The Breakfast Club - Breakfast Club Classic - Kendrick Lamar Talks Overcoming Depression, Responsibility To The Culture

Episode Date: June 18, 2022

In this 2015 interview, Kendrick Lamar talks overcoming depression, responsibility to the culture and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water,

500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zaka Stan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-A-S-T-A-N on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best, and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before.

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Lauren Smith, Laura Layton, and Daphne Zuniga. On July 8th, 1992, apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same as Melrose Place was introduced to the world. We are going to be reliving every hookup, every scandal, and every single wig removal together. So listen to Still the Place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world.

Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet, together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

You're watching The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Angela Yee, Charlamagne Tha God. We are The Breakfast Club. Special guest and friend to the room. The leader of the new school when it comes to these rappers out here. That's right. Kendrick Lamar.

What's happening? K-Dawg, what's up, brother? Morning. Listen, first of all, salute to you for giving props to one of my favorite MCs of all time, Killer Mike, on the Hood Politics record. All the time, man. That never happens for artists like you to give props to one of my favorite MCs of all time, Killer Mike, on the Hood Politics record. All the time, man. That never happens for artists like you to give props to guys like Mike.

He been doing it for a long time, way before me. You dig what I'm saying? So it's only right. He gonna continue to do it, too. Do you actually listen to Mike? Like, you listen to Run of Jewels? Yeah, Run of Jewels, it's crazy. Atlanta, man, come on.

Now, what happened with your album? The album was supposed to come out one week, and then it just dropped on a Sunday and then it was only the clean version and the clean version was taken off the top dog ran up in the school for the mac 10 it was confusing with your album what happened they dropped they dropped the um the clean version and the crazy part about it is we knew that the iTunes link was gonna be down for a minute when once they did that because it's a certain system that they put in at the labels to either put on iTunes put it up so the date was actually confused and locked it in and locked it off so the fans was tripping so I sure you seen that on on his Twitter and went crazy how much time did y'all spend on the marketing campaign

like how we gonna roll the album? Because you can't do a traditional release no more. Yeah, definitely. We always sit as an entity as far as TDE and make our own rules first. And that's been day one. That's been since iTunes. That's been since our mixtapes. So even though everybody's doing it traditionally now, we always had that neck to, you know, put it out the way you want to.

And our thing is people are going to like it regardless it regardless they're gonna like it or they're not so you could put it out you could put people on stage you could do the award shows you could do radio but if they don't rock with the music they're not going to get it all right now let's talk about i the first singer that we heard from from this project little it wasn't your normal kendrick lamar per se type of record yeah yeah, yeah. What was the inspiration of I? Why did you decide to let that one go first? Yeah, the inspiration behind it was really talking to some of the older cats in the neighborhood and really doing something out of the norm.

Speaking some type of positivity back in the city rather than doing, you know, what we're used to doing period you know from the initial content of the record i always said it was for some of my homeboys back in on the yard and also the community period and it was it was it was therapeutic for myself you know because sometimes we wake up and we may not feel the same way we felt yesterday so uh that was that was the initial wine state and it did just that. You won two Grammys, but y'all didn't show up. Did y'all purposely boycott this year? I had to work.

I had to finish that album. I was locked in, I couldn't lose focus. I couldn't go on tour, I couldn't do no awards. I was on a deadline. Did you expect to win? Did I expect to win? Yeah, cause I mean last year you was expected to win. No, I don't expect nothing.

I don't expect nothing. I just put the music out. Now, I read that you started working on this album right when you were finishing Mad City. Yeah. And so it took you like... Two years. Two years to do it. Yeah.

Okay, how many songs did you actually do? I probably did about 30 to 40 songs that we actually fought over in the studio. Because a lot of them records was my favorite records. You know, sometimes it be like that. You may do something crazy and it just don't end up because it might not be as cohesive as you thought. So what happens with those? They be for my ear and my iPhone.

There's been a lot of mixed reviews behind the album. Some people feel like you being too preachy. Preachy. How do you feel about the reception of the album? I feel great about the reception of the album? I feel great about the reception of the album. I ain't catch the preachy thing because majority of the album is me talking about my faults, especially on records like You Ain't Got A Lot Of Kick It, Black Of The Berry.

All these are therapeutic songs for me. I feel like sometimes when somebody's doing really well, because Kendrick, you have a lot on you. Like people look at you as like Kendrick is the greatest. Yeah. And sometimes people want to come in and be really critical and find some type of fault. Oh yeah. All the time. But we all human, so you go find a fault anyway. That's just somehow, I don't run from, I'm not scared of. I can't live in fear that you know everybody had their opinions or whatnot I didn't know you were suffering from depression the way you said you was on the album yeah did the industry cause that not not the industry just the change you know it's a drastic change when you you you're around so many different faces faces that you don't quite understand and

mean different people and things are going on back home that it's out of your control to handle you know what i'm saying people would think that that would take you away you know the money that the lifestyle you're able to take a lot of those people that would usually be from the hood you get another chance taking the places that they would never see yeah you can but you can't take everybody still stuff that go on i still got family and company you know i can't i can't put a million dollars in their pocket and say, you own now. You feel what I'm saying? All I can do is put them in positions

where they can fend for themselves. But sometimes the lifestyle that they're in, they may not know how to handle it. They may not know how to handle some type of working world where they've never been in. All they know is the streets. We talked the other day about responsibility

and how responsible are artists to the community, like as far as being leaders, as far as speaking out against social issues, and this is something that you've always done in your music. Do you think that more artists should be responsible? Do I think more artists should? We have a handful right now, but I think every artist should always be responsible

for how they go about marketing or putting their music or how they put their words together because this is something I didn't understand until I went out on these roads and talked to these kids. They take my music very seriously. So with that being said, I know they take the next artist music very seriously. So probably not.

No, they do. I'll approach Kendrick a little different. A lot of kids are raised by this industry. Nah, real talk because the real life that the artists went through for, for kids in this new generation, it may just be a trend for them until they go out there and get themselves killed.

You feel what I'm saying? So how I put my words together, for me personally, it's a strategic way. I'm not just glorifying the streets of what not. It's a reality check, but it's for the better at the end of the day. That's why I respected I so much, because it was an uplifting song for a lot of kids that usually, especially during this time, we don't see that. And it was, me and Charlamagne were talking,

it felt positive, but it felt outcastish in a way that it was different, where kids could see that you ain't just gotta sell drugs and shoot a n***a. It was a positive joint. Yeah, definitely. It take a lot of guts to put a record like that out on your second album, too.

What was the labels thing when you came with that type of record? Especially as, like, the first look of it. First single. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that was behind it because they know that we came in this business as TDE, Top Dog Entertainment, doing what we want to do. You know, we were selling records. We were selling mixtapes.

And the foundation that we have with the kids is strong. It's stronger than any type of number of marketing service that a label can do. So they was behind it, and I appreciate them for that. They never ever came in trying to strategically move my creativity around. And I respect that because on your second album, everybody's looking. I mean, I know what the kids want. You feel me? I'm fairly young myself.

You feel what I'm saying? I got little brothers. I know what they listen to all day so it takes a strong following and a strong support system uh not only from in my camp but the folks around me to say okay continue to do what you do and what was that dance in the video that what was that called the holy ghost that's that's la culture man we go we go we're gonna continue to push that on the next choice. Y'all gonna see.

Where in the hell did the Tupac audio come from for Mortal Man? Because I thought I had heard every Tupac interview. I have not heard those vocals before. Trip, I got that when I was in Germany from this cat. He said, I got this unreleased Pac interview. He handed it off to me. What made you listen? Because I'm sure everybody said, I got big.

I mean, if somebody says that, you're definitely going to listen. What his influence is. How did they get that close? Yeah, real talk. I did my research. I had to see, is this official? First off, so I went through it,

played it back a few times. Did they get that cleared by his estate and everything? Oh, yeah. You got to get everything cleared. Yeah. So when you heard it, did you feel like he was talking to you? Yeah.

Or did you already have the questions in your mind? Yeah, because the trip is, Pac was a prophet to me. felt like he was talking to you or did you have the questions in your mind or yeah because the trip is pac was a prophet to me and everything he's talking about is actually going on today you know what i'm saying and and that right there just sparked the idea immediately for what i was talking about in my record so when you met park in cuba is this the story y'all came up with to keep people off the fact that he's still alive. Yeah, yeah. The whole Germany thing. I got vocals in Germany. What the hell somebody in Germany got vocals about? No, but it was a blessing I came about. And I really appreciate his mother, too, you know,

for giving me the opportunity to use them vocals. Because, you know, people hold them things dear. And if she would have stood down and said, no, I would have respected that, i would respect that too out of respect that i have for her and her son's legacy because the things that he know it comes from her right you feel what i'm saying so either way it would win i would show respect period do you read a lot i always wonder i'm like because you seem like you got you're so full of knowledge and wisdom like where does it come from i mean my encounter with people i'm not scared to talk to people. I'm not scared to interact, whether it's a 5-year-old kid or an 80-year-old man.

You know what I'm saying? Of course I read, but I put it to you like this. I'd rather be interacting with a person, you know, rather than gathering up information from somewhere else. Speaking to a person with wisdom that had been here before me. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia Keys opens up about conquering doubt,

learning to trust herself and leaning into her dreams. I think a lot of times we are built to doubt the possibilities for ourselves. For self-preservation and protection, it was literally that step by step. And so I discovered that that is how we get where we're going. This increment of small, determined moments. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay.

Like grace. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Is your country falling apart?

Feeling tired? Depressed? A little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country. I planted the flag. I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water for 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of Ladonia.

I'm Jackson I, King of Kaperburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Mentonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. Why can't I trade my country? My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong? No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead.

Oh, my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullets. We need help! We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast.

That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, guys. I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real inspiring stories from the people,

you know, follow and admire join me every week for post run high. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy, and very fun. Listen to post run high on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We're going to discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people to hopefully create better allies.

Think of it as a black show for non-black people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. Exactly. Whether you're black, Asian, white, Latinx, indigenous, LGBTQIA+, you name it. If you stand with us, then we stand with you. Let's discuss the stories and conduct the interviews that will help us create a more empathetic, accountable, and equitable America. You are all our brothers and sisters, and we're inviting you to join us for Civic Cipher each and every Saturday with myself, Ramses Jha, Q Ward, and some of the greatest minds in America.

Listen to Civic Cipher every Saturday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, my little creeps. It's your favorite ghost host, Teresa. And guess what? Haunting is back, dropping just in time for spooky season. Now I know you've probably been wandering the mortal plane,

wondering when I'd be back to fill your ears with deliciously unsettling stories. Well, wonder no more. Because we've got a ghoulishly good lineup ready for you. Let's just say things get a bit extra. We're talking spirits, demons, and the kind of supernatural chaos that'll make your spooky season complete. You know how much I love this time of year. It's the one time I'm actually on trend.

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Listen to Haunting on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Some more life experience. As always. Now, what about L.A.? You had seemed like you were disappointed with the album sales in L.A. alone. You feel like they're not supporting you like they should? I think that was top dog. You don't strike me as the type to care about albums.

You do the music and you let them handle all that. I can't see you in the studio like, y'all they only bought 35,000 copies of Bomb. Now Top, absolutely, gut out, ready to go shoot up record stores for whoever he is. Yeah, he got to do that. I mean, he the businessman. You got to calm Top Dog down sometimes.

All the time, man. But he knows the music and, he, he knows the music and he knows the quality of the music. So he look at it not from only a businessman standpoint. He know the,

the magnitude of the record. You know what I'm saying? He's close to it just like I'm close to it. So if he get angry about something, I can't say, uh,

you shouldn't be angry because he has a right to. We, we just, we starve together, man, in the studio. You know? Did you ever envision all of this happening

when you first signed early on and it took some time to get the ball rolling? Did you ever think that things would be this big and you would be considered one of the biggest hip-hop artists today? To be 100% real with you, I didn't, but Top Dog did. That's real talk.

And you can ask anybody that's been around us or whoever know him a long time, Pop Dog did. That's real talk. And you can ask anybody that's been around us. Whoever know him a long time, he always said, K-Dot's going to do something in this game. Way before I even believed him. I was in the studio just playing around. He grabbed me and J-Rock off the streets. Compton and Watts said, get in the studio.

Do something better with your life. And we're here doing it now. J-Rock is doing his thing. He's at an all-time level where he's ready to blow and break out and the same thing with him. He gave me my shot. J-Rock gave me my shot

by jumping out into the wolves of the industry and the politics. I didn't have to go through that. I felt bad. I always felt like J-Rock had a great debut album but he was like the guinea pig.

Yeah, man. It was so much we had to learn, so much he had to learn. So by the time we went through all our mistakes, I was ready. And Rock was in my corner giving me gang, like, do this like that. Because when you do that, when you go in this meeting like that, they're going to say this, and you got to stand up for yourself. And that's the game he gave me. Is it true J. Cole was trying to sign you at one point?

He never told me that. He never told me that. I heard him say that on the Combat Jack J. Cole was trying to sign you at one point? He never told me that. He never told me that. I heard him say that on the Combat Jack show. I was like, I wanted to sign Kendrick. Yeah, because I think by the time I met him, he wanted to get his label off the ground. He was already signed and doing his thing. I was still independent, but that's a good eye for talent.

Are y'all doing an album together? That's also a thing that everybody's talking about. Yeah, all the time. It's always just a schedule issue once we get around that. That's my boy, though. I talk to him on the regular. You got them extra songs already? Yeah, we do.

Oh, so y'all got music recorded? Yeah, we do. Is this the matter of putting it together? Yeah, exactly. But also going back in and continuing to work because new songs are so old. We both grown as artists. Now, when you drop the infamous control verse it seems like you were ready to compete and eat all competition but with the to

pimple butterfly I mean seems like you don't even care what everybody else is doing yeah I mean you know what the thing about control is I think people forgot just off the music that I put out, that I'm actually from the West Coast. And the aggression that we have in our music, I can't run from that. Whether it be a control verse, whether it be Black or the Berry, I'm influenced by Q. I'm influenced by Dre.

I hear Sugar Free on you. Yeah, Sugar Free. The intro. Yeah, Respect to Sugar. Definitely Sugar Free is in my music. King Kunta, one of the interludes. So I think what happened was people forgot that. So when you hear something like Control come from Kendrick Lamar,

it's a reminder that I grew up off gangster rap, and that aggression will always be in me. Were you surprised that nobody snapped back? Because this is a little cool exercise. Everybody was like, I'm going to leave that man alone. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And those who did, they did in a friendly way. Very friendly.

Very friendly. Yeah. It was cool. What's more important, love from your peers or love from the consumers, the streets? Because I see a lot of people, a lot of musical artists are bigging up this album crazy. Yeah, yeah. My fans, for sure. My fans, for sure. Because because those are people that's been

rocking with me since day one before we even signed to a major you know how i got out here in new york did my first uh sold out show at sobs that was just off the love of the music you know so they always be number one period you remember your first interview you did up here no i don't i know i know y'all y'all saw me me Charlamagne someone but no but it was so early we didn't even it didn't even go on air was on the web of soul yeah it was it was on a web of soul and and I just remember back then I was like this kid is gonna be something we were having a conversation the other day about who the best lyricist and best rappers and I mentioned you and Charlamagne was like I

don't think he has enough in yet these two yeah yeah cuz you said he was one of the greatest of all time man only got two albums but give him some time just hearing him snap and some of the things that he says most artists most MCs I don't think they do y'all no favors when they automatically put y'all with the goats already yeah of course you I can hear it, though. I can hear it. Of course, you got to have that time. And that's the thing that I say with the word classic and instant classic album. Me putting To Pimp a Butterfly out,

you hear the speculation of kids saying that all over again prior to when we put Good Kid, Mad City out. And I always told them, listen to the music a few times, man, before we start throwing words out like that even when it's on my behalf because i want you to live with it you know i want it to be first listening and you like it or first listening and you have an opinion live with it grow with it because at the end of the day i make albums that have that type of longevity if not i can just give you a whole bunch of singles on record you

feel what i'm saying and i was talking to somebody the other day i make my music basically for people in the system in the prison system and and kids in college because they got number time to listen to it so I want you to treat it just like that. I want it to be an actual course that you're taking and that you can live with. And I agree with that because I like to read a lot. You can't just rush through a four agreements. You can't just rush through a 48 law of the power.

And that's how I feel with you because every time I hear it, I hear something new. Every time. Every time. Every time, and it's supposed to be like that. For me personally, everybody don't supposed to do what I do or, you know, stay in your lane. But as long as I do music, I want to make something people can live with and go back and say, you know what?

He did put out a classic album, you know, how many years from now when you keep on playing it back? And it's ridiculous. The album literally came out. I woke up. It was up at night. Two hours later, it's a classic. I'm like, how y'all figure that out already? Yeah, yeah.

And I appreciate the love. I think, you know, for the most part, it's excitement of getting something a little bit outside of the norm. And I appreciate that. But at the same time, live with it and learn to love it even love it even more you feel me now one of my favorite records is these walls is that about yeah that's one of my favorite records to do but who like I you know you platinum artist yeah when I went when I went in the studio when I said I want to do this record I said I wanted to go in

with these specific characters and lock in with them for seven months to a year. That was Bilal, George Clinton, Anna Wise, Terrace Martin, producer, Soundwave, my in-house producer, and

Thundercat and Rocky. We locked in. We locked in for a year and completed the project so I already had the mind state on what I wanted to sound like me personally I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not sold on your celebrity how many you know records you so I'm sold on actual talent and what we trying to convey and get across so that was my Initial idea for making this record. So you'll be loud fan before him. Oh, yeah, sure But sure Snoop sounded like old Snoop. Yeah, somebody help him with his

I laid the skeleton down. I like the skeleton down because I Haven't heard him like that in a long time. Hell no. That's why I know you didn't write it. Yeah. No disrespect to Stu, but I love Stu. Nah, that's the OG. But me going in, I just said, do what you do. You know? You've been doing it before me. This is what I've been a fan of. You know?

So all I can do is direct it. I can't sound like, you know, that's his talent. That comes from God, from him. You also did a surprise performance on Cali, and you did all of that with Reebok. You look like you've been working out doing CrossFit. A little bit. I've been doing some push-ups.

I don't know what to call it. You look like you've been doing CrossFit. I know everybody when they sign up to Reebok, they all do the CrossFit and everything. It's something I wanted to try because they always talk about how great it is. I ain't jumped in it yet. You haven't?

You going to? Yeah, hopefully I get some time before this tour crack off. Explain that. You was in a tractor trail or something running through L.A.? Yeah. I seen people chasing you.

Making everybody run. I thought it was a police chase at first seeing everybody running. Yeah, making everybody run. They got Top Dog out there too. Top Dog was running? Hey, funniest thing alive. All you see is a red hat bouncing up and down.

No, it was crazy, though. It ran the whole way? Yeah, it ran the whole way. Do you know who Noel Gallagher is from Oasis? Uh-huh. They asked him about you, and he was like, who is that, what did he say? I never heard of him. He sounded like a character off Seinfeld.

Do you care about stuff like that? No. That's funny to me. Hey, I don't care. For real. Now, why doesn't Dre, why you don't do more records with Dre? That would make the album, so to say. It's a thing that we got going on that we're waiting on.

It's a strategic move, so. Are you going to do an album completely with Dre? That's what it sounds like. If I could speak on it, I would, but that man is a scientist, and we got a plan. So is that the direction of the third album? More Dre production if that's what it sounds like if I could speak on it I would but that man is a scientist and we got a plan so is that the direction of the third album more Dre production maybe

it could be he said he can't speak on it how does he help you with the album like do you go do you do records and then he just you know arranges them for you

I don't know mix in like what nah I do that I do that as far as the arrangements it's really going in and once I complete it, getting his expertise

about, you know, the sonic sound of it. You know, me personally, I'm hands on with everything, you know, and I'm huge on how I want something to sound.

Scratch the record, if it's a good record or not. I want it to sound and feel a certain way. So, things like going in and recording on two inch tape and running back through analog him knowing about things like that and pro tools

what's the difference between it you know I did the majority of the record going back on the mixing was through analog the same stuff for people who don't know what analog is this is what Marvin Gaye Luther Vandross what they recorded on prior to Pro Tools. So it's a little bit more difficult, but it gives you a warm sound. And this technique is things I don't know. So I go to Dre for that advice. I saw you say that you're the closest thing

that a lot of these kids got to a reverend. Yeah. I say that in the likes of, I got a little brother and little sister and cousins, and their belief level is at an all-time low. I say that in the likes of, you know, I got a little brother and little sister and cousins, and their belief level is at an all-time low, you know, these days. You know, they don't believe in anything. You feel me?

So if what I'm putting in my music is an act of God and he using me as a vessel, what makes me any different from somebody being in church and giving their word? You feel what I'm saying? So that's how I look at it. Last time you was up here, you said you're real personal and you're real quiet and private with your relationship and you said you had a boo.

Yeah, yeah. And there was rumors that you guys got engaged. Yeah, yeah. Is that true? Yeah, definitely. Congratulations, man. Appreciate that.

Yeah, I'm loyal to the soil. Welcome to the club, bro. That's right. I just want to say that Top Dog told me no relationship questions. Oh, I'm sorry. the soil. Welcome to the club, bro. That's right. I just want to say that Top Dog told me no relationship questions. Oh, I'm sorry. But I guess, yeah. You told the wrong girl.

I'm glad, yeah, he told the wrong girl. You should have told the other female. Okay? The gossipy one. All right. All right. Okay. Damn it, man.

I'm glad he told me and not you. I'm sorry. My bad. But congratulations. Why you text me yeah something well congratulations yeah congratulations

I think that's a great thing and that's a great that's also a great example to have somebody that you're loyal and faithful to a lot of people think it's cool

to just sleep around and do whatever you know the thing at the end of the day you wanna you wanna always always have real people around you

period whether it's male or female and everybody has been around me they've been around since day one and i can't change that i don't change for nobody i can't run from that you feel what i'm saying so i always show respect when respect it's been given and people that have been by your side you're supposed to honor that and that's how you stand up running running around it and not acknowledging it. It's trivial, you feel what I'm saying? You speak on respect.

It's funny, you said when you made the comments about Ferguson, you said, we don't respect ourselves. How can we expect them to respect us? And people got mad at you. But you say the same thing in Black of the Berry, and people loved it. I think that's just people like I said this a few times these are folks

whoever responded to it in a negative way they actually don't understand or even know where I come from I can't knock them for that I've took a lot from the community my homeboys have and I still deal with it today

so when I say things like we need to respect I'm not only talking about a black I'm talking about myself everything comes from me first you are saying I've been a situation I still deal with these situations today where I have hate towards another guy because he has a he killed my homeboy while I'm on tour I still feel that that type of resentment you feel what I'm saying so when I talk about these things it always comes from me so me respecting the fact that he's a black man and not hating the fact that he has a different color that's what I mean with respect so whoever take that out of context you you really need to do

your research and know where I come from and know know the background of of who I am rather than just trying to tear another black man down and we've seen it with everybody Malcolm X Martin Luther King Jesus Christ don't don't don't do that when somebody's standing for something that's good you should be behind them and don't try to knock them off like that do you feel like messages are better conveyed through music as opposed to like saying them in magazines or saying them in radio interviews? All the time because people can't see and feel your sentiments, you know. Now with this album, you talk about singles. Was there a single for this album? Because even with the label, the label was like play what you like. It wasn't like, you know, we're working on this record. It was like play what you like.

Yeah, play what you like. You really don't hear that often. Yeah, definitely. That's the groundwork we do. We've been building since day one. For me, this record, I mean,

it has potential records on the radio, but that's when I wasn't really trying to identify with that. I was really trying to get the point across of what I was talking about. And, yeah, that was all for it, because you got to have a strong team that stand behind you creatively the walls is out of here for radio yeah what's your favorite song on the album? probably mama mama these walls King Kunta of course but yeah these walls for sure now um you roll with some some crazy guys

top dog punch you know. They don't necessarily speak for you, but they're your people. They're your album drop. Kanye started putting out pictures of his girl, and Punch was like, oh, what this got to do? This got to do with Kendrick's album? Enjoy the album? Do you ever have to call them and be like, man, stop it?

No, I don't have to call them. That's their personal opinion. I don't really be on the social media like that. And me personally, I think that's coincidental. I don't really see Kanye doing that because I actually work with him. And he's actually a great guy. You feel what I'm saying? So they're not speaking for you because in my mind,

I'm like, okay, y'all in the studio. Kendrick's feeling good. Nah, I'm laid back. You think Kendrick's like, yo, post this? Juicing him up. Juicing up punch. All right. Now, previously you had also said with this album, you didn't originally have a release date.

It was just like, whenever it's ready, whenever I'm ready to put it out, that's when I'm going to do it. When did you decide finally, okay, we got to do this? Man, when I'm drained. Drained of concepts and what I want to talk about. to do it when did you decide finally okay is we got to do this man when i'm drained drained of concepts and what i want to talk about when i get get to a point where i ain't got no more to talk about it's done you can't get hard no more yeah and that's that's how i come about and and top press the button. Did you have those discussions? Like, okay, so we got to figure out what song is going to be for a single,

what's going to be for radio, do we have that? Or did you just not really? Yeah, definitely. Not that I record, no. We just, what it feel like, you know, what are your sentiments, what I'm trying to convey. I always go back to having a good team because I don't I know a lot of artists it's not fortunate to be in their position you know fortunately I have somebody like Dave Free and Top Dog and Punch to I'm

rolling with it you know I'm saying to get the green light do what you do do say what you got to say rather than making it just about a number. You feel what I'm saying? Yeah, Punch was upset he didn't make the album. He didn't make the album. No, I'm kidding.

Or rapping. Is Punch serious about his rap career? Punch do it for the love. He said you cut all his verses out. He always clowning like that. Now this is my final question.

The Good Kid Magic City album cover, that was your mom's van? Yeah, yeah. I think that was like your pops, right? Your pops and your uncles? That was my uncles. Your uncles.

So who's the people on the new cover standing in front of White House? Oh, man, these feel the homies from the neighborhood. That cover has about several meanings. So the one general I can speak on is it's really taking people they call negative and people I feel like also have good hearts and taking them

around the world. You feel what I'm saying? Because they look like they never have been out of LA. They never been out of LA. Yeah. No.

You're right about that. You know, and that's a concept within itself, but it's also several more it gets a little bit deeper. Are we going to have a movie for this album too?

Man. What's going on with the movie? Hey, for a budget. We appreciate you joining us as always. It's fun watching you grow, man. I'm telling you, man. I'll never forget the first time I met you

in that bowling alley, man. Shut up. I'm like, I thought he worked there. You said I was a janitor. You said I was a janitor, man. I thought you was a janitor. And can't say you really don't socialize now. You know, when they say money don't change you, it just multiplies whatever you are.

You going to buy some place to hide. Ladies and gentlemen, Kendrick Lamar's The Breakfast Club. Good morning. We'll leave it at that. The Breakfast Club, every weekday morning. Tune in. Hey, guys. I'm Kate Max.

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