Kendrick Lamar just addressed the song he made during his feud with Drake and the creation of his surprise album, GNX.
As he gears to perform at the Super Bowl halftime on Sunday, February 9, the Like That rapper had a conversation with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden and Nadeska Alexis to talk about his upcoming show.
Talking about the Drake diss track, Not Like Us, a track that became the most decorated rap song in Grammy history, Lamar said, “I was just thinking about the culture, really.”
He continued, “It’s always there for me first. When people talk about rap, the conversations I hear, they think it’s just rap and not an actual art form. So, when you put records like that at the forefront, it reminds people that this is more than just something that came 50 years ago.”
Additionally, as Lamar reflected on his career, he explained how his goal has always been to “better himself and the craft” in order to give back to “the culture” of hip-hop.
“My intent, from day one, was to always keep the nature of [Hip Hop] as a sport,” the 21-time Grammy winner said, adding, “I don’t care how motherfuckers look at it as far as a collaborative effort. That’s cool, too, but I love when artists grit their teeth.”
The Euphoria hitmaker stated, “I still watch battle raps, I still watch Smack [DVD and the Ultimate Rap League] – from Murda Mook to [Loaded] Lux to Tay Roc to my bro Daylyt. This has always been the core definition of who I am.”
“What I will say about this [past] year, it was more from a space where I think a lot of people were putting rap to the back and you didn’t see that grit, you didn’t see that bite anymore,” Kendrick Lamar concluded.
