Key Points
Marcus Mumford reflected on the first time he and Kendrick Lamar met during Monday’s episode of the SmartLess podcast.
The Mumford & Sons frontman said it was “amazing” that Lamar “took off almost all his clothes” while they were backstage.
SmartLess cohost Jason Bateman shared his thoughts on celebrities going backstage after stage shows.
Marcus Mumford didn’t know what to expect when meeting Kendrick Lamar — but it definitely wasn’t this.
“When I was invited, very explicitly invited, backstage was after Kendrick Lamar played Bonnaroo [Music and Arts Festival],” Mumford told Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes during the Monday episode of their SmartLess podcast. “There was a message that came down from on high that Kendrick would like to see you. When Kendrick calls you come, right, because he’s the king.”
Lamar “took off almost all of his clothes as I walked in,” Mumford continued, adding that “it was amazing” to witness. The singer praised the rapper for his “gumption” to strip down to his “undies” before having a conversation. (Lamar has played Bonnaroo three times, in 2012, 2015 and 2023.)
“Real confidence,” Mumford noted. “Swag.”
Marcus Mumford performing at The O2 Arena in December 2025.Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage
The conversation regarding Lamar came about after Arnett revealed that Mumford was a fan of their podcast, even attending a live show in Los Angeles. However, the Mumford & Sons singer didn’t tell the podcast hosts he was in the audience until after.
“I vaguely remember, at the time, saying, ‘I wish you had said hi.’ Then you just mentioned it was hectic and you didn’t want to say hi,” Arnett said. “You came to our show and didn’t come backstage and say hi, and Jason has thoughts on this.”
Mumford explained he nearly did the same thing when seeing comedian Tim Key at a recent live show.
“I went and watched his show, and was about to leave and thought to myself, ‘No, he knows I’m here. He helped with the tickets. It is rude to leave,’” Mumford explained. Bateman said that was a “different” scenario than just attending a show on his own volition.
Bateman wondered if Mumford, as a musician, gets “offended” if celebrities in the audience don’t come backstage and say hello.
“Culturally, very different in music,” Mumford explained. Bateman, meanwhile, said he was a “rock and roll guy at heart,” because he finds it “presumptuous” as an audience member to assume that they will be “welcome backstage” because of their celebrity status.
“It’s so arrogant. Just get the hell out and let the people rest,” Bateman quipped. Mumford added, “It’s more like, you probably want to see me because I’m really famous, so I’ll bless you with my presence.”
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Mumford added that sometimes the celeb will “find something polite to say” even if it isn’t a positive comment about the performance. They’ll “talk about how great the program was or the lighting,” he joked.
For more of Mumford on SmartLess, watch the below video.
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