American rapper Kendrick Lamar has appeared in 74 music videos, 17 of which he directed with his creative partner Dave Free. [a] He was featured in several documentaries, helmed three short films, and released one concert film.
For his debut studio album, Section.80 (2011), Lamar worked with directors such as Vashtie Kola to release four music videos, including visuals for "HiiiPower" and "A.D.H.D". [2] His second album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), was supported by music videos for "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "Backseat Freestyle" (Lamar's music video directorial debut), "Poetic Justice", "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe", and "Sing About Me". He also starred in and produced a companion short film, which was directed by Khalil Joseph. [3] Lamar and Free began receiving recognition for their directorial work with Lamar's third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). [4] [5] Among its six visual components, "Alright" won Best Direction at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. [6] Lamar also won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration during the ceremony for his featured appearance on singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's music video for "Bad Blood". [7] Directed by Joseph Kahn, it additionally received the Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2016. [8]
Lamar's fourth studio album, Damn (2017), was supported by music videos primarily directed by Lamar, Free and Dave Meyers. [9] The video for its lead single, "Humble", won six accolades at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Direction and Video of the Year. With his victory in the latter category, Lamar became the first artist to win Video of the Year for a video they co-directed. [10] "Humble" also received the Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2018. [11] Lamar and Free directed the majority of the visuals for the former's fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022). [12]
Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Director(s) | Notes | Album | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
"Bitch I'm in the Club" | 2009 | — | Dee.Jay.Dave | C4 | [13] | |
"Compton State of Mind" | — | Compton State of Mind | [14] | |||
"Jason Keaton & Uncle Bobby" | — | Brandon Dimit | Kendrick Lamar | [15] | ||
"She Needs Me" | 2010 | — | Jerome D | [16] | ||
"Ignorance Is Bliss" | — | Dee.Jay.Dave OG Michael Mihail | Overly Dedicated | [17] | ||
"Monster Freestyle" | — | Calmatic | — | [18] | ||
"H.O.C." | — | Jerome D | Overly Dedicated | [19] | ||
"Cut You Off" | — | Calmatic | [20] | |||
"P&P 1.5" | Ab-Soul | Jerome D | [21] | |||
"Michael Jordan" | Schoolboy Q | Fredo Tovar | [22] | |||
"HiiiPower" | 2011 | — | Fredo Tovar Scott Fleishman | Section.80 | [23] | |
"Tammy's Song (Her Evils)" | — | Jerome D | [24] | |||
"A.D.H.D" | — | Vashtie Kola | [25] | |||
"Rigamortis" | — | The ICU | [26] | |||
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" | 2012 | — | Jerome D | Good Kid, M.A.A.D City | [27] | |
"Backseat Freestyle" | 2013 | — | Kendrick Lamar Jerome D Dee.Jay.Dave | Co-director | [28] | |
"Poetic Justice" | Drake | The Little Homies Dee.Jay.Dave Dangerookipawaa | [29] | |||
"Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" | — | The Little Homies OG Mike Mihail | [30] | |||
"Sing About Me" | — | Darren Romanelli | [31] | |||
"i" | 2014 | — | The Little Homies Alexandre Moors | Co-director | To Pimp A Butterfly | [32] |
"King Kunta" | 2015 | — | Director X | [33] | ||
"Alright" | — | The Little Homies Colin Tilley | Co-director | [34] | ||
"For Free? (Interlude)" | — | The Little Homies Joe Weil | [35] | |||
"These Walls" | — | The Little Homies Colin Tilley | [36] | |||
"God Is Gangsta" | 2016 | — | The little homies | Jack Begert | PANAMÆRA U | [37] | ||
"Humble" | 2017 | — | The Little Homies Dave Meyers | Damn | [38] | |
"DNA" | — | The Little Homies Nabil | [39] | |||
"Element" | — | The Little Homies Jonas Lindstroem | [40] | |||
"Loyalty" | Rihanna | The Little Homies Dave Meyers | [41] | |||
"Love" | Zacari | The Little Homies Dave Meyers | [42] | |||
"All the Stars" | 2018 | SZA | The Little Homies Dave Meyers | Black Panther: The Album | [43] | |
"Family Ties" | 2021 | Baby Keem | Dave Free | executive producer | The Melodic Blue | [44] |
"The Heart Part 5" | 2022 | — | Kendrick Lamar Dave Free | Co-director and executive producer | Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers | [45] |
"N95" | — | Kendrick Lamar Dave Free | [46] | |||
"We Cry Together" | Taylour Paige | Jake Schreier, Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar | [47] | |||
"Rich Spirit" | — | Calmatic | executive producer | [48] | ||
"Count Me Out" | — | Kendrick Lamar Dave Free | Co-director and executive producer | [49] | ||
"The Hillbillies" | 2023 | Baby Keem | Neal Farmer | Non-album single | [50] | |
"Not Like Us" | 2024 | — | Dave Free Kendrick Lamar | [51] |
Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Director(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Mandatory" | 2009 | Jay Rock Ab-Soul | James Curtis | [52] |
"Turn Me Up" | 2010 | Ab-Soul | Calmatic | [53] |
"Live Again" | Schoolboy Q Curtains | Fredo Tovar Scott Fleishman | [54] | |
"Hood Gone Love It" | 2011 | Jay Rock | Dan Gedman | [55] |
"Say Wassup" | Black Hippy | Fredo Tovar | [56] | |
"Do It Again" | Terrace Martin Wiz Khalifa | Fredo Tovar Scott Fleishman | [57] | |
"Rossi Wine" | Droop-E | Damon Jamal | [58] | |
"The City" | 2012 | Game | Matt Alonzo | [59] |
"I'm On 2.0" | Trae Tha Truth J. Cole Jadakiss Tyga Mark Morrison Gudda Gudda Bun B B.o.B | Philly Fly Boy | [60] | |
"B-Boyz" | Birdman, Mack Maine, Ace Hood | Unknown | [61] | |
"Catch a Fade" | E-40 Droop-E | Fredo Tovar Scott Fleishman | [62] | |
"Power Circle" | Rick Ross Gunplay Stalley Wale Meek Mill | Dre Films | [63] | |
"Push Thru" | Talib Kweli Currensy | Fredo Tovar Scott Fleishman | [64] | |
"Black Lip Bastard" (Remix) | Black Hippy | The ICU | [65] | |
"Fuckin' Problems" | ASAP Rocky 2 Chainz Drake | Sam Lecca Clark Jackson | [66] | |
"Illuminate" | 2013 | Ab-Soul | Fredo Tovar Scott Fleishman | [67] |
"YOLO" | The Lonely Island Adam Levine | Akiva Schaffer | [68] | |
"We Up" | 50 Cent | Eif Rivera | [69] | |
"How Many Drinks?" | Miguel | Constellation Jones | [70] | |
"Memories Back Then" | T.I. B.o.B Kris Stephens | Philly Fly Boy | [71] | |
"Street Dreamin" | Bridget Kelly | Clifton Bell | [72] | |
"Collard Greens" | Schoolboy Q | JDDC | [73] | |
"Give It 2 U" (Remix) | Robin Thicke 2 Chainz | Diane Martel | [74] | |
"100 Favors" | Rich Gang: All Stars | Unknown | [75] | |
"Nosetalgia" | Pusha T | Unknown | [76] | |
"Fragile" | 2014 | Tech N9ne, MayDay!, Kendall Morgan | Unknown | [77] |
"It's On Again" | Alicia Keys | Rich Lee | [78] | |
"Babylon" | SZA | A-Plus + SZA | [79] | |
"Go Off" | Reek da Villian Ace Hood Swizz Beatz | Picture Perfect | [80] | |
"Crime" | Mayer Hawthorne | Rashida Jones | [81] | |
"That's Me Right There" | Jasmine V | Gil Green | [82] | |
"Never Catch Me" | Flying Lotus | Hiro Murai | [83] | |
"Autumn Leaves" | 2015 | Chris Brown | Unknown | [84] |
"Money Over Love" | Bilal | Unknown | [85] | |
"Bad Blood" | Taylor Swift | Joseph Kahn | [86] | |
"Classic Man" (Remix) | Jidenna | Benny Boom | [87] | |
"Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You?" (Remix) | 2016 | Funkadelic Ice Cube | Video God | [88] |
"The New Cupid" | BJ the Chicago Kid | Unknown | ||
"Goosebumps" | 2017 | Travis Scott | BRTHR | [89] |
"Power" | Rapsody, Lance Skiiiwalker | Unknown | [90] | |
"New Freezer" | Rich the Kid | Dave Free Jack Begert | [91] | |
"Perfect Pint" | Mike Will Made It, Gucci Mane, Rae Sremmurd | Unknown | [92] | |
"King's Dead" | 2018 | Jay Rock Future James Blake | Dave Free Jack Begert | [93] |
"Doves in the Wind" | SZA | Nabil Elderkin | [94] | |
"Wow Freestyle" | Jay Rock | Jack Begert | [95] | |
"Tints" | Anderson .Paak | Colin Tilley | [96] | |
"Hair Down" | 2019 | SiR | Jack Begert | [97] |
Title | Year | Artist(s) | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Hooligan" | 2020 | Baby Keem | Executive producer | [98] |
"No Sense" | 2021 | Executive producer; credited as K.L. | [99] | |
"Durag Activity" | Baby Keem and Travis Scott | [100] | ||
The Melodic Blue | Baby Keem | Album trailer; executive producer | [101] | |
"Issues" | Executive producer; credited as KL | [102] | ||
"First Order of Business" | [103] | |||
"16" | 2022 | [104] | ||
"With The Villains" | Tanna Leone | [105] | ||
"Death n’ Taxes" | [106] |
Title | Year | Artist(s) | Director(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Win" | 2018 | Jay Rock | Dave Meyers Dave Free | [107] |
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Lennon or McCartney | Himself | Short documentary film | [108] |
M.A.A.D | Short film; also producer | [109] | ||
2015 | God Is Gangsta | Short film; also co-director and co-editor | [110] | |
2017 | Louder Together | Documentary film | [111] | |
2018 | Jay Rock: Road to Redemption | [112] | ||
Quincy | [113] | |||
2019 | Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes | [114] | ||
2022 | We Cry Together – A Short Film | The Man | Short film; also co-director, writer, and executive producer | [115] |
Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour | Himself | Concert film; also executive producer | [116] | |
The Show: California Love | Documentary film | [117] | ||
2023 | Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé | Documentary concert film | [118] | |
The Melodic Blue: Baby Keem | — | Short film; executive producer only | [119] | |
2024 | Piece by Piece | Himself (voice) | [120] | |
2025 | Untitled Trey Parker film † | — | Producer only; filming | [121] |
† | Denotes series or specials that have not yet aired |
Title | Year | Role | Network | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | 2012 | Himself | NBC | Musical guest | [122] |
Conan | TBS | [123] | |||
Le Grand Journal | Canal+ | Musical guest (two episodes) | [124] | ||
Saturday Night Live | 2013 | NBC | Musical guest (S38E12) | [125] | |
Late Show with David Letterman | CBS | Musical guest | [126] | ||
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | ABC | [127] | |||
Chelsea Lately | E! | [128] | |||
The Arsenio Hall Show | CBS | Musical guest | [129] | ||
Saturday Night Live | 2014 | NBC | Guest appearance for Imagine Dragons (S39E13) | [130] | |
Musical guest (S40E6) | [131] | ||||
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Musical guest | [132] | |||
The Colbert Report | Comedy Central | [133] | |||
The Ellen DeGeneres Show | 2015 | NBC | [134] | ||
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | CBS | [135] | |||
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | 2016 | NBC | [136] | ||
Noisey | Viceland | Episode: "Noisey Bompton" | [137] | ||
Unsung | TV One | Episode: "Kurupt" | [138] | ||
Footnotes for 4:44 | 2017 | Tidal | [139] | ||
The Defiant Ones | HBO | [140] | |||
Power | 2018 | Laces | Starz | Episode: "Happy Birthday" | [141] |
Shut Up and Dribble | Himself | Showtime | [142] | ||
Saturday Night Live | NBC | Guest appearance for Anderson .Paak | [143] | ||
Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America | 2019 | AMC | [144] | ||
Super Bowl LVI halftime show | 2022 | Himself / Headliner | NBC | Television special | [145] |
Saturday Night Live | Himself | Musical guest (S48E01) | [146] | ||
Hussle† | TBA | TBA | Upcoming documentary series | [147] |
Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr., better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. Rock signed with local independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005. He secured a major label joint venture deal with Warner Bros. Records and Asylum Records to release his 2008 debut single, "All My Life ". Failing to chart, the mergers fell through and Rock departed from both of the latter labels shortly after. He then signed with Missouri rapper Tech N9ne's label Strange Music in a joint venture deal with TDE in 2011.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and songwriter. Regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is known for his technical artistry and complex songwriting. He was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be honored.
Quincy Matthew Hanley, better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q, is an American rapper from South Los Angeles, California. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ScHoolboy Turned Hustla (2008) and Gangsta & Soul (2009) to local success. After signing with the Carson-based record label Top Dawg Entertainment, Hanley's debut studio album, Setbacks (2011) and its follow-up, Habits & Contradictions (2012) were both released to positive critical response; both also performed moderately on the US Billboard 200 chart as digital exclusives.
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is the second studio album by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on October 22, 2012, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Drake, Dr. Dre, Jay Rock, Anna Wise and MC Eiht. It is Lamar's first major label album, after his independently released first album Section.80 in 2011 and his signing to Aftermath and Interscope the following year.
Black Hippy was an American hip hop supergroup from South Los Angeles, California, formed in 2008. The group consisted of West Coast rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and ScHoolboy Q. Black Hippy was constructed after all of its members had signed to Carson-based indie record label, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label. Specializing in hip hop and R&B artists, TDE is based in Carson, California. The label was founded in 2004 by record producer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who is the chief executive officer. His son, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr., and Terrence "Punch" Henderson are the presidents of the label.
Herbert Anthony Stevens IV, better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper. Raised in Carson, California, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where he eventually formed West Coast hip hop group Black Hippy, alongside fellow California-based rappers Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. He is perhaps most known for his introspective lyrics and his six independent albums under TDE, Longterm Mentality, Control System, These Days..., Do What Thou Wilt., Herbert, and Soul Burger, which were all released to positive reviews and commercial success.
The discography of Ab-Soul, an American hip hop recording artist, consists of six studio albums, two mixtapes, seventeen singles and 30 music videos. Ab-Soul's first full-length project was a mixtape titled Longterm. The mixtape was released in 2009, as a free download via mixtape-sharing websites.
"Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" edited for radio as "Trick, Don't Kill My Vibe" or simply "Don't Kill My Vibe", is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his major-label debut studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012). The song, produced by frequent collaborator Sounwave of Top Dawg Entertainment in-house production team Digi+Phonics, heavily samples "Tiden Flyver", by Danish electronic group Boom Clap Bachelors. It was originally intended to be a collaboration with American singer Lady Gaga, but her contributions were ultimately excluded from the final recording due to timing issues. A remix of "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" featuring American rapper Jay-Z was sent to radio as the album's fifth single on March 21, 2013, with the original version and another remix featuring British singer Emeli Sandé later being released.
Digi+Phonics is an American hip hop production team, composed of California-based record producers Tae Beast, Sounwave, Dave Free and Willie B. They currently serve as the main in-house producers for Carson-based record label, Top Dawg Entertainment. Digi+Phonics work significantly on projects from all the members of hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, who are also signed to Top Dawg and is composed of rappers Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul. Their best known productions include "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" by Kendrick Lamar, "There He Go" by Schoolboy Q, and "Terrorist Threats" by Ab-Soul. They frequently co-produce songs together and put the finishing touches on the projects released by Top Dawg Entertainment.
Mark Anthony Spears, known professionally as Sounwave, is an American record producer and songwriter. He is a frequent collaborator of rapper Kendrick Lamar, having worked on all of his projects since his 2009 self-titled extended play. Sounwave has also worked with artists such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Kali Uchis, Schoolboy Q, Mac Miller, and Bleachers. He has won three Grammy Awards, including two for Best Rap Album.
David Isaac Friley, known professionally as Dave Free, is an American filmmaker and record producer. Born and raised in Inglewood, California, he is best known for his creative partnership with rapper Kendrick Lamar. During his tenure as co-president of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Free directed music videos and short films with Lamar under the name the Little Homies. Following his departure from TDE in 2019, he co-founded the creative company pgLang with Lamar. Among Free's accolades are one Grammy Award and three MTV Video Music Awards.
HipHopDX is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. HipHopDX has over 3.5M monthly readers, the website encompassing hip hop news, interviews, music, and reviews. The website's founder and CEO is Sharath Cherian and the Head of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. HipHopDX is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. HipHopDX can be found on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr., known professionally as Baby Keem, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Las Vegas, he gained recognition in the late 2010s with his contributions to Black Panther: The Album by his cousin Kendrick Lamar, as well as Redemption by Jay Rock, Crash Talk by Schoolboy Q, and The Lion King: The Gift by Beyoncé. As a lead artist, he first became known for his 2019 sleeper hit single "Orange Soda", which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
American rapper and record producer Baby Keem has released one studio album, two mixtapes, four extended plays (EP), and ten singles. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has sold one million certified albums and five million certified singles in the United States. As of 2024, Keem is working on his second album.
PGLang is an American independent multidisciplinary creative communications company headquartered in Los Angeles. Founded and owned by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free, it specializes in music and visual media production. The company has won six Cannes Lions Awards, including the Special Award for Independent Agency of the Year – Craft in 2023.
The Melodic Blue is the debut studio album by American rapper and record producer Baby Keem. It was released on September 10, 2021, by PGLang and Columbia Records, with Keem serving as the executive producer. The standard version of the album features guest appearances by rappers Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver. An updated version, released on September 22, features an additional guest appearance from singer Brent Faiyaz. The deluxe edition of The Melodic Blue, released on October 28, 2022, features additional guest appearances from PinkPantheress and Lil Uzi Vert.
Avante Ramone Santana, known professionally as Tanna Leone, is an American rapper. Born in Los Angeles, he began to gain recognition in the underground hip hop scenes of Atlanta under the stage names Noviiimber and Baby Santana. In March 2022, Leone signed a recording contract with PGLang, under the aegis of Def Jam Recordings. His debut studio album, Sleepy Soldier, was released the following month. Leone earned his first Grammy Award nomination for his work on Kendrick Lamar's fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022).
"N95" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, on May 20, 2022, through PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The song was produced by Boi-1da, Sounwave and Jahaan Sweet, with additional production by Lamar's cousin, fellow American rapper and record producer Baby Keem.
Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour is a 2022 American concert film documenting The Big Steppers Tour, the 2022–2023 concert tour by rapper Kendrick Lamar. Directed by Mike Carson, Dave Free and Mark A. Ritchie, it was filmed in October 2022 at Accor Arena in Paris.