Kendrick Lamar has been a hard guy to get in contact with lately. Although he is less than a year removed from his long-awaited comeback album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, he has not been active at all in terms of feature offerings.
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Aside from songs like “Family Ties” and “Range Brothers” on Baby Keem’s 2021 album The Melodic Blue, Lamar has featured on one song since the end of 2019 (Busta Rhymes’ “Look Over Your Shoulder”). And, considering Keem is not only his cousin but also the first signee to Lamar’s new label pgLang, it feels like an even more exclusive honor to receive a guest verse from the Compton native.
With that being said, we revisit some of the best contributions Lamar has had on other artists’ songs. Here are his 10 best feature verses.
1. “Control” by Big Sean
Also listed at No. 1 on our recent Top 10 Most Controversial Hip-Hop Lyrics list, Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” verse in 2013 altered the rap landscape entirely. Striking fear and discomfort into many of his peers, Lamar’s name-dropping exhibition put the world on notice of how untouchable he was as an emcee and the powerful aura he embodied.
2. “Nosetalgia” by Pusha T
Coming in at No. 2 on our Top 10 Pusha T Songs list as well, “Nosetalgia” could not have been a better demonstration of Lamar’s lyrical ability and methodical approach to rapping. Breaking it down like a science, a video from Spotify’s Dissect Podcast dove deep into the double entendres and numerical themes Lamar employs in the song. With each subsequent listen of his verse, it becomes more and more evident that this could be one of the best displays in hip-hop history.
3. “Deep Water” by Dr. Dre
Lending a verse to his fellow Los Angeles icon and mentor Dr. Dre for his 2015 project Compton, an accompanying LP for the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton, Lamar stunned. Allegedly throwing subtle shots at Drake while he was enduring ghostwriter accusations, Lamar’s allusions to sharks and aquariums tie into the nautical motif of the song masterfully.
4. “No More Parties in LA” by Kanye West
The first and only official collaboration between Kanye West and Lamar, “No More Parties in LA” was an anecdotal masterpiece. Released as a promotional single for The Life of Pablo (2015), this track sees both West and Lamar deliver laid-back storytelling on peculiar instances in their lives, while also possessing sharp lyricism and dynamic flow patterns.
5. “Love Game” by Eminem
Another opportunity to flex his storytelling chops, Lamar’s offering on “Love Game” by Eminem sees him discuss the deceitful and sometimes untrustworthy nature of romance. This was Lamar’s first and only joint song with Eminem.
6. “1Train” by A$AP Rocky
Joining five other potent rappers for the ninth song on A$AP Rocky’s 2013 album LONG.LIVE.A$AP, Lamar’s verse showed the grit and angst he was beloved for early in his career. Helping make “1Train” one of the greatest posse cuts in the history of the genre, Lamar’s fierce flow is a sight to behold.
If I’m not the hottest then hell must have froze over
You thought it was safe then forgot what the code was
I carry traits of a traumatized soldier
Don’t look in my face, I might snap, I might choke ya
7. “Family Ties” by Baby Keem
As a reintroduction to the hip-hop world after a nearly half-decade hiatus, Lamar’s contribution to his cousin Baby Keem’s 2021 Melodic Blue lead single made the world stop for a moment. Meshing goofiness and determination, his Megan Thee Stallion and Kanye West call-outs made for a wildly entertaining welcome back.
8. “Tints” by Anderson .Paak
Lamar and Anderson .Paak developed a fruitful friendship in the mid-2010s. Facilitated by Dr. Dre, a close friend of both, the duo not only worked together on the aforementioned “Deep Water,” but came together for “Tints” in 2018 also. A euphoric promotional track for .Paak’s eventual Oxnard LP, Lamar’s I was made in His image, you call me a god verse gave .Paak a storm of momentum ahead of his album.
9. “Holy Key” by DJ Khaled
Among a featured roster with the likes of Drake, Jay-Z, J. Cole, Nas, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne, Lamar shined through on “Holy Key.” Major Key being Khaled’s ninth studio album, he and Lamar’s third and still most recent collaboration saw the latter unleash religiously-motivated bars like The universe and the heavens work in my DNA.
10. “Sidewalks” by The Weeknd
Switching roles thematically, Lamar and The Weeknd gave fans a bit of a surprise on the 2016 track “Sidewalks.” In the ninth song from The Weeknd’s Starboy album, Lamar delivers a superficial verse about women, drugs and celebrity, while the Toronto singer looks within for a “chip on your shoulder” aesthetic on the song’s hook and remaining verses.
Photo by Ollie Millington/Redferns
