Kendrick Lamar has kept the world waiting for new music. He hasn’t provided any updates or release dates. He did, however, open up about his personal life during a recent Harper’s Bazaar profile. K. Dot spoke with former label mate SZA about his approach to music, and his feelings about the recent Drake feud. It was gleefully consumed by Kendrick Lamar’s fans, but hip hop personalities were less pleased. No Jumper host Adam22 felt that Dot sidestepped several difficult questions that he should have been asked.
Adam22 felt that the publication and the interviewer were cherry-picked to make the interview go as smoothly as possible. “Supporting Black media outlets, hip hop media outlets,” he said sarcastically. “Supporting real journalism, you let your label mate, basically, interview you.” Adam22 also took issue with the “elitist” persona that he felt Kendrick Lamar adopted for the profile. “That interview had so little substance to it,” the podcaster asserted. “So many words and so little thought-provoking sentiments… It’s a softball interview.” Adam22 called Kendrick Lamar out for “shielding himself” from tough questions regarding the Drake battle and the allegations that he made about the 6 God.
Adam22 Believes Kendrick Lamar “Shielded Himself”
The No Jumper host also had smoke for SZA. He felt the R&B singer was complicit in letting Lamar give vague non-answers to questions about the battle. He cited the discussion surrounding “Not Like Us” as being particularly disappointing. Adam22 felt that the serious claims Lamar leveled at Drake should have been addressed. He even drew parallels between the Diddy situation, and the countless accusers who have come forward, with the lack of accusations made against Drake. “He makes the number one song of the year,” Adam22 explained. “Calling Drake an abuser and a pedophile. zero girls have showed up to confirm this.”
Adam22 is not the only hip hop personality who has taken umbrage with Kendrick Lamar’s interview. DJ Akademiks went ballistic on the Compton rapper during his live stream. He criticized Lamar for claiming to care about the culture, and then giving an interview to an outlet outside of the culture. He also noted that Lamar’s support of Colin Kaepernick has given way to the rapper’s plan to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
About The Author
Elias Andrews is a music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as the lead night shift contributor, which means he covers new music releases on a weekly basis.
In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest and most turbulent stories in the world of music. He covered the Drake and Kendrick Lamar battle, and the release of the disses “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams,” in particular, in real time. He has also detailed the ongoing list of allegations and criminal charges made against Diddy.
Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He loves L.A. hip-hop but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he ever bought was Big Willie Style by Will Smith, which he maintains is still a pretty good listen.
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