With 11 Grammy nominations for To Pimp a Butterfly, being crowned one of the best by the Commander in Chief President Obama and a certified double platinum ranking by the RIAA, Kendrick Lamar is definitely the man of Hip Hop right now.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Kendrick discussed his view on why To Pimp a Butterfly is his best project and why he’s aiming to win all 11 award categories in which he’s nominated.
“I want to win them all,” Kendrick told Billboard. “[The Grammy defeats] would have been upsetting to me if I’d known that was my best work, if I had nothing new to offer. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is great work, but it’s not my best work. To Pimp a Butterfly is great. I’m talking about the connection the record made. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City made a connection. But To Pimp a Butterfly made a bigger connection…It’s bigger than me. When we think about the Grammys, only Lauryn Hill and Outkast have won album of the year. This would be big for Hip Hop culture at large.”
In regards to being part of the soundtrack for the Black Lives Matter movement, Kendrick said it’s “deeper than he expected.”
“The album just had a deeper impact than I expected, because it touched so many homes, and not just in my own community. I guess I’m just speaking words that need to be heard in these times.”
Even though Kendrick is being labeled as the voice of this generation, don’t expect him to be on social media bragging any time soon. When asked about the daily postings of rappers like Drake and Kanye West through various mediums of social media, Kendrick simply stated:
“That’s not my talent. Those guys, they’re gifted in that department. Hopefully, I’ll get them talents. But for now I’ma stay in my lane.”