The legendary rock musician who forgot he had worked with Kendrick Lamar
Not many comparisons can be drawn when one thinks of Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar. Aside from both being great musicians, there really isn’t much they share in common. Different genres, ages, nationalities, vibes, almost everything about the two, aside from their professions, is different.
That said, despite their many obvious differences, they managed to collaborate strangely, and Paul McCartney certainly did not remember it. However, he was reminded of it during an interview with GQ magazine.
When it comes to hip-hop lovers, most likely hear the name Paul McCartney and think about The Beatles. Furthermore, they probably assume that his career ended in the 1980s and that he has only ever made rock music. However, they couldn’t be further from the truth.
McCartney has fused many genres with his style over the years, which has led him in various directions over the years. From ska and blues to country and reggae, McCartney has interwoven many sonics to create in new and interesting material. Still, for a long time, hip-hop was not on the list and for decades, it appeared that it was a move McCartney didn’t want and didn’t find necessary to make. However, in the 2010s, that changed.
In 2018, he recalled his involvement in the Kanye West track ‘All Day’. The track was a standalone single and didn’t appear on any album. Regardless of its status, it saw Paul McCartney dip his toe into the world of hip-hop, although it wasn’t a significant move.
West didn’t sample McCartney but instead took inspiration from his track ‘When the Wind Is Blowing’. The song was written in 1969 but was recorded and released in 1971 by the singer’s band Paul McCartney and Wings. The track’s outro hears McCartney whistling and West decided to build ‘All Day’ around this particular melody.
The rappers featured on the track are few, just Kanye, Theophilus London, and Allan Kingdom, but unsurprisingly, the song has an unfathomable amount of credits as West works with a lot of people to achieve perfection. Speaking about the number of people involved in the song’s creation, McCartney admitted, “I have no idea what he or the other 18 did. But it’s how it’s done these days, and I’m pleased to be part of it. And slightly amazed.”
During the discussion with GQ, McCartney was ecstatic when he found out that Lamar was one of the writers credited on ‘All Day.’ When he was told, he responded, “Kendrick Lamar! I didn’t know I was on a record with Kendrick. I’m very honoured.”
Opening up about the push for him to reject the request, the Run Devil Run creator explained, “They said, ‘You can’t be connected to this!’ There’s basically two schools of thought: One, that the N-word has been re-appropriated by Black rappers, and they’ve sort of taken the sting out of it. And the other point of view is Oprah’s point of view, which is that any use of the word denigrates Black people, and I can see that, too.”
Still, upon hearing the finished track before its release, McCartney liked it and gave West the green light as he “thought he did a really good job on it.”