Kendrick Lamar Covers XXL’s Winter 2015 Issue [Some Excerpts]

[IronFist]

A year after he graced the cover of XXL and penned his own cover story, Kendrick returns with a new letter and photo spread. In his piece, K.Dot reflects on his year since dropping To Pimp A Butterfly and speaks on the reaction to the singularly unique piece of work, the socio-political aspect of his output, his role as a leader of this generation and much more.

Continue below for a couple of excerpts, photos and some behind the scenes footage from the photoshoot. Look out for the magazine to hit newsstands in the next week or so.



1. “It’s funny because I ask other artists about their experience with success. I wanna know what happened to them. Did you feel how I feel? When did everything change for you? When did you start noticing the ways you were acting differently? Or when the people around you changed how they treated you? Or just, how did your world change? For me, the whole complete world changed within six months of good kid, m.A.A.d. city coming out. It wasn’t about the money change, although, that did happen, but it was like I stared seeing who I really was during that first run and learned more on the second. Either you notice who you are who are or what you ain’t pretty fast when you get fame.”

2. “The past few years or so has been very politically charged and controversial. From Trayvon Martin, to Eric Garner to Michael Brown and issues of police brutality and racism and for so many other reasons. All of it has really struck a nerve with me because when you experience things like that personally and you know the type of hardships and pain that it brings first-hand, it builds a certain rage in you. It brings back memories of when I’m 16 and the police come kicking the door in. They don’t care that I’m a little boy and they stumped me in my back two times and they dragged me out the house and have us all handcuffed. It brings back those memories. Memories of losing loved ones. It brings back some of the most painful memories and deepest thoughts of real life situations that I didn’t even want to address on good kid. Or wasn’t ready to. Rage is the perfect word for it.”


Kendrick Lamar Covers XXL’s Winter 2015 Issue | Nah Right​

 

[BigL187]

king kendrick

 

[muse]

what the fukk is a winter issue?
i didnt even know xxl changed their production

im really trying to understand kendrick's stance on things. he says we need to respect ourselves, which i agree with but not his delivery, but he understands first hand police brutality. why even say some stupid shyt like that in such a tense time? he's clearly very intelligent but his past interviews are he's getting better. he is only human


soon he'll be unstoppable

 

[Ness]

what the fukk is a winter issue?
i didnt even know xxl changed their production

im really trying to understand kendrick's stance on things. he says we need to respect ourselves, which i agree with but not his delivery, but he understands first hand police brutality. why even say some stupid shyt like that in such a tense time? he's clearly very intelligent but his past interviews are he's getting better. he is only human


soon he'll be unstoppable

Basically Kendrick understands that the system and those dat mantain it r fukked up

But whinnin and pleadin for it to change aint gon do shyt

Instead of waitin for white daddy to have a change of heart, the change needs to come from WITHIN. Only if we start holdin ourselves accountable(different from finger pointin) can we rly start a movement

Das what I seem to grasp from his music and interviews and doze r sentiments dat I share as well

 

[muse]

Basically Kendrick understands that the system and those dat mantain it r fukked up

But whinnin and pleadin for it to change aint gon do shyt

Instead of waitin for white daddy to have a change of heart, the change needs to come from WITHIN. Only if we start holdin ourselves accountable(different from finger pointin) can we rly start a movement

Das what I seem to grasp from his music and interviews and doze r sentiments dat I share as well

yeah. im saying, i understand his points, and he is getting better at articulating them

 

[No1]

Basically Kendrick understands that the system and those dat mantain it r fukked up

But whinnin and pleadin for it to change aint gon do shyt

Instead of waitin for white daddy to have a change of heart, the change needs to come from WITHIN. Only if we start holdin ourselves accountable(different from finger pointin) can we rly start a movement

Das what I seem to grasp from his music and interviews and doze r sentiments dat I share as well

That is basic knowledge that every protestor knows. Kendrick will mature when he understood what Wale understood on the Breakfast Club that it is two different issues and it's not mutually exclusive. I can tell my son to stop being an idiot in class, but you better believe I'm going to be a lot more upset if his teacher slaps him in the face.