Kendrick Lamar Quotes

“I got a greater purpose. God put something in my heart to get across, and that's what I'm going to focus on, using my voice as an instrument and doing what needs to be done.”

“My whole thing is to inspire, to better people, to better myself forever in this thing that we call rap, this thing that we call hip-hop.”

“My word will never be as strong as God's word. All I am is just a vessel, doing His work.”

“God to me is love.”

“It's about being at peace with myself and making good with the people around me.”

“I always thought money was something just to make me happy. But I've learned that I feel better being able to help my folks, 'cause we never had nothing. Just to see them excited about my career is more of a blessing than me actually having it for myself.”

“I knew I was blessed with a gift of having both parents.”

“I look at where I'm at today and realise that most of my success is owed to the mentors that were in my life.”

“The best thing is to always keep honest people around, because when you have a bunch of yes men around that know that you're making a mistake but let you go on with it, that's when it ruins your mind state as an artist.”

“If you've got two steel swords going back and forth hitting each other, what's gonna happen? Both of them are going to get sharper.”

“Temptation is just the feeling that you're the most independent person on planet Earth. That you know everything. When you're in the limelight, you can get anything you want.”

“When you go on your Twitter or look down your timeline and it's all great positivity, I love that. But at the same time, it can really divert you from what your purpose is.”

“I think my worst problem is actually living in the moment and understanding everything that's going on. I feel like I'm in my own bubble.”

“I've been called a recluse. There's definitely truth in that. I like to spend time alone.”

“I'm constantly thinking.”

“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.”

“This is the thing about hip-hop music and where people get it most misconstrued: it's all hip-hop. Hip-hop is all energies. James Brown can get on the track and mumble all day. But guess what? You felt his soul on those records.”

“Tupac, Biggie, Jay. Your usual suspects. These were the people that were played in my household.”

“I saw Dr. Dre when I was 9 years old in Compton, him and Tupac. They were shooting the second "California Love" video. My pops put me on his neck, and we stood there watching Dre and Pac.”

“When I went back to my old high school, all these kids were looking at me the same way I look at Jay-Z, Nas, or Dr. Dre.”

“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.”

“It's a great, great experience to finally get the reception that you know you rightfully deserve.”

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

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

“I always tell people that if I move anywhere it would be Toronto.”