Kendrick Lamar can't start his day without doing THIS spiritual practice

Rapper Kendrick Lamar recently opened up about his mental health and daily morning practices in a conversation with former labelmate SZA. The intimate and candid discussion, published by Harper's Bazaar, offered fans a rare look at Lamar’s spiritual journey.

When SZA asked Lamar about his mental health and spiritual practices, the 37-year-old artist shared that he frequently talks to God. “I literally talk to God,” he said. “It’s to a point where I’ll be starting to think I’m going crazy. But then he has to remind me, ‘No, this is really me.’”

Another essential part of Lamar’s routine is running, which he says connects him spiritually and mentally. “When I started running, that’s where I started to understand. There was this threshold of pain, in the spirituality for me. I remember my shins was aching and I was like, I got one mile to go. Then I get whispers and downloads and start talking about s--- that I want to know about. And next thing I’m three miles in, four miles in. I wake up and do that s--- every day,” Lamar continued. 

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Lamar also reflected on his identity as an artist and the challenge of separating himself from his performances. “I’ve learned that I can’t identify with my performances on stage. I can’t hold my true whole identity to that person who’s onstage. Because if I did, that means I will judge every movement every time I f--- up a lyric, every time I’m off-key,” Lamar said.

He continued, “It’s too much to deal with. So, I have to have a distance between the performer and the person I close my eyes and look at the ceiling with. I had to develop that tough skin at like 16, 17 years old, not knowing it was not only for my career but for myself. It’s mentally ill for sure.”

As he prepares for his upcoming performance at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Lamar also discussed the meaning behind his diss track, “Not Like Us,” directed at fellow rapper Drake. He described the song as a statement of his values. “This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something,” Lamar explained. “He’s not pandering.”