Super Bowl halftime show: Kendrick Lamar discusses Grammys, upcoming tour and rapâs cultural impact
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it's a little bit surreal to actually
see you in the flesh because you've
always made it a point of just letting
the music speak for yourself which is
something I really respect but the
spotlight has been shining so
the past few months I've just been
wondering how you've been processing
behind the scenes how you've been
feeling about everything happening all
the
success uh it's it's it's just really
just
uh I want to look at it
like it's just a Continuum of who I am
really I I've always stayed to myself I
always been in my own bubble whether
it's with the fam or whether it's
training how I process it all is just I
continue to do what I was doing 10 years
ago and that's like better in myself
better than the craft and I look at his
Bright Lights you know and it may sound
cliche but it always worked for me even
when I was younger you know playing
sports or being in the front Forefront
of presentations and stuff like that it
was like I got to look at myself in the
mirror rather than looking at as a crowd
or you know Fame and
attention so now early days of your
career you know section 80 Days even
early mixtapes and you perfecting your
craft as an MC did you ever think we'd
be at the Super Bowl with this I wasn't
thinking about no Super Bowl you never
thought about the Super Bowl I was think
about no Super Bowl for sure we was
thinking about the the the best verse
and uh how we going to split this $5 at
at churchy chicken or something like
that it wasn't no super bow going to the
studio and getting a meal but uh I think
well what I know is the passion I have
now is still the passion I had then and
I think that carried on to the Super
Bowl so it was all about being present
long as I was present in the studio and
present in whatever that line was or
whatever that mistake was uh rapping or
doing hooks or choruses or whatnot I was
present in that moment I felt that
passion I think being president and not
actually foreseeing everything kept me
in the grounded State of Mind in order
to be at you know big stages like this I
think we felt that presence and that
focus in your work for the past 15 years
like ibro said going all the way back to
projects like overly dedicated and so
seeing you perform with Dr Dre at the
halftime show three years ago we already
felt like that was the most hip-hop
beautiful halftime show ever and now for
you to come back and be the first solo
hip-hop artist to headline how does it
feel being the artist to hit that
Milestone and you know just your
thoughts on what that means
about Hip Hop's progression and impact
over the years but that [ __ ] it made me
think about like the grind of it you
know I mean a lot of people don't see
like the story before the glory man that
[ __ ] is
like shuffling out your mixtapes and you
know going to neighborhoods and parties
and performing there holding the wall
spots it lets me it reminds me
of the essence and the the the core
response of rap and hip-hop and how far
it can go so for me that [ __ ] mean
everything because it puts the culture
on the Forefront where it needs to be
and not minimize to just uh a catchy
song or verse this is a true art form so
to represented on this type of stage is
like everything that I've worked for and
everything that I believe in as far as
the culture like I live and die by it
this it should done changeed my whole
family life so I don't take it for
granted at all as far as the art form
you know it feels like this what that
was a lot what this year was about too
right like you you I guess you know you
took it and put it on your back and you
felt like a line needed to be draw right
um was that you know was that your
intent when you rolled out this year was
like yo I'm drawing a line like this
what it is my intent was to always keep
I think from day one was to always keep
the nature of it as a as a sport you
know I don't care how [ __ ] look
at it as far as like uh uh uh as a
collaborator effort you know that's cool
too but I I love when when artists grit
their teeth like I still watch battle
raps I still watch smack URL from Murder
Moo to uh Lux to Tay Roc you know my bro
daylight this this has always been the
core definition of who I am and and it's
been that way since day one so I don't
think it was a a thing for this year was
always just a Continuum and uh
what I will say about this year it was
more uh from a space where I think a lot
of people was putting rap to the back
and you didn't see that you didn't see
that grit you didn't see that bite
anymore so I always took that in
consideration and going into any time
about music that's interesting so I hope
this makes sense right you know we've
been following your journey for about 15
years and you have been so consistent in
the messaging in the focus like you said
um and you've always moved with
Integrity so in a lot of ways I feel
like we thought we knew exactly who you
were as an artist in a positive way and
then last year it felt like you unlocked
a whole new dimension for us but that
person like you said was always in there
but I'm
wondering do you still surprise yourself
sometimes did you surprise yourself last
year or was it just just us the fans
with our Jaws on the floor just stunned
that's a good question uh surprised
myself
uh no I don't think I surprise myself
cuz this this for me and for my partners
that's been around me since 2005 2006
like my brothers they they know my
personality they know you know my
capabilities even when it you know
wasn't presented to the public at first
right so this is just like a um a
revolving door of what I've been doing
in Carson Studios at the homie garage or
uh Brothers at TDE or just anybody
around the city of Compton in in La uh
it's just magnified to the level where
I've progressed it and and you know did
enough hours to know okay I know where
the place it now I know how to make a
connect with
people it feels like uh each album too
getting to this point was like it was an
album for the culture and it was album
for the critics you know what I mean and
then it was for the critics yeah and and
and then GNX comes along and it's like
nah nah nah this is album for anybody
everybody and anybody who want it at any
time and you brought that energy and if
and and the energy you brought on GNX
was an energy that I don't think was
really happening in hip-hop like it's a
Public Enemy level energy it's a ice
cube America's Most Wanted energy like
it's a classic you know Timeless energy
um talk about your head space between Mr
R and this GNX yeah no that's that's
that's great
uh go back even further man speaking on
that energy like
it's my my my my cousins was like DJ
Quick you know and and Dre you know
these these folks that my people was
playing so I always had that DNA and you
know you heard that DNA a little bit on
good kid Mad City but I wanted to tell
my story first right and um fast forward
to GNX I felt it was just a perfect time
because not only the energy was lost
but it was an energy that was bubbling
inside of me as well I wanted to go back
to the Forefront of just the bite and
just the the grit of rap just all raps
and and hard ass beats and that's like
the basics for me I thought about D what
I used to like when I was a kid hard
raps good beats that's smacking right
and um it was a great transition from Mr
morale because that was my most intimate
I wanted to go inside of my own psyche
and my own uh uh personal withdra draws
and and and see how it connects with the
public and who can relate so during this
time around I think it was necessary of
coming out of that conun and feeling
like okay I arrive now I can I can
spread my wings and show every state of
who I am as far as Kendrick Lamar and
you really did spread your wings I mean
you just came off a huge Grammy wins you
walked away with five Awards and you
were not like us won for um song and
record of the year um which in itself is
remarkable but I think for people who
love and respect hip hop and the roots
of this culture the competitive Spirit
of it it has been a little bit
mind-bending that you created this
massive cultural award-winning Anthem
out of a battle rap song and how was
that something after you got off that
Grammy stage you got home in some quiet
time what was going through your head I
was just thinking about the culture
really it's it's always that for me
first I'm not even bullshitting with you
it's like
when people talk about Rap Man the
conversations I hear they think it's
just rap and it's not an actual art form
so when you put records like that at the
Forefront it reminds people that this is
more than
just something that came 50 years ago
they forget that it's even been here 50
years right and like kind of like Bel
little it so I love to see that it gets
that type of recognition for just
straight reps from Awards to uh the
Billboards all that because this is this
is
truly just as big as a art form and and
a genre as any other genre so that's
what I think about and I feel
accomplished being able to do that you
know whether somebody else come behind
me and do it again and quadruple it I
love to see it if that was my purpose to
do that then that's exactly what it was
for that particular moment I think
people often miss the significance of
that record and song of the year award
cuz that song of the year award is a
songwriter
award like it's not just the biggest
song it's like someone wrote a song and
you as a songwriter when you see your
name up there and it's written by
Kendrick and that's it yeah that's
powerful and I think to what you're
saying I think there's a lot of people
who have become fans of hip-hop and they
they you know you like the songs you
hear and know but you're not actually
tapped into the work that it takes for
you to
generate the output the art exactly man
as a as a writer you know and and that's
what I can appreciate the most and
knowing how much time I dedicated over
the years and just trial and error
writing the most terrible [ __ ] to the
some of the greatest [ __ ] you know we
all do it from writer block to figuring
out how to find inspiration from the
most uh non-popular aspects around me so
it's
like knowing that trial and knowing what
I put in as far as my thinking process
and and what it takes to get here I do
not uh look at as a a small like
Endeavor because it's a hit record no
it's actually some writing in that [ __ ]
you know whether it connect with you on
on a spiritual level whether it connect
with you on a comedic level whether it
connect with you just on a a personal
Dynamic it's still from a writer's point
of view yeah you
are an incredible writer there are songs
on GNX like
reincarnated I didn't know what to do
with that song for the first few times I
heard of it just trying to figure out
where you possibly came up with the
inspiration for a record like that like
when you're working on on those songs
are you going through multiple versions
until the right thing comes to you it's
just it's hard to Fathom I guess what
I'm saying yeah well records records
like that uh first off shout out to
Tupac that's that's the number one in
that was always one of my favorite
records from him and outlaws um with
records like that it's always going into
my mind of like what if right and
crafting out my what if ideas to the
masses so when I think about Concepts
and I think about what I actually
believe and what I feel I just go
through a breakdown is I'm reading a
book you know and how I want people to
hear this from a book sequence so my
initial process is okay how can I open
them up to the story and how can I drive
them to the ending point to make them
feel truly exactly what I'm trying to
convey whether they take their own
perspective from it or they take mine I
just want you to feel it first you know
the the writing is there now is up to me
to perform it to where you can feel
it yo give it up for this guy Kendrick
Lamar y'all too quiet man this guy you
know this guy doesn't really he doesn't
sit down and do this too often so this
is a very special conversation we
appreciate you bro I really do and and
shout out to scissor too cuz you guys
are making history right now and and
you've seen her from her humble
beginnings like she seen you from your
humble beginnings um you've watched her
find success and now yall sharing the
stage at the Super Bowl go the this
humongous tour that's rolling out next
year um talk about this moment in both
of y'all's career have you guys had a
chance to even see each other in this
moment and and be like yo like we
haven't even had a chance to crash out
about it cuz everything been moving fast
like far as production and rehearsals
and stuff so we speak but it's not we
haven't really got a chance to settle
into the moment U for me personally
watching her at you know her career and
where she's come from it's amazing to
see I get to finally see how certain
individuals see me come up in a process
cuz I seen her day one coming in studio
and writing songs throwing away songs
writing another song throwing away songs
and songs is hard and I understood that
process though W to be great you know
even when we you know people saying this
is classic records she like no you I'm
going to write another one and I
understood that and I seen it so to see
it now magnified is like she always had
it man she always had it and I'm I'm
just honored to be next to a talent yeah
you've both worked really hard to be
here in this moment and on Heart part
six it's really amazing to hear you
detail that Journey for old and new fans
you know going coming up through the
ranks at TDE and now launching your own
agency PG Lang so performing at the
Super Bowl halftime show is very much
you know us as fans getting to celebrate
you in this beautiful musical Legacy but
also now you're stepping out as an
entrepreneur what has it been like to
build your own business and to also
showcase some of that creativity from
your Agency on this platform oh man I
love the process uh shout out to PG Lane
Make Some Noise with PG
Lane yeah that's that's
that's that's my that's my team man it's
it's 30
incredible
individuals uh five extraordinary
Executives that work day in day out to
make sure we are doing something that
will long live the culture you know from
a music standpoint from a creative
standpoint fashion film books day in day
out of just being around like-minded
individuals that have different
perspectives outside of just music so
through that process it was a challenge
for me but even more a process of me
enjoying okay different ideas and and
and different backgrounds and how to
look at things um I love it I love it uh
being on cuse and you know formulating
business ideas and Ventures outside of
my usual Norm it challenges me and I
can't wait to see what happens next I
know it's going to happen next we we I
think for the audience too you know and
anybody watching around the world the PG
Lang thing is it's you know I think
people see you as an artist and someone
who makes music but I don't know if you
want to share it today but the level of
detail that you yourself along with Dave
and and shout out to the whole PG Lang
team but y'all as friends that came up
together you in the edits like what
we're going to see on Sunday is a PG
Lang production yes that's all PG Lang
that is us sitting day in day out from
the edits the production uh the the
stage design the the the music the sound
tech it's everything across the board
and it takes a lot of work takes a lot
of creative individuals I can't sit here
and say it's all me because these are
people that are just as passionate and
want to see us win but also want to put
out something that lives a long long
time and uh but with Dave's creative
mind it's just he's insane man that that
dude is
like bosot in so many different Fashions
you know you can LLY pick his brain
about anything and he'll give you an
answer right down the middle to help you
decide for yourself so that's something
I can always appreciate yeah I'd say
with all of your powers combined y'all
are really diabolical like when you roll
out the videos all the visuals for GNX
just the way you all move strategically
together it is inspiring beyond the
music you know just thinking about how
to approach life and art in a holistic
way and so when it came down to planning
for this Super Bowl now you know you've
teased on the album coming up to New
Orleans with this La energy how did you
guys approach the show and trying to
figure out how to pay tribute to the
classic Senor catalog with this new
music in like a 13 minute set list yeah
it's it's w we miss morale is like an
hour and 30 minute tour so it's like you
got to smack the [ __ ] down all the way
to 13 minutes
it's it's it's kind of wild and it's
interesting because it lets you know
kind of where you at and your
perspective and how you think about
catalog and the music uh for
me I I love being present I love being
present man I it's my favorite it's very
hard for me to to live in the past very
hard I respect the past wholeheartedly
but being in the now and being just
locked into how I feel and the energy I
have now
that's that's the LA energy for me
that's something that I want to carry
over to New Orleans and and and for the
world to see this is me this Kendrick
Lamar 37 years old and I'm still feel
like I'm I'm I'm elevated I'm still on
the journey though you know and uh I
want I want that energy to you know ooze
out to the televisions and to the people
that's in that building well and on that
you know the connection uh between black
culture and New Orleans and how how
important and and shaping our ancestors
were in this town music jazz all that
you always put our culture and Black
Culture at the Forefront of your brand
your
music same thing in La a lot of our
family members moved out to California
from the south for New Opportunities so
there's a big connection between LA and
the South So when you say you walked in
to New Orleans with that La etiquette
and all of that I don't know if people
really grasp that but that's you got to
be feeling that energy like when you
when you are out ready on Sunday to do
your thing that's a bar it's crazy bro
every out all my friend
La us growing up all our grandparents
either from Louisiana Texas Chicago like
period so our dialect and how we talk it
it it gauges from like the South and
like the Bay Area
so like going to the store we say fa I'm
fa to go to the store like that's some
South [ __ ] you know what I'm saying
that's that's not no LA right so uh that
energy right there and you you know
making that correlation it means a lot
to me for people to understand that and
um the culture and just being black I
can't I can't help that man it's it's
not something
that I think about or even try to like
go I'm I'm black [ __ ] it's just going
it's you it's not on you yeah it's going
to come out every time I'm not going I
can't sugar coat it you know I can't
downplay it I'm at a point of my life I
can't I can't necessarily fake the funk
for nothing and I've always had an
essence of that but you know you have
kids and [ __ ] that shit's
like I have to be who I am authentically
and if you know the world can accept
that then then so be it but who rocking
with it I'm going go put it all the way
out there you know whether it's in
private or whether it's on the main
stage yeah I don't think a lot of people
and a lot of artists stand in themselves
as authentically as you have and I think
one of the questions we've all been
wrestling with over the past few months
watching you in the way you've moved is
really what is the role of an artist and
I think lots of people have very
different definitions but young Kendrick
again back to overly dedicated and
section 80 mixtape Kendrick and GNX
Kendrick Super Bowl Grammys Kendrick has
your idea of what the role of an artist
is you as an artist has that ever
changed um
I don't think I knew exactly what my
role was early early on I had maybe
clues of it but now today I can truly
say it's it's the to express myself and
express things that people can
necessarily say on The Daily and for
them to actually relate to and um come
from the most vulnerable place where
people can actually feel it I think that
is for me that's the role for me as an
artist I don't give a for what place it
come from I could be the most angry
person on the record you gonna feel that
[ __ ] that day if you woke up and you
felt that you you want to smile you
gonna feel it because I'm gonna make
sure I'm present that particular time in
the studio in the booth that I feel
happy and I feel uh energized and I feel
you know if I feel frustrated you going
to feel it and to carry that as an
inspiration for people that's listening
that may not have a voice that you know
I've grew up with cats still to this day
can't have a conversation
the most meanest you know uh aggressive
individuals but they can't even look you
in the eye and express thems the way
they want to so they resort to other
things and when I think about that and I
know that I have the tools necessary to
communicate myself properly and
effectively I got to do it for them I
got to make records like ran Carnet I
got to make records like man in the
garden I I have to because they feel
that way but they cannot project it and
when they hear somebody actually giving
them them affirmations it allows them to
speak more freely and be open because
again I come from the same place they
come
from Wow Kendrick um we might not see
you outside again soon after Super Bowl
I know of course you have the GNX tour
listen I know you also don't love doing
interviews but we are grateful we're so
grateful for all the music and the
moments that you've given us over 15
years and in the last last year um your
presence and your focus it is noted so
thank you we really appreciate it thanks
for taking our question hiop man thank
you for fighting for hip hop it is it is
really appreciated and
now we have some kids are going to ask
questions I got one more thing for you
Kendrick before we go to uh our friend
here Hayes odler what is what should
what should people expect to see and
understand about Sunday's
performance
um a story retelling I think I've always
been
uh very uh open about storytelling
through through all my catalog and my
history of music and I've always had a
passion about bringing that on whatever
stage I'm on you know whether it's a war
tour or whether it's a 500 people at Key
Club I've always had a form of that so I
I like be on that sense of you know make
people listen but also see and and think
a
little I think this is going to be one
of those performances where people are
going to be digging up Easter eggs for
years to come even when it's not an
Easter egg people gonna make one up
right
K hay uh this is Hayes odler he's got a
question for you kendri hi Kendrick
what's going
on how do you prep prepare for such a
big performance do you have a favorite
way to stay healthy and
active yeah uh I do some laps whether
it's some Sprints if we we talking about
let's go from okay on a physical level I
give you that
um maybe it's a two mile warmup or a
mile warm up maybe some push-ups just to
get the body movement sometimes you be
out on that stage man it take a you need
some some some some oil on your knees a
little bit to get moving and get cranky
so uh physically um yeah I'm I'm I'm
just exercising the body a little bit of
stretching a little bit all that and um
on a mental level I'm usually playing
some Isley Brothers just to calm my not
my nerves but calm my excitement and
just give it a a balance you know so
that's that's my prep right before I go
out thank you Hayes thank you so much
and now Alvin
Williams how you doing sir what's up
Kendrick what's up man I'm I'm a little
with um Big Brother and big sister New
Orleans what has mentorship meant to you
during the course of your career and if
you could thank your mentors for
believing in you what would you say oh
man mentorship has been been everything
um to to to be around individuals that
experienc every little thing that you
know you think that you the first person
to go through through it with it's it's
it's a difficult task when you're a
young individual because you're like
[ __ ] you don't know what you talking
about but as you progress and you be
like damn he or she was right you begin
to understand life a little bit better
and not be so judgmental to people that
been here before you right
um the greatest thing I would say
mentors a couple mentors had given me
was like affirmation to always give
myself space to believe in who I am even
when I wasn't feeling it right you can
you can accomplish so many small things
or big things and you still can fall in
the slump where you doubt yourself and
um even though these mentors haven't
seen the space
and been in the places I've been in it
was always time to allow me to share
exactly who I am or how they see me and
what I'm capable to give to the world
and I I think that goes a long way you
know from people in the highest places
and the lowest places we all need
them all right thank you thank you
thanks Alvin and we have one more
question from Young Dylan what's up Mr K
there you go that's that's an artist
right there yes sir it's truly an honor
to meet you and my question I have for
you is what advice could you give to
kids about not being like anyone else
and how could they stay authentic while
pursuing your path it's a great question
um they said the number one thing people
feel in the room you know over love and
over fears authentic being authentic and
this is this some my home girl Inc
actually we was talking about this in
the Studio she brought us in the studio
and I was like damn how many times I've
been in a room
where people felt you so
intensely that it inspired them and
inspired the person next to him and
inspired people in their household um so
how to stay authentic was that the
question
or you have to believe in yourself and
have to know that it's only one you
you an amazing individual unique you a
miracle I wake up every day and I'm like
this [ __ ] is crazy not crazy from a
standpoint of of being a celebrity crazy
just life it's just wild when you really
sit down and just think about it and
just bug out on some
wild it's wild and to know that you in
this existence and in this world visuals
only you you have to know that you got
to carry that authentic nature of
allowing yourself to say
this is who I am this is how how people
going to see me and also going to
respect me and it's going to inspire
people to have truth because when
everyone's authentic what comes out of
that it's true love is there no
boundaries we don't have any courtship
on judgment we don't have any perception
of uh being able to ridicule anyone
because you showing up as your true self
I'm showing up as my true self and
carrying that nature you take you
places appreciate you answers are just
as thoughtful as in the music it's
ridiculous thank you Dyan thank you
Kendrick appreciate you uh ladies and
gentlemen um one more time for the great
Kendrick Lamar
please thank you so much for your work
and your
dedication appreciate you go out there
and have fun on Sunday um thank you so
much to everyone for joining us today we
can't wait to see Kendrick take the
Super Bowl halftime show stage