own personal problems. But at the end of the day, I got to figure out how to be as, you know, as much as I. I would like to be selfish, you know, and take on these personal things I have to give to the world, you know, I think that's my responsibility, you know, my mistakes, the knowledge that I have, the wisdom that I have, you know, this is, this is. It's not just a job or entertainment for me. This is a lifestyle. This is, you know, what I have to offer to the world because when I'm gone, you know, I can rest peacefully, know that I contribute, you know, to the. The evolution of this right here.

[Katy Perry]

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[Interviewer]

You remind me of like Chuck D used to talk about, you know, we want to create, you know, like, you know, a thousand gold brains, not the gold chains, you know. And Pac talked about the same thing about I'm going to inspire the mind that will change the world. And maybe he was talking about you and he didn't know, he didn't know you then. But, but you think about that.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Man, I sit and I look at these kids, man, I look at where I was at and the ideas that I had and the ideas that I didn't know, you know, and the people I would meet, you know, like yourself or a random person in Belgium or Germany, and the knowledge I would gain, I would never expect that. And all these, you know, different aspects immediately open up what's up here, you know, and not knowing that as a 13 year old kid, 14 year old kid, that amazes me. And that just gives me more fire to sit up there and, you know, give my words to these teenagers out here because, you know, they look for it, they want it, you know, they just don't have the person to trust, you know, to give it to them. So installing that trust is first for me.

[Interviewer]

I mean, you talk about words as a lyricist, you know, like the, the language is your keyboard. Yeah, right. So what are some of your favorite words?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Some of my favorite words? That's a great question.

[Interviewer]

Perspective and, and why?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Perspective, that's one of my favorites recently, these last two years. To understand that is to have compassion for the next person. Because your story and the things you say and the things you believe in may not move the next person, whether for personal reasons, morally, or just simple, you know, from what, what they've been through, you have to understand their perspective in order to have that compassion. It's simple. And that's the number one favorite word. My other favorite word would be discipline. Discipline. I love that word because it shows who you really are. You know, there's so many vices in the world, especially being in the entertainment business. You know, you're exposed to so much at any given time. So whatever you need is right, it's right there in your face. But how much discipline you have when the camera's off, you know, when the light's off, that inspires me, you know, how to restrain that. And that shows who you really are.

[Interviewer]

And you sound like you have a lot of restraint.

[Kendrick Lamar]

I had to gain that.

[Interviewer]

You're still working to earn that.

[Kendrick Lamar]

I had to earn that. Yeah. Had to earn it. And that right there is the hardest thing that's known to man, for me, personally, and I look around and I see, you know, other personalities and characters, it's the hardest thing, that discipline, no matter what it is, you know, it could be drinking, it could be eating candy. It could be obesity. You know, to restrain that and to pull back from that and to control yourself, that is ultimately. That is the ultimate power.

[Interviewer]

To control yourself. Yeah, it's very hard. I mean, it seems like you're on top of it, like other MCs, you know, are. You know, photograph of them doing something they shouldn't have done here. You know, they got to make a song about, you know, I'm sorry I did this over here, what have you. And it seems like, you know, Kendrick is in his lane. He's in. If you don't see him on stage, he's. He's in the studio, right. And he's not.

[Kendrick Lamar]

He's.

[Interviewer]

You're not gonna hear, you know, the reports of he, you know. Yeah, did this in a club or that, you know, is that. Is that accurate?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Well, that's easy for me. The idea of being a celebrity, that's easy for me. You know, I know where I come from, where I'm rooted, and just my personality and just. That's ultimately not who I am. You're not going to find me in them type of arenas to even bother that I did. So a more personal level for me, something that a discipline I will have to control, is the idea of learning how to balance the time between my family that care about me and love me, and the ultimate chase of spreading this message and spreading these words. I could be in the studio all day and turn the phone off, you know, and completely zone out because I feel like this is what I was chosen to do, and I can't let anyone get in between it. So learning how to balance that with people that care for me is my struggle, you know, and that's been 100% honest. Because I never get the love that my mother has given me through someone else or even through music. I have to understand that. But I'm so passionate about it. I can sometimes cut the whole world off to write a verse that is perfect to me or damn near perfect to get that word across.

[Interviewer]

What's the perfect verse that you wrote?

[Kendrick Lamar]

A perfect verse? I wouldn't even say perfect because I'm still chasing that. The day I write a perfect verse is the day that I completely drained all my energy in what I do creatively. It would have to be something recent, so I would do something like on the damn album. Song called Fear. First, second and third verse is probably one of the best verses I've written.

[Interviewer]

Fear.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Fear. Yeah. It's completely honest. It's everything that I fear from the time I was seven years old on the first verse. Second verse, I was 17. And everything I feared when I was 27. Yeah. These verses are completely honest with myself and a growth, you know, in becoming a man. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Let me get you to respond to something that has been lobbed at me in my work. There's a bunch of essays on the net. Black women saying black women don't. Are absent in Kendrick's music. You know, not saying misogynist like we heard before other MCs, but just. He is not. We don't exist in his stories. What is your response to them saying.

[Kendrick Lamar]

That don't exist in the stories? That's a trip.

[Interviewer]

I mean, is it a fair critique or.

[Kendrick Lamar]

No, that's not a fair critique.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Kendrick Lamar]

At all.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Kendrick Lamar]

In fact. In fact, to even answer the question, I. I would need to know exactly where, you know, the disgruntled part, you know, come from. You know, I actually don't really understand the question to even answer.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Kendrick Lamar]

You know, just simple fact that I come, you know, from where I come from, all I know is black women. To be 100 real with you. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Okay. I mean, you know, it's one of those things as. I mean, maybe you need a woman to further the conversation because I'm. I'm blind to what. I didn't. I didn't. You know, I listen to music. I'm like. I didn't know that you.

[Kendrick Lamar]

I would definitely need a woman to break that down to me because, you know, I've made. I've made some. Some pretty connecting songs, you know, about women and black women in particular. Even early off in my career, I remember a record called keisha song.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Section 80. Yeah. I mean, I would have to sit down to talk to a woman.

[Interviewer]

Can you. Can you talk about your meditation practice?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Meditation practice? I need 30 minutes a day of just reflecting on the moment when you. In this business, everything is. Years go by so quick, man, because you're working and you're also planning for more work within the next six months to a year. So for me, I have to just sit down and reflect on what's going on for these 30 minutes.

[Interviewer]

Do you always do it in the morning, in the afternoon, at a certain time, or just whenever you can get it in morning?

[Kendrick Lamar]

I gotta get up early. Gotta get up early. I gotta be up early. I go to the Studio and be up all night. Before I lay down, I gotta reflect.

[Interviewer]

What time do you normally get up?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Man, I be in the sun. I mean, to be real with you, it's not even the act of getting up because I might be in the studio. Studio, six in the morning, you know, and take a four hour nap and get back up and start the day again.

[Interviewer]

I mean, you know, growing up where you grew up, you saw people get murdered. I never saw anything like that. Most people never saw anything like that. What does that do? What does it do to you?

[Kendrick Lamar]

What it did to me, it completely was chipping at my confidence, that's for sure.

[Interviewer]

Chipping at your confidence?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Chipping at the confidence.

[Interviewer]

What do you mean?

[Kendrick Lamar]

This is the thing that I remember about being in school, and this is something I always try to remember. When I go to schools and I talk to these kids. You have these successful people that come around you and tell you what's good and what's bad in the world and how you end up dead or in prison and things like that. But from our perspective, it didn't really mean shit to us, you know, because, you know, you telling us all these positive things, but when we walk outside this door and we see somebody head get blown off, that shit just. Whatever you just said just went out the window. And it just chips away at the confidence and it makes you feel belittled, you know, in the world, the more violence exposed to a kid, it just chips away at it. Or it can make you, you know, but for the most part, the kids that I was around, it broke them. It broke them to indulge in it. It broke them to say, fuck everything. I'm gonna do what I got to do to survive. And before I let it chip away at me 100%, I was making my transition to music.

[Interviewer]

Mm.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Not everybody has that avenue available to them. No, just in general. How do we. Because you. You said you were on a track to death or prison. How do we as a community, as a society, how do we get fewer black men going to prison?

[Kendrick Lamar]

How do we get fewer black. Installing that confidence again. Installing the confidence. That's it. And I always say this. It starts with the kids. I mean, our generation is already in our ways. All we can do is focus on the next generation. You know, don't look at these kids and say, go play on the playground, you know, like we was taught. Go eat some ice cream. No. Sit them down and make them, you know, understand what's going on in the world right now and how they have you know, all these abilities and accessible, you know, avenues to be great rather than to fall victim and, you know, what's around them. We don't have that.

[Interviewer]

But if you feel you're great, you have that confidence.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right.

[Interviewer]

But still can't get a job.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right.

[Interviewer]

I can't get, you know, this, that, and the police stay over here, as opposed to the nice neighborhood where the kids smoke weed out in public is no problem.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So, you know, I mean, there's systemic things that have to be combated as well.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Exactly. And from my perspective, and speaking on a personal level, this is where the people, these rappers that come from these communities and these celebrities and people with money that come from these backgrounds, this where we have to be in place. And this is what I'm doing. You offering these jobs. You putting YMCAs inside your community and you giving jobs to these cats that, you know, don't want to be hired. They can't be hired anywhere else. You make the opportunities. And that's what I'm doing. Personally, I can't. I can't sit. I got too many homeboys that, you know, they have on their third felony, I mean, two felonies, and can't get a job. So I have to take the initiative and do for them, you know, and knowing I'm sure enough and believe that them opportunities will spread. Because once I put the power in their hands, they can put it in the next, and they can put it in the next. I think the concept and the idea is so far fetched that people can't believe that it can change that way. But it has to start with one. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Can you say, just to finish the thought, like, how many people who you've hired? Who. Just a number who may not have other opportunities, who you've given them opportunities?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, several. Dozens.

[Interviewer]

Several.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah. Definitely from the idea. Well, for me personally, everything starts from the youth. You know, we have this. This thing going on inside the city where it's a youth center that we building, and these cats are already working and already on the grounds inside of parks, you know, and making honest pay and they're feeling good about themselves, themselves because they know they're doing something to further the next generation. This is the confidence. You know, they're not just making money and making a living now. It's installing something that they can be proud of.

[Interviewer]

You know, I mean, Compton is changing a lot. Yeah, y'all got hot young mayor. Yeah, you got the money that Dre putting in the community. You know, Venus and Serena are contributing. You're Contributing, definitely. You know, and all of y'all and more are role models for folks.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right.

[Interviewer]

Can you talk about how you see Compton changing from the seeds that people are already been putting down?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah. More opportunities. More opportunities. They see that people actually care. You know, I didn't have. We didn't have the. In my generation to have these opportunities for someone from their community to be vocal and be present. You know, there's a lot of people that are scared of their own people. You know, Know, the gang culture is still there, but you can't be scared. You got to be there. You have to, because it shows confidence, not only in yourself, but those that surround you, that's in the neighborhood to say, okay, he still come back and touch us and provide opportunities. We're with him. You know, people want a reason to hate you. Don't give them that reason. Don't give them that reason. And what's going on now is just a transformation of us not being scared of where we come from. And that idea is gonna get passed on.

[Interviewer]

I mean, that's the heartbreaking thing to me when I see us scared of us.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

You know, but we are partly culpable for our problems, are we not?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

In what ways?

[Kendrick Lamar]

In what way we can. We look in our communities and we see what's going on. You know, we know that selling drugs are bad. We know that the gang violence is bad. We know that these concepts, when our ideas, you know, we know, they stem back way before our time.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Kendrick Lamar]

But within knowing this, we have to also put in practice that we know this, you know, and these are the ideas that I instilled to my homeboys at the time when I came back from Africa. We know what's going on around here, but we continue to do it. You know, it's just as amount, much amount of struggle, even more going on back in Africa. They have no opportunities. We have opportunities while we still moving the same way we move, you know, so. So it's about being. Taking responsibility, you know, in what we're going through and recognizing it first.

[Interviewer]

I know when I went to Africa, blew my mind changed me. First time you went to Africa, how did it change?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Man, I knew I wasn't tripping. Cause everybody in the team, when we was getting back on that bus, we were like, it feel weird going back, right? Going back.

[Interviewer]

I want to leave.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah. It was just a weird feeling, man. It was just. It was just one of them things, man, where you just. I mean, I'm sure, you know, it's hard to explain. A person that's never been, but it's just a feeling, man of a nurture, you know, and it just changed my whole process and my whole concept about where I'm from. I was only thinking about Compton, you know, and our small little corners. But the world is just so much more bigger than that.

[Interviewer]

I mean, for a lot of MCs, going from, you know, the block to the world changes their music.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Have you seen it? Change your music.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah, definitely going back to the word perspective. I'm not only talking about, you know, my own personal problems, coming to community, coming up in the community, but now I can reflect on this person, that person from here, from there, and make it to where it feels. Still feels intimate. You know, I found out a way to still make that connection, even if it's not even my story. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Talk about perspective. I mean, just back to the Oval Office.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Is it a head trip to go from the guy there was like, I am a fan of yours.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

To the next guy like, you are the part of the problem in America.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right. It's a complete mind fuck, man. It is a complete mind fuck. And if you don't have the mental stability of knowing who you are and what you're capable of, you're gonna immediately be brainwashed by the idea again of you a part of the problem. You know, talking to Obama and the craziest thing he said was, wow, how did we both get here?

[Interviewer]

He said that to you?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yes. Blew my mind away. Blew my mind away. Cause, you know, we look at people, you know, so, you know, superior, you know, and I can't give just the ultimate respect to him. And he's sitting up here dealing with all these different issues and work, and at the same time, he has to reflect on wow and look around the same way I'm looking around. That blew me away.

[Interviewer]

What else did. What else did he say to you? What else did y'all.

[Kendrick Lamar]

The main thing that always sticks with me as well, is the work that has to be done when he's outside of the office, when he's, you know, his term is up. And that made me understand the idea of it don't start and end here, you know, because we have a black president office, there's so much more work to do. And he understood that. He told me he understood that it's so much more work to do. This is the idea. Same way he's talking about pac. This is the idea that sparked the idea of us getting out here as a community and knowing that we have the Power to have our own voice and to make our own change. And when he told me that, it just gave me, you know, confirmation again that it doesn't stop. We have to keep pushing, you know, we can't just celebrate because he's right here. We have to celebrate him while he's gone.

[Interviewer]

What I mean, from that conversation, what did you say that stands out in your memory that made him laugh or reflect or what have you?

[Kendrick Lamar]

I guess, man, it was really going back to what he said to me. Just basically replying, yeah, you're right. How did we get here? I think I cursed too. How the fuck did we get here? Because, I mean, it's just a surreal moment, man. You have two black individuals and, you know, knowledgeable individuals, but also come from, you know, these backgrounds where they said we had never touched, you know, grounds inside, you know, these floors and these walls. I think I also was about to perform Mad City and then kill my vibe. And these records like that and these had curse words and things like that. And I'm looking in the crowd and, you know, I'm not saying the curse words, but the people are, you know, and just to know that hip hop, you know, it's in this building. And me being able to explain to that, you know, him how much I'm appreciated, you know, of being a part of being hip hop, being a part of it, you know.

[Interviewer]

Do you think about you? You kind. You're a little. In terms of hip hop, you're a little late to the party.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

There was a period when they were making a lot more money and more famous. There was a period that was more artistically and. Yeah, right, right.

[Kendrick Lamar]

And we right here.

[Interviewer]

And. And you, you, you, you think about that.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah. You know how I think about it? Because my moms remind me all the time. She say, nigga, don't you remember? You matter of fact, you don't remember. But, nigga, it was a time where they thought hip hop rap. She said like this all the time. They thought it was a trend, right. I couldn't believe that.

[Interviewer]

Right.

[Kendrick Lamar]

She tells me this all. I still can't believe that.

[Interviewer]

Oh, I had that argument my parents. Until Quincy Jones's album came out.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Back on the block. And then they were like, well, if Quincy's into it.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Exactly, right. I couldn't believe that. She was like, yeah, it supposed to last it for a year. I was like, you serious? Yeah. She said, do your research. Lasted for a year. And look at me right now. Carry on deep. The legacy and the culture, you know. Being in this building right here, right now, it's mind boggling to know that people didn't appreciate the art form of poetry in motion and expressing themselves and having a gateway to express themselves other than putting a gun in there.

[Interviewer]

But even after that, you know, we had Pac Big, you know, J, Eminem, you know, the culture is rising, you know, after them, you know, the more money is being made and then, you know, the record business stops making. Making so much money, you know, I mean, you don't really have an artistic peer.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Right.

[Interviewer]

Any other period you'd have will be Kendrick and Jay or Kendrick and whoever. But you kind of stand alone.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Well, I appreciate that, no doubt.

[Interviewer]

But I mean, again, to the point of like, you know, if you have been born, you should have been born earlier.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

At this level of ability.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Well, I always. I always say this, man. The best way to describe the art form and, you know, the blessing and the practice that I put in is me being a complete hybrid of those that I've studied and those that inspired me. Being a hybrid of that, you know, being a hybrid of Snoop being a hybrid of Dre, PAC, Public Enemy, KRS1, Rakim, even to now, you know, Jay, Kanye, you know, these are people y'all still fairly a teen listening to, you.

[Interviewer]

Know, the last thing, just add to that list who not in hip hop is in that list.

[Kendrick Lamar]

Not in hip hop. What you mean?

[Interviewer]

Writers, Other non hip hop musicians?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Easily. Michael, Quincy, Prince, who inspired me inside the household, Marvin Gaye, Ashley Brothers, Luther.

[Interviewer]

And who not in music beside Malcolm?

[Kendrick Lamar]

Because we already talked about Muhammad Ali. All these people are parallel because they have this. I've watched, you know, documentaries and I've watched. They have the same eye. Their passion is obsessive. You know, when you talk about Muhammad Ali, when you talk about Michael Jordan, these people, I see the same thing that I feel when I watch them, you know, in art form. And I understand it. It's something I can't really explain on paper. It's just a feeling. You can look at a person to see how much passion and drive he has for these, what he loves. And everybody that I name is parallel to that.

[Torre]

One day, years from now, there'll be many other rappers talking to many other podcasters about their cultural heroes, and they'll be talking about Kendrick. Thank you, Kendrick, for your time and thanks for the music and thank you for listening. I hope you got a lot out of this conversation. I'm on Twitter Ore and on Instagram, Orayshow. Please stop by and say hi. And if you like the show, please subscribe, rate and review and tell a friend. Help me spread the word about the show Torre Shows written by me, Torre and produced by Chris Colbert and Matt Ford in association with Cadence 13 Studios. We are beaming to you from the amazing borough of Brooklyn, baddest place in the world. We'll be back next Wednesday with more knowledge from successful folks because the man ain't shut us down yet. Join us next Wednesday when my guest will be the incomparable Black Thought from the mighty Roots crew. He's got a lot to say about millennial rappers.

[Black Thought]

One thing that the millennial rapper is doing, and this isn't across the board, every millennial rapper doesn't do this. But lots of them have abandoned words. There are people who are, who are vocalists who go into the booth and don't use any words. Nothing. No audible word. You know what I mean? It's just mumbling.

[Torre]

That's next Wednesday on Torre show.