Kendrick Lamar Quotes

“I learned, when I look in the mirror and tell my story, that I should be myself and not peep whatever everybody is doing.”

“It's easy to forget who you are.”

“If I'm gonna tell a real story, I'm gonna start with my name.”

“The hardest thing for not only an artist but for anybody to do is look themselves in the mirror and acknowledge their own flaws and fears and imperfections and put them out there in the open for people to relate to.”

“At first, I was scared to show fear because you can never be sure how people will perceive you. But I dared myself to do that, to stand out.”

“People have to go through trials and tribulations to get where they're at. Do your thing, continue to rock it, because obviously, God wants you here.”

“My moms always told me, "How long you gonna play the victim?" I can say I'm mad and I hate everything, but nothing really changes until I change myself.”

“As a kid from Compton, you can get all the success in the world and still question your worth.”

“Since day one, since the first time I touched the pen, I wanted to be the best at what I do.”

“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.”

“I think my vice would be outdoing myself.”

“I'm only as good as my last word, my last hook, my last bridge.”

“I'm just writing, writing, writing. I keep these tablets on me until I'm inspired to go back in and make the music. I never take a break from my pen, because I pride myself on that.”

“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.”

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

“Whenever I make music, it reflects where I'm at mentally.”

“I think that's why I put my energy into making music. That's how I get my thoughts out.”

“As long as my music is real, there's no limit to how many ears I can grab.”

“I'm sticking to the script; I'm putting that organic feeling back in the game.”

“I don't want to be something that just comes and goes.”

“Me, as a person, I grow. I'm like a chameleon. That is a gift and a curse for me. But more so a gift, because it never puts me in a box.”

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

“I like to let things breathe.”

“The worst part of success is, to me, adapting to it. It's scary.”

“You can have the platinum album. But when you still feel like you haven't quite found your place in the world, it kind of gives a crazy offset.”