MTV has unveiled part two of Kendrick Lamar‘s introspective interview with Hip Hop news editor, Rob Markman.
Within the second installment, which was also shot in downtown NYC, Markman continues to inquire about the content on Lamar’s latest album, To Pimp A Butterfly.
K. Dot breaks down “u”, “i”, “How Much A Dollar Cost?” and “Alright” while willingly sharing each song’s origin.
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“My release therapy is writing music,” Lamar says to Markman, before explaining the depth within the song “u”.
“u” begins with Kendrick shrieking multiple times over a piano-laced production. It was meant to serve as the antithesis to “i”, an upbeat, positive anthem on the album. Both tracks reveal different sides and emotions Kendrick has dealt with.
“I said to myself, I couldn’t have this album without this record [“u”]” Kendrick says. “The overall theme, for me personally, for this album is really leadership. How can I use it for better or for worse? With money and with my celebrity, how can I use it? How can I pimp it? Can I pimp it negatively or can I pimp it in a positive way? Positive for me, is showing what I go through with “u” and how I bring it back with “i” and saying ‘I still love myself at the end of the day.'”
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“It was vital that I had that on there,” Kendrick continues.
Later, Lamar admits to having “survivors guilt” since he has ascended out of his rough, Compton, California neighborhood.
Most of these feelings and thoughts, he says, have happened while he was on tour. He details having to get off stage and “face the madness.”
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“Three of my homeboys were murdered that Summer,” Lamar says. “These were people that I grew up with. Pyschologically, it messes up your brain.”
“You put a lot of pressure on yourself,” Markman suggests.
“A lot,” Kendrick replies. “It’s how I was raised and how I was born.”
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The tracks “Alright” and “How Much A Dollar Cost?” were both inspired by Kendrick’s trip to South Africa.
On “Alright”, Kendrick chants “We gon’ be alright” numerous times throughout the song. He says that sentiment spawned from witnessing other people’s problems in the country.
“They struggle ten times harder and was raised crazier than what I was,” Kendrick says. “Going out there really inspired me. I wrote a lot of records out there. Just going to South Africa and being able to move around out there like I did. That was a turning point.”
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As for, “How Much A Dollar Cost?” Kendrick says it’s a “true story” about an encounter that took place in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“It blew my mind,” he says. “These are moments. It’s more than just handing somebody a dollar. Me talking to him, was simply a thank you from god. I felt God speaking through him to me.”
Watch the full interview below:
For more Kendrick Lamar coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
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