Kendrick Lamar’s English Teacher Recalls Teaching Him Poetry

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 01: Kendrick Lamar attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Kendrick Lamar’s former middle school English actor recalls meeting the rapper in his youth and introducing him to the arts —specifically poetry. “Kendrick was a very shy person, [and] had a little stuttering problem, but a solid student,” English teacher Regis Inge told KCAL Los Angeles. Inge was the first to see Lamar’s talent as a student at the Vanguard Learning Center in Compton. Ingae had been an English and Social Studies teacher at Vanguard, before moving to Compton Early College.

It was there at Vanguard, under his tutelage, where Lamar got exposed to the creative arts. Inge said he wanted to offer students an alternative to the violence impacting the city streets. “I needed to do something because they were angry and they wanted to fight each other.” Inge swelled with pride when asked about his thoughts on Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show. “I’m very proud of him because he’s the only hip hop artist [that’s] been given the Pulitzer Prize.”

Kendrick Lamar Causes Controversy With Super Bowl Halftime Announcement

Kendrick has received some backlash for being selected as the performer. Many thought the honor should be given to Lil Wayne because the game is in New Orleans, his hometown. Jay-Z,’s Roc Nation has been involved with the Super Bowl halftime show since 2019. He released a statement giving Kendrick his full endorsement. “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision,” JAY-Z wrote.

“He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.” Rihanna also came to Kendrick’s aid, telling Entertainment Tonight, “It’s a diamond on a ring finger, honey. It’s meant to be!” She added, “It’s Kendrick Lamar! Kendrick Lamar is the one that’s supposed to do it right now. He’s gonna crush it. We should never doubt him. He’s an amazing artist, top-tier,” Rihanna said. “


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