Kendrick Lamar hardly ever does interviews lately, however he sat down with Apple Music’s Nadeska and Ebro Darden on Thursday morning (Feb. 6) in New Orleans previous to taking the stage this weekend for the Tremendous Bowl LIX halftime present.
Lamar answered questions for a couple of half-hour, and whereas Drake wasn’t introduced up straight, Okay. Dot put his banner 2024 in assessment on a number of events. The Compton, California, native carried final yr’s momentum into 2025 as he took house 5 Grammy wins on Sunday, together with track of the yr and document of the yr for “Not Like Us.”
After becoming a member of him on the Tremendous Bowl, SZA and Lamar will head out on the Grand Nationwide Tour, which is able to invade stadiums throughout North America.
Even with all of the success, battle victories and accolades pouring in, Lamar stays regular. “It’s only a continuum of who I’m, actually. I’ve all the time stayed to myself and been in my very own bubble whether or not it’s with the fam or my coaching,” he stated. “I proceed to do what I used to be doing 10 years in the past and that’s bettering myself, bettering the craft and never it as vivid lights.”
Lamar made his Tremendous Bowl debut in Los Angeles with the West Coast halftime showcase in 2022, co-headlined by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Mary J. Blige.
He follows Rihanna (2023) and Usher (2024) as Tremendous Bowl headliners and he’s promising some profound “storytelling” along with his efficiency in New Orleans on Sunday night.
Listed below are 5 issues we realized from his interview with Apple Music beneath.
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The Inspiration Behind His ‘GNX’ Album
Lamar wished to get again to the origins of why he fell in love with rap for GNX, which is “onerous raps” over “good beats.” He made certain to not waste any time on the mic with the modern and digestible 12-track album.
“It was an vitality that was effervescent inside me as effectively. I wished to return of the forefront of simply the chew and the grit of rap. All raps and hard-a– beats. That’s the fundamentals for me,” he stated. “I assumed, ‘Rattling, what I used to love after I was a child?’ Laborious raps and beats which are simply smacking.”
Kenny continued: “It was a fantastic transition from Mr. Morale as a result of that was my most intimate. I wished to go off my very own psyche and my very own private withdrawals and see the way it connects with the general public and who may relate. This time round, I feel it was crucial to come back out of that cocoon.”
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Storytelling Would be the Focus of His Halftime Present
As anticipation for Lamar’s halftime present continues to mount heading into the weekend, Darden tried to get into Okay. Dot’s inventive thoughts to offer followers a sneak peek of what’s to come back.
“Storytelling,” Lamar succinctly said. “I feel I’ve all the time been very open about storytelling. By means of all my catalog and my historical past of music and I’ve all the time had ardour about bringing that on no matter stage I’m on. … I prefer to all the time keep on that sense of make individuals pay attention but in addition see and suppose a bit.”
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Reflecting on His Dominant 2024
There’s little doubt Lamar was rap’s MVP for 2024, and between his work dismantling Drake in battle alongside along with his GNX album, which additionally made him Billboard‘s Biggest Pop Star for the yr, Okay. Dot set the bar extremely excessive with final yr’s marketing campaign. The artist mirrored on what he got down to accomplish along with his rapping when 2024 started.
“I feel from day one was to all the time preserve the character of it as a sport,” he stated. “What I’ll say about this yr, it was extra from an area the place I feel lots of people had been placing rap to the again. You didn’t see that chew anymore. So I all the time took that in consideration going into any kind of my music.”
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He Cherished Seeing ‘Not Like Us’ Get Grammy Love
Lamar added one other 5 Grammys to his trophy case on Sunday evening and made historical past with a pair of Massive 4 wins, with “Not Like Us” taking document and track of the yr. It’s the primary rap monitor to win in a prime class since Infantile Gambino’s “This Is America” in 2019.
Lamar opened up about being pleased with restoring respect to hip-hop on the Grammys stage and placing rap again on the forefront of tradition.
“When individuals discuss rap, man, the conversations I hear, they suppose it’s simply rap and never an precise artwork type,” he stated. “Once you put information like that on the forefront, it reminds those that that is extra than simply one thing that got here 50 years in the past, kinda like belittle it. So I like to see it get recognition for straight raps.”
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He Nonetheless Watches Skilled Rap Battles
Irrespective of how a lot Lamar elevates in his profession, he’s nonetheless true to his roots. Days earlier than taking the Tremendous Bowl stage, Lamar managed to spotlight his appreciation for battle rapping and spotlighted a number of of his favorites, like shut good friend Daylyt and Murda Mook.
“I really like when artists grit their enamel. I nonetheless watch battle raps,” he stated. “I nonetheless watch Smack URL from Murda Mook to [Loaded] Lux to Tay Roc, my bro Daylyt. This has all the time been the core definition of who I’m.”
