The 14-time Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar takes the cover story of W Magazine‘s Volume Five 2022 Originals edition lensed by fashion photographer Renell Medrano. In charge of styling was Taylor McNeill, with set design from Mila Taylor-Young at CLM Agency, and production by The Canvas Agency. Beauty is work of hair stylist Khristien “Khristn” Ray, barber Mike Cruz, makeup artist Ayami Nishimura for Augustinus Bader at Forward Artists, and manicurist Leeanne Colley for Tips Nail Bar at P1M.
I’m not even the same person I was yesterday, That’s what keeps me creative. I have so much discipline as far as repetition – I don’t give a fuck if it’s a thousand push-ups or pull-ups or whatever, but it’s always that extra 5 percent I’m like, What am I on today? What’s going to be the evolution for myself today?
A lot of times, we play with the idea and don’t necessarily know if it’s real, until you feel it. My children allowed me, in their development as human beings beginning to walk and talk, to remove my ego, to know that my children, too, will have their own independence. That allows me to understand the unconditional love on my end – will I allow them to be themselves? Will I allow them to journey off in the world and experience life for what they know of? That’s love, to me. And when I look at that, I try to apply it with how I express myself, how I look at my career, and how I meet other individuals. Am I allowing them to be themselves without any judgment? My children have taught me that. – Kendrick Lamar
Photography © Renell Medrano for W Magazine, read more at wmagazine.com
