With Kendrick Lamar's highly anticipated debut album finally hitting store shelves and the internet today HNHH is bringing you an exclusive interview and live footage from his Pomona, CA show to celebrate good kid, m.A.A.d city.
HNHH's Jen Deleon caught up with the Compton native for a chat about his lyrics and questions derived there-from.
First off, Jen quoted lyrics from Kendrick's song "Barbed Wire": 'Have you ever felt like, like you never get life? Like you never get right? Sort of like a black sheep.'
Kendrick explains these lyrics while telling us about a lesson of sorts he's learned in life. "Something I didn't understand was how big of an influence you can be on somebody just by being yourself. That right there, that represents that lyric. Being alone, and in your own world, but at the end of the day it's cause you supposed to be a leader and stand for something else, rather than follow anybody."
Kendrick Lamar Talks Lyrics & Turn-Offs ">While some people find Kendrick Lamar's take on rap a bit complex, or hard to interpret, fans have to realize that Kendrick doesn't even fully understand himself. Kendrick reinforces this during out interview, when we ask what is one thing fans might not know about him, his answer is quite simple:"I don't fully understand myself."
Finally, Kendrick is never one to shy away from women-talk, although often bringing discussions about the female gender into his songs in a different way then the average rapper, (see: "Tammy's Song" or "Keisha's Song" or even "Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter" off the new LP). So we had to ask K.Dot one woman-related question, and we went off lyrics from "Opposites Attract," asking him something he can't stand in someone of the opposite sex. His answer? Don't be needy around Kendrick Lamar. "Somebody that's not secure, thrives for attention, begs for attention," he says is a complete turn-off, "someone with the most shallow ways."
Watch our full interview and check back for the live footage which is coming very soon! Be sure to grab good kid, m.A.A.d city on iTunes and let us know what your think of the album in the c-section!
UPDATE: Also peep our live footage from his performance that night.