Kendrick Not Allowed To Talk About Politics Anymore In Interviews?

[John Hull]

Maybe he need to holla at Ab Soul or include him more in his press runs.. nikka need some perspective

 

[loyola llothta]

I agree about his fan base, no doubt

But to say GKMC won't be remembered is flat out nonsense.

i mean an icon at least that what he was trying to say in the article.

I wanted this record to be talked about the same way Bob Dylan or The Beatles or Jimi Hendrix are talked about,” Kendrick says in an East London studio. “When my time has come on earth, I want it to live longer than me, for the grandkids and their kids.”

 

[loyola llothta]

Oh, its me. Not the K.Dot/J.Cole fans who are raising them up to be this generation's Ice Cube & Chuck D?

Perhaps the trip helped inspire one of the record’s more divisive moments: ‘i’’s attempt to reclaim the N-word as a source of pride by exploring its (allegedly African) roots: “Well, this is my explanation straight from Ethiopia / N-E-G-U-S definition: royalty; King royalty – wait listen / N-E-G-U-S description: Black emperor, King, ruler, now let me finish / The history books overlook the word and hide it.” The legendary comedian Richard Pryor, who’s name-checked on the album, once wrote about his own life-changing experiences in Kenya, whereupon seeing what he perceived to be the dignity and unbroken spirit of its people, he vowed never to use the N-word again in his set. But Kendrick says not using it at all might be a stretch too far at this stage in his career.

“I don’t know if I can stop,” he says. “The closest I can do to stopping is putting the root word, negus, on my album. But I don’t know if I’m there mentally to stop saying the n-word yet. I dunno, maybe one day. That’s 27 years of reversing that word, I probably been saying that since I was one year old.”

At times, experiencing ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’’s 79 minutes of gruelling catharsis can feel like being locked in a cupboard full of skeletons and left to fight your way out. But the record is so much more than a personal voyage of discovery. Billed by the prominent critic Robert Christgau as a “strong, brave, effective bid to reinstate hip-hop as black America’s CNN”, it speaks eloquently to the increasingly angry, despairing mood among African American communities in the States right now. ‘The Blacker The Berry’ echoes popular outrage at recent police killings of black citizens, for instance, while ‘Alright’ touches on police violence in a more general sense: “We hate po-po/Wanna kill us dead in the streets for sure”.

So when we’re informed that politics is off the menu as a topic of conversation before sitting down to chat with Kendrick, it’s hard not to feel short-changed. Swedish journalist Mats Nileskär – the guy whose Tupac interview Kendrick samples at the end of the record – persuasively suggested that these songs double as a soundtrack to an emerging civil rights movement in the US. Surely their author would have a word to say about that?

“No politics!” barks Kendrick’s manager, who’s been lurking silently in the background throughout our interview, when I try and smuggle a question in under the table. “Kendrick’s here to promote his album.”

“But surely the album is political!” I sputter indignantly. “Isn’t it relevant to…”

“No politics,” the manager replies, with an air of finality.

Perhaps Kendrick feels burned by past comments made on the subject? Asked about the police killing of Michael Brown that sparked civilunrest in Ferguson, Missouri last summer, he told Billboard: “What happened to [Michael Brown] should’ve never happened. Never. But when we don’t have respect for ourselves, how do we expect them to respect us?”


The remark prompted outcry among online commentators – including Azealia Banks, who branded it “the dumbest shyt I’ve ever heard a black man say” – but Kendrick says his reluctance to speak on political affairs has nothing to do with the incident. “I don’t care,” he says, frowning for the first time today. “My life is already written. Everything I’m doing is a rerun of what God already played out for me – I don’t do no apologies. Everything I said I meant, period. Those who get it, they understand. Those are the people that need it. If you don’t, then obviously you’re not going through that, so you don’t really care.”

Prominent among the criticisms of Kendrick’s comments was that, although his claim that change must “come from within” is all very well and Christian, it ignores a system that is stacked overwhelmingly against people of colour in the States. What about reform of the nation’s police force, for example? Or its gun laws? Or its institutionally racist penal system, alluded to in Kanye’s ‘New Slaves’? Does none of that make Kendrick want to lend his support to the wave of protest currently sweeping the country?

“It all depends on what lending your support is,” says Kendrick, who appears to take a dim view of politics in general. (“People in high places are just the biggest thugs,” he ventures at one point.) “A lot of people say lending your support is going out there and talking, protesting. Personally I’d rather do the groundwork inside the city. I feel like there needs to be more action instead of talk, we need to be at the youth detention centres, the boys’ and girls’ clubs and the parks. It’s about showing your face to these kids.”

Kendrick is as good as his word on that front: he was honoured by the California state senate this year for his charitable work in Compton. Another, higher-profile return to the hood came with the video shoot for swaggering lead single ‘King Kunta’, where he preached his message of empowerment from the rooftops of the swap meet, the recently closed thrift store where rappers would go to hawk their wares in the early days of gangsta rap.

 

[SunZoo]

All these slave analogies and butt-hurt ass commentary and it turns out there's more to the situation than Kendricks manager tapping him on the shoulder and saying "no politics".

Yall got some toxic ass shyt floating around in your heads.

 

[JustCKing]

I think too much is being made out of politics being off limits. We can't act like there aren't places where we are told not to express opinions on politics. It doesn't have anything to do with enlightening people, but more to do with potential for conflict. Everyone has differing philosophies when it comes to politics. No matter what you say, you're going to be crucified for it in regard to politics.

 

[JustCKing]

Also, why even lead an interview with politics. If the journalist did that, then that's poor journalist. Why not approach Kendrick with questions like these:

- Your album cover is both poignant and powerful. What inspired you to use the imagery?

- Your album has references to Uncle Sam and Lucy. Often it's like there's a parallel between the two. Could you expound on your choice to make these two entities a recurring antagonist throughout the album?

- There's songs on the album where you discuss your depression, particularly on the song "U". Some of the depression seems to stem from being vulnerable in preventing the ills that affect Black youth. How much did this influence the album?

 

[Kitsch]

The

 

[Loose]

All these slave analogies and butt-hurt ass commentary and it turns out there's more to the situation than Kendricks manager tapping him on the shoulder and saying "no politics".

Yall got some toxic ass shyt floating around in your heads.

He has pac on his album talking about we gonna have slave esque rebellions, this nikka is a coward plain and simple

 

[Eye Cue DA COLI GAWD]

From K. Dot to Kendrick Lamar
Changed yo name, change the slang
But you still more lame than you are a star


Hate it had to happen to K. Dot. But this is what happens when you sell your soul for industry support and backing. You become a slave to an image that's not even yours. Gotta be lonely in those inner 'Walls' of his.

Go watch Danny Collins. Deals directly with this like many movies out there. K. Dot just a back packing kid who can put words together but lacks the intelligence and charisma to back up the amount of resources his handlers are providing for him.

It's been obvious for like a 18 months brehs

 

[SunZoo]

I think too much is being made out of politics being off limits. We can't act like there aren't places where we are told not to express opinions on politics. It doesn't have anything to do with enlightening people, but more to do with potential for conflict. Everyone has differing philosophies when it comes to politics. No matter what you say, you're going to be crucified for it in regard to politics.

The music speaks for itself.

One of the main reasons he's letting the music stand as his statement is threads like this filled with a bunch of people who want him to say what they want him to say, when they want him to say it and who they want him to say it too...fukk yall.

fukk rap fans in general tbh.

He has pac on his album talking about we gonna have slave esque rebellions, this nikka is a coward plain and simple

You lack empathy.

If I was Kendrick I would have told nikkas to braid my pubes after that first debacle. The album ain't enough...he gotta get on every stage post-TPAB and do his best Cornell West impression just for muthafukkas to take something they don't exactly agree with and declare to have suffered the disappointment of all disappointments. Your fault for standing around looking for another nikka to do what you could be doing your damn self.

 

[rapbeats]

I think too much is being made out of politics being off limits. We can't act like there aren't places where we are told not to express opinions on politics. It doesn't have anything to do with enlightening people, but more to do with potential for conflict. Everyone has differing philosophies when it comes to politics. No matter what you say, you're going to be crucified for it in regard to politics.

and man up and be ready to bare your cross OR shut up. its simple... but its hard at the same time. which route do you choose mr Kdot?

 

[rapbeats]

The music speaks for itself.

One of the main reasons he's letting the music stand as his statement is threads like this filled with a bunch of people who want him to say what they want him to say, when they want him to say it and who they want him to say it too...fukk yall.

fukk rap fans in general tbh.



You lack empathy.

If I was Kendrick I would have told nikkas to braid my pubes after that first debacle. The album ain't enough...he gotta get on every staged post-TPAB and do his best Cornell West impression just for muthafukkas to take something they don't exactly agree with and declare to have suffered the disappointment of all disappointments. Your fault for standing around looking for another nikka to do what you could be doing your damn self.

when you are speaking on racial topics involving black folks(oppressed people). sorry ..you cant "let the music speak for itself" maybe on some other topic. but not this one.

You cant throw stuff out there and duck from the onslaught of either side of the coin(PC black folks, PC white folks, white racist, c00n black folks. or black fist pumping black folks.) MAN UP and deal with it. express yourself.

See what you fail to realize SunZ is this. what kendrick was saying came from his heart. BUt its also that New black era as well. Thinking they have to be the in the middle black guy that knows all blacks aint good, and they feel the need to tell whites "look see, i'm not saying all blacks are good. i know a lot of us do bad... i know this and that about us like you say is true."
STOP IT. but he doesnt know to STOP IT unless he addresses it, and some true Pro black person with knowledge kicks the facts to him. so the next time you hear him talking about blackness. he understands "this aint the time or place to play the middle man card. its ride for your people like everyone else rides for theirs. this is CHESS not checkers. OR dont ride at all." But you cant get that intel if you are too afraid to express yourself even outside of the album

Stop making this kind of music if you dont want to talk about it. what makes him more special then all that have come before him in every genre that had to man up, about what they were preaching on the album. thats your sermon. talk about it if you believe in it. OR shut UP and hit us with the club songs or some smokers music or some other nonsense that aint conscious.

even hood dudes were speaking their minds. going in interviews talking all kinds of reckless back in the day. but as they aged and as older people or people in the know hit them up . they changed, they grew. next album comes out they dont sound the exact same. they have a bit more of a conscious now. thats how this thing works. its a dialogue. not just a piece of art to look at or hear. even an artist if he/she is still alive and they are well known people want you to talk about your art. especially if its political or racially motivated some how.

Artists not only paint the picture of whats going on. they can also help move the needle. You only have 5 mins to say something on a song, and you have to rhyme while doing it. odds are you couldnt fit everything in. So you need that interview to flesh the rest out so the listeners can understand where you're coming from. Unless you're just playing that racial card because you know thats whats hot in the streets today. meaning you really aint down like that or care like that. you over here trust trying to capitalize off of something.

 

[JustCKing]

and man up and be ready to bare your cross OR shut up. its simple... but its hard at the same time. which route do you choose mr Kdot?

Him not taking questions on politics is him shutting up.

 

[Kaypain]

That just sounds like an excuse for PRO-BLACK, REVOLUTIONARY Kendrick Lamar.

I just feel this album came along to take advantage of people's feelings about increased media coverage of police murders.

Interscope let him drop it because it's the perfect time to sell that type of music.

But, when he has to actually answer for those concepts, he can't talk.

I'm convinced these nikkas never listened to the album

 

[JustCKing]

when you are speaking on racial topics involving black folks(oppressed people). sorry ..you cant "let the music speak for itself" maybe on some other topic. but not this one.

You cant throw stuff out there and duck from the onslaught of either side of the coin(PC black folks, PC white folks, white racist, c00n black folks. or black fist pumping black folks.) MAN UP and deal with it. express yourself.

See what you fail to realize SunZ is this. what kendrick was saying came from his heart. BUt its also that New black era as well. Thinking they have to be the in the middle black guy that knows all blacks aint good, and they feel the need to tell whites "look see, i'm not saying all blacks are good. i know a lot of us do bad... i know this and that about us like you say is true."
STOP IT. but he doesnt know to STOP IT unless he addresses it, and some true Pro black person with knowledge kicks the facts to him. so the next time you hear him talking about blackness. he understands "this aint the time or place to play the middle man card. its ride for your people like everyone else rides for theirs. this is CHESS not checkers. OR dont ride at all." But you cant get that intel if you are too afraid to express yourself even outside of the album

Stop making this kind of music if you dont want to talk about it. what makes him more special then all that have come before him in every genre that had to man up, about what they were preaching on the album. thats your sermon. talk about it if you believe in it. OR shut UP and hit us with the club songs or some smokers music or some other nonsense that aint conscious.

even hood dudes were speaking their minds. going in interviews talking all kinds of reckless back in the day. but as they aged and as older people or people in the know hit them up . they changed, they grew. next album comes out they dont sound the exact same. they have a bit more of a conscious now. thats how this thing works. its a dialogue. not just a piece of art to look at or hear. even an artist if he/she is still alive and they are well known people want you to talk about your art. especially if its political or racially motivated some how.

Artists not only paint the picture of whats going on. they can also help move the needle. You only have 5 mins to say something on a song, and you have to rhyme while doing it. odds are you couldnt fit everything in. So you need that interview to flesh the rest out so the listeners can understand where you're coming from. Unless you're just playing that racial card because you know thats whats hot in the streets today. meaning you really aint down like that or care like that. you over here trust trying to capitalize off of something.

This isn't him ducking. Speaking on racism is one thing. It doesn't have to go into a political discussion because it's more so a social issue.

Him not discussing politics =/= not talking about the album because a lot of the album wasn't even political. There are Pro Black themes on the album, which again, are not political.