--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You really can't categorize my music…" description: "\"You really can't categorize my music, it's human music.\" — Kendrick Lamar" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f2/kendrick-lamar-1241_funny_you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it_144410.jpg" --- # You really can't categorize my music, it's human music. ![“You really can't categorize my music, it's human music.” quote by Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f2/kendrick-lamar-1241_funny_you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it_144410.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f2/kendrick-lamar-1241_funny_you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it_144410.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f2/kendrick-lamar-1241_funny_you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it_144410.jpg) > “You really can't categorize my music, it's human music.” [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Claims his music defies categorization because it reflects human experience, not a single genre. **In simple terms:** His music is human, not genre‑bound. Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity over labels. Themes creativity humanity genre‑fluidity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical musical When to use this quote - songwriting - live performance - cross‑genre collaborations Key Concepts artistic expression cultural commentary identity Questions to Reflect On - How does genre‑fluid music affect you? - Do you prefer clear categories? A Different Perspective Listeners may struggle to place his work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [To me now, I don't really categorize music - I see music as all one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-hus/to-me-now-i-don-t-really-categorize-music-i-see-music-as-all-one/) [J Hus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-hus/) > [I really can't categorize the Muffs music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-shattuck/i-really-can-t-categorize-the-muffs-music/) [Kim Shattuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-shattuck/) > [For me, genres are a way for people to easily categorize music. But it doesn't have to define you. It doesn't have to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/for-me-genres-are-a-way-for-people-to-easily-categorize-music-but-it/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Do not categorize about music. You take each musician at the time and open yourself to that musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/do-not-categorize-about-music-you-take-each-musician-at-the-time-and/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [We don't want to categorize our music. Some people say you need a definite musical direction to give a group visibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-squier/we-don-t-want-to-categorize-our-music-some-people-say-you-need-a/) [Billy Squier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-squier/) > [We are no longer the same after hearing certain sounds, and this is more the case when we hear organized sounds, sounds organized by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karlheinz-stockhausen/we-are-no-longer-the-same-after-hearing-certain-sounds-and-this-is/) [Karlheinz Stockhausen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karlheinz-stockhausen/) > [Human After All was the music we wanted to make at the time we did it. We have always strongly felt there was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bangalter/human-after-all-was-the-music-we-wanted-to-make-at-the-time-we-did-it/) [Thomas Bangalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bangalter/) > [“Medieval scholars held on to a classical Greek theory, according to which the movements of the stars across the sky create heavenly music that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/medieval-scholars-held-on-to-a-classical-greek-theory-according-to/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Computers and electronic music are not the opposite of the warm human music. It's exactly the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-laswell/computers-and-electronic-music-are-not-the-opposite-of-the-warm-human/) [Bill Laswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-laswell/) > [“By contrast, the three other features—conjunct melodic motion, limited macroharmony, and centricity—are common to virtually all human music. This near universality may be attributable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-tymoczko/by-contrast-the-three-other-features-conjunct-melodic-motion-limited/) Dmitri Tymoczko > [Human was the music, natural was the static.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/human-was-the-music-natural-was-the-static/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I'm the No. 1 artist in the world right now ... I am the No. 1 human being in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-m-the-no-1-artist-in-the-world-right-now-i-am-the-no-1-human-being/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [I am the number one human being in music. That means any person that's living or breathing is number two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-am-the-number-one-human-being-in-music-that-means-any-person-that-s/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [Music is inspiration, soulful inspiration. It inspires the human in us. Music is manifestation, fruitful manifestation. It manifests the divine in us. Music is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/music-is-inspiration-soulful-inspiration-it-inspires-the-human-in-us/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [Art makes us human, music makes us human, and I deeply feel that science makes us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/art-makes-us-human-music-makes-us-human-and-i-deeply-feel-that/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) ## More by Kendrick Lamar > [I think that's why I put my energy into making music. That's how I get my thoughts out, instead of being crazy all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-think-that-s-why-i-put-my-energy-into-making-music-that-s-how-i-get/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [ Got in the studio at sixteen, \[and\] that's when I felt like I wanted to make this a career. I had a passion for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/got-in-the-studio-at-sixteen-and-that-s-when-i-felt-like-i-wanted-to/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [Black and brown pride have been taught in my household for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/black-and-brown-pride-have-been-taught-in-my-household-for-a-long-time/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [Everybody has their own way of hearing songs. My fans are usually pretty on point. Sometimes they go all the way to the bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/everybody-has-their-own-way-of-hearing-songs-my-fans-are-usually/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I don't really believe in the type of pressure that people are wanting to put on the type of music that I make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-don-t-really-believe-in-the-type-of-pressure-that-people-are/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I've got an extra-specific story about Dr. Dre. I saw him when I was 9 years old in Compton - him and Tupac. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-ve-got-an-extra-specific-story-about-dr-dre-i-saw-him-when-i-was-9/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [Brother Kendrick Lamar: he's not a rapper, he's a writer, he's an author. And if you read between the lines, we'll learn how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/brother-kendrick-lamar-he-s-not-a-rapper-he-s-a-writer-he-s-an-author/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [You can have the platinum album, but when you still feel like you haven't quite found your place in the world - it kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/you-can-have-the-platinum-album-but-when-you-still-feel-like-you/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [My passion is bringing storylines around and constructing a full body of work rather than just a 16-bar verse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/my-passion-is-bringing-storylines-around-and-constructing-a-full-body/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I'm only as good as my last word, my last hook, my last bridge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-m-only-as-good-as-my-last-word-my-last-hook-my-last-bridge/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [The message I'm sending to myself - I can't change the world until I change myself first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/the-message-i-m-sending-to-myself-i-can-t-change-the-world-until-i/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [We all seem to stumble, planning our own demise, Getting the big picture, and making it wallet-sized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/we-all-seem-to-stumble-planning-our-own-demise-getting-the-big/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [I was raised inside the gang culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/i-was-raised-inside-the-gang-culture/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [We look so much on color that we forget about the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/we-look-so-much-on-color-that-we-forget-about-the-soul/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) > [As I've grown as an artist, I've learned that my mission statement is really self-expression. I don't want anybody to classify my music. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/as-i-ve-grown-as-an-artist-i-ve-learned-that-my-mission-statement-is/) [Kendrick Lamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) [Explore all 266 Kendrick Lamar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/) ## More Funny quotes > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers & think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) Michael Fishman [Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You really can't categorize my music, it's human music.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kendrick Lamar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it-s-human-music/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Funny" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it-s-human-music/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f2/kendrick-lamar-1241_funny_you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it_144410.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f2/kendrick-lamar-1241_funny_you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it_144410.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f2/kendrick-lamar-1241_funny_you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it_144410.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You really can't categorize my music, it's human music.” — Kendrick Lamar", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kendrick Lamar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-lamar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You really can't categorize my music,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it-s-human-music/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-lamar/you-really-can-t-categorize-my-music-it-s-human-music/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```