TDE heavyweights Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q sat down with HOT 97 to discuss the Charleston shooting that further ignited racial awareness and social activism nationwide.
After the members dished on their progress with individual and collaborative projects, they shared insight on Charleston and its context within the nation’s racial plights. Growing up amidst Compton’s mercilessly violent slums, Kendrick knows the realities of death, guns and power-driven abuse all too well. With timely and well-received singles such as King Kunta and Alright from Kendrick’s third studio project, To Pimp a Butterfly, the Cali-bred emcee has made statement on police brutality, being black in America and gun violence.
“There’s an energy trying to spark an evil race war because these events are happening back-to-back,” Kendrick said of the Charleston tragedy. “It’s demonized events now. It’s starting to get a little deeper than just hatred.”
While Kendrick has used his own music as a platform to address America’s growing racial wounds, his label mates also had interesting commentary. For Schoolboy Q, who also hails from West coast territory, the issue lies with the media’s obsession of the adversity.
“The media loves putting attention on it,” the Man of the Year rapper said. “I’ve never seen this much attention. The media loves this, and we just keep giving them more power by talking about it. We know what’s going on. I just think the media needs to stop pushing it in our faces all the time. It makes hate.”
Check the rest of the commentary below: