Pharrell on Kendrick Lamar: ‘This Era’s Bob Dylan’
*When Pharrell Williams issued one of music’s most sweeping comparisons in 2012, few could have anticipated that the artist he had in mind was a rapper from Compton. At the time, he took to social media to make his declaration, writing, “@kendricklamar is this era’s Bob Dylan. Masterful storytelling. Listen to it, it will elevate […] The post Pharrell on Kendrick Lamar: ‘This Era’s Bob Dylan’ appeared first on EURweb | Black News, Culture, Entertainment & More.
Black News 
*When Pharrell Williams issued one of music’s most sweeping comparisons in 2012, few could have anticipated that the artist he had in mind was a rapper from Compton. At the time, he took to social media to make his declaration, writing, “@kendricklamar is this era’s Bob Dylan. Masterful storytelling. Listen to it, it will elevate you. And just like that music has changed.”
As VICE reports, the Bob Dylan standard represents something rare in music — an artist whose writing cuts through cultural noise to speak directly to the conditions of their time, unafraid of difficult truths or inconvenient realities. In Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell saw exactly that.
Lamar himself gave Pharrell plenty of reasons to feel that way. In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, he broke down the driving force behind his album “good kid, m.A.A.d city.” Rather than glorifying street life, he set out to explain it. “People are used to music that justifies street culture, but something that’s not touched on is why these kids act the way they act, live the way they live. The true story behind this album is showing how the world looks at my friends as delinquents when they are good kids at heart. They have great hearts.”
The rapper went further, connecting the environment his peers grew up in to the choices they made. “But from the time they was born in the 80s, when crack was everywhere, they had no figure to guide them. Father in jail, mother strung out. I knew I was blessed with a gift of having both parents. That right there gave me a little bit more insight than a few of my other homeboys. My parents being there gave me a whole lot of confidence,” Lamar continued.
That vision translated into one of hip-hop’s most decorated careers. Lamar first gained widespread attention with his debut studio album “Section.80,” which established his reputation for thoughtful, socially aware lyricism. His breakthrough arrived with “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City,” a concept-driven project that achieved long-running success on the Billboard 200 and elevated him into mainstream prominence. He continued building momentum with “To Pimp a Butterfly,” a chart-topping release that blended hip-hop with jazz, funk, and soul influences.
Across his career, Lamar has achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success, earning multiple No. 1 albums and singles, with tracks like “Not Like Us” dominating the Billboard Hot 100 and winning top honors. Among his many accolades, Lamar has collected 27 Grammy Awards — more than any other rapper — and made history by winning the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018. His work has earned recognition from institutions like the Academy Awards, and Time magazine has named him one of the world’s most influential artists.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: George Clinton Praises Kendrick Lamar: ‘He’s Like a Psychiatrist on Record’
Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE
The post Pharrell on Kendrick Lamar: ‘This Era’s Bob Dylan’ appeared first on EURweb | Black News, Culture, Entertainment & More.
