Kendrick Lamar made a quick trip to New York City earlier today (March 31) to join Hot 97 in announcing his headlining set at Summer Jam 2015.
But there was more to discuss, as the Compton native’s critically acclaimed sophomore effort To Pimp A Butterfly remains the focal point of many rap conversations. See what he learned from the conversation after the jump.
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Photo: YouTube
Moment Of Clarity
Kendrick says the natural improvisation that comes with using live instruments to create music inspired the framework of To Pimp A Butterfly.
King Kunta
Kendrick recently shot the video for “King Kunta” at the now-defunct Compton Swap Meet (it will soon become a Wal-Mart), because his city doesn’t often receive an opportunity to see events that big take place in their neighborhood.
Pump Your Breaks
Many fans have deemed To Pimp A Butterfly a classic, but Kendrick isn’t in a rush to give it that tag.
Mortal Man
“I actually wrote the lyrics for ‘Mortal Man’ on the Kanye tour,” the Compton rapper revealed. As for the now famous Tupac Shakur interview attached to the end of the record, the rapper received it from a friend in Germany.
“Wesley’s Theory”
Kendrick says his TPAB intro is his favorite song on the LP right now, though it changes by the week.
Forgiveness
At the mention of the infamous Billboard piece, in which Kendrick shares his thoughts on Ferguson, the rapper says he forgives those who took his words out of context (i.e. those who accused him of preaching respectability politics).
To Pimp A Butterfly
As previously stated, Kendrick’s experimentation with the music inspired him to create his latest album. But he also says “being pimped” in the industry and society as a whole shaped the project’s concept.
“i”
The rapper calls “i” the best song he’s written to date, because he never thought he’d make a record so positive.
Replay Value
“I’ve decided that I’m not that type of artist,” said Kendrick of making music that’s single-driven. But he knows that his music draws listeners in.
Kendrick/Cole
“Definitely. I still would love to do it, for sure,” Kendrick said about the long-awaited collaborative LP with J. Cole. He also spoke about the project exclusively with Hip-Hop Wired.
