It's safe to say that a lot of people were surprised when they saw Kendrick Lamar and LAPD commissioner Steve Soboroff sitting next to each other at a Clippers playoff game this week. And they'll probably be even more caught off guard when they learn the two are friendly with each other.

Not only that, Soboroff said he sees Kung Fu Kenny as an actual friend and feels he's earned a certain level of respect from him.

"I consider him a friend, and he considers me a friend, and I know that his manager and some of the other folks around him consider me a friend," said the commissioner during an interview on TMZ. "I've been there a long time and done a lot of things to help in the community and I just want to keep that up."

Soboroff also said that he respects K. Dot's craft and his right to share his thoughts on the subject of police brutality. His 2015 song, "Alright" has been used as an anthem for the Black Lives Matter Movement.

"He expresses through his art form his feelings, and I respect that," he said. "And I think he respects — or I hope he would respect — how seriously we take community policing and understanding people's views."

Kendrick hasn't given any insight to his relationship with Soboroff or their recent photo, but you can watch the entire TMZ interview above.

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