Kendrick Lamar says that he’s not anyone’s savior on his new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, but for one writer, he was apparently a lifesaver when a potentially dangerous situation took place during an interview. When a Twitter user posted a prompt to “tell us a true story from your life that sounds made up,” rock critic and author Jessica Hopper shared her own experience about how Kendrick was a real-life superhero.
“I was doing a phone interview with Kendrick Lamar,” her one-tweet story began. “When my then-toddler son appeared holding a very sharp kitchen knife he did not want to let go of.” Anyone with kids can probably relate to how scary it is when their unknowing little ones get to playing around with dangerous objects. Toddlers can be especially stubborn since they are in a time of their lives when they are learning and testing their own sense of agency but still don’t have any idea that certain things can hurt them.
I was doing a phone interview with Kendrick Lamar when my then-toddler son appeared holding a very sharp kitchen knife he did not want to let go of and Kendrick talked me through safely disarming him. https://t.co/CiD6vT96Dd
— Jessica Hopper (@jesshopp) August 30, 2022
Fortunately for Hopper, it seems Kendrick knew what to do. “Kendrick talked me through safely disarming him,” she wrote, although the story itself was light on details. Presumably, it involved distracting the wee one long enough to get the sharp and pointy bits of the kitchen tool pointing away from the fleshy bits of both mom and son and depositing said implement in the drawer where it belongs.
The story blew up on Twitter, as the kids say, and the responses range from sharing in Cooper’s relief to sardonic jabs at Stan Twitter. Unfortunately, Kendrick himself isn’t on social media to give more answers, but you can check out some of the best responses below.
“J Cole better” pic.twitter.com/T2MapuyiA7
— Dogecat (@Ashtonakaleegle) August 30, 2022
if I were you I would simply never stop telling this story. I would tell it at every birthday party for the formerly-armed toddler, at every big job milestone, would absolutely tell it at their wedding
— julian ! (@oigevalt) August 30, 2022
“I remember you was conflicted, misusing your influence. Sometimes I did the same” https://t.co/7LUYBhYonr
— Positive Delta (@TshepiSchwarz) August 31, 2022
btw this one is also not a terrible one for weighing how you feel about having children. Man i bet there are heaps more, feel free to reply-quote with yours https://t.co/poq2nZNasU
— Virginia Roberts (@askvirginia) August 31, 2022
what is it with toddlers and huge knives? I did the exact same thing lol https://t.co/7DPXPgpAJh
— kay ♡ jjong (@oddestmoon) August 31, 2022
How much experience does Kendrick Lamar have disarming babies https://t.co/acLwj4NJxL
— Jennie, of the Librarian Horde (@angrybooklady) August 31, 2022