Why London means so much to Kendrick Lamar: “That’s when I felt like I’ve arrived”
Kendrick Lamar is one of the biggest artists in the world with many acclaimed albums under his belt. But before making a breakthrough on the biggest stage with his Aftermath debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, he was just a young man from Compton with dreams of taking his music worldwide.
London, in particular, holds particular importance to K.Dot due to a concert in the capital being the moment he felt like he had made it a musician. Sitting down with Kobe Bryant for Complex in 2017, he explained that the British crowd rapping his lyrics word for word was a pivotal moment for him. Bars he wrote in his mother’s house had taken him all the way across the pond.
“I think the moment I was able to go overseas, and I think it was a show in London,” he said. “I’m doing my raps or whatever, and I see the people in the front row reciting these lyrics as if they wrote them inside my mom’s kitchen where I was at writing them.”
He continued, “And this right here took my whole approach and appreciation for music on a whole another level, because now I see that these words just not for me and my friends. There’s people that actually connect with them that I’ve never met, and that’s when I felt like I’ve arrived. This is not just something I do for fun.”
Kendrick Lamar stated that, while he would always make music and perform for fun, the reaction from the audience gave him “fuel” to keep up the work rate. The Compton rapper has come a long way since that 1,500 capacity show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden. In 2022, he performed on one of the UK’s biggest stages, Glastonbury Festival, serving as the Sunday night headliner.
In another interview with Big Boy, Kendrick praised London fans for how much love they show him. According to him, fans overseas show more appreciation for his presence than in the US, due to it being a rare occasion when he’s in the city. “They love it,” he said. “They’re like die-hards, almost where they feel like they don’t get it enough. So when we come out there, it’s appreciated.”
Kendrick Lamar has also had high praise for UK rappers in the past. While appearing on BBC Radio 1Xtra, he gave Little Simz her flowers and claimed she’s up there as one of the best in the game.
“There’s a young lady out here that’s pretty dope by the name of Little Simz,” he said. “She might be the illest doing it right now. I had to acknowledge that and I wish her much success. I got to meet her one time but in brief. If I’m out here and I run a tour, I’ll definitely chop it up.” When told that he should collaborate with Simz, he replied, “That’s the truth.”