Kendrick Lamar Interviews N.W.A
A historic exchange between generations of Compton rappers.
Important to note that while we celebrate N.W.A’s pivotal role of new storytelling in modern hip-hop, they weren’t always perceived as such. In 1988, it was much easier to frame the Compton-based group as perpetuators of violence than role models, per se. That rhetoric is antiquated now to say the least, even more so in light of the forthcoming biopic Straight Outta Compton. Who better to underline this point than next-generation artist Kendrick Lamar, who represents the second wave of a hip-hop movement that Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, DJ Yella, and the late Eazy-E established over 30 years ago. In an exclusive new interview for Billboard, K-Dot gets the opportunity to talk with the surviving members of N.W.A, which in typical Kendrick fashion – is classically insightful, relatable and profound.
