What Kendrick Thinks of Jay-Z: “It’s No Mistake He’s at Where He’s at”
Even with his good kid, m.A.A.d city summer world tour in full swing, Kendrick Lamar found time to talk with Bullett magazine about his first session with Dr. Dre, why he changed his rap name to his real name, how he copes with being a famous rapper and saluting Jay Z’s (oh yeah, R.I.P. the hyphen) success. The interview appears in Bullett‘s “Wild Issue,” which is on newsstands now. You can also enjoy Kendrick’s exclusive freestyle up top.
On Jay Z’s success:
How many tours has he been on? How many verses has he put down? How many interviews? How many radio shows? People forget that. They can’t fathom how a dude from the Marcy Projects is sitting next to Barack Obama, so they make up all types of crazy shit and forget the facts: This n*gga dedicated every single day of his life to this, and what he has wasn’t just given to him. It’s no mistake he’s at where he’s at.
Read more quotes from the interview after the jump…
On his first session with Dr. Dre:
The first time Dre put me in the booth, it was really about living up to expectations. I wasn’t nervous, but I had to prove myself—not just to him, but to myself. I wanted to make sure I belonged.
On how his childhood helped develop his craft:
Being around older people helped me develop my vocabulary. They got drunk a lot and they partied a lot, but they had great conversations. I always hung around older people because I understood more about the world than most kids my age. I picked up on things and practiced them in my conversations, in my writing. Fortunately, it grew into an art.
On changing his rap name from K.Dot to Kendrick Lamar:
I’ll always be K.Dot out in the hood and to my homies, but using my real name is symbolic of me showing people who I really am.
On coping with the temptations of fame:
When you’ve got the spotlight on you, everything—drinking, women, drugs—is at your disposal times 10, so I have to be that much stronger. Every day is a struggle.
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