7 Collabs That Prove Kendrick Lamar and SZA Are the Perfect Duo
With roughly four months until Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Grand National Tour, fans wonder if the artists have a collaborative album up their sleeves. While SZA insisted that she’d love to make a joint album with the former Top Dawg Entertainment artist earlier this month, the two have more than a fair share of songs together.
As a primer before Kendrick and SZA hit the road for their 19-city tour, we look back on their seven collaborations, including new tracks “Gloria,” “Luther,” and “30 for 30.”
“Gloria”
In the final song on Kendrick’s sixth studio album, “GNX,” the rapper and SZA seek redemption from their past mistakes through self-reflection on the mariachi-textured “Gloria,” a strong conclusion to the 12-track album.
“All the Stars”
Nominated for Best Original Song at the 91st Academy Awards was the cosmic “Black Panther” anthem “All the Stars.” Kendrick and SZA flawlessly connected on the grandly produced song through space and time.
“Untitled 04 | 08.14.2014.”
Among Kendrick and SZA’s earlier collaborations was the previously unreleased “Untitled 04 | 08.14.2014,” from Kendrick’s post-”To Pimp a Butterfly” LP, “Untitled Unmastered,” where their vocals were stacked on the heady, funk-inspired song.
“Babylon”
From SZA’s landmark mixtape “Z,” was “Babylon,” a warped, bass-thumping staple, where the 4-time Grammy winner rejected unserious suitors. Following through with clever references to Kid Cudi and a “Born Sinner” era, J. Cole was Kendrick, less than a year following his seminal sophomore album, “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.”
“Luther”
The first of two “GNX” collaborations between Kendrick and SZA was the sweeping, harmonious, and Luther Vandross-sampling “Luther,” which rightfully debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 last December.
“Doves in the Wind”
From SZA’s 2017 debut album “Ctrl,” the NSFW “Doves in the Wind” saw the singer-songwriter kiss off undeserving men while Kendrick backed up her stance, encouraging SZA to put her “middle fingers up.”
“30 for 30”
On “LANA,” the expanded edition of SZA’s sophomore album “SOS,” “30 for 30,” which samples Switch’s “I Call Your Name,” sees SZA and Kendrick going bar-for-bar. Where SZA shouts out her “chat” in the name of streaming culture, Kendrick subliminally gives a few scathing disses to his rap nemesis, Drake.