But the soundtrack’s emotional weight is inextricable from the thematic gravity of “Black Panther.” In the film’s dueling rivalry between T’Challa and Killmonger, it’s easy to see the internecine conflict within Lamar: the unstinting desire to make the world better, but the need to hermetically preserve a sense of self. Despite the nature of his fame, Lamar is notoriously private, eschewing social media and rarely mentioning his personal life. He’s acquiesced to some of the expectations of a pop star by appearing on Taylor Swift and Maroon 5 singles, but regularly invokes his Compton roots in both his music and financial contributions to the community.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 17, 2018 11:26 UTC