In the last month, Compton, California emcee Kendrick Lamar is one of the newer acts acknowledged by Dr. Dre, as the iconic Rap figure finishes up his third solo album, Detox. Hard Knock TV recently caught up with Lamar to get his reaction. “Me coming up in Compton, that was a motherfuckin’ god,” began the Top Dawg emcee. “Seein’ him at Compton Swap Meet with [Tupac] in a Bentley, shootin’ ‘California Love’,” is one of the young rapper’s hometown memories.
“It was a fuckin’ honor,” said Lamar of the first time he learned Dre was aware of him, when the Aftermath Entertainment founder called Los Angeles’ Power 106 morning show for an impromptu interview. The pair was in the studio together within the next week. Kendrick says, “It was a memorable moment.”
Hard Knock also asked him about the likelihood of joining Aftermath, which presently includes Eminem, Game and Slim da Mobster, among others. “It’s definitely in talks, in the works. He sat down with me and said he’d definitely like to work with me, hands on, Aftermath,” said Lamar. “We’ll see how it pans out in the end.” With Top Dawg’s other act, DXnext alum Jay Rock presently at Tech N9ne’s Strange Music, Lamar says that doing business with Dre would fulfill a dream. “That’s the ideal look: to be with Dre. I’m from Compton, he’s from Compton.”
