Names and Faces

FILE - Recording artist Kendrick Lamar performs at the Maxim Magazine Super Bowl Party in this Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014 file photo taken in New York. Lamar said Saturday night Sept. 13, 2014 he was grateful to hear about Swift knowing the words to his lyrics and putting her in a great mood.  (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Recording artist Kendrick Lamar performs at the Maxim Magazine Super Bowl Party in this Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014 file photo taken in New York. Lamar said Saturday night Sept. 13, 2014 he was grateful to hear about Swift knowing the words to his lyrics and putting her in a great mood. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

Kendrick Lamar appreciated Taylor Swift for paying homage to his music in a recent interview. Lamar said 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 admiring remarks show hip-hop's broader appeal. "Some people always try to lock it down and categorize it for one particular listener," Lamar said at the fifth annual ONE Musicfest in Atlanta on Saturday night. "But it moves all, even people from other genres." In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Swift said listening to Lamar's music helps change her mood from feeling "victimized" to "awesome." She said her "go-to" song is Lamar's "Backseat Freestyle," a record featured on his Grammy-nominated album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. "I appreciate Taylor Swift for supporting not only my music but just the hip-hop culture," he said. "There's really no gap. It's music and it feels good." Lamar spoke backstage with The Associated Press after his 90-minute performance at the Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood. "I remember when I used to perform in front of 200 people," Lamar told several thousand attendees. "Now, it's a sea of people. I'm glad to see the growth here. It speaks volumes about the hip-hop culture."

• An emotional Beyonce was in tears as she and husband Jay Z wrapped up their On the Run stadium tour Saturday night in Paris, where the duo said they got engaged years ago. The performers told the audience at Stade de France that Paris was also where their 2-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, was conceived. "We love Paris. It's special to us because we got engaged here and this is where baby Blue was conceived," Jay Z said. Beyonce and Jay Z were married in 2008. Nicki Minaj joined Beyonce onstage for their collaboration, "Flawless," which excited the crowd of nearly 80,000. Beyonce and Jay Z kicked off the three-hour show with "'03 Bonnie & Clyde." They also performed the hits "Crazy In Love," "Single Ladies," "Big Pimpin," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and "Drunk In Love." "I'm your biggest fan. I love you," a teary-eyed Beyonce, 33, said while looking to Jay Z, 44. He replied: "Greatest entertainer in the world. I love her. She's my wife." The Paris show was being filmed for an HBO special to air Saturday. The duo also performed Friday in Paris. Beyonce and Jay Z kicked off the On the Run tour in June.

A Section on 09/15/2014

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