Kendrick Lamar: Unusually Polite and Out to Murder Rappers

Kendrick Lamar‘s highly anticipated G.K.M.C.-follow up is set to release later this year, and it seems as if the Compton native has spent every waking moment over the last few months balancing the new project with live shows, tours and controversial feature verses. In a recent interview with The New York Times, writer Lizzy Goodman shares a rare look at the man behind the artistry, and in the long and lengthy article epitomises the juxtaposition that is Lamar’s personality: an “unusually polite” rapper that can be described as a “mellow, cerebral guy, a monk reincarnated as a young rap star,” yet who insists that aggression is essential for hip-hop to move forward.

“If my edge is dull, my sword is dull, and I don’t want to fight another guy whose sword is dull … If you’ve got two steel swords going back and forth hitting each other, what’s gonna happen? Both of them are going to get sharper … Everybody that’s in the industry has lost their edge, there’s really no aggression. You gotta say things particular, and everything is so soft”

Covering everything from his controversial verse on Big Sean‘s “Control” (in which Lamar shouts out the likes of Drake, Pusha T and more before noting “I’m trying to murder you”) to Kendrick’s humble and head-down response to the backlash surrounding Macklemore and Ryan Lewis‘ rap wins at the GRAMMY Awards, the article also sheds light on Kendrick’s standing within the industry, talking to the likes of Pharrell and Eminem for their thoughts on the artist.

“There’s a certain hunger that you can sense about Kendrick, He raps to be the best rapper in the world. He competitive-raps. That’s one of the things that’s going to drive his career. He’s going to be around for a long time.”  – Eminem

“He’s a singer-songwriter, You can just see the kid’s mind like a kaleidoscope over a beat.” – Pharrell

It all starts with Lamar quietly noting, “As a kid, I used to stutter.”

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