Kendrick Lamar described the moment he “allowed” himself to cry for the first time as an outpouring of emotion during a 2011 performance alongside Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.
The Compton rapper, known for his introspective lyrics and boundary-pushing artistry, opened up during an interview with fellow artist SZA for Harper’s Bazaar about the occasion when he had to let his tears flow on stage.
Lamar reflected on the West Coast legends passing him the symbolic torch, with Dre acknowledging the new wave of Hip-Hop talent led by Lamar.
“The first time I allowed it to happen is documented, actually, onstage when Dre passed me the torch,” Lamar shared. “A burst of energy just came out, and I had to let it flow.”
That powerful moment, now etched into his memory and caught on camera, marked Lamar’s public reckoning with how far he had come.
“My tears is all on the internet,” he admitted. “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 hard work actually come to life.”
When asked about the last time he cried, Kendrick Lamar mentioned the emotional weight carried within “Mother I Sober,” a track from his 2022 album, exploring painful themes such as addiction, trauma, and sexual abuse.
“That s**t was deep for me,” he said, acknowledging the rawness of that recording experience, which brought him to tears.
Opening up about his emotional journey, Lamar revealed that, with age, he’s learned to embrace his feelings rather than hide them.