Kendrick Lamar har under det gångna året firat stora framgångar med frekvent turnerande efter “DAMN.” samt soundtracket till “Black Panther”. Nyligen stod det klart att King Kendrick nominerats till ett flertal Grammy Awards till galan strax efter nyår. Utöver detta är TDE och Kendrick själv kryptiska och hemlighetsfulla vad som står näst på agendan. I en ny intervju med Los Angeles Times gjorde skribenten vissa observationer då Kendrick och hans team skulle åka raka vägen till studion efter intervjun. Han återgav följande , där det indikeras att nytt album knappast nära förestående:

“He’s friendly but cryptic, inclined toward vague generalities open to interpretation. He’s been writing long-form, but declines to articulate what it’s about, what themes are recurring and in what form it will eventually see release. He claims he hasn’t been working on a new album, but says that he’s constantly working. Someone in his camp mentions they’re going to the studio immediately after this.”

Vad gäller “Black Panther” och relationen till Ryan Coogler sade Kendrick Lamar följande:

“This is another landmark, another stepping stone to something bigger and greater. Best believe I’m proud. And I know Ryan [Coogler, Black Panther writer and director] is as well. Our initial bond came from being from California and having similar backgrounds and stories.”

“It was something I dreamed of as a kid. A superhero who looked like us, talked like us and liked the same music… [The film’s themes] reminded me of why I made ‘To Pimp a Butterfly.’ It was survivor’s guilt. You want to be homegrown and help folks back home and give them game. You want to be there for them but if you’re there, then you can’t go out and explore.”