The songs Kendrick Lamar and Drake collaborated on
To most, Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s feud is over. Following Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance of ‘Not Like Us,’ it was undeniable that the Compton lyricist had both humiliated and defeated Drake. However, the two hip-hop heavyweights were not always at odds, and their dislike for each other increased incrementally over a long period.
The hostility between the MCs developed over several years, and the two hitmakers actively avoided each other for over a decade. Still, the underlying hatred was always there, and last year, it finally became visible to fans.
Many have pinpointed the start of their feud as the year 2013, when Kendrick Lamar released ‘Control’. On the track, he called out 11 fellow artists, including Mac Miller, Tyler The Creator, Meek Mill, and Drizzy. In one verse, he raps, “I got love for you all, but I’m tryna murder you n*ggas.” But Kendrick did it in jest to show his love for these artists.
Still, a sensitive Drake (who was untouchable then) took offence to it, and from that day on, the two exchanged subtle jabs on tracks, in interviews, and in freestyles whenever they could.
That said, the music industry is one of handshakes and smiles. So, although individuals may not like each other, sometimes they have to put their differences aside and do business for the greater good. As such, it is unsurprising that Kendrick and Drake have actually collaborated before in spite of their rivalry.
The songs Kendrick Lamar and Drake collaborated on:
Drake – ‘Buried Alive Interlude’, Take Care, (2011)
Drake and Kendrick Lamar have collaborated on three songs together, two of which were made by them. The first time they ever joined forces was for Drizzy’s sophomore album, Take Care. The project was released only a year after the lyricist’s groundbreaking debut project, Thank Me Later.
The pair teamed up for an interlude named ‘Buried Alive’ and only lasted two minutes and thirty seconds. Furthermore, it doesn’t even hear Drake rap, merely Kendrick spitting bars for two minutes straight. Still, it was a part of the chart-topping album. The track wasn’t released as a single.
A$AP Rocky – ‘F*ckin Problems’, Long. Live. A$AP, (2013)
Another song that Kendrick and Drizzy worked on was A$AP Rpcky’s 2013 single, ‘F*ckin Problems’. Although both rappers appear on the song, it is unclear whether or not they hrecorded in the same studio as this was released before Kendrick’s ‘Control’ was put out. The track was the second single of Rocky’s debut album Long.Live.A$AP and featured Atlanta emcee 2 Chaniz.
It was also produced by one of OVO’s in-house producers, Noah ‘40’ Shebib. The track entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number eight where it remained and the song has since become eight times platinum.
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Poetic Justice’, Good Kid m.A.A.d City, (2012)
This Kendrick track was the fourth single from his highly acclaimed sophomore album Good Kid, m.A.A.d City. The song wasn’t a huge success on the Billboard Hot 100. The track hears both Kendrick and Drake rap on the same track. However, strangely, they do not come into contact with each other in the music video.
Produced by West Coast beatmaker Scoop DeVille, the song samples the classic Janet Jackson track ‘Any Time, Any Place’, and was performed by the GNX creator on Saturday Night Live.