Kendrick Lamar has revealed the biggest “misconception” about himself in a rare (and somewhat random) interview with actor Timothée Chalamet.
The two superstars sat down for a conversation ahead of Kendrick’s historic Super Bowl halftime show this weekend, and spoke about their respective approaches to their crafts.
A short video of the insightful chat, released on Friday (February 7), found the Compton rapper opening up about his creative process in the studio.
“That’s probably one of the biggest misconceptions about me as an artist. I’m always locked in and I’m always trying new things. Now, whether or not I like them [laughs] is a whole other conversation,” he said while cruising with Chalamet in a 1987 Buick Grand National, which he named his latest album, GNX, after.
“But I have to keep the pen moving. It’s my form of sanity. And it also has given me the opportunity to learn myself — you know, find out who I am. Because when you write, you have to sit and go through the emotions and be vulnerable about it, whether it’s a fun song or a sad song or it got some type of depth.
“This is your personality pushing through. And so a lot of these records I write, it’s stuff I probably would never express or even know about myself if it wasn’t for an instrumental behind it.”
Kendrick also spoke about his love for GNX cut “Man at the Garden,” calling it the “easiest” song he has written.
“With my projects, there’s always that one record that I want everyone to hear in order to push the narrative and the message and the tone that I want to get across,” he explained. “That’s why I like ‘Man at the Garden.’ Even the fact that it’s at the top of the record.”
He added: “I mean every word on that muthafucka, man. That’s probably the easiest record to write. I figured out who I am in this present moment.”
Kendrick Lamar and Timothée Chalamet’s exclusive interview ahead of #AppleMusicHalftime. #SBLIX@KendrickLamar @pglang @AppleMusic pic.twitter.com/F1SQniZdgm
— NFL (@NFL) February 7, 2025
Kendrick Lamar’s chat with the A Complete Unknown star is his second interview in the run up to the Super Bowl and only his third since his long-simmering feud with Drake boiled over last year.
On Thursday (February 6), he sat down with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden and Nadeska Alexis for a more in-depth conversation about his epic output in 2024 and his upcoming halftime show, among other topics.
Asked what fans can expect from his performance at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome on Sunday (February 9), K.Dot replied: “Storytelling. I think I’ve always been very open about storytelling through all my catalog, and I’ve always had a passion about bringing that on whatever stage I’m on — whether it’s a tour or a 500-people club.
“I like to always carry on that sense of making people listen, but also think a little.”
He added: “I love being present. It’s very hard for me to live in the past. I respect the past wholeheartedly, but being in the now and being locked into how I feel and the energy I have now, that’s the L.A. energy for me,” he said. “That’s something that I want to carry over to New Orleans and for the world to see.
“This is me, this is Kendrick Lamar, 37 years old, and I still feel like I’m elevating, I’m still on a journey. I want that energy to ooze out of the televisions and to the people that are in the building.”
As for his blitzkrieg of Drake diss songs and victory lap of an album, GNX, Lamar revealed that he was driven by the desire to inject some “grit” back into the rap game.
“My intent, from day one, was to always keep the nature of [Hip Hop] as a sport. I don’t care how muthafuckas look at it as far as a collaborative effort. That’s cool, too, but I love when artists grit their teeth,” he said.
“I still watch battle raps, I still watch Smack/URL, from Murda Mook to [Loaded] Lux to Tay Roc to my bro Daylyt. This has always been the core definition of who I am. I don’t think it was a thing for this year; I think it was just a continuation [of what I’ve been doing].”
why is mr they not like us doing interviews with white hollywood actors? no brothers available?
Man shut yo bitch ass up! This Kendick niqqa probably thee single most boring dude in rap! A whole ass F@G🥒💦
Mofo is the phoniest person to get on in a minute. He’ll be on that cube shit in 2046 where he’s riding around with white supremacists through the hood. I peeped he was fake pro black when he said that shit about Mike Brown.
@ brotha man Yeah, they’re both posers and actors so it does make perfect sense in that way. To be fair though lol, Kendrick is better at rapping then Chalamet is at acting but that’s not saying much.
They’re both Drake dick riders so just ignore them. They’ll die from AIDs eventually anyways.
I’m a f8ggot that loves Drake’s 🥒😜
That he makes good music.
“I started out a bottom cuz I’m Qu33r 🏳️🌈”
My fellow homos, unite to fight against those who hate our boy and savior, Drake. We must fight for our right….to be penetrated.
So… the misconception about Kendrick is that he tries different styles? There’s no misconception. Thats why only certain types like current Kendrick, other like 09-12 Kendrick. He never stayed consistent with a sound for long. I wish he stuck with the sound from 09-12, it was golden. But he’s just being pretentious and sanctimonious, nobody would argue that kendrick isn’t often switching his sound up.