Words by Fatima Barrie
In an exclusive interview with i-D, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar shares his insightful thoughts about his friendship with Barack Obama, Trump’s presidency, and his successful winning streak in Hip-Hop.
One portion of the in-depth interview in particular, has the internet talking. During the conversation, Lamar was asked if he’s written the perfect rhyme of his career yet and he reveals that his best written verses appear on “FEAR,” the 12th single from his fourth studio album DAMN. “FEAR” is the compelling, honest record about the rapper’s fears from childhood through adulthood, “It’s completely honest,” he says.
The first verse is everything that I feared from the time that I was seven years old. The second verse I was 17, in the third it’s everything I feared when I was 27. These verses are completely honest.
K Dot further explains that even as a great writer, sometimes your writing is terrible, “Everything you write is not dope,” he says. “Even if you’re a great writer, a bunch of the stuff you write is wack. But most people don’t have somebody around to be like, ‘That’s wack.'” Luckily for him, he’s fortunate to have his TDE team and friends who keep it real with him,
I’ve been in that studio writing terrible verses, writing terrible hooks, with homeboys and friends and people that you trust telling you, ‘That’s garbage.’ I grew thick skin and got back in there and did it all over again.
