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Happy Birthday, Kendrick! Here Are 28 Wishes We Have On K. Dot’s B-Day

Just wishful thinking here.

On Wednesday, Jun. 17 - just a day after his hero Tupac Shakur's 44th birthday - Kendrick Lamar turns 28.

The rapper has many reasons to celebrate. He released one of this year's most-acclaimed albums with To Pimp a Butterfly. He's got high school students studying his lyrics and he's even been named a "generational icon." So to celebrate K. Dot's big day, we thought we'd share 28 wishes we have for the TDE MC. Here they are:

A Poetry Book

K. Dot's lyrics have always had a certain poetic flair, but he took things a step further with "For Free," "For Sale" and of course "Mortal Man" off TPAB. The project's spoken word moments made us visualize Lamar as one of the genre's foremost young poets. A book like Tupac's "The Rose That Grew from Concrete" would be a treat.

A Black Hippy Album

Kendrick, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul are all dope solo artists. But ever since they formed Black Hippy, fans have been clamoring for a group album. Why not give longtime supporters what they've been begging for for years?

A New Tour

Gavin Alaoen / MTV

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If the MC's high-powered Bonnaroo performance was any indication, Lamar's ready to hit the road. We can't wait to sing along to "Alright" across the States. Let's do this, Kendrick!

That J Cole Collab Project

Ever since Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole confirmed plans to record an album together, it's been one of the more talked about duet efforts to date. K. Dot and Jermaine are two powerhouses. A combo like this could be something historic. And Kendrick's already called their work together "crazy."

A Motivational Book

Adam Fleischer/MTV

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Clearly, Kendrick is already changing lives. Could you imagine the wisdom he could provide in a self-help book? He could even call it "I Love Myself." That's too great an idea to pass up. Not only could this be a New York Times Best Seller, it could also be a life-altering book for some.

A Kendrick, Chance And Earth, Wind & Fire Collab

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2015 Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival - Day 2

The epic jam session Dot, Chance and Earth, Wind & Fire had at Bonnaroo made us wish for a proper in-studio collab. Can we make this happen already? We can't wait to hear it, guys.

A Full GKMC Movie

Interscope

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We already got a GKMC-themed short film. But K. Dot's storytelling on the album was so vivid, you could see a full-length feature film here.

And While We're At It, Make A TPAB Film Too

There are so many storylines you could use for a TPAB movie. I mean, "u" is basically a movie on its own. With a good director, this could be an epic film. Can you say Oscar-worthy?

Another Taylor Swift/Kendrick Lamar Hook-Up

We've seen so much from Kendrick and Taylor. Their love fest has made them a musical match made in heaven. How could we not want another collaboration from these two? There would be genre-bending, rapping, singing, and the magic that made "Bad Blood" special.

A TPAB Instrumental Album

Kendrick's influenced a slew of MCs. Why not give them a chance to rap over To Pimp a Butterfly beats too? Plus, the instrumentals for the album would give listeners another perspective on an already celebrated effort.

A Breakdown Of TPAB's Remaining Tracks

MTV News got Kendrick to break down eight tracks off To Pimp a Butterfly. We're still hoping for Dot's details about the rest of the LP's songs. It's too good an album and it's still worth dissecting.

A 'Hardbody' Netflix Original

Netflix has done an excellent job with originals like "Daredevil," "House Of Cards" and "Orange Is The New Black." Could you imagine what they could do with Hardbody? Oh, not sure who Hardbody is? That's Kendrick Lamar's super hero alter ego. A full show like this would be spectacular.

A Stevie Wonder Collaboration

BBC

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Stevie Wonder and Kendrick Lamar are set to co-headline Las Vegas’ Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival in September. At first glance, this may seem like an odd pairing. But let’s be real: a K. Dot and Stevie collab would most likely be phenomenal.

A Children's Book

Andres Tardio/MTV

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Back in December, Kendrick and TDE gave toys out to kids in Watts. So, you know Kendrick cares about the kids. A children's book from K. Dot sounds to me like a mix between Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein - rhythmic and full of powerful quotes. Yep, it's bound to be incredible.

A New Lady Gaga Collab

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From "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" to "Party Nauseous," it's obvious Kendrick and Gaga have chemistry. We'd love to hear another track from this dynamic duo. The Little Monsters and Top Dawg fans of the world would die for this.

N.W.A Reunion Featuring K. Dot

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

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"Straight Outta Compton" is set to be released this year. So, it would be a perfect time to see N.W.A reunite. And why not have them join forces with K. Dot, who is also "Straight Outta Compton?" I mean, he even appears in the trailer!

A Compton Documentary

Universal

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Who would be a better tour guide through Compton? As the world gears up for N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton" film, it'd be dope to get a sense of what the CPT is like today - through K. Dot's eyes.

A Lyric Book

NBC/Ellentube

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Jay Z's "Decoded" is still fascinating because of how Jigga unraveled the layers within his verses. To Pimp a Butterfly has rich text that should be explored further by Dot. If this book was made, we'd hopefully get more insight into what went on in that hotel room where Kendrick contemplated suicide in "u." We'd also get a better sense of what his butterfly/caterpillar theme means to him. There's so much to explore here.

A Jazz Album

NBC / Getty Images

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Kendrick's TPAB production team, which included Sounwave, Thundercat and Terrace Martin, proved they could provide a diverse soundscape for Dot's rhymes. The jazzy moments made us wish for a full-on jazz-inspired album and with Lamar's improvisational prowess, this could very well prove to be fire.

For Kendrick To Run For Office

Gavin Alaoen / MTV

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Killer Mike recently announced his political aspirations, helping us realize rappers might make for good politicians. And with Kendrick being a "generational icon" and all, why not have him also be a political force to be reckoned with too?

A B-Sides Show In Front Of The Hollywood Sign

Andres Tardio/MTV

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Hey Tidal, you might like this idea. Jay Z gave us his B-Sides shows, so a K. Dot concert like that isn't far-fetched. And Mary J. Blige is performing in front of the Statue Of Liberty. So, why not combine those and have K. Dot in front of a West Coast landmark? You're welcome, Tidal.

For Every Song On TPAB To Have its Own Video

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Kendrick was flying around California like it was no big deal while filming the music video for "Alright." We're not sure how the final product will look, but with K. Dot doing all his own stunts like this, it's pretty clear it will be tremendous.

But, as we said back in April, we really want to see a music video for every song on To Pimp A Butterfly. "Alright" sounds super dope, but let's see if we can get a vid for every song on the LP.

A Healthy Cookbook

Andres Tardio/MTV

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How many rappers have their own salad? K. Dot does. Now, we can't help but think a health conscious cookbook from Dot would be a recipe for success.

A Zayn Malik Duet

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BRITAIN-ASIA-AWARDS

Zayn recently remixed Rae Sremmurd's "No Type." So, you know he loves hip-hop. And "Bad Blood" showed Dot could work in the pop world without compromising his essence.

A Revamped 'We're All In The Same Gang'

The original "We're All In The Same Gang" - released in 1990 - was a call for unity as gang wars negatively impacted communities around the nation. It's the same spirit that appears on Kendrick's "i," where Dot urges peace. That same message can even be seen in the cover for "i." Fifteen years after the original "We're All In The Same Gang" was dropped, it'd be dope to get another edition - one spearheaded by Lamar.

More Hip-Hop Ed Courses Studying Kendrick Lamar

Earlier this month, Kendrick visited a classroom in New York where students were studying his material. K. Dot's "Hip-Hop Ed" course visit made us wish more teachers would adopt a similar strategy to keep kids engaged.

For Dr. Dre's Detox To Drop

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2013 BET Experience -Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, Miguel and SchoolBoyQ Concert

Okay, maybe this is kind of far out. But hey, it's wishful thinking. If anyone could revive the much-discussed, often-delayed (and allegedly scrapped) project, it's K. Dot. Think about it. Black Hippy could provide Dre with Detox inspiration the way Tha Dogg Pound influenced The Chronic and 2001.

For All Of Kendrick's Wishes To Come True

Andres Tardio/MTV

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Okay, so this list was mainly about wishes fans could benefit from. But in all honesty, we also hope K. Dot gets everything that he's hoping for on his b-day. Thanks for ill music, Dot. Here's to a great 28 and cheers to even better years to come.

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