Kendrick Lamar Says He's Competitive With Jay-Z, Nas & Kanye West

With Kendrick Lamar in Europe, the good kid emcee participated in a round table interview. While in France, K. Dot spoke with US Rap News about good kid, m.A.A.d. city being a classic and the competitive nature amongst emcees.

“Classic represents five years, 10 years at a time,” he said when discussing his new album’s “classic” status. “It’s classic worthy right now. It will be a classic. Ain’t nothing missing from it to be a classic. It’s just time that’s missing.”

Lamar also went on to explain the competitive nature that he has as an emcee.

“It’s the competitive nature. We can’t forget that. We can do features with each other. We can rap with each other. But at the end of the day, you gotta want to be the best,” he explained. “I’m definitely competitive with [Black Hippy]. I’m competitive with them. I’m competitive with Jay-Z. I’m competitive with Nas. I’m competitive with Kanye [West]. We’re in the big leagues now. I can’t be looking at them as big homies for the rest of my life.”

DX COMMUNITY

flod mawether

November 11, 2012 | 6:09 AM

Gave the /5

not going to be classic, album is bullshit.. nothing like get rich or die tryin (REAL classic) you cant even call that shit rap.. dre wack

Reply 0

Good Tune

November 11, 2012 | 7:22 AM

I like "Many Men".

5150

November 11, 2012 | 7:18 AM

I Like " Many Men".

November 11, 2012 | 7:15 AM

I like "many men". Its a good tune.

NY-Harlem

November 11, 2012 | 3:08 AM

I also want to put out there that i think section 80 is better. Section 80 Kendrick is going off on that whole Album compared to this Album its just well put together. Now im not saying GKMC is a Classic in the verge of illmatic or the Chronic but its a complete Album. It doesn't have that one song that you want to rewind all day, but each song is so well put together with the whole Album. Section 80 had alot of songs that made me want to rewind them over and over. GKMC i just play it threw not one song over shadows the other song.

Press Play

November 11, 2012 | 4:06 AM

I find myself rewinding "Bitch, dont kill my Vibe" sometimes. Its a good song.

November 11, 2012 | 2:58 AM

I don't need time to tell me whether or not an album is a Classic or not. I know for sure i will be bumping this Album in 5 years or so. Just like other Albums i still listen too. This Album is Classic fuck the bull shit.

Good kid, jimmys label

November 11, 2012 | 3:57 AM

Yeah, GKMC was a good album. I wish they would give Section 80 an Offical cd release, I be bumping that shit all day. I have a burnt copy in my 50 disk changer next to my Dogg Pound "single" new york, new york.

SCHWARZ

November 11, 2012 | 2:20 AM

richtaboo: Looking at these comments I can tell most of you dudes are a bunch of white boys jabbering on about "real hip hop" when your ass lived in Chattanooga or some shit. STFU and enjoy the music always wanna argue about this shit. You cant argue music. Music is subjective. There is no official greatest alive. Someone in this world think Nelly is the greatest rapper, another place they think Nas is another place they think E40 is ITS ALL OPINION. MAYBE IF YOU ALL WERENT SOCIALLY AWKWARD NARCISSIST WHO SPEND YOUR DAYS BICKERING ABOUT THE SAME PLAYED OUT HIP HOP ARGUMENT FROM 15 YEARS AGO THEN YOU'D REALIZE THIS. +++++++++++++ REAL TALK

Book by its cover

November 11, 2012 | 4:23 AM

Harlem gots a point. You probably assume that blacks, arabs, mexicans, Jamaicans, and polocks are not capable of typing proper grammer. Shame on you. :-\

November 11, 2012 | 2:49 AM

Other then the White comments thank you my nigga. I feel like internet geek niggas is fucking up the game. And they come in black also. Its not a white thing. Now im not saying its a suburb thing cause its niggas in my hood(very few) who only fuck with that Club and radio shit.(mainly cause they are club and party niggas) But real shit its no favorite in music. Its all subjective and if you don't realize that you just an idiot. Also i ain't mad at Kendrick comments cause its true. Its just like playing ball, just because you going against Kobe doesn't mean you need to kiss his feet. Real niggas and Real emcees know what im talking about.

Anonymous

November 10, 2012 | 11:44 PM

Ja Rule could bury this nigga

The only nigga this nigga needs to be competitive with is motherfuckin' JA RULE.

richtaboo

November 10, 2012 | 8:45 PM

Looking at these comments I can tell most of you dudes are a bunch of white boysjabbering on about "real hip hop" when your ass lived in Chattanooga or some shit. STFU and enjoy the music always wanna argue about this shit. You cant argue music. Music is subjective. There is no official greatest alive. Someone in this world think Nelly is the greatest rapper, another place they think Nas is another place they think E40 is ITS ALL OPINION. MAYBE IF YOU ALL WERENT SOCIALLY AWKWARD NARCISSIST WHO SPEND YOUR DAYS BICKERING ABOUT THE SAME PLAYED OUT HIP HOP ARGUMENT FROM 15 YEARS AGO THEN YOU'D REALIZE THIS. and Kendrick is right. Its not a classic now and it has "classic potential" he worded it perfectly because between you fanboys and you ignorant critics someone has to use proper wording and logic. In time we will see if it is a classic. Because he can make something 10 times better. And in my opinion I liked Section 80 better because of the shock value of how good Kendrick was in a cesspool of garbage rappers, but this was a great album because it was a 1998 ish album that had a story and had skits. People dont even do skits anymore like that so that was a huge plus and he kept them at the end of the songs so it wasnt a track itself. It was definitely a great hip hop album. Overall album of the year? Nah Frank Ocean got that on lock.

November 11, 2012 | 12:28 AM

I agree with you on some of the stuff, I like GKMC, it is one of the better albums I have heard this year, but like he said a classic needs 10 years to settle in, it is a great album. I don't know if it will be a classic especially if he was going for a 90s theme on it look at what came out in the 90s and ask yourself if you could put GKMC in a 50 disc changer with all the other 90s CDs that came out. the cd is nice, I don't know about classic though.

November 10, 2012 | 9:23 PM

Great album review, but what I think what people are annoyed about is him comparing his album to the ninties classics, already. Anybody thats had a classic in the past really doesnt have to promo it. I understand he wants to be competitive, but do it through your music. There are a few albums this year that will be classics. Funny how the ones that are, the artist doesnt have to push that on me.

November 10, 2012 | 8:36 PM

See that is the difference between a nigga like Kendrick and J.Cole and ASAP and Chief Keef. Those who strive for perfection come closest to it. These are the dudes that will last. There're two different rappers out here. The ones that do it solely for the money and those who do it to become the best and dont mind the money at all. Kendrick and Cole will be here when my kids are listening to it and ASAP and Keef will be memories.

November 11, 2012 | 2:55 AM

I think you sleeping on ASAP rocky my nigga. Each its own. But i see you put J-Cole in the Kendrick Catergory. J-Cole isn't anywhere near Kendricks level. J- Cole is mediocore with Potential. His album was OK. Kendrick Album is way better then Coles Album. I think Asap last Album was better then Coles. But Cole is Aight. As far as the Chief Keef i don't plan on listening to him no time soon. I heard nothing that makes me want to listen to him

Nick08

November 10, 2012 | 9:27 PM

^This is true. People take shit out of context way too much then try to defend themselves thinking they know better than the artist themselves.too damn annoying

November 10, 2012 | 6:59 PM

Shiit, i wish i could check these pages out and not have to deal with some of you fuckers. Everybodies entitled to their own opinion of course but, it's just annoying as fuck when people jump on here and totally bash the artist.In this case Kendrick. I'm not tryin to sound cocky or anything cause i'm not like that at all, but i know good lyrics, good background, good production, and just an overall great atist and great album when i see or hear them. You can disagree with me but do you gotta give off all the hate? Some of you guys have to just chill the fuck out or just stay of the damn page. With that being said this album is "MODERN" Classic worthy right now.

November 10, 2012 | 9:17 PM

^Agreed, that album was great. It's a shame albums like that whether old or new don't get the same recognition as those that don't match up to the same level.

Modern classics

November 10, 2012 | 7:54 PM

..... so is Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music. Two best albums this year.

November 10, 2012 | 6:56 PM

Meek Mill, Wiz Kalif, lil wayne, lil b, mac miller, french montana, rick ross. lol

Load More Comments

Kendrick Lamar Says He's Competitive With Jay-Z, Nas & Kanye West

Subscribe to DX Newsletter

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! You’re Far Too Kind

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! You’re Far Too Kind

DX COMMUNITY

241 Readers Joined the Discussion

flod mawether

Gave the /5

Good Tune

Gave the /5

5150

Gave the /5

5150

Gave the /5

NY-Harlem

Gave the /5

Press Play

Gave the /5

NY-Harlem

Gave the /5

Good kid, jimmys label

Gave the /5

SCHWARZ

Gave the /5

Book by its cover

Gave the /5

NY-Harlem

Gave the /5

Anonymous

Gave the /5

Anonymous

Gave the /5

richtaboo

Gave the /5

Anonymous

Gave the /5

Anonymous

Gave the /5

richtaboo

Gave the /5

NY-Harlem

Gave the /5

Nick08

Gave the /5

Nick08

Gave the /5

Nick08

Gave the /5

Modern classics

Gave the /5

Anonymous

Gave the /5