Kendrick Lamar Reveals Who Kept Him Sane During Studio Sessions

BYLavender AlexandriaPublished on August 31, 20234.3K Views

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 01: Kendrick Lamar attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Kendrick and Tems discussed how to avoid studio insanity.

Earlier this week Kendrick Lamar sat down with breakout Nigerian singer Tems for a conversation in Interview Magazine. Since then, both artist's fanbases have been pouring through the conversation trying to unpack every single relevant detail. One of the details that got people's attention was Lamar's obsession with 50 Cent. “Now, I’ve always studied 50 Cent’s music and watched his interviews," Kendrick explained. Though fans online noted just how different the two rappers' styles are others pointed out that Kendrick has long had very versatile taste.

Another detail that fans are pointing out comes from a portion of the interview where the pair discuss who holds them down. “I’m the kind of person that if you leave me in the studio by myself for like two days, I turn into one of those mad scientists in a cartoon,” Tems began. “I’m the same way. I call it the Pinky and the Brain syndrome,” Kendrick responds referencing the beloved cartoon. He went on to explain that you need someone around you to keep you sane during studio sessions. “You need at least one or two people that you really trust to be like, ‘You know what? You’re going crazy.'”

Kendrick Lamar Credits Dave Free And Sounwave For Keeping Him Sane

Kendrick Lamar didn't have to think very long to remember the people who kept his head straight. “I can relate to that, because my boy, Dave [Free] my partner, actually — he started as one of my managers, but he was a creative also. Along with my producer Sounwave, I kind of lean on him to know if I’m going the right way.” The two collaborators he mentions have been working with Lamar for a while, so it's no surprise that he trusts them.

Earlier this month, Kendrick Lamar was announced as one of the headliners at Tyler, The Creator's Camp Flog Gnaw festival later this year. He joins a stacked lineup that includes SZA, Clipse, Earl Sweatshirt, Ice Spice, and many more. What do you think of Kendrick and Tems new interview? Let us know in the comment section below.

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About The Author

Lavender Alexandria

Lavender Alexandria is a music and culture journalist based in Los Angeles, California. She’s covered dozens of musical genres and styles from the most mainstream to the most experimental and underground on her blog and accompanying YouTube channel that looks at music, pop culture, and Billboard charts since 2017: Lav’s Music Corner. Lavender has produced editorial and listicle content both in written and video form over the past far years and has also interviewed up-and-coming artists like Censored Dialogue. Her experiences covering culture have taken her from Hyperpop parties in LA to underground rap shows in Atlanta, to DIY punk shows in Charlotte. Lavender has also written for iHeartRadio, covering some of the biggest artists in Hip Hop such as Ice Spice, Drake, Doja Cat and Cardi B. She also has bylines with ScreenRant and continues to write for Ringtone magazine. Lavender is a lifelong Charlotte Hornets fan and her favorite rap artists include Clipping, Little Simz, Earl Sweatshirt, and Kendrick Lamar.