In a new interview with The New York Times, Kendrick Lamar reflected on his big year. He has been nominated for 11 grammys, sold a total of 750k albums of To Pimp A Butterfly, and President Obama called “How Much a Dollar Cost” his favorite song of the year. Check out his interview below.
ON HIS GRAMMY NOMINATIONS: “Being acknowledged for your work is always a great accomplishment, whether it’s people in my city, kids in the street, all the way up to the Grammys.”
ON BECOMING THE SECOND MOST NOMINATED ARTIST IN A YEAR FOLLOWING MICHAEL JACKSON:“I’m still soaking that all in. Michael will forever be the greatest. I’m glad it was at 11. I would never want to even think about putting myself on the same level as Michael, simply because I haven’t put in the work that he did. It couldn’t be a better number.”
ON WHICH CATEGORY HE WANTS TO WIN MOST: “I want all of them. Because it’s not only a statement for myself, but it’s a statement for the culture. They’re all important, because of the foundation the forefathers laid before me. Nas didn’t get a chance to be in that position. Pac. So to be acknowledged and to actually win, it’s for all of them.”
ON PRESIDENT OBAMA CALLING “HOW MUCH A DOLLAR COST” HIS FAVORITE SONG OF THE YEAR: “I found out when everyone else found out. It’s crazy. That’s one of my favorite records, too. A lot of times we forget that people in higher places are human. To hear that he liked the same kick drums and the same snares that I like, it just makes him that much more relatable as a person, rather than just a president.”
ON HIS FAVORITE MUSIC OF 2015: “Of course Future killed it. He smashed. Drake smashed. Future’s work ethic was crazy, his energy. This is the thing about hip-hop music and where people get it most misconstrued: It’s all hip-hop. You can’t say that just what I do is hip-hop, because hip-hop is all energies. James Brown can get on the track and mumble all day. But guess what: You felt his soul on those records.”
ON WHETHER HE FOLLOWED DRAKE AND MEEK MILL’S BEEF: “Nah, I didn’t. That’s they thing they got going on over there.”
ON HIS NEXT PROJECT: “I’m just writing, writing, writing. I keep these tablets on me until I’m inspired to go back in and make the music. I never take a break from my pen, because I pride myself on that. As far as a break from music, yeah, I can’t just go in and force myself. I have to come from an original and organic place. It can come tomorrow; it can come two years from now.”
