Kendrick Lamar is featured in a new Reebok ad, dropping some inspiration as he pitches his Kendrick Lamar Classic Leather sneaker. President Obama’s favorite rapper delivers a monologue with passionate conviction as he reminds viewers that failure is always waiting for the easily distracted, the easily swayed.
The clip was directed by Colin Tilley, the man behind the video for K. dot’s high-bar track “Alright”. Full text of Kendrick’s speech is below:
From the very heart of me, belief becomes action and no distractions will take my eyes off the prize. Greatness is my goal, but there is failure on the way. Full of insecurity, self hate, and doubt. But what I can’t control can’t confine me. And what I can’t do can’t stop me. This is how I express myself, not how I follow others expectations but how I stay true.
The rapper has a longstanding relationship with Reebok, having collaborated last year on a shoe to draw attention to gang violence. His Reebok Ventilator featured a red and blue theme in reference to the Crips and Bloods of his native Los Angeles.
