TDE’s Punch said JAY-Z gave Kendrick Lamar the push he needed to drop “To Pimp a Butterfly” without worrying about how people would react.
Terrence “Punch” Henderson revealed that a late-night studio talk with JAY-Z during Beyoncé’s sessions gave Kendrick Lamar the green light to release To Pimp a Butterfly, despite knowing it might alienate listeners.
While speaking on the “Elsie Not Elise” podcast, the Top Dawg Entertainment president said he once told Hov that the album’s jazz-heavy sound and political tone would probably “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 told Punch.
That moment, Punch said, gave him the confidence to support Kendrick’s vision without compromise.
The 2015 album, now widely praised for its artistic depth and cultural weight, was a risk at the time. But JAY-Z’s advice helped clear the path.
“It’s rules that’s set,” Punch said, “The geniuses know when to break those rules.”
TDE Punch says Jay-Z gave him advice ahead of the release 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 also shared another moment of inspiration from JAY-Z during a separate 2024 appearance on the “R&B Money” Podcast.
He recalled a conversation that helped shape TDE’s long-term strategy of prioritizing quality over quantity.
“I had a conversation with Jay-Z,” Punch said. “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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