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XXL likes Kendrick Lamar. He covered the magazine alongside Dr. Dre in 2013 to help promote good kid, m.A.A.d city; fronted the mag again a year later after “i” polarized fans; and he’s on the cover again this year as “The Chosen One,” following Future who covered the last issue.

To Pimp A Butterfly is topping many year-end lists, so it makes sense that XXL chose Lamar as its Winter 2015 star. Like last winter, XXL allowed Lamar to pen his own cover story. The publication released some of his personal excerpts on its website. In the passages, Lamar grapples with whether he’s the right man to hold the amount of influence that he does.

I know I’m chosen. I know I’m a favorite. I know in my heart there’s a whole other energy and leadership side of me that I have probably run from my whole life. How much power do I want? How much can I handle? That’s the question I keep asking myself. ’Cause when you are a voice for the youth, nothing can stop you. The youth is what changes things. Can I lead that? Should I? I get confused because people are championing me to be that vocal point and it’s a challenge for me to be that because I have some fear of that type of power. This goes back to me being who I naturally am or who think that I am now, that 28-year-old kid that’s kind’ve a recluse. But 28 is old enough for me to figure out who I am and have that power at the same time, that’s the battle and it’s a trip.

Read the rest here. The winter issue hits stands on Dec. 22.

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