Kendrick Lamar Praises J. Cole & Reflects On Tupac’s Influence

    With the release of Born Sinner coming up this year, J. Cole has enlisted the help of Kendrick Lamar, who participated in an interview featured on Cole’s site. This K. Dot interview is the second installment of a series produced by Cole. Designed to build anticipation for Born Sinner, Lamar opened up about connecting with Gangsta Rap and having respect for Cole’s work.

    “Me listening to Gangsta Rap coming up was vivid stories of a lifestyle I was seeing every time I went outside,” Lamar explained in the interview. “So, me as a kid, I looked at it as these people is basically writing in journals. I caught that early on. Tupac would be talking about these real deep concepts of a teenage boy being lost. I couldn’t really understand it. I wasn’t a teenager yet. I was still doing back-flips off the rooftop thinking everything is fun. But my older cousin who was 17 would be like, ‘Man, this nigga ‘Pac know exactly what I’m feelin’ right now. I’m a wild lil’ nigga. I can’t control myself.’ So that was a way to make that connection, through older influences.”

    Kendrick also spoke about his respect for Cole, adding that J has “that gift.” 

    “Everybody can rap but only a few get in these positions where they can really speak to a generation of people and have them follow it,” Dot added. “When I listen to people like Cole, it’s that gift. Entertaining can only go so far.”

    More from the interview soundbites can be heard at J. Cole’s Born Sinner site, along with the first installment of these interviews, which featured J’s mother, Kay Cole

    Lamar and Cole have built a strong bond over the years. Exactly a year ago today, it was confirmed that they were working on an album together. Earlier this year, Cole acknowledged that their work together was becoming “mad competitive.” The album is set to feature J. Cole as the primary producer on most of the songs. Cole’s solo album, Born Sinner, is set to be released in June

    RELATED: J. Cole’s Collaborative Album With Kendrick Lamar “Still Happening” 

    76 thoughts on “Kendrick Lamar Praises J. Cole & Reflects On Tupac’s Influence

    1. not a big fan of kendrick but the album he released was one of the best albums I have ever heard

      1. If he released the best albums you ever heard then why aren’t you a fan yet?

        SMH, fucking clowns these days don’t know wtf they saying

      2. @trims- that doesnt even make sense. you dont like him but his only major studio album is one of the best you ever heard?.. not only that listen 2 his interviews hes one of the most humbling and appreciative artists in the game.. nothign but respect for him

      1. 2pac is M.O.R.E. Most Overrated Rapper Ever because he is dead does not mean he is the best. There are easily 10 rappers i can named that are better:

        Nas
        Rakim
        Biggie
        Big L
        Big Pun
        Kool G Rap
        JayZ
        Big daddy Kane
        KRS One
        Scarface

    2. For those who complained YMCMB is only signing artists for tax writeoffs, PJ morton from YMCMB released his new album today. It’s at no. 1 on itunes. PJ said that YMCMB is a serious label who supports their vision so that’s proof you are wrong haters and I am right.

      1. i give PJ BJ’s and guzzle gasm goo by the gallons and spit it out on my tax forms and because of my dentaldam i don’t swallow a drop! YMCMBs! we got the game by pecker!

      2. Everything you say is bullshit. PJ Morton’s album is not #1 on ITunes; it’s not even on ITunes’ chart. What PJ said was lies. YMCMB are pop pussies who don’t take their artists seriously, so you’re wrong.

      3. it amazes me how ppl fall for this troll shit. U know what dentaldamboy is alright man are ppl retarded

    3. Guci Mane realest rapper outthere:

      – this nigga throws bitches out his car
      – shoot niggas dead
      – beat niggas up.

      Gucci aint no fantasy nigga like:

      – mobb deep,
      – nas escobar lol nigga only had a ticket for parking his car wrong
      – 2pac never gangbanged
      – rick ross

      1. Ja Rule more REAL than him so your argument is invalid.

        Plus Ja had a 3 way with BEYONCE and BABY BLUE

    4. That Cole-Kendrick album gonna kill the game, believe that!

      PLUS: TMZ reports that JA RULE had a 3 way with BEYONCE and BABY BLUE after he was released from prison!

    5. Kendrick is that nigga right now. Y’all should checkout thegrandreport, they usually have some good reads and videos on there

    6. Both great artist who people can relate their music to their lives. Artist should support other good artist. This is what @OOGEEWOOGEE is all about, check us out…

      OOGEEWOOGEE.COM

    7. Both of these dudes suck.Weak flow and delivery.Cole and Kdot gotta be the most overrated MCs in the history of HipHop.Can I at least get a Phony Ppl,Kevin Gates,NRk – Nobody Really Knows,or Nesby Phipps feature?Oh yeah I know payola is in full effect.

      1. THANK YOU!!!!! thats what I was just about to write how Kendrick Lamar is extremely overatted I don’t like anything I’ve heard by him to be honest his cartoon flow is terrible the only song I didn’t mind was swimming pools and thats for the hook but come on everyone shits on the Game with some for good reason but I heard both these albums and I listen to Jesus Piece waaay more.

      2. like I said on a different thread..Kendrick sounds soo good nowadays because there are sooo many WACK rappers with no skills. So this one dude comes out with decent skills and BLAM! He’s the next Nas!…Kendrick is AVERAGE at best. Shit, I think WIZ is better than Kendrick.

      3. ^ AGREE! these 3 are the dumbest smart people ever. act like what their sayin is a fact. if u think wiz is better than kdot kill yourself. if you dont think kdot is nice rapper and story teller, again kill youself

      4. I dont know shit because I dont listen to these cats?Why are you 22 year old virgins angry that someone doesnt like your heroes.Its called having an opinion ASS CLOWNS!!Butt hurt faggots

    8. and that’s why all these new rappers suck! They all wanna be like Tupac…WACK! How about trying to be like KRS, Biggie, Pun, Cube! MC’s who actually had/have skills.

      1. Right. You must be under 21, lack music education and/or deprived of real music SMH. And who said he was trying to be LIKE ‘Pac??? Dumb a$$. 2Pac influenced a lot of people–especially on the west coast. And you’re talking about mostly east coast rappers LOL. If you grew up in Compton I doubt Biggie or Pun (why???) would be at top of your list.

        New rappers suck because of clowns like Gucci, soulja BOY, Keef and the list goes on.

      2. @ Macdre – Yeah ok. What are you listening to? Open up your ears!!

        @Gemini- Im from LA, born & Raised in LA been Hip Hop since you were in your dads nut sack youngin’! Nothing special about Pac. People should get off his nuts already! Only people who dont know much about Hip Hop say that Pac was the best. Why Biggie or Pun? Because Biggie would have tore pac apart if they BATTLED. Pac had NO skills, Biggie was a TRUE MC…And how good Biggie was, PUN was even better. Probably the best at Wordplay EVER! Everyone always talks about how Pac was so emotional. Have they ever heard of Ghostface or Scarface. Bishop……aaahhh I mean Pac was just a loud mouth actor who continued playing the role of Bishop after Juice finished filming.

      3. 1. Pac was born in NYC, Harlem to be exact not the West morons.
        2. I’m getting tired of 2Pac stans (worse than Wayne stans) he was aight (to some GOAT to some no). shit niggas getting butthurt cause not everyone worships that dude. PPl getting butthurt over that shit.

      1. Good joke. Drake is not better than Kendrick and he’s not #1 of the new school; that goes to Kendrick.

      2. HAHA are you shitting with me? Drake is a poser. Just cause he has bigger sales doesn’t mean he’s better. What makes Drake good? I can’t think of anything. Kendrick is number one, period.

    9. You must be under 21, lack music education and/or deprived of real music SMH. And who said he was trying to be LIKE ‘Pac??? Dumb a$$. 2Pac influenced a lot of people–especially on the west coast. And you’re talking about mostly east coast rappers LOL. If you grew up in Compton I doubt Biggie or Pun (why???) would be at top of your list.

      New rappers suck because of clowns like Gucci, soulja BOY, Keef and the list goes on.

      1. get some air dude. new rappers suck because of the idiot fans who let the labels/radio dictate the next ‘flavor of the month’

    10. you ass hole son of a witch jumped rite threw the cars took the pisser out the window threw the son of a dick.mother shitters.

    11. look its tom cruz uhuhuhuhuhhuh hey why is he jumping on our couch lets kick it ass uhuhhhuhuhuhhuh

    12. This goes to show how PATHETIC J. Cole is. This maggot is paying Kendrick Lamar to hype up Born Sinner. Cole knows that he can’t get a buzz going. Oh yeah, and ONLY rappers who worship Drake, like BoB and J Cole work with Miguel.

      1. Everything you say is bullshit. Cole already has a buzz, since his Power Trip single is in the Top 20; he didn’t need Kendrick to hype up Born Sinner since it already has a buzz. That last sentence you said was bullshit.

      2. “ONLY rappers who worship Drake, like BoB and J Cole work with Miguel” How dumb can you get? K-dot just did a remix with Miguel of How Many Drinks.

      3. THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. IF YOU GET OFFENDED BY DENTALDAMBOY AND/OR YESSIR YOU ARE A FUCKING IDIOT. DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS. DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS. FUCK YA!

      1. You’re joking, right? YMCMB/MMG don’t run shit and they suck. Kendrick and Cole are the leaders of the new school.

    13. “Good joke. Drake is not better than Kendrick and he’s not #1 of the new school; that goes to Kendrick”

      Take Care sold 2 million. Kendrick hasn’t even sold 1 million. He’s clearly #2.

      1. so under your logic 50 Cent is better (than BIG, 2Pac)
        Vanilla Ice is top 5 too
        FUck SALES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
        plz be trolling

      2. Drake is still not #1. He’s another pop rapper. Kendrick is still #1 because he got better music.

    14. Last time I checked Vanilla Ice sold 17 million albums. Kendrick hasn’t even sold 1 million. The logic here is simple. You can’t be #1 if your sales can’t back you up. Only a pussy would cheer for someone whose sales, while impressive, aren’t outselling others who have the same chances to sell in the same shitty market.

      1. Last time I checked, Vanilla Ice is irrelevant while Kendrick is. Kendrick already sold a million. Sales doesn’t automatically make you the best. He’s already outselling 99% of the rappers out now.

    15. all yall swaggots motherfuckers hating on pac SUCK MY DICK pac is the greatest of all time and fuck the new school fuck drake fuck wayne fuck ross and all of these fake ass motherfuckers

    16. Ya’ll couldn’t be any dumber. Anyone that actually believes that sales and talent go hand in hand is smoking straight rocks. Those who sell the most albums are those who can appeal to widest audience, aka the sell outs of our industry. A lot of rappers will even turn down really huge record deals to stay on their own grind because they know how whack their music will be if they do so…I don’t care how many albums drake sells, if you’re gonna tell me he’s a better RAPPER than kendrick, I’m gonna just assume you have no clue what you’re talking about.

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