Even though Shyne gave him more than enough reason to retaliate, Kendrick Lamar turned the other cheek after the former Bad Boy went out on a limb to call his Aftermath debut good kid, m.A.A.d city “trash.” Now, in a recent interview with Acclaim Magazine, the Compton upstart discusses why he abstains from rap beef.
K. Dot explained that while he understands the effectiveness of beef as a marketing tool, he makes sure to avoid engaging in feuds with other emcees. He said that he prefers to let the quality of his music dictate his legacy, not his actions against detractors.
“I mean it’s the entertainment business, you can never forget that, so I don’t knock other people’s strategies to keep themselves relevant, I just comprehend that the music comes first and always speaks first, no matter what you do,” he said. “You can say the most outlandish thing but if you drop a record the next day and it’s trash now you’re just a popular person. I don’t just wanna be a popular person, I want my music to always live because that’s what’s gonna drive your legacy. You can be the most popular person on the planet. There’s a lot of artists that are way more popular than Kendrick Lamar, but when it’s time for their album to drop and that week is up or that year is up and the reception from that album is not as critically strong as good kid, m.A.A.d city, it shows…I just let the music speak. I don’t get into all the crazy shenanigans of the business. I let the music speak and at the end of the day that always stands.”
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