Kendrick Lamar has spoken highly of 50 Cent in a new interview, crediting him with changing his perspective with something he once said.
K. Dot and Nigerian singer Tems sat down for a conversation about music and creativity for Interview Magazine on Tuesday (August 29).
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While reflecting on the early days of his career, Kendrick said he used to “study” the G-Unit mogul’s music and interviews, and he once dropped a “jewel” that has stuck with him to this day.
“Now, I’ve always studied 50 Cent’s music and watched his interviews, and someone asked if he was a conscious artist,” K. Dot recalled. “He said, ‘Yeah, I’m a conscious artist because I have a conscience.
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“That shit blew me away. It gave me a different perspective — 50 drops a lot of jewels that give me perspective, but that one right there gave me a sense of, okay, a lot of artists live and know how to project duality.”
He added: “That’s the true gift, because that’s what life is about in its wholeness. When I seen that I said, ‘I can relate to that,’ and what you’re saying is confirmation that that’s still alive. It’s really dope to hear another artist say it. Lets us know we not crazy.”
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While Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent have only released one song together, 2013’s “We Up,” the pair have crossed paths multiple times over the years. Back in 2013, 50 told XXL that despite their different artistic identities, he really admired how Kendrick carries himself.
“I love Kendrick,” he said. “Obviously there is a huge difference in the two of us, in our characters, and the way we present ourselves ’cause to me he possesses the ability to appear like he didn’t know this was going to happen.
“There’s a level of confidence required for you to withstand the level of doubt, and I had so much doubt prior to it actually working for me, that I would appear at points a little arrogant.
“Like, ‘I knew it was going to work, because it took you so long to figure it out. I told you it was hot.’ And Kendrick will give you that energy that’s like, ‘This is great. This is really happening.’ Every time I’m around him, that’s what it feels like.”
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50 Cent once even enlisted Kendrick for his acting chops on his STARZ show Power, with the Compton native making a brief cameo as a homeless drug addict named Laces back in 2018.
Then, of course, the duo shared the stage last year for Dr. Dre’s historic, Emmy-winning Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, which also featured performances from Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Anderson .Paak.
