Kendrick Lamar has been out of the spotlight since the conclusion of his heated feud with Drake ended several weeks ago. But on Friday, K-Dot made a surprise appearance at the 2024 commencement ceremony for Compton College, where the rapper gave props to the city he grew up in and gave graduates words of wisdom as they start their journey into the wider world.
Making his way to stage to a censored version of “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” a smiling Lamar stopped to take a few pics and dole out handshakes and hugs as he took out his own phone to grab a video of the happy scene. “I wanted to come out here just to tell y’all how much I appreciate y’all. I’m proud of the city of Compton, I’m proud of Compton College, most importantly I’m proud of the graduates out here,” he told the crowd.
“I know what it takes. You had a lot of hardship, not only in your house, in your communities, but most importantly, in yourself, and that’s the toughest thing to overcome. We still growing day by day, brick by brick, making sure we develop, not only in the physical form but in the spiritual as well,” he added.
“Seeing y’all you out here, it is not only a representation of the world, but it’s a representation of me. When I walk out in these cities in these countries, I can be proud and say, ‘This is where I’m from.’ I still believe in Compton, Compton always been a future for me. I think we breed some of the most incredible individuals: Creatives, intellectuals, talent. We had it since day one, that’s why I always screamed this city. I traveled the world, there’s no place like this one right here. No place,” the rapper told the cheering crowd.
“I still believe in Compton. Compton has always been the future for me. I think we breed some of the most incredible individuals, creators, intellectuals, talent. We had it since day one… I traveled the world, it’s no place like this one right here… I still believe in everything that we’re doing. Brick by brick.”
Wearing glasses, a purple ball cap and a black suit with a white t-shirt, the hometown MC told the graduates that he still believes in everything that the community is doing, but that it’s time to change the narrative. “Some people tell us this generation don’t have what it takes. Gen Z. We talk about it all day. They try to pull us down and say we don’t know what we’re doing,” he said. “They wrong though. Because not only you all have what it takes, you have something bigger: You have the heart, y’all the courage to be independent thinkers. Independent thinkers. There’s nothing more valuable than that.”
Lamar assured the graduates that their degree from Compton College was just as important and vital as any degree that anyone else might get from a different school. “This Compton degree is just as big,” he said to whoops of approval. “Now it’s all about taking these resources and taking what you learned and applying. It’s as simple as that. You gonna have hardships, you gonna have tribulations as you had coming up here, but guess what? You have someone special behind your corner and all around you and that’s God, period. Period. Period. Every step of the way when you fall and you have your shortcomings, he’s right there. When you have your victories, he’s right there. Give yourself grace, give yourself time to grow and appreciate it, because he’s growing with you.”
Lamar will be back on stage in Los Angeles on June 19 as the hots of The Pop Out – Ken & Friends concert at the Kia Forum for a special gig that will be streamed live on Prime Video.
Watch Lamar’s surprise Compton College speech (Lamar segment begins around 41:30 mark) below.
