Kendrick Lamar has remained one of Hip-Hop’s most discussed artists, despite not delivering a proper body of work since his critically acclaimed 2012 debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city. The New York Times recently ran an insightful piece on the poetic MC, written during his time on the Yeezus tour.
The detail of the mellow Compton native depicts him as level-headed, caring, and very observant. Meanwhile the inclusion of close friends and TDE members like Dave Free, his longtime manager, adds to the story’s effectiveness. Also a thinking man, Lamar was very candid in discussing the music industry, his parents, and what he doesn’t want his career to become.
After the jump are a list of things we learned from The New York Times story on Kendrick Lamar.
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From Speech Impediment To Success
“As a kid, I used to stutter,” Lamar admitted randomly. But what began as speech impediment, became a contributing factor to him picking up the pen and pad. He continued, “That’s how I get my thoughts out, instead of being crazy all the time.”
Photo: IconicPix/WENN.com
Competitive Discontent
Months after his controversial, yet justified “Control” verse released, the West Coast rhymer said, “Everybody that’s in the industry has lost their edge.” Citing the current culture of saying things in politically correct ways, the rapper was adamant in refusing to do so. “If you’ve got two steel swords going back and forth hitting each other, what’s gonna happen? Both of them are going to get sharper.”
What Means The World To You?
Lamar later revealed that in high school, girls were partially the reason he would publicly rap in battles and cyphers. “That is the No. 1 motivation when you are in ninth grade,” he laughed. But then again, wouldn’t you have done the same thing?
His Yeezus Tour Appearance Almost Didn’t Happen
These days, fans are wondering when Lamar will deliver his sophomore LP. That might have happened sooner if TDE had their way. “Believe it or not, we were actually trying not to do the tour,” label president, Punch (born Terrence Henderson), said. At the time, the powers that be thought Lamar should have focused on recording.
Photo: Maria Fitzsimons/WENN.com
Kanye West Wouldn’t Take No For An Answer
Yeezus himself wanted K. Dot to play wingman on his last tour. And so much so, that he personally approached him backstage at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards to solicit his services. West also provided the rapper with a studio bus, so that he could record.
His Love
Lamar keeps his relationship with girlfriend, Whitney Alford, very private, but this piece does give a brief look at how the two interact.
Phil Jackson Zen
The piece details numerous moments that Lamar’s patience was tested, but not once did you react erratically.
Relished Or Relic
The looming pressure for Lamar to create a project that’s up to par with or better than good kid, m.A.A.d city goes without saying. And then he said something that any artist talented enough to become one of the greats limits to thought: “I don’t want to be something that just comes and goes.”
