Kendrick Lamar names his favorite Rap music of 2015 during an interview with The New York Times.

“Of course Future killed it,” Kendrick Lamar says. “He smashed. Drake smashed. Future’s work ethic was crazy, his energy. This is the thing about Hip Hop music and where people get it most misconstrued: It’s all Hip Hop. You can’t say that just what I do is Hip Hop, because Hip Hop is all energies. James Brown can get on the track and mumble all day. But guess what: You felt his soul on those records.”

During the interview, the TDE rapper also discusses the impact his “Alright” single has had and pinpoints the time when he realized it was becoming an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement.

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“When I’d go in certain parts of the world, and they were singing it in the streets,” he says. “When it’s outside of the concerts, then you know it’s a little bit more deep-rooted than just a song. It’s more than just a piece of a record. It’s something that people live by — your words.”

The Compton, California artist also says he expected the song to connect with listeners given its simple “We gon’ be alright” refrain.

“It’s a chant of hope and feeling,” Kendrick Lamar says. “I credit that to Pharrell, for being able to present an arrangement and to inspire me to do a record like that. Immediately, I knew the potential.”

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