Kendrick Lamar and J Cole are two of contemporary hip-hop’s most prevalent lyrical powerhouses. Both rappers have put out incredible music and have been on the scene for over a decade. However, only a few know about the hidden gem of Kendrick Lamar’s secret feature on a J Cole classic. Kendrick Lamar is a revered lyricist and has managed to stay atop the rest of hip-hop due to the sheer excellence of his artistic output. From Section.80 to good kid, m.A.A.d City the Compton musician’s discography is rife with priceless material. However, Cole also has an exceptional catalogue.
Together both Cole and Lamar are considered the best MCs of the new school and, as such, have become icons. Lamar first arose around 2005. Initially releasing music under the moniker K.Dot in 2005, the Compton act signed a contract with the Los Angeles-based independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). As Lamar put out solo projects such as his Overly Dedicated, he was simultaneously making a name for himself as part of the Black Hippy collective alongside artists such as Jay Rock and Ab-soul.
Unlike Lamar (real name Kendrick Duckworth), J Cole emerged during the 2010s but crossed into the mainstream at a similar time nonetheless. Cole first garnered attention with his 2009 second mixtape release, The Warm Up. Becoming a seemingly ubiquitous artist on hip-hop projects, Cole caught the attention of Beyond Race magazine, which featured him as one of their ‘Breakthrough 50 artists’ of 2009. The year following, he appeared on the cover of XXL Magazine as one of their ‘Freshmen’. One of the mixtapes that helped boost Cole’s career even further was Revenge of the Dreamers III, a compilation album.
Released in 2019, Revenge Of The Dreamers III features an epic song performed by both J Cole and Lute called ‘Under The Sun’. However, the hook of the track was powered by the uncredited vocals of Kendrick Lamar. The track also features DaBaby. Kendrick raps one of the most memorable parts of the record when he states, “I woke up for some money, aye, lil’ b*tch/Too many opps in here, tell me who you with, aye.” Not many know that the Compton rapper contributed to this track as he is not credited. However, Duckworth did add some crucial elements to the track.
You can hear the single in the video below.
