In this classic 2015 interview, Kendrick Lamar stops by The Breakfast Club to chat about his surprise album drop, battling depression, and more:
During the interview, the "leader of the new-school" tells us exactly what happened with his label that led to his new album, 'To Pimp A Butterfly', being a surprise drop.
To do the album which he says took him two years, Kendrick says that he "locked in" for a full year surrounded by the talent which worked with him on the records.
About people saying he's too preachy with his lyrics, the rapper says his songs are just about his life, so he doesn't see why they would be seen as him preaching.
On falling victim to depression, he attributes it to the drastic change that came with his success and being around so many different faces and things going on back home with his family that he couldn't control.
On not showing up at the Grammys in 2015, he says that he just couldn't make it due to scheduling conflict. He also says that he didn't even expect to win a Grammy award since "he doesn't expect nothing, he just puts music out."
Kendrick also talks about taking social responsibility for the music he puts out, how he got his hands on that Tupac interview which was featured in his album, and never imagining that he would be one of the top rappers of today.
Check out the full throwback interview below: