Teks: Hanindito Buwono
Foto: Instagram Kendrick Lamar

Dalam postingan langka di sosial media, Kendrick Lamar mengungkapkan bahwa dia akan memproduksi album terakhirnya dengan label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). Berita itu datang melalui sebuah posting di website bernama “oklama”, lalu ada label “nu thoughts” dalam gaya folder desktop, dan dipromosikan melalui Instagram sang rapper.

“I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts. Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers. The morning rides keep me on a hill of silence. I go months without a phone,” bunyi pesan tersebut.

“Love, loss, and grief have disturbed my comfort zone, but the glimmers of God speak through my music and family. While the world around me evolves, I reflect on what matters the most. The life in which my words will land next.”

Top Dawg Entertainment sebagai label telah merilis semua karya dari Kendrick Lamar, mulai dari beberapa mixtape awal sang rapper, kemudian debut mainstream-nya di album “good kid, m.A.A.d city”, hingga album terbarunya “DAMN.”. Kendrick Lamar kemudian menambahkan dalam pengumumannya, “I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life’s calling. There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown.”

Sampai saat ini, belum diketahui apa langkah selanjutnya Kendrick Lamar setelah dari TDE. Namun, semenjak sang rapper mengumumkan kepergiannya, CEO TDE, Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, tetap menyatakan dukungannya. “I know he will be successful in whatever it is he decides to do, and will have our FULL support.”