After setting foot on stage during one of his most recent European tour stops, Kendrick Lamar sat down with London-based media group R&R Productions to discuss his show preparation, early success and writing process.
“I make sure the energy is right,” Lamar said when asked about how he prepares for a show. “Knowing that I’m going on the stage and I’m about to have fun. You know, they see me enjoy myself; they are going to enjoy themselves.”
In the episode of An Evening With Kendrick Lamar, R&R Productions also included concert footage, which shows the crowd singing along as Kendrick points the microphone in their direction.
“Right there, it makes them feel like they are a part of it,” Kendrick Lamar says. “They’re showing me they know the words that they’ve been rocking with me since day one. And in response to that, I tell them that I appreciate them for listening to me since day one, for knowing these tough-ass verses that are hard to remember, but y’all know them.”
One of the songs performed in the video is “P&P 1.5,” a single from his highly-acclaimed mixtape, Overly Dedicated. Distributed through Top Dawg Entertainment, Overly Dedicated was released to digital retailers and was later made available as a free upload. Even as a free upload, the project entered the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, peaking at #72.
“I wouldn’t be here without people who’ve been supporting Section.80 or OD,” Kendrick Lamar said. “That’s what got me the advantage to do what I want to do on my major debut for the major label. I didn’t get signed to a major label with the people that was in the building…My fans allowed me to go in there and do what I want on good kid, m.A.A.d city just for the simple fact that there was such a success before I was signed.”
The 26-year-old emcee’s first independent album, Section.80, landed on the Billboard’s Top 200 chart its first week of release and peaked at #113. “Section.80 was such a success,” Kendrick Lamar says. “I wouldn’t have signed my major situation without a lot of creative control and I owe that to my fans.”
According to concert tracking site Songkick.com, the West Coast native has performed more than 100 times in 2013. Starting October 19, Lamar is slated be on the Yeezus tour with Kanye West. The first show is scheduled to take place at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.
“I haven’t been in the studio, but I got a lot of journals,” Kendrick Lamar says. “Writing in the studio? Eh, I’m more of an on-the-go type writer. I like to be where I’m at and write.”
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anyone better than this guy or nah? prob nah
Yea King Pussssh !! My name is my name in stores now !!!
Pusha t got shat on in nosestaliga so no he ain’t better than k.dot is,no one is atm tbh.
pusha isnt better. theres only so many cocaine tales one can listen to
the audience of pushas music kno hes telling the truth! reality in street music pusha t brings that plus he can switch it up so….
yeh big fan of pusha but he ain’t playing in the same league as kendrick, not yet
not ever he 36 he’s already peaked.
pusha been rapping for like 15+ years he aint been in the streets since the shiny suit era
album was near perfect. most albums today are so trash with 2 dozen features from anyone and everyone whos currently hot… same 15 artists on just about every major label release….
illmatic was near perfect
simple beats with BARS
maddcity was industry trash
^stupid ass hip hop fundamentalist stuck in the golden age
^ be nicer to us old people, we like what we like. it took me, a golden age head, a few listens to get into kendrick’s record… just like it took me a few to understand what 50 did on “get rich.” truth is, the INDUSTRY is part of hip-hop now.
even though i’m still not the /biggest/ fan of some of the production on good kid, you have to be pretty stubborn to not feel what kendrick accomplished. there’s so much engagement with black history in this record it’s ridiculous, but you have to /LISTEN/ with open ears.
c’mon, any kid who would position himself *between* pirus and crips and say that he’d be a victim of *both* for what he’s saying?! and then to have MC eiht on a track with the loop from cube’s “my summer vacation?” kendrick knows his history… and he knows the biz… and i HOPE he’s getting a sense of seeing the future.
My one bit of 1000% unsolicited advice would be to not make any more videos until he can get the budget and time to make the FILM he wants to… and by this I don’t mean some trash pseudo bio flick to make money off of hollywood… i mean actually taking the time to VISUALIZE his lyrics.
I bought it this morning tbh
hopefully his next album is on the same level as gkmc/s80
isn’t his next album supposed to be produced by Dj Quik ?
no
Kendrick and Nipsey gotta hold down the west coast. Games a hoe he signed to cash money now hes label mates with Paris Hilton!
lol nipsey aint shit
shits trash
the album sucks
there a reason they compared it to illmatic
the difference between albums is huge
great rapper hiiipower my favorite song , but cant listen to his album
waiting for his project with cole to make my final decision
if its sounds mainly like the jig is up , hiipower , the recipe
and friday night lights
i want him to have a constant beef with drake
like game and 50
new tupac
nah
More like the new Rick James.
No, that’s Gunplay.
Gunplay is da REALEST
the best album I have heard these last 3 years
Amazing album. When I listen to it, it was more than music, it was a story of a person just like me with dreams, fear, dangers, trouble, happiness, adolescence and maturity. He stayed true to his roots he kept it original but different. God bless Kendrick Lamar and hip hop.
the only classic of this decade with MBDTF
GKMC is better than MBDTF
hip hop lives underground \ mainstream garbage
kendrick wasted his talent
his album should of beeen like eminem show
agree, best album (mainstream and underground); I’d say that it goes like this:
1. gkmc
2. mbdtf
3. rap music
yep, it’s definitely top 2 of the last 4 years
Other albums since 2010 that have not been mentioned that were:
Nas-LIG
Bun B-Trill-og
Big KRIT-Live from the Underground
I havent heard an album like this in a GOOD minute. I will actually purchase this rather than download it. If hip hop artist pumped out more stuff like this, labels could move units like it was ’98.
classic album! THIS IS HIP-HOP, play your rap somewhere else
One thing I liked about the production of this album is that the beats are different from current hip hop albums and it sounded like all the producers were on the same page. It almosts seems as if the whole album was produced by one person. That’s how smoothly the album flows. Great Album Kendrick.
thought he was overrated but I gave his album a listen and holy shit… One of the best Album I ever heard!! Point Blank!!
I’m happy to see his album on every “best albums of all time” lists, he deserves it
This album will go down as one of the best albums of all time for any genre just like Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Ready to Die and the other rap albums that are considered the best of all time. When those albums came out we didn’t understand how great they because were very young at the time. Now we have a chance to witness a classic and a legend in the making. The storytelling is amazing. It’s like a movie. You can’t just listen to a couple of songs or skip through. You have to listen straight through from beginning to end.
Paid in Full, 36 Chambers, and Long Live the Kane are better than Reasonable Doubt for sure, and Ready to Die falls right after those three if anything, The Low End Theory is also mad underrated, and of course, ATLiens, etc, GKMC is a great album, I can give you that much, but don’t go around saying Reasonable Doubt is actually better than Paid in Full.
He never said Reasonable Doubt was better than Paid in Full, you 45 chromosome carrying inbred. He said it would go down as one of the best albums of all time, and he listed a few. Man people have no reading comprehension whatsoever these days!
and this is why I believe hip hop is dead, you have assholes like these two spewing shit
lol@ any one who thinks reasonable doubt is an all time great.
IT IS
he’ll be remembered, that’s for sure
til I looked at the receipt which was of $4812, I accept …that…my sister woz actualey erning money parttime on-line.. there dads buddy started doing this for less than nine months and recently repayed the morgage on their villa and bought Mercedes-Benz S-class. check out the post right here http://smarturl.it/bhtmj6
Drake fears Kendrick.
No. Drake conquered Kendrick. His sales are going through the roof while Kendrick can’t even outsell Vanilla Ice Jr.
yeah it’s true, drake is more popular but he’ll never be as respected as kednrick because drake is still trying to make a classic while kendrick is already sitting on a classic
we all know that Kendrick >>>>>>>>> drake, no need to talk about it again
But who’s calling who out? You cant fear somebody in the rap game that only has 1 album out
2.
Ja Rule killed 50s career, he about to kill Kendricks career next. #FUCKFAME #CAREERKILLA #RULEYORK
all u talk is shit
no wonder the industry doesnt give a fuck about us
2Pac They Don’t Give A Fuck About Us
this is the new king
he is killing it right now, can’t lie
hip hop needed him tbh, and I ain’t even a fan.
I havent heard an album like this in a GOOD minute. I will actually purchase this rather than download it. If hip hop artist pumped out more stuff like this, labels could move units like it was ’98…
I agree that Ruth`s comment is really great… on tuesday I got Cadillac after having made $8033 this-past/month and even more than $10k lass-month. this is certainly the nicest-work I’ve had. I began this 10-months ago and practically straight away started earning minimum $84 per/hr. informative post —> http://x.co/2YVGB
fantastic album, he deserves that grammy
so sick of hearing about this fool, big krit would lyrically murder him!
shut up pasty sheltered faggot
“pasty sheltered faggot”
UMAD BRO?
big krit is not good enough to rap with kendrick. and I don’t even like kendrick like that
krit is average, don’t comapre him to a complete and complex mcee like kendrick lol.
with that said, kendrick is still not fucking with lupe lyrically butthey’re the 2 best followed by ab soul
they got us big krit
GKMC has zero replay value. this dude fucking sucks
kendrick looks like a monkey with those ears on.
You probably look like a retarded gorilla.
yuo a disgrce to hiphop fans ngga u put hate ahead of hiphop n dat aint dope….
GKMC was a good first album wasn’t the album of that year in my opinion T.I’s album was better as far as a rap album goes
fantastic album, one of the best I have heard in my life
he’ll win that grammy, he had the best rap album of 2012 and it hasn’t been topped yet.
glad to see that album on every “best albums of all time” list because it’s well deserved.
I don’t even like kendrick like that but it’s sad that gkmc was the only great album of the last 3 years…
This album is ahead of its time. Perfection from start to finish.
The best hip-hop debut since Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor.
its crazy, it msut be my most played album of all time… or my second msopt played album after doggystyle
That 2 instant classic point blank
Kendrick Lamar: Single handedly bringing the REAL Hip-Hop back!
no he not he one of them to
jon connor a realer emcee
jon connor is dope (though i liked his earlier stuff more than his later) but you think he doesn’t want to be working at the same level of freedom that kendrick is?
you think jon connor, if given the studio time and $$$, wouldn’t put out an audio movie like kendrick did?
kids today, stuck on whatever made them feel good 20 seconds ago.
get offa my lawn!
Pac died at 25. Kendrick starts to carry the throne at 25 should be some good years to come
props for that classic album kdot
The only thing he’s carrying is Drake’s luggage to the airport.
Nope. That’s those OVO tax write-offs carrying his luggage.
Definitely well deserved. I think Kendrick just fucked the industry up with this one. It’s more like a chapter in the autobiography of Compton.
I need to buy that album, I heard it 2 days ago and I must admit that I became a fan, most impressive album I have heard since The Cool, all genre.
the cool?? that album is way better than madcity
little weapon kills his whole album
same with “The Coolest”
cant stand mainstream fans
this music gone
Dr. Dre’s Rappers Always Go Classic…..Eminem, 50 Cent,The Game, And Now Kendrick Lamar. He is so lyrical…. He Is Already Killing The Rap Game With This Album…….God Damn He Is Going To Murder It With More Of His UP Coming Albums They are All Going To Rate XXl….
This Is The Best Album I Bought This Year!!!!!!!!!!
Looks like Aftermath got another classic “2001” , “The Marshall Mathers LP”, “Get Rich or Die Tryin”, now “good kid, m.A.A.d city”
ur list slowly decreases in dopeness
You have no credibility.
why cant i enjoy maddcity
Cause it sucks.
Because you like garbage music.
his album is garbage
section 80 was only half good
hiipower being his best song ever , tied close with the jig is up and the recipe
Dumbass.
fuck the west coast
they always been sorta wack
nas bout to bring hip hop back with premier
east coast coming back
really? this type of trash talk in 2013?
if you wan’t so-and-so’s old ish, download so-and-so’s old album. you’ll feel better.
take the time to enjoy the miracles of the 21st century: you don’t have to live in real time any more! TiVO your life, homie!
and as for your west coast dis, who are you, tim dog?
Kendrick comes in the game at a perfect time when Hipster-Hop is the craze and the biggest stars are more POP than they are street.
Street-Pop is a phrase I invented to describe they hybrid of sound where you have French Montana on a song with Miley Cyrus or a street themed CD like Good Kid Maad City where you have Anna Wise and JMSN crooning on 6 of the songs off that CD (uncredited of course).
HipHop in its essence is a Black cultural artform that at its peak incorporated Soul, Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Reggea & R&B influences but this era has seem an infusion of POP, Techno, Dub, Rock, Euro and other influences that Caucasians are heavily involved in.
This is why your favorite rapper will have a Daft Punk sample on his record instead of Eart Wind & Fire and you will see duets with Skylar Grey, Taylor Swift, Pink, Anna Wise, Miley Cyrus and other POP chicks who add their POP sound to HIPHOP making it more sonically pleasing to those who are from that POP culture and move to that POP vibration.
On the subliminal side white people outside the culture want to feel like they are a part of the culture and accepted by the artists within the culture so these fans tend to gravitate towards the rappers who incorporate whites into their music, their videos and onto their labels….the highlight of this phenomena was 2011-2012 where every vanity label was trying to scoop up a white rapper or artist to be on their label….now it’s a must that you have at least one white artist on your album unless of course you are white or mullatto.
It’s a business in the end and mainstream rappers who cater to the streets and incorporate Soul elements in their music are becoming extinct as the new era HipsterHoppers replace them with their Euro friendly music and movements.
An associate of mine stated in a more blunt fashion: “I’m tired of this light-skinned Euro/Homo/Emo/Weirdo rap, I need that Black dark-skinned Soulful black college, black magic, Black family reunion, Black neighborhood Black voice Black music to play in my Black car and at Black parties while I shake my Black ass”.
They trying to strip the Soul from the music and dilute it for mass consumption to the white masses who make up the largest buying demographic and we are witnessing the white-washing of a culture.
Dub: invented by jamaicans – Lee Perry, King Tubby…
Techno: invented by Black detroit kids – Juan Atkins, Carl Craig, Kevin Saunderson…
Everything else descended from that.
I think your critique is properly aimed at the industry, but I’m not mad at these kids trying to sell records. You can look all through the comments in these threads and see your argument in more crude terms that usually boil down to who is “REAL” and heard “IN THE STREETS” and who isn’t. To those kids, your argument about SOUL will be called gay.
We are free to listen to the “Blackest” hip-hop possible, and OBLIGATED to raise our children on it.
The rest is up for grabs, because – thank goodness – there is no single entity in charge of global culture that you could appeal to or kill to change the situation. Cuz if there were, things would be worse than they are now.
Dub Step originated in Europe and regardless of its origin it was appropriated by others and white-washed untill it is what it is today, similar to what happened with Rock music.
Techno regardless to who invented it has been appropriated by others and hi-jacked and now barely resembles the white-washed non-rhythmic techno you hear today, similar to what happened to Jazz music.
I don’t mind children arguing about who is real and who is fake because they still believe in comic book heros and think Emenim is the king of rap, they are the target demographic that these labels have in mind when they sign Cheif Keef and Tyga to record deals.
They are stripping the essence out of the culture and HipHop will no longer be the voice of oppressed minorities in Americas inner cities but rather another indigenous artform hijacked by outsiders.
From Elvis to Eminem the names change but the game is the same.
Anonymous black-supremacist, kill yourself for the bullshit you said.
section 80> gkmc
Been a Kendrick fan since… i think it was ’10. I own every project he has done since. (Kendrick Lamar EP, Section 80, Overly dedicated and GKMC) and GKMC was his least impressive but still a classic album, i’m glad he gets the attention he deserves! His verse on Tech N9nes’s I love music is still one of his most underrated verses and it’s worth checkin out