Kendrick Lamar has spent the majority of 2024 doing a victory lap. After the smash hit “Not Like Us” dropped and arguably the song of the summer, K. Dot doubled down on his dissatisfaction with the rap game. He dropped the song “Watch The Party Die” on September 11 (the same day as the MTV VMAs) after he was announced as next year’s Super Bowl performer.
However, fans are now wondering what’s next for the rapper. A movie? Or an album? We (kind of) got clarification from Kendrick in a new interview.
Dot breaks down who he is (and what’s to come)
Speaking with TDE artist SZA for Harper’s Bazaar, they dug deep as K. Dot shared the first moment he allowed himself to cry.
“The first time I allowed it to happen is documented, actually, onstage [in 2011] when Dre and Snoop and the whole West Coast was out, and they was like, “This is the torch that we were handing off.” Dre passed me the torch, and a burst of energy just came out and I had to let it flow. My tears is all on the internet. And now I look back and I love that moment … Because it showed me in real time expressing myself and seeing all the work that I put forth actually come to life in that moment,” he said.
They then went into discussing exactly what Lamar wants for the future and what gets him motivated.
“ … I get fulfilled sharing my experiences with the youth and allowing them to hear these stories and hear these experiences and catch up to them. So to actually answer your question, it’s communication just with people in general. And I feel my work in music is just the start. I don’t think it’s my end goal. I know it’s not my end goal. Music is just a vessel to get me there … I’m gonna let God shape it. I love the mystery of it,” he said.
However, SZA had to take a step back to earlier this year and get K. Dot’s definition of who the man behind “Not Like Us” truly is and what the song means to him (other than the fact that it put Drake in a blender).
“This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering. He’s a man who can recognize his mistakes and not be afraid to share the mistakes and can dig deep down into fear-based ideologies or experiences to be able to express them without feeling like he’s less of a man. If I’m thinking of ‘Not Like Us,’ I’m thinking of me and whoever identifies with that,” he said.
There weren’t any new details revealed on his (hopefully) upcoming album and the movie that he is working on with the creators of South Park. Nevertheless, fans were excited to hear from Kendrick, especially about “Not Like Us.”
