When asked how he feels about being compared to Eminem, Kendrick Lamar had nothing but respect.
In a clip from The Breakfast Club, Kendrick responds to the familiar question of whether he considers those comparisons an insult or a compliment:
I take it as a compliment because I’m a student of the game first before I jump into any type of booth. I know my history well, from Eminem albums to Pac albums to Dre to Snoop. If they hear elements in different pieces, so be it. Because Eminem is one of the greatest of all time, nobody can take that from him. I can’t take it. New artists can’t take it. No nothing. His wordplay is out of this world, excluding the fact of whatever racial colour. Hip hop is hip hop, and he got it.
It is not the first time Kendrick has spoken with reverence about Em. He has paid him respect before and said that Eminem’s music had changed his life. Marshall himself has shown support in return, featuring Kendrick on “Love Game” from “The Marshall Mathers LP 2” back in 2013 and consistently praising Dot’s skills and new albums.
He even predicted Kendrick’s Grammy success with “GNX”, saying that the younger rapper was going to “sweep that shit”. Two artists who know their success comes from hard work, not from tearing others down.
