Photo Credit: Jason Koerner/Getty Images
Kendrick Lamar Doesn't Want To Be Considered The "Greatest" Rapper Anymore
In a new interview with Citizen Magazine, Kendrick Lamar talks about finding 'balance' between being an artist and seeking privacy.
Kendrick Lamar doesn't want to be considered the G.O.A.T. In a new Citizen Magazine editorial – which was conducted during Lamar's trip to Ghana following the release of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers – Lamar opened up about his grapples with fame. The interview comes three months following the release of his fifth studio album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
“The person that people see now is the person that I’ve always been,” he said. “For me, the privacy thing has never been an issue that I had to carry out with full intention. It’s just who I am. If I feel I have to remove myself, I just remove myself. I won’t complain about it.”
\u201cFor the greater good of the listening ear. \n\n-@kendricklamar for Citizen Issue 002: #Fantasy. \n\nPhotographed by #DavidNanaOpokuAnsah.\n\nPre-order now: https://t.co/fDXYFDMLE9\u201d— Citizen Magazine (@Citizen Magazine) 1661192501
\u201c\u201cNow, I'm dropping the ego a bit. I want to take 'the greatest' off of it. I want to give people something they can hold onto. So whether it touches 100 million people or inspires one, I want to be that person.\u201d - @kendricklamar Issue 002: FANTASY! Pre-order NOW link in bio.\u201d— Citizen Magazine (@Citizen Magazine) 1661237393
During his five-year hiatus after releasing DAMN. in 2017, Lamar was largely absent from music and social media despite curating and appearing on select songs from 2018 soundtrack Black Panther.
“People ask me, ‘Man, you’ve never been on social media, you really hate it?’ Bro, I don’t really know how to use it like that to be 100% real with you,” he admitted about his online presence. “I got friends, family, my team, they send me things, so I got good sentiments on what’s going on.”
\u201c\u201cI got children now. I want them to see things that I wasn't privy to and be able to experience things outside of what they know.\u201d @kendricklamar via @Citizen_Mag \n\ud83d\udcf8 David Nana Opoku Ansah\u201d— apgLangformat (@apgLangformat) 1661188970
The rapper also admitted that he's ready to drop the 'Greatest' rapper crown, nearly a decade after challenging his peers in hip-hop on 2013 track "Control" with Big Sean and Jay Electronica.
“Now, I’m dropping the ego a bit. I want to take ‘the greatest’ off of it. I want to give people something they can hold onto. So whether it touches 100 million people or inspires one, I want to be that person," he said.
Elsewhere in the interview, Lamar revealed his preparation for becoming a public figure.
"You just got to be real and be true to yourself about what you want," he said. "Do you want that attention? Do you want that type of notoriety? Do you want that type of headache? Can you deal with it? For me, I knew as an artist when I signed up for it, this is what comes with it. And me being a realist and holding myself accountable to that, it never really frustrated me when things got a little bit out of control because ultimately, I knew that I would be able to balance it because of who I am.”
The 'Fantasy' issue of Citizen Magazine is available for purchase online.
