Kendrick Lamar Credits Jay-Z for Bringing Out the Best in Him
Kendrick Lamar got the ultimate co-sign when Jay-Z jumped on the official remix to “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe.” Still reveling in the moment, the Compton MC explained how the collaboration brought out the best in him.
Kendrick heard through his camp that Jay liked his album good kid, m.A.A.d city, so music executive “Big” Jon Platt reached out to Hov to make it happen.
“It’s a great feeling,” K-Dot told Funkmaster Flex during an interview on Hot 97. “I always looked up to Jay, being a young boy, being a student of the game, so for him to acknowledge my talents and be on the record, that’s an honor. That’s one of my moments.”
After hearing Jay’s verse, he knew he had to go hard. “When I heard that thing he sent back, I said to himself, I can’t be no floozy on this motherfucka,” he laughed.
“All them years of being in the studio, all them years of writing, of freestyling, and just being a student of the game, don’t mean shit if I can’t live up to this track. It didn’t mean nothing if I couldn’t do the best of my abilities to at least stand out in some type of way on the record with him.”
It took him 24 hours to record his verses. “I was so excited, it took me a day.”
The remix is another testament to his talent, which landed him at #1 on MTV’s “Hottest MCs in the Game” list. “I feel it’s well deserved. I can’t knock my talent and my hard work. I’ve been doing this for a long time,” said a confident K-Dot.
Kendrick and Jay-Z will meet up again on the upcoming “Yahoo! On the Road” tour.