In an epic interview with The Guardian released today, Kendrick Lamar goes into detail about his inspiration behind To Pimp a Butterfly, his roots, his take on the current political landscape, religion, his next album and much more.
The sprawling conversation goes deep in an interview befitting the artist, who certainly has proven he has a lot to say. We recently listed track King Kunta as our favourite of the year so far, and gave the album a stellar review, recognising the 28-year-old rapper as a powerful voice and leader of his craft.
Lamar tells the Guardian that there is no excuse for rappers to be discouraged from talking about political issues: “It’s really just about integrity. We all like to have fun. I like to have fun, too. But where do you stop and say, ‘You know what? There’s actually some real shit going on out there that people can relate to more than any singalong I can bring to the table.’”
With the weight of success and a tumultuous past, Lamar opens up about his depression in a very candid way, and discusses the impact on his work. He also tells readers about the the pressure he now feels to leave a mark in the wake of his rapid rise to fame:
“You got it whether you want it or not because you have thousands of people singing your songs every night… Your friends at the side of the stage, they’re looking at you as somebody who made it. They’re following you. And every mistake that you make, they’re going to make the same mistakes.”
The rapper takes us deep into his psyche and leaves readers with a much stronger sense of who he is as a person, and how he came to be there, revealing his take on christianity and the battle between good and evil. It is as insightful as it is heartfelt, giving fans nuggets of information that they have never heard.
On his next album he says:
“I know exactly what I want to say next… Everything is going to make sense – not only to myself but to anybody who wants to understand life and music. Everything will make a little more sense.”
Excited much? We sure are.
Be sure to check out the whole interview here.