Kendrick Lamar Thinks He Wrote His Best Verses on “FEAR.”
Kendrick Lamar fans can spend hours going back and forth about his music, debating what his best song is or what album ranks No. 1 in his catalog. During a new interview with Touré for i-D Magazine, the Compton rapper reveals what he believes are his best verses, coming straight off of a track on his recent DAMN. album.
The Cali says his best verses come from his "FEAR." record, where he speaks on the different things he was afraid of growing up, including his parents as well as the world at large.
"It's completely honest," he says about the song. "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."
Elsewhere in the interview, K. Dot also speaks on how he keeps a tight circle of honest people around him to critique his music when he's in the studio. Not only is he candid about people telling him when he makes wack music, but he also says they challenge him to take his music to the next level.
"Everything you write is not dope," he continues. "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.'" Kendrick has friends who are empowered to tell him what's not working, and he says that has made a huge difference. "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. And then you eventually grow an ability to know when something is too far. I learnt how to challenge myself to take it to the next level."
During the conversation with i-D, Kendrick also speaks on other topics, including his conversation with Barack Obama about President Trump, and how America got to where it is today. He also talks about formerly visiting the White House, as well as his favorite words, learning about rap growing up and much more.
Read the full conversation with Kendrick Lamar for i-D Magazine here.
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