Kendrick Lamar thinks hip-hop culture determines "what’s cool and what’s not cool".
The chart-topping rapper has a deep-rooted love of hip-hop culture and Kendrick believes it is the most influential genre of music in America.
He said: "Hip-hop has always been the ultimate genre. Yeah. Even when these numbers wasn’t out. Even when the stats wasn’t out we always moved the needle. We always … we were the culture.
"You can debate me on this all day you want. We say what’s cool and what’s not cool. We say what we like."
The 30-year-old star grew up listening to the likes of Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre in Compton, where hip-hop music dominated the airwaves of local radio stations.
And in retrospect, Kendrick is amazed that anyone ever doubted the longevity of the genre.
Speaking to Forbes magazine, Kendrick recalled: "My mom told me, I couldn’t believe when she told me this. She said 1987, the year I was born, [people were saying] hip-hop was going to last six months to a year … that tripped me out.
"And now you fast forward and you see Jay-Z up there, you know? [Song]writers’ Hall of Fame. This is us. This is who I am. He’s from the projects. You dig what I’m saying?"
Kendrick claimed that the success of Jay and other hip-hop moguls serves to underline the ever-increasing influence of the culture.
The ‘Poetic Justice’ hitmaker said: "You look at what’s Dre done. You look at what Puff done, and you look at some of the guys that carried that mood of culture forward outside of hip-hop …
"We tell you what it ain’t, if it ain’t it. We decide that, you know? Simple as that."
Kendrick Lamar: Hip-hop decides what’s cool
