Kendrick Lamar Reveals DAMN.’s Much Longer Original Title
By Noah Yoo.
Kendrick Lamar was a guest on Big Boy’s morning radio show on Real 92.3 in Los Angeles, where he talked about his new album DAMN., the creative process, touring, taking care of his family, and more. At one point in the interview, Big Boy asks the rapper if there were any alternate titles for the new record, to which Kendrick responds: “What Happens On Earth Stays On Earth,” the refrain said by Kid Capri on the DAMN. songs “ELEMENT.” and “DUCKWORTH.” “It didn’t read right,” Kendrick explained. He also went on to reveal why DAMN. was chosen as the final title: “There was so many different ways you could put it in my head. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t. The loudness of the record. When I think about ‘DNA.,’ when I think of ‘HUMBLE.,’ when I think these records, it just felt like that.”
Kendrick also addressed the pre-release rumors that he prepared a companion album for DAMN., cryptically stating, “I had a... a selection of songs. I don’t wanna call it an album, but it definitely made sense for DAMN.” Elsewhere in the interview, the rapper also discussed his amount of unreleased songs (“thousands”), the “wackest” song he’s ever recorded (“‘Bitch I’m In the Club’”), and the biggest crowd he’s ever performed in front of. Check out the full thing below. Kendrick shared his new music video for “ELEMENT.” earlier this week.
This story originally appeared on Pitchfork.
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