Super Bowl halftime show: Kendrick Lamar discusses Grammys, upcoming tour and rap’s cultural impact

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