Kendrick Lamar

Black and brown pride have been taught in my household for a long time.

The way people look at me these days - that's the same way I looked at President Obama before I met him. We tend to forget that people who've attained a certain position are human.

Being acknowledged for your work is always a great accomplishment, whether it's people in my city, kids in the street, all the way up to the Grammys.

My passion is bringing storylines around and constructing a full body of work rather than just a 16-bar verse.

You don't hear no artists from Compton showing vulnerability.

I always felt like there was a certain standard of music that I had to do from the beginning, even when I didn't have the recognition that I have now.

I'm putting out this free music, constantly putting it out.

People are used to music that justifies street culture but something that's not touched on is why these kids act the way they act, live the way they live.

Groups break up because they never got across what they wanted to do personally, and they have creative differences, and egos start to clash.

Sonnymoon and Quadrants are a couple of bands that really inspire me in terms of the melodics of things and certain tones and just what feels good. It takes me back to the type of music that I grew up on in my household. We played a lot of gangsta rap, but we also played a lot of oldies, and I think that mix is part of what inspires my sound.

My pops and my mom started playing Marvin Gaye and the Isley Brothers and all these people, but at the same time, they always had Snoop on right behind it in the same mix.

I don't really believe in the type of pressure that people are wanting to put on the type of music that I make.

When I ask OGs why there's so much division in the streets, nobody never really knows. But you know one thing that everybody always mention? A woman.

Temptation is just the feeling that you're the most independent person on planet Earth. That you know everything. That's something that we all go through as a kid. Now, this lifestyle that I'm in, the same thing exists! But it's 10 times worse, because everything is at my disposal. When you're in the limelight, you can get anything you want.

I always was that person who was hard on myself and challenged myself no matter what I was doing, whether it was passing third grade or playing basketball.

When I'm in the studio, I'm looking for creativity I haven't matched yet, a feeling I haven't felt. It's a high.

We're in the last days, man - I truly, in my heart, believe that. It's written. I could go on with biblical situations and things my grandma told me. But it's about being at peace with myself and making good with the people around me.

The majority of my interactions with police were not good. There were a few good ones who were actually protecting the community. But then you have ones from the Valley. They never met me in their life, but since I'm a kid in basketball shorts and a white T-shirt, they wanna slam me on the hood of the car. Sixteen years old.

Eventually you get to this point where you understand what you want to do and get across and sound like.

When I talk to kids, I'm really listening. When I do that, we have a little bit of a bigger connection than me being Kendrick Lamar and you being a student. It's almost like we're friends. Because a friend listens.