TDE President Punch Speaks On Kendrick Lamar leaving The Label

Kendrick Lamar's next album (and first since 2017's Damn) will be his last on TDE.

The label's president Terrance "Punch" Henderson discussed K.Dot leaving the label that helped make him during a discussion with Mic.

"I don't even know if I would describe it that way as ready to leave, as more so ready to build his own thing," he said of Kendrick taking off. "That’s a grown man right now. We watched him grow from a teenager up into an established grown man, a businessman, and one of the greatest artists of all time. So how long do you actually be signed up under somebody? It's been almost 20 years. So it's time to move on and try new things and venture out. He’s doing a great job developing Baby Keem. It's always been there, but now it’s just time and space where he can actually do it. It’s a beautiful thing to watch because that's something that started with what we built in the beginning. To see it blossom, it’s a full-circle moment."

He added that Kendrick is already doing things his own way.

"It's different now just because it's different, not because it's his last project. It’s just the evolution of where we are. Kendrick doesn’t need anybody in the studio to coach him and help him make an album anymore. He’s well capable of doing everything on his own. It’s just the timeframe that we’re in."

Speaking of timeframes, it's almost been five years since Kendrick's last album. 

Is it possible he does need someone in the studio to coach him?