Lamar says Swift’s remarks help himself, hip-hop

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ATLANTA (AP) β€” Kendrick Lamar says he appreciates Taylor Swift for paying homage to his music in a recent interview.

Lamar said Saturday night he was grateful to hear about Swift knowing the words to his lyrics and putting her in a great mood. The rapper praised the country music star for speaking highly of his music, saying her remarks show hip-hop shouldn’t be categorized for one listener.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Swift said listening to Lamar’s music helps change her mood from feeling “victimized” to “awesome.” She says her “go-to” song is Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle,” a record featured on his Grammy-nominated album, “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.”

Lamar spoke backstage with The Associated Press after his performance at the ONE Musicfest in Atlanta. He headlined with Nas and Jhene Aiko.