Kendrick Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, has opened up about his well-being in an intimate conversation with former TDE labelmate SZA, published by Harper’s Bazaar on Monday, October 21.
During their hour-and-a-half discussion, the ‘Saturn’ singer, 34, delved into questions about Lamar’s mental health and spiritual practices.
“I literally talk to God,” Lamar told SZA of his day-to-day practices. “Like, it’s to a point where I’ll be starting to think I’m going crazy. But then He has to remind me, ‘No, this is really me.’ ”
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After his conversations with God, there’s another daily step he can’t skip.
“My early-morning practice is that I have to run,” the “HUMBLE.” artist said.
“When I started running, that’s where I started to understand. There was this threshold of pain, in the spirituality for me. I remember my shins was aching and I was like, I got one mile to go. Then I get whispers and downloads and start talking about s— that I want to know about. And next thing I’m three miles in, four miles in. I wake up and do that s— every day,” Lamar continued.
Lamar also shared insights about his out-of-body experiences while performing.
“I say some s— on a record and identify with a moment, and then I don’t identify with it anymore. That’s just growth for me. All that s— is subjective,” the “Swimming Pools” rapper shared.
Lamar added that even at a young age, he was “trying to understand myself, trying to find people I could relate to,” as well as “How to identify myself outside myself.”
Noting that it could sound “crazy to a lot of people” or “scary” to others, he elaborated further.
“I’ve learned that I can’t identify with my performances on stage. I can’t hold my true whole identity to that person who’s onstage. Because if I did, that means I will judge every movement every time I f— up a lyric, every time I’m off-key,” Lamar said.
He continued, “It’s too much to deal with. So, I have to have a distance between the performer and the person I close my eyes and look at the ceiling with. I had to develop that tough skin at like 16, 17 years old, not knowing it was not only for my career but for myself. It’s mentally ill for sure.”
Shortly after his highly publicized feud with Drake, Lamar was announced as the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime performer.
He also explained to SZA the meaning behind “Not Like Us,” one of his diss tracks aimed at the Canadian rapper.
“‘Not Like Us’ is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent. Now, if you identify with the man that I represent ,” Lamar said. “This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering.”
