Kendrick Lamar ensured this was the last time he got asked about the "K.dot vs. Kendrick Lamar" debate.
In his 2015 interview with Complex, Kendrick talked about how he had long since shed the persona of K.Dot—the street-savvy, more aggressive rapper from his earlier mixtapes—and fully embraced Kendrick Lamar as a more introspective, mature artist. He explained that he didn’t want to be boxed into any particular character or narrative, and was no longer interested in discussing the difference between the two because it was part of his growth as an artist.
By the time of his 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick had fully evolved into a thought leader in the rap world, tackling complex societal issues, race, and identity. In interviews and music, Kendrick emphasized that K.Dot was a phase in his life, one he outgrew.
In essence, Kendrick made it clear that the conversation about the "old" K.Dot was over. He was Kendrick Lamar, and that was who he was going to be going forward, artistically and personally.