Kendrick Lamar says a Compton gang war summer left three friends dead

What was said

"This was probably some of the worst times in the city. It was a big, big gang war going on. I was 16, 17 years old."

Lamar describes being 16 or 17 during what he calls one of Compton’s worst periods, saying a major gang conflict was “hitting the street heavy”. He says he lost three friends over the summer, and frames that period as a turning point when he had to make decisions about his future, with studio time providing a “safe haven”.