The Grammy-winning artist opens up about his morning rituals, mental health, and the significance of his music in an exclusive conversation with SZA.
Kendrick Lamar, the iconic rapper and Pulitzer Prize winner, recently sat down with fellow artist and friend SZA to discuss his journey of self-discovery, spiritual practice, and mental health. In an intimate interview published by Harper’s Bazaar, the 37-year-old artist revealed the significance of his daily practices, which keep him grounded amid a fast-paced career and creative demands.
Each morning, Lamar begins his day by talking with God, an act he described as essential for his mental well-being. “I literally talk to God,” he shared with SZA. “It’s to a point where I’ll start to think I’m going crazy. But then He has to remind me, ‘No, this is really me.’” This practice, Lamar said, is followed by another daily ritual: running.
“My early-morning practice is that I have to run,” he explained, attributing his understanding of resilience and spirituality to these sessions. “There was this threshold of pain, in the spirituality for me,” he noted, recalling times when the physical strain would transform into moments of clarity and inspiration. “Next thing I’m three miles in, four miles in. I wake up and do that every day.”
Throughout the conversation, Lamar also discussed his experiences of self-transformation, particularly when it comes to separating his personal identity from his on-stage persona. “I’ve learned that I can’t identify with my performances on stage,” he said. “I can’t hold my true whole identity to that person who’s onstage. Because if I did, that means I would judge every movement, every time I f— up a lyric.” He described his need for distance between “the performer” and “the person I close my eyes and look at the ceiling with,” noting that he developed this mentality in his teens.
In addition to his reflections on self-identity, Lamar spoke with SZA about the meaning behind his recent song “Not Like Us,” a track in which he addresses his values and principles. “It’s the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent,” he explained. “This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something.”
With a highly anticipated Super Bowl Halftime Show performance just months away, Kendrick Lamar is more reflective than ever, sharing an inner world that fuels the depth of his music and reveals a powerful commitment to self-awareness and integrity. His conversation with SZA offers fans a rare glimpse into the spiritual practices that shape his artistry and ground his enduring success.
