Kendrick Lamar's 2015 was pretty astonishing. The rapper released the highly acclaimed album To Pimp A Butterfly, ascended to the top of the hip-hop hierarchy, and provided a voice for many too afraid to speak up. Needless to say, the United States is happy to have Kendrick as a resident. To celebrate his impact and influence, the acclaimed Compton rapper was recently invited to visit the White House for a meeting with United States President Barack Obama. The two icons spoke about the "My Brother's Keeper" mentoring program and more. 

According to senior advisor Valerie Jarrett, "[Lamar] was at the White House. He came and he visited the president, and you know what the president said to him? [Because] he was a little nervous - bless his heart, he's really a very nice young man, and the president said, "Can you believe that we're both sitting in this Oval Office?"

Lamar's ebullition over the visit is extremely apparent in photos and videos of the event. This is something of an anomaly for a rapper that generally presents himself as serious and driven.

Lamar's visit was affiliated with the network of mentoring organizations called the National Mentoring Partnership. The rapper recently released a public service announcement on behalf of the organization.

In a video posted online depicting the historic meeting, Kendrick was able to share his thoughts and jubilation over the day's occurrence. The rapper also discusses the importance of mentorship in shaping the lives of young individuals. "Sometimes I reflect and think back where would be if I didn't have the presence of an older acquaintance telling me what's right and what's wrong, telling me the pros and cons of every move I was about to make, telling me how to plan success for my future."

Through his message, lyrics, and activism, Kendrick Lamar has surely proven to be an apt role model for many children around the world.

Join the Discussion