Schoolboy Q spills beans on Kendrick Lamar ditching his high school stage name K Dot: "He been locked in since"

Kendrick Lamar, who has dropped a number of classic albums and features, has been at the top of the rap game for several years. One of his most notable features came recently when the famed rapper took aim at both pop star Drake and fellow rap legend J Cole. The feud, which seemingly arose out of nowhere, captivated the NBA community, drawing the attention of some of the league's biggest stars.

With players such as LeBron James, Paul George, and James Harden all having close ties to rappers, the beef swept through the NBA. During a recent episode of LA Clippers standout Paul George's "Podcast P" episode, he was joined by Top Dawg Ent (TDE) rapper Schoolboy Q.

Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar, in addition to being friends, spent a number of years together on the TDE label before Lamar's departure. Given their rise together, Schoolboy Q spoke with George on his "Podcast P" show about Kendrick Lamar's career and his decision to change his stage name after high school.

"He been locked in since, you know, the beginning, and them songs was ... we laugh about because them songs was trash like when he was on his little K Dot s**t like yeah the songs is ... they're not trash, but I mean, they wasn't like, you know, what I'm saying to where he is ... he was like you know trying to be like a rapper ...

"And that's why he changed his name to Kendrick Lamar cuz he wanted a fresh [way to] separate himself."

Kendrick Lamar's influence on the NBA and his connection to top players like LeBron James

Kendrick Lamar's status as a rap legend has seen him rub shoulders with some of the NBA's best during his career. In addition to his music resonating with a number of NBA players, Kendrick Lamar is also seen at NBA games sitting courtside quite often.

This has led to him being connected with stars like LeBron James, who Lamar personally gave a copy of his album DAMN to in 2017. The album resonated with James, who, at the time, was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As he explained, he was a kid who grew up in the inner city and saw a life of sports or a life of selling drugs as his only choices. This, as he explained to media members back in 2017, was something he saw in Lamar's album:

"And as an African-American kid growing up in the inner city, they don’t believe that you can get out and become something. So, that’s why I’m able to relate to a lot of his lyrics. And relate to a lot of his stories."

In addition, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green also notably threw his support behind Lamar's album release schedule. In 2022, when a social media account indicated that Lamar drops an album every time the Warriors win a championship, Green responded by showing his love for the rapper.