American rapper Kendrick Lamar has appeared in 73 music videos, including 37 featured appearances and one uncredited appearance. He has also released three short films and was featured in numerous television shows. For his debut studio album, Section.80 (2011), Lamar released music videos for his debut single "HiiiPower", "Tammy's Song (Her Evils), "A.D.H.D", and "Rigamortis", each helmed by various directors and released in 2011. [1] He followed with a sole music video in 2012 for "Swimming Pools (Drank)", in support of his second album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City . He released four more music videos for the album in 2013, and made his debut as a music video director with the video for "Backseat Freestyle". He debuted as a film producer with the short film M.A.A.D (2014), which was directed by Khalil Joseph and inspired by Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. [2]
Lamar continued to co-direct his own music videos with his creative partner Dave Free, under the collective name the Little Homies. [3] His third album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) produced five music videos for "I", [4] "King Kunta", [5] "Alright", [6] "For Free? (Interlude)", [7] and "These Walls" featuring Bilal, Anna Wise, and Thundercat. [8] At the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, "Alright" won Best Direction. [9] Lamar also won Video of the Year and Best Collaboration during the ceremony for his work with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift on the video for "Bad Blood", which later won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video. [10] [11] In the final hours of 2015, Lamar released the short film God is Gangsta, which he co-directed and co-edited. [12] [13]
For his fourth studio album, Damn (2017), Lamar released five music videos for "Humble", "DNA", "Element", "Loyalty" featuring Rihanna, and "Love" featuring Zacari. [14] The video for "Humble" won six accolades at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Direction and Video of the Year; becoming the first artist to win the award for a video they co-directed. [15] "Humble" also received the Grammy Award for Best Music Video. [16] With the four music videos supporting his fifth album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), Lamar delved into executive production. His third short film, We Cry Together – A Short Film, won the Film Craft Grand Prix for Direction at the 70th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. [17]
Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Director(s) | Notes | Album | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
"Bitch I'm in the Club" | 2009 | — | Dee.Jay.Dave | C4 | [18] | |
"Compton State of Mind" | — | Compton State of Mind | [19] | |||
"Jason Keaton & Uncle Bobby" | — | Brandon Dimit | Kendrick Lamar | [20] | ||
"She Needs Me" | 2010 | — | Jerome D | [21] | ||
"Ignorance Is Bliss" | — | Dee.Jay.Dave OG Michael Mihail | Also writer | Overly Dedicated | [22] | |
"Monster Freestyle" | — | Calmatic | — | [23] | ||
"H.O.C." | — | Jerome D | Overly Dedicated | [24] | ||
"Cut You Off" | — | Calmatic | [25] | |||
"P&P 1.5" | Ab-Soul | Jerome D | [26] | |||
"Michael Jordan" | Schoolboy Q | Fredo Tovar | [27] | |||
"HiiiPower" | 2011 | — | Fredo Tovar Scott Fleishman | Section.80 | [28] | |
"Tammy's Song (Her Evils)" | — | Jerome D | [29] | |||
"A.D.H.D" | — | Vashtie Kola | [30] | |||
"Rigamortis" | — | The ICU | [31] | |||
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" | 2012 | — | Jerome D | Good Kid, M.A.A.D City | [32] | |
"Backseat Freestyle" | 2013 | — | Kendrick Lamar Jerome D Dee.Jay.Dave | Co-director | [33] | |
"Poetic Justice" | Drake | The Little Homies Dee.Jay.Dave Dangerookipawaa | [34] | |||
"Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" | — | The Little Homies OG Mike Mihail | [35] | |||
"Sing About Me" | — | Darren Romanelli | [36] | |||
"i" | 2014 | — | The Little Homies Alexandre Moors | Co-director | To Pimp A Butterfly | [37] |
"King Kunta" | 2015 | — | Director X | [38] | ||
"Alright" | — | The Little Homies Colin Tilley | Co-director | [39] | ||
"For Free? (Interlude)" | — | The Little Homies Joe Weil | [40] | |||
"These Walls" | — | The Little Homies Colin Tilley | [41] | |||
"Humble" | 2017 | — | The Little Homies Dave Meyers | Damn | [42] | |
"DNA" | — | The Little Homies Nabil | [43] | |||
"Element" | — | The Little Homies Jonas Lindstroem | [44] | |||
"Loyalty" | Rihanna | The Little Homies Dave Meyers | [45] | |||
"Love" | Zacari | The Little Homies Dave Meyers | [46] | |||
"All the Stars" | 2018 | SZA | The Little Homies Dave Meyers | Black Panther: The Album | [47] | |
"Family Ties" | 2021 | Baby Keem | Dave Free | Also executive producer | The Melodic Blue | [48] |
"The Heart Part 5" | 2022 | — | Kendrick Lamar Dave Free | Co-director and executive producer | Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers | [49] |
"N95" | — | Kendrick Lamar Dave Free | [50] | |||
"Rich Spirit" | — | Calmatic | Also executive producer | [51] | ||
"Count Me Out" | — | Kendrick Lamar Dave Free | Co-director and executive producer | [52] | ||
"The Hillbillies" | 2023 | Baby Keem | Neal Farmer | Non-album single | [53] |
Title | Year | Artist(s) | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Hooligan" | 2020 | Baby Keem | Executive producer | [91] |
"No Sense" | 2021 | Executive producer; credited as K.L. | [92] | |
"Durag Activity" | Baby Keem and Travis Scott | [93] | ||
The Melodic Blue | Baby Keem | Album trailer; executive producer | [94] | |
"Issues" | Executive producer; credited as KL | [95] | ||
"First Order of Business" | [96] | |||
"16" | 2022 | [97] | ||
"With The Villains" | Tanna Leone | [98] | ||
"Death n’ Taxes" | [99] |
Title | Year | Artist(s) | Director(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Win" | 2018 | Jay Rock | Dave Meyers Dave Free | [100] |
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Lennon or McCartney | Himself | Short documentary film | [101] |
M.A.A.D | Short film; also producer | [102] | ||
2015 | God Is Gangsta | Short film; also co-director and co-editor | [103] | |
2017 | Louder Together | Documentary film | [104] | |
2018 | Jay Rock: Road to Redemption | [105] | ||
Quincy | [106] | |||
2019 | Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes | [107] | ||
2022 | We Cry Together – A Short Film | The Man | Short film; also co-director, writer, and executive producer | [108] |
Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour | Himself | Concert film; also executive producer | [109] | |
The Show: California Love | Documentary film | [110] | ||
2023 | Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé | Documentary concert film | [111] | |
The Melodic Blue: Baby Keem | — | Short film; executive producer only | [112] | |
TBA | Untitled Trey Parker film † | — | Producer only; in development | [113] |
† | 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 | [114] |
Conan | TBS | [115] | |||
Le Grand Journal | Canal+ | Musical guest (two episodes) | [116] | ||
Saturday Night Live | 2013 | NBC | Musical guest (S38E12) | [117] | |
Late Show with David Letterman | CBS | Musical guest | [118] | ||
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | ABC | [119] | |||
Chelsea Lately | E! | [120] | |||
The Arsenio Hall Show | CBS | Musical guest | [121] | ||
Saturday Night Live | 2014 | NBC | Guest appearance for Imagine Dragons (S39E13) | [122] | |
Musical guest (S40E6) | [123] | ||||
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Musical guest | [124] | |||
The Colbert Report | Comedy Central | [125] | |||
The Ellen DeGeneres Show | 2015 | NBC | [126] | ||
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | CBS | [127] | |||
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | 2016 | NBC | [128] | ||
Noisey | Viceland | Episode: "Noisey Bompton" | [129] | ||
Unsung | TV One | Episode: "Kurupt" | [130] | ||
Footnotes for 4:44 | 2017 | Tidal | [131] | ||
The Defiant Ones | HBO | [132] | |||
Power | 2018 | Laces | Starz | Episode: "Happy Birthday" | [133] |
Shut Up and Dribble | Himself | Showtime | [134] | ||
Saturday Night Live | NBC | Guest appearance for Anderson .Paak | [135] | ||
Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America | 2019 | AMC | [136] | ||
Super Bowl LVI halftime show | 2022 | Himself / Headliner | NBC | Television special | [137] |
Saturday Night Live | Himself | Musical guest (S48E01) | [138] | ||
Hussle† | TBA | TBA | Upcoming documentary series | [139] |
Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr., better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, he signed to the local independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005. Through the label, he secured a major label record 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 record label Strange Music, in a joint venture deal with TDE in 2011.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is the only musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Lamar's work has been recognized for its continual versatility, characterized by his melodic cadences, cinematic songwriting, and striking visual presentations. His regular infusion of political criticism and social commentary influenced a rise of social consciousness within his generation.
American rapper Kendrick Lamar has released five studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play (EP), five mixtapes, 65 singles, and three promotional singles. Lamar initially performed under the stage name K.Dot, releasing three mixtapes under that moniker: Y.H.N.I.C. (2004), Training Day (2005), and C4 (2009). He gained major attention after the release of his fourth mixtape Overly Dedicated, which was released in 2010. It was Lamar's first full-length project to be released under his birth name and fared well enough to enter the United States Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it peaked at number 72.
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.
"Poetic Justice" 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 American record producer Scoop DeVille, features a verse from Canadian rapper Drake. The song was released as the album's fourth official single, due to its positive response.
"M.A.A.D City" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his second studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012). The song, which appears as the eighth track on the album, features a guest appearance from fellow Compton native and West Coast rapper MC Eiht. The song was produced by Top Dawg in-house producers THC and Sounwave for the first part of the instrumental, and Terrace Martin for the second part. The song peaked at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Bitch, 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.
"Backseat Freestyle" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It debuted on October 15, 2012 in the United Kingdom as the third single from Lamar's second studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012). It was released in the United States with the album's release on October 22, 2012. "Backseat Freestyle" was written by Lamar and Chauncey Hollis and produced by Hollis under his stage name Hit-Boy.
Digi+Phonics is an African 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.
"Money Trees" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, taken from his major label debut studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012). The song, which appears as the fifth track on the album, features a guest appearance from his Black Hippy cohort, fellow American rapper Jay Rock, and was produced by DJ Dahi. It entered the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at number 19 due to high downloads, following the album's release. The song, mixed by Top Dawg engineer Derek "MixedByAIi" Ali, features background vocals from American singer Anna Wise of Sonnymoon. Money Trees samples the Beach House song "Silver Soul", from their 2010 album Teen Dream, as well as vocals from Lamar's "Cartoon and Cereal" and interpolates lyrics from E-40's "Big Ballin' With My Homies".
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 Taylor Swift, Chloe x Halle, Baby Keem, 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 executive. 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. Among Free's accolades are one Grammy Award and three MTV Video Music Awards.
"Alright" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar featured on the artist's third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). The song expresses ideas of hope amid personal struggles and features uncredited vocals in its chorus from co-producer Pharrell Williams. "Alright" was released to radio stations as the album's fourth single on June 30, 2015. Many music publications considered it among the best songs and videos of the year. "Alright" received four nominations at the 58th Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, winning the latter two. It was also nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.
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, Redemption, Crash Talk, and The Lion King: The Gift. He rose to prominence in 2019 through his sleeper hit single "Orange Soda".
PGLang is an American independent multidisciplinary creative communications company specializing in music and visual media production. It was founded by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free in 2020, and is headquartered in Los Angeles. The company has won six Cannes Lions Awards, including the Special Award for Independent Agency of the Year – Craft in 2023.
"Family Ties" is a song by American rappers Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar. The song was released on August 27, 2021, by Columbia Records and pgLang. The song serves as the fourth single from Keem's debut album, The Melodic Blue. The song also serves as Lamar’s first musical release under pgLang, a production company he co-founded in March 2020.
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.