fire photo shoot

S: Can I ask you a hypermasculine question? You can also tell me to shut the f*** up. What does “Not Like Us” mean to you?

KL: Laughing Not like us? Not like us is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent. Now, if you identify with the man that I represent …

S: Break the man down for me.

KL: This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering.

He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes and not be afraid to share the mistakes and can dig deep down into fear-based ideologies or experiences to be able to express them without feeling like he’s less of a man.

If I’m thinking of “Not Like Us,” I’m thinking of me and whoever identifies with that.

S: Now, can I say something else in that realm, or you want me to get away from that? Can I ask you something else?

KL: Is it mean?

S: Nooooo! It’s more so like, I thought it was really interesting that there was any consensus at all that you might be an angry individual.

For me, I don’t find that any energy that comes from you comes from an angry place. And actually, the last hour and change pretty much solidifies that it’s almost from a yogic, monklike place. So when you feel the surge of energy in records like that, where is that root? Is it anger?

KL: I don’t believe I’m an angry person. But I do believe in love and war, and I believe they both need to exist. And my awareness of that allows me to react to things but not identify with them as who I am. Just allowing them to exist and allowing them to flow through me. That’s what I believe.

S: I’m gonna quit while I’m ahead, before I say something crazy.

“I wanna MEET people SMARTER than ME. I wanna TALK to THEM. I want them to SHOW ME things. I just wanna be FULFILLED with whatever this WORLD has to OFFER.”
KL: Okay. Now let me see what’s going on with you, man. What I’ve always loved about you and respected about you is your ability to fully express yourself. How have you been able to navigate that through your music? Do you dread it coming out through certain lyrics?

S: I wrote a song last summer that was too honest, and I couldn’t put it out. I just be telling on myself so crazy and I can’t stop. It’s like I have to tell on myself so I’m not bored. Because otherwise, I’m just like, what’s the point?

When I’m in the studio, it hurts too much sometimes. Maybe that’s why I tap in and pretend to be other people. That’s why I’m pretending to be you or pretending to be Frank Ocean or pretending to be Future, because it’s easy. It’s easier to be me through their eyes than it is to sit with some of the really harsh things that I say about myself to myself. I guess I want to say nicer things about myself. So I’m like, I guess I shouldn’t look through my eyes. I should look through somebody else’s.

But when I heard Mr. Morale, I was like, “I’m not digging deep enough in my art. I’m running from so many things.” So now I’m in my bag, I’m like, “Okay, I’m codependent. I’m a people pleaser. I’m afraid of all these things. I’m so f***ing selfish.” All these things I tell myself because I have to, to strip the ego from the bottom. I have to because I’m bored to death with this iteration of myself.

Why am I trying to not be human so bad? Because it hurts so damn bad. But that is the job. No matter how many spirits you talk to or any of that. It just doesn’t matter. You have to be here. You’re going to be in the ether eventually. It’s just not now.

KL: That’s what I’m talking about. I appreciate you.

S: I am laughing at myself for crying. But thank you. I appreciate you too.

KL: I’m proud of you. I’m not only proud of your artistry, I’m proud of you in the sense of carrying and respecting who you are and being able to go through emotions and aware of it and say, “Okay, this is me. I can either grow from it or I can put it away and come back to it.” That’s what I get from you. I think you got a good sense of it. Just knocking out the fear of it all.

S: I gotta do what you’re doing. Your philosophy of “When it gets too hot, that’s when you gotta go, like, closer—closer through it, all the way through, until your shins is burning.” I wanna take it there.

He needs to get back to his Damn era look, this new haircut not fitting him well tbh

It’s more than a little surreal to have Lamar, the closest thing this era of hip-hop has to a truth teller

Stopped reading right there!

is this a real quote?

S: What do you think of the Diddy situation?

KL: Free the homie foreal

What is bruh on

He got better fashion sense now but his hair and s*** looked better in DAMN era.

(Pauseh

Real

S: What do you think of the R Kelly controversy?
K: that‘s also my dawg man

?

I honestly stopped reading after I saw that. Disgusted

super cool interview

KL: Israel has a right to defend herself

Need sza on the album tho

S: What have you been into lately? What’s inspired you as you work on your new album?

KL: Lots of things, man. Off top, I’ve been tapped into Talk Tuah almost daily.
Interesting

nigga said the last time he cried was Mother I Sober two years ago c'mon Kenny

edit: now i'm confused cause he said the first time he cried was that "passing of the torch" in 2011. so maybe he means publicly...

Kendrick respects pronouns and gender he wouldn't call SZA a man.

Great interview all around. From this personally I dont get the idea he takes Not Like Us as literal or serious as his fans. He was always poking fun that Drake is not a man of character and that he is willing to groom and not a literal pedophile. People can take it however they want though. Wish he was asked about Euphoria though

Kendrick is always much better than many of his fans and reminds me why I am a fan of him regardless of the fandom because he is human. He has practices like running in the morning which I share. He is humble even if on songs he has to big up it more.

Oh yeah I forgot no one going to read and discuss because this site cant read

It’s funny. I was asking myself that this morning. I get fulfilled sharing my experiences with the youth and allowing them to hear these stories and hear these experiences and catch up to them. So to actually answer your question, it’s communication just with people in general. And I feel my work in music is just the start.
I don’t think it’s my end goal. I know it’s not my end goal. Music is just a vessel to get me there.

KENDRICK 4 MAYOR

Zack rn