It's a great, great experience to finally get the reception that you know you rightfully deserve.
From the moment I started writing raps, I was always aware of the pressure. I always wanted to live up to how huge Snoop got, how huge Dre got, how huge Pac got. I was always aware.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the pressure Kendrick Lamar felt to achieve greatness in hip-hop, inspired by iconic artists.
Kendrick Lamar communicates the intense pressure and expectations he felt as a budding artist in the hip-hop industry. He acknowledges the monumental success of legendary figures like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Tupac Shakur, which both motivates him to strive for similar heights and instills a sense of awareness of the challenges ahead. This illustrates how the legacies of past artists shape the aspirations of newcomers in the music world.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming challenges, one might quote Kendrick to highlight the importance of living up to one's potential.
More from Kendrick Lamar
All quotes βI've been called a recluse. There's definitely truth in that. I like to spend time alone.
Every time I write these words they become a taboo,_x000D_ _x000D_ Making sure my punctuation curve, every letter here's true,_x000D_ _x000D_ Living my life in the margin, and that metaphor was proof.
This is the thing about hip-hop music and where people get it most misconstrued: It's all hip-hop. You can't say that just what I do is hip-hop, because hip-hop is all energies. James Brown can get on the track and mumble all day. But guess what? You felt his soul on those records.
The majority of my interactions with police were not good. There were a few good ones who were actually protecting the community. But then you have ones from the Valley. They never met me in their life, but since I'm a kid in basketball shorts and a white T-shirt, they wanna slam me on the hood of the car. Sixteen years old.
People have to go through trials and tribulations to get where they at. Do your thing - continue to rock it - because obviously, God wants you here.
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Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.
Man actually needs the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him.
You fail by default when you live so cautiously you never fail.
You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page.