The one rapper Madonna “worships”
In 2022, Kendrick Lamar released his fifth album, Mr Morale & The Big Steppers, to critical acclaim. Not only did hip-hop love it, but the project also got the attention of Madonna, otherwise known as the Queen of Pop Music. In fact, Mr Morale & The Big Steppers intrigued Madonna so much that it prompted her to think about collaborating with Kendrick if the opportunity arose.
While promoting her compilation album, Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones, which boasts collaborations with Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears and Swae Lee, Madonna appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to discuss new music. During the show, she admitted that K Dot was someone she was desperate to get in the studio with.
Confessing her love for the Compton native, Madonna told Fallon, “There’s one artist that I worship more than anything in life, and I would love to collaborate with him, and that’s Kendrick Lamar. His new record is history-making. Mind-bogglingly brilliant. It’s insane.”
2022 was a big year for Lamar. Not only did he release an album, but he also got the chance to perform alongside Dr Dre at the Super Bowl. However, last year and so far this year have seen him enter a completely different stratosphere. Not only did he release another album (GNX) to critical acclaim, but he also headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show as the lead emcee.
As such, a collaboration with Kendrick Lamar right now for Madonna would be unbelievable, as many have suggested he is at the peak of his career. During an interview with The People’s Gallery in early April, when asked what her favourite song of the year was so far, the Queen of Pop stood firm on her love for the ‘Swimming Pools’ rhymer, stating, “Oh my God… Ummm… Anything on Kendrick Lamar’s new album!”
Although the ‘Like A Virgin’ vocalist has repeatedly shown love for Kendrick, she is not desperate to get in the studio with an emcee. In fact, she has collaborated with rappers several times throughout her career, including the likes of Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Nas, Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliott. Furthermore, she has worked with iconic hip-hop producers like Timbaland and, for a short but not insignificant amount of time, she was an item with the late legend 2Pac.
Although Madonna has commented on Kendrick’s last two projects positively, Lamar has not reciprocated, making their collaboration highly unlikely.