Kendrick Lamar explains how the ‘power of vulnerability’ shapes his mindset as an artist and man
Rapper Kendrick Lamar opened up about vulnerability, spirituality and masculinity with SZA for Harper's Bazaar's "Voices issue.
Ahead of his 2025 Super Bowl halftime headlining performance, Kendrick Lamar is reflecting on the personal narrative that impacts his artistry. As the cover star of Harper Bazaar’s 2024 “Voices” issue, the “Not Like Us” rapper was interviewed by fellow artist SZA for an article penned by writer Kaitlyn Greenidge. In the intimate conversation, the artist, fondly known as “K-Dot,” discussed the three elements that have contributed to his evolution and self-transformation in recent years.
“The power of honesty and being honest with myself, perspective about the person sitting across from me, and learning that vulnerability is not a weakness,” Lamar said. “That last one [has] probably been one I’m still developing.”
Though he has often avoided reflecting on his childhood because “it’s traumatizing,” Lamar admits that it has been fundamental in understanding his relationship with vulnerability. The Compton rapper explained how his “tough,” “militant” father did not show weakness, instead showing him the responsibilities of “being a man” by working and providing for his family. Lamar noted that his father “never showed any emotion that could garner a one-up from the person sitting across from him,” a trait he inherently picked up.
“I learned to experience that, not knowing I had [the] same traits,” he continued. “But for what I do, there is certainly no growth without vulnerability. If I understood the power of vulnerability earlier, I could have had more depth and more reach to the guys that was around me in the neighborhood coming up…Our parents, they never had these outlets to express themselves the way they wanted to. I’ve always looked at us as somewhat of a beacon of hope [for them].”
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Though he’s widely known for the elastic lyricism heard in his albums, Lamar’s music also serves as an outlet to explore his vulnerability. In fact, the rapper reveals that some of his most vulnerable moments have happened in the public eye. In addition to crying on songs like “Mother I Sober,” Lamar says the first time he ever allowed himself to cry publicly was onstage.
During a performance with fellow West Coast rappers Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, the star explained that he was brought to tears when the two veterans passed him “the torch” onstage.
“A burst of energy just came out and I had to let it flow…My tears [are] all on the internet. And now I look back, and I love that moment. I love that that happened. Because it showed me in real time expressing myself and seeing all the work that I put forth actually come to life in that moment,” he added.
Despite hip-hop remaining a male-dominated industry, the Compton native says his musical journey has shown him how to balance his masculine and feminine energy.
“The more I delve deeper into my music and the more expressive I get with myself … that is the feminine energy right there. That’s not the bravado that I grew up seeing all the time. This is who I am, the soft-spoken me, and I have to own it,” he said explaining how he sees music as a form of communication. “Because if my job is to communicate, I need to be able to communicate with everyone … and I can’t do that with a wall up. I can’t do that with my full masculinity…This is where my superpower lies.”
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