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Kendrick Lamar Doesn't Want 'The Greatest' Title Anymore: 'I'm Dropping the Ego'
Be humble.
It’s been nine years since Kendrick Lamar proclaimed his greatness on his explosive “Control” verse, but he’s done asserting himself. The “Humble” MC covers the new issue of Citizen, where he opens up about the importance of humility and why he no longer feels the need to be called “the greatest.”
“Now, I’m dropping the ego a bit. I want to take ‘the greatest’ off of it,” the 35-year-old tells the magazine. “I want to give people something they can hold onto. So whether it touches 100 million people or inspires one, I want to be that person.”
He also expressed similar sentiments on “Savior” off his latest album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, where he raps, “Kendrick made you think about it / But he is not your savior.”
The father of two credits his 3-year-old daughter and infant son for shaping his new perspective on life. “I got children now. I want them to see things that I wasn’t privy to and be able to experience things outside of what they know,” he says.
In the interview, Kendrick also reveals how he deals with fame at this point in his career. “If I feel I have to remove myself, I just remove myself,” he explains. “I won’t complain about it. I won’t cause a big blow-up or a big stir and let the world know that the walls are closing in…”
When it comes to social media, the reclusive rapper admits he’s not savvy. “I don’t really know how to use it like that to be 100% real with you,” he says. “I got friends, family, my team, they send me things, so I got good sentiments on what’s going on.”
Kendrick is currently on his “Big Steppers Tour,” which he recently declared “the greatest show alive.” The North American leg wraps next month before heading to Europe and Australia.
steppers tour the greatest show alive
— Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) August 13, 2022