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The Grammys won't take place for another two and a half months, but the campaigning is already beginning in earnest. Kendrick Lamar was explicit about the value of victory in a recent interview with The New York Times. "The Grammys have taste," he declared. "They've had taste for a long time. I'm just more excited that they recognize the time and effort put into the project."
But make no mistake, he also wants to win. "Ultimately, for the hip-hop community, I would love for us to win them all," the MC told The Times. (He is nominated for 11 awards.) "Because we deserve that. Period... it's not only a statement for myself, but it's a statement for the culture. They're all important, because of the foundation the forefathers laid before me. Nas didn't get a chance to be in that position. Pac. So to be acknowledged and to actually win, it's for all of them."
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The rapper also touched on President Obama—"to hear that he liked the same kick drums and the same snares that I like, it just makes him that much more relatable"—and his favorite rap of the year: "Of course Future killed it. He smashed. Drake smashed."
Read the full conversation here, and revisit FADER's Kendrick interview.
