Kendrick Lamar Always Requests a Specific Brand of Socks on His Rider
Rappers like Kendrick Lamar has been a popular artist for a decade, and throughout that time, the Compton-bred emcee has proven that he’s a hip-hop superstar. And as a famous musician, Lamar can request things for his green rooms and dressing rooms on a rider — and some of those things would surprise even hardcore Lamar fans.
Kendrick Lamar has been a rap star for a decade
Lamar first burst onto the hip-hop scene at the turn of the last decade. Born and raised in Compton, many fans viewed him as the logical continuation of the legacy of local rappers such as Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur. His 2012 breakout album good kid, m.A.A.d. city transformed him into the industry’s hottest new rapper practically overnight; his 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly cemented his spot as a hip-hop legend.
Lamar has performed at music festivals and his own headlining tours for years. His Damn tour saw him performing sold-out shows to arenas around the country. And with five years since the release of his last album Damn, Lamar has had fans eagerly anticipating a new project.
Kendrick Lamar requests Polo socks on his rider
As someone who performs at various venues for a living, Lamar has a rider that gives him everything he wants when he arrives in his dressing room. He spoke about his unique rider in a conversation with Erykah Badu for Interview magazine back in 2013, as his career was on the rise.
“When people ask for my rider, they think I’m crazy: Fruity Pebbles, baked chicken, bottle of Hennessy, and some Polo socks,” he admitted.
Badu was taken aback, and Lamar laughed and recounted just why he requires new songs on his rider. “As an artist, you can have some crazy stuff on there. But when I go backstage, I like to put some fresh socks on,” he said. “My grandma always told me, ‘You ain’t got to take a shower for four days, but put some fresh socks on and you’ll feel better about yourself.'”
Kendrick Lamar is performing at the Super Bowl halftime show
Today, Lamar’s status as a hip-hop icon was celebrated in the Super Bowl LVI halftime show: Lamar’s career hasn’t been as long as his fellow performers, but he shared the stage as an equal with Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem. The Super Bowl halftime show also featured guest appearances from music stars including 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak.
Blige will be the only Super Bowl halftime show veteran to take the stage for a second time: her first Super Bowl halftime show was in 2001 alongside the likes of Aerosmith, Britney Spears, and *NSYNC.
Blige spoke about her first time on the Super Bowl halftime stage on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen ahead of her performance.
“The first time I did it, I was in the background with like Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and I was just in background. But now I’m in the forefront, like I’m gonna be in the front with all my peers, which is Dre and Snoop and Eminem and Kendrick [Lamar] and I’m the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.”
