Kendrick Lamar Talks Obama w/ XXL

[Deltron]

Kendrick Lamar: Hip-Hop Owes President Obama for Allowing Us Into the White House - XXL

As two men at the top of their game, Kendrick Lamar and President Barack Obama have a few things in common. Rap fans flipped out when the two met for the first time and now that Obama’s time in office is coming to a close, hip-hop has shown the nation’s first Black president more love than ever.

XXL caught up with Kendrick before his American Express pop-up show in Brooklyn Friday night (Dec. 16) to hear his thoughts on Obama’s past eight years and what he’s done for hip-hop.

“I think the world, not just hip-hop owes him,” said K-Dot. “We all have to give him his credit due for even allowing us into the building. We would probably never get inside that house ever again. Think about it like that. Rick Ross, Cole, Nicki Minaj, he really went for us to come experience it. This is something our grandparents always wanted to see, never thought in a million years, but [we can] pass it down to our generation to say, ‘Alright, I’m in here and I’m finna use my power to let ya’ll see how this thing works and I’mma drop some knowledge on y’all that a man can’t drop on everybody else ’cause y’all have the most influence.’”

Kendrick of course was referring to Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which invited all the aforementioned rap stars and more to the White House in April for a historic discussion on criminal justice reform.

President Obama, who has long since been a fan of Kendrick’s music, invited the Compton rapper to the Oval Office for their first solo face-to-face meeting back in January. Since then, the 44th president has invited Cornrow Kenny back to the White House many times. Lamar performed at the birthday party of Obama’s daughter Malia back in July and K. Dot even challenged the Commander-in-Chief to a game of basketball recently.

Kendrick went on to say that he sees certain qualities of the president in himself—”hopefully when I get to be the older gentleman like himself, [I’ll] be able to carry myself in this type of manner”—and that Obama’s humble demeanor was definitely what surprised him the most during their first meeting.

“You look at him as such a high figure in the world, but for him to embrace you and have a connection with you further than just being the President and make you feel like an actual friend,” Lamar remembered. “That’s probably the best moment and one of his best characteristics. I meet a lot of people in high places and sometimes they get so detached from the world and from the people, they don’t even know how to interact with you. Basically watching him interact with my mother, my little niece, myself as a human, I think that’s the greatest thing.”

 

[TransJenner]

These dude is so corny

 

[Bobby Lashleys eyebrows]

Favorite president and favorite rapper. So dope.

 

[Worthless Loser]

These dude is so corny

How exactly? The interview was pretty straight forward and real to me.

 

[Xyrax]

These dude is so corny

Meant to neg, wish they would fix this rep system man, shyt is trash

 

[SpacelySprockets]

if letting rappers in the white house is the best thing obama did for the black community then

 

[NotaPAWG]

"This is really something our grandparents wanted to see" ..yeah rappers visiting the White House lmfaooo

This dude a clown

 

[NotaPAWG]

00000000000000000000000000012127

How exactly? The interview was pretty straight forward and real to me.

Yeah if you're impressed by identity politics with empty symbolic gestures behind them

A ___ person being involved or "allowed" to do something means nothing if said persons morals are on par with their pre cursor stop falling for the okie dokie

 

[Worthless Loser]

00000000000000000000000000012127

Yeah if you're impressed by identity politics with empty symbolic gestures behind them

A ___ person being involved or "allowed" to do something means nothing if said persons morals are on par with their pre cursor stop falling for the okie dokie

Words from the interview:

-He met with the President.
-Seen Obama is genuine as a man and wants to be like that when he gets older.
-Understood that Obama has made it easier for hip-hop stars to come to the white house, as he as invited more rappers than any President before.

Straight simple and forward. Ya'll either say shyt just to say it or over analyze something for some bias narrative. Ya'll do too much.

 

[TransJenner]

if letting rappers in the white house is the best thing obama did for the black community then

Sorry

 

[Saiyajin]

Favorite president and favorite rapper. So dope.

how u feel about this

 

[SirBiatch]

marketing 101 for a forced, cornball rapper

 

[boskey]

Ya'll either say shyt just to say it or over analyze something for some bias narrative. Ya'll do too much.

Thecoli.com

Look at the thirstiness in this thread

 

[Trot LaRoc]

Fucc Obama...dude was simply a figurehead, a puppet....seems like a good dude but not worth caping for

Fucc Kendrick too...i enjoy a solid amount of his music but why do ppl keep runnin to him like he's authority on anything esp. politics

 

[ThisWorldAintRight]

Dope interview.