TDE’s Punch mentioned JAY-Z gave Kendrick Lamar the push he wanted to drop “To Pimp a Butterfly” with out worrying about how folks would react.

Terrence “Punch” Henderson revealed {that a} late-night studio discuss with JAY-Z throughout Beyoncé’s periods gave Kendrick Lamar the inexperienced gentle to launch To Pimp a Butterfly, regardless of realizing it would alienate listeners.

While talking on the “Elsie Not Elise” podcast, the Top Dawg Entertainment president mentioned he as soon as instructed Hov that the album’s jazz-heavy sound and political tone would in all probability “p### off the whole fan base.” JAY-Z didn’t flinch.

“Good. Do it now—so they can’t ever put you in a box,” Hov instructed Punch.

That second, Punch mentioned, gave him the arrogance to assist Kendrick’s imaginative and prescient with out compromise.

The 2015 album, now extensively praised for its creative depth and cultural weight, was a danger on the time. But JAY-Z’s recommendation helped clear the trail.

“It’s rules that’s set,” Punch mentioned, “The geniuses know when to break those rules.”

TDE Punch says Jay-Z gave him recommendation forward of the discharge of TPAB:

“I’m like ‘yo, we’re getting ready to drop this album that’s gonna p### off the whole fanbase’ and his response was ‘good’…It’s rules that are set, the geniuses know when to break [them].”

Via @ElsienotElisee pic.twitter.com/u9aQWK4lF8

— Joey (@gothamhiphop) October 21, 2025

Punch additionally shared one other second of inspiration from JAY-Z throughout a separate 2024 look on the “R&B Money” Podcast.

He recalled a dialog that helped form TDE’s long-term technique of prioritizing high quality over amount.

“I had a conversation with Jay-Z,” Punch mentioned. “We were in the studio talking and I think the new Ninja Turtles movie had come out at that time. He was like, ‘The Ninja Turtles can come out and do $300 million. That’s not gonna get Tarantino to change his script.’”

“That always stuck with me,” he added. “‘Cause I’m like, no matter what’s hot and what’s going on, it’s not gonna move me to change how I’m moving. It’s not gonna change my direction on the goal — and the goal is quality music. We wanna be honest, and we wanna give you quality. Whatever happens from there, happens.”

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