Kendrick Lamar Reflects On “Menace II Society”

    Twenty years ago this month, the film Menace II Society was released and Kendrick Lamar was in his early elementary school years. However, the film was still influential in his life. Recently, Kendrick spoke about his appreciation for Caine in the film and even asked Tyrin Turner, the actor behind the role, about what it was like to portray the character in the movie. 

    “I liked Caine,” Kendrick Lamar shared with MTV’s RapFix recently, while asking Turner his question. “Everybody liked O-Dog. I liked Caine for some reason. So, Caine, being that you are from L.A. I want to ask how easy or hard was it for you to portray the character inside of Menace II Society?”

    Kendrick then continued, sharing that he saw his older cousin in Caine when he was a kid.

    “I look at it as a kid and I still see, you look like my older cousin when he was 17. So, how easy was it for you to portray Caine in Menace II Society?” 

    Turner explained that growing up in South Central Los Angeles gave him a definite advantage with the role. 

    “I grew up in South Central L.A. so I never participated in none of the activities that went on but I had homeboys that sold dope. I had homeboys that drank, smoke or whatever the case may be. So, you see it and you know the demeanor of it,” he shared. “I just knew to pick up on a lot of things that I saw. So it was easy.”

    RapFix was hosted by Sway Calloway. His co-host for the day Consequence also asked Turner a question, his regarding Tupac’s relationship with Jada Pinkett-Smith. 

    “When I seen ‘Pac and Jada together, they seemed like brother and sister. They was wrestling and all kinds of stuff, all in the hallway wrestling,” he noted, saying that Tupac was present during the filming of the movie.

    Kendrick’s question and Tyrin’s answer can be viewed below.

    When Menace II Society was released, it was billed as a true-to-life portrayal of the streets in South Central Los Angeles. Allen and Albert Hughes directed the film and it starred Turner as Caine and Larenz Tate as O-Dog. Jada Pinkett (before adding Smith to her name) played the role of Ronnie. The film was released May 26, 1993. 

    In 2011, Nadine Graham spoke with Kendrick Lamar about Menace II Society’s influence on his life for HipHopDX. In the interview, Lamar shared how he viewed Caine’s role and said he saw himself in Caine. “I always tell people, my lifestyle and my household was like [the character of] Caine when I was little,” he said. “That was me, I had cousins, my moms and pops, smoking, drinking, cussing, gangbanging, shootings outside, type of wild shit. It’s on camera actually. That’s what a lot of people don’t know. I got a lot of footage of that shit coming up.” 

    RELATED: Kendrick Lamar: The West Coast Got Somethin’ To Say

    38 thoughts on “Kendrick Lamar Reflects On “Menace II Society”

    1. That movie was a classic. It’s about time for another movie like that. Checkout thegrandreport, they hot some good stuff and videos on there

    2. What I noticed in Menace after watching it recently was that as crazy as O-Dog was he had Most respect for his elders. Look at the way he stopped himself from cursing when talking to Caine’s granparents in the living room, or apologizing for cursing in front Mr. Butler when he told Keisha to fix Mr. Butler a plate. Those littel details depict the difference between today’s crack baby and yesterday’s killer. In addition to the fact these Internet trolls need to have experienced an o-dog in their neighborhood to have experienced true hip hop. Thats why cats be loose at the tongue on the internet. No Morals no ethics….Streight Up Menace is still a slept on top 10 Hip Hop record of all time

      1. “In addition to the fact these Internet trolls need to have experienced an o-dog in their neighborhood to have experienced true hip hop.”

        the hell is that supposed to mean? what are you talking about?

      2. @ ?: Sorry I just come from a time where you were held accountable for how you speak on this here hip hop culture. 90 % of what you read on the internet loves hip hop but only experienced it watching TV or on the radio. Hip Hop was something you related to for no reason, just growing up in America period. Now with Hip Hop on the net you got people talking out a turn about legends and the culture cats couldn’t talk like that in real Hip Hop time. Yah need to watch & study Menace and see how times was like during a real Hip Hop environment before the internet.

      1. I think Menace II Society is just a whole bunch of shootings with nothing in it; Boyz n the Hood has more meaning.

      2. Menace is a great movie, however Boyz n the Hood encompassed a superior storyline, superb acting, as well as better cinematography and production. It was quite simply a ‘deeper’ movie which explored the topics of gentrification, education, African American family dynamic, as well as that gangsta shit….just my opinion tho……

      1. Nah, Pac wanted to be O-Dog, however the Hughes Brothers cast him as Sharif. Pac didn’t want that part, and hence you have him not participating in the film’s production.

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      1. Its everywhwere, the only thing you can do is stay on your p’s and q’s and not fall victim to the bullshit!!

    4. Kendrick you shouldn’t say you got gang banging an all that on video police be watching on the web for u and everyone them mofos are locking people up for s#@t they did ten years ago bro

    5. My last paycheck was $7500 working 12 hours a week online. My sisters friend has been averaging 11k for months now and she works about 20 hours a week. I can’t believe how easy it was once I tried it out. The potential with this is endless. This is what I do, Rich4.C0M

    6. Notice that when people interview Wayne or Drake they ask about the music they are currently releasing. But with Kendrick they ask about some old ass music. Do you know why that is? It’s because Kendrick’s music is totally irrelevent and no one wants to hear it or about it.

      1. OKAY, WELL EXPLAIN HOW GKMC IS ALMOST PLATINUM THEN. AND DON’T GIVE ME TROLLISH ANSWERS EITHER.

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    8. Hands down, one of the greatest (behind Boyz in tha Hood) of all time! And kendrick was growing up during dem times…and loved it…no surprise….

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