Kendrick Lamar doesn't appear to be too fazed by what many see as a blatant snub by the Grammys: The rapper left with zero trophies despite seven nominations.
Instead, taking a more diplomatic approach, Lamar praised Macklemore, who made all but a clean sweep in the rap categories—winning best rap album for The Heist as well as best rap song and rap performance for "Thrift Shop"—in addition to grabbing best new artist.
"It's well-deserved. He did what he did, man," Lamar told XXL magazine Tuesday night during an exclusive interview after a performance in New York. "He went out there and hustled and grinded. Everything happens for a reason. The universe comes back around. That's how it go."
Macklemore sparked fury post-Grammys after he Instagrammed a picture of a text he sent to Lamar, admitting that the Compton, Calif., rapper got "robbed," apologizing for winning and saying that he was going to mention it in his speech but froze when the music started playing.
Although Lamar isn't upset at Macklemore's wins, he did acknowledge that he thought the Grammys did not appreciate hip-hop enough, saying that more should be done to showcase the culture.
"I definitely feel like they should always have more of the culture up in there, for sure, because we definitely stand out, just like any other genre," Lamar said. "We part of the world. We part of the movement. So I think any awards, including the Grammys, should always push for more hip-hop because it's music as a whole, it's not just splitting different regions. Everything moves as far as sound and vibrations, and that's how it goes. And we are a part of that."
Read more at XXL.