Kendrick Lamar praised Colin Kaepernick during a keynote discussion at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston on Tuesday afternoon.
While speaking to a crowd of hundreds who showed up for the event at City Hall Plaza, the Grammy-winning rapper gave the former 49ers quarterback a shout out for standing up for a what he believes in with his national anthem protest.
Lamar told the audience that he hopes to make a similar impact with his legacy.
“Ultimately, you want to be a person that stands for something,” Lamar said. “Whether the plan works or not, I want to be remembered as that. Same thing with Colin Kaepernick.”
The hip-hop star added, “They think he’s going to give up, be he wants to stand for something.”
Lamar went on to say that he’s been inspired by Kaepernick – who hasn’t been signed by a team yet for the 2017 NFL season – to focus his efforts on influencing the next generation, rather than listening to the haters.
“If I quit what I’m doing or feel like I can’t go no longer because I have naysayers out there or I feel a little discouraged, I got to think beyond the moment,” Lamar said. “You have to look at it from a base of, ‘What do you want to be remembered for?’ Simple as that.”
The “Humble” rapper also opened up about spending time with President Barack Obama.
Aside from giving the former president a new nickname of “Big Barack,” Lamar praised Obama for allowing him and other “urban acts” to visit the White House during his tenure in the Oval Office.
The music superstar called it an honor to talk with the former commander-in-chief.
“These are the secret gates,” Lamar said. “Our ancestors, they’re looking down on us, and to acknowledge that inside the house and talking to him, I can only imagine how he feels, not how I feel. He’s the gatekeeper letting me inside there, letting me know certain things.”
