Kendrick Lamar Unlocks New Album DAMN. Secrets in Revealing New Interview: Watch

Kendrick Lamar has given his first interview since the release of his new album DAMN. Last weekend at Coachella, Zane Lowe sat down with Kendrick to discuss his writing process, the album’s themes, not paying attention to internet reactions or conspiracy theories, being inspired by Jay Z and Obama, calling himself the greatest rapper alive, and so much more. He also talked about working with U2, Mike WiLL Made-It, Rihanna, Kid Capri, and Zacari and sampling Geraldo Rivera, and broke down the making of several individual tracks. (Yes, the story about his father and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith that he tells in album closer “DUCKWORTH.” is true. No, he won't reveal the real story of what's going on in “BLOOD.”) The interview is airing right now on Lowe's Beats 1 Radio show. Watch it below.

Kendrick also revealed that there is a ton of unreleased music from the sessions. He told Lowe that “XXX.,” the song featuring U2, originally had six verses. “That’s why the changes are so crazy.” And when asked about the rumors about a second album’s imminent release, he replied, “There’s things. A lot of times people that listen to my music they’re really good. Really, really, really good. I be mind-blown. I be blown away.”

On fan reaction to his music, both on the internet and on stage:

As soon as I hit mastering, I just turn that thing in and try not to listen to it or even see the actual response for a while. I’ve been attached to this piece of art for the last year and some change, I’ve indulged so much I don’t even want to hear it. I just want to give it to the people and let them take it and live with it and breathe it. Then when I come back on that stage, that’s when I want to feel it. That’s when I want to see it, that’s when I want to see your reaction. I can’t get that same reaction on internet, through some comments. When I go out there and I see people just really taking these songs to heart, that’s the reaction.

The internet is a tricky place and the way our minds work in a psychological matter, we’re only going to see the good things anyway. We’re going to block out the negative things. Everybody's not going appreciate and I know how it works. I don't even want to gravitate towards it. I want to go out there and see if you’re sitting out in the crowd looking at me with the mummy face or are you enjoying yourself?

On listeners expecting him to reference Trump on the album:

I wanted more self-self evaluation and discipline, because what’s going on now. We’re not focusing on him. What’s going on now—we focusing on self. You see real different nationalities and cultures are coming together and actually standing up for themselves and I think that’s a pure reflection of this record prior to this even happening prior to even coming out. We say OK we can’t control—now we see we can control what’s going on out there. It was a whole ‘nother power that be so what we can now is we can start coming together and figuring out our own problems and home solutions. You know I think, I believe, I know, this is what this album reflects.

On taking shots at Fox News and Geraldo:

I thought it was a trip, that it was clickbait, because anybody that know me they know that you know I represent my people you know and the culture the right way so to try and attack my character you know and make it an actual stunt. I wasn’t for it.

On “BLOOD.”:

What I can I say about that, without saying about that. It is one of the most interesting pieces on the record. I don’t even know if I can find the wit, the wit to tell you about it. The wit to tell you about the record without telling you about the record. There’s a new life, its a new life.

Lowe: Is it the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?

I can’t tell you that. That’s what I can’t tell you. Come on now, thats the whole thing.

Lowe: I had to ask though.

(laughs) I know but that's the whole thing

On  “DUCKWORTH.”:

Lowe: When did you when did you realize that that story had happened? When did that story get shared with you?

About a year after I met Top Dawg. I met him when I was 16. My Pops came to the studio after I’d been locked in with him for a minute and we got a relationship now, bring my Pops through. He heard I was dealing with Top Dawg but my Pops personally don’t know him as Top Dawg, the industry know him as Top Dawg... So when he walked in that room and he seen that Top Dawg was this guy, he flipped. Still ’til this day they laugh and they laugh and they trip out and they tell the same story over and over to each other.

Lowe: Have you been waiting to tell that story?

Have I been waiting? It was just the right time. Top himself didn’t know I was going to do it or even execute it in that fashion, to be the last song or to be anywhere. Just making it make sense. I remember playing it for him, he flipped because further than the song, when you really can hear your life in words that is so true to you and that effected your life one hundred percent through one decision, it really makes you sit back and cherish the moment.

I think that's something we all did playing that record. Like man, look where we at. We’re recording music for the world to hear and we’re taking care of our families. We’re blessed. But listen to these words, like this is what happened.

This is real life. It’s amazing and since a kid I’ve aways said to myself ‘anything is possible and it always comes around 10 fold, confirmation.’ And that story is confirmation.

Read “5 Takeaways From Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN.” on the Pitch, as well as our new interview with Don Cheadle about the "DNA" video.

Revisit Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 interview with Pitchfork.tv: