JAY-Z and Beyoncé. Method Man and Mary J. Blige. Drake and Rihanna. As sister genres, Hip Hop and R&B have combined to produce many a great rapper-singer duo over the years — and staking their claim near the top of that list is Kendrick Lamar and SZA.
Since the latter joined Top Dawg Entertainment as a largely unknown artist in 2013, the former labelmates have developed an undeniable creative chemistry across more than half a dozen collaborations, notching a string of Billboard Hot 100 hits, platinum plaques and Grammy nominations.
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With a total of eight songs (and counting) between them, you might be surprised to learn that SZA — not fellow Black Hippies ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul — is actually Kendrick’s most frequent collaborator within the TDE camp over the last decade (with the exception of his go-to producer Sounwave, of course).
This is no surprise considering Dot’s deep appreciation for the supremely talented songbird. “She has the answers to some of the things she was curious about,” he recently told Vogue while reflecting on SZA’s growth, “and is willing to tell it all in the most disruptive yet beautiful compositions this generation has ever heard.”
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Though Kendrick is no longer on TDE (he departed the label in 2022 after spending more than a decade helping it become a Hip Hop powerhouse), he has recruited SZA to join him on the road this year.
Coming in support of the Compton native’s latest album GNX, which features a double dose of duets between him and Solána, the Grand National Tour will see them play arenas across North America (including in Toronto, the hometown of Kendrick’s fierce rival Drake) between April 19 and June 18.
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A joint project between the pair has also been floated, with SZA recently fueling excitement by saying in an interview with Sherri Shepherd: “I would love that. I think that would be amazing. He’s such a genius.”
While it remains to be seen whether that fantasy will become a reality, there’s enough magical material from Kendrick Lamar and SZA to crown them the best rapper-singer duo in the game right now. Below, HipHopDX ranks their best collaborations to date.
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8. “Untitled 04 | 08.14.2014”
Album: Kendrick Lamar — untitled unmastered. (2016)
Taken from Kendrick’s collection of leftover material from To Pimp a Butterfly, “Untitled 04” captures the raw, unedited magic of a studio session. With Coach Kenny whispering commands and cues to his then-labelmate, SZA’s powerful voice shines over the stripped-down acoustic instrumental, courtesy of Sounwave and Thundercat. Head is the answer.
7. “Babylon”
Album: SZA — Z (2014)
Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s working relationship dates back to the latter’s debut release on TDE, which also boasted collaborations with Mac Miller, Chance The Rapper and labelmate Isaiah Rashad (who she’s also developed a kindred musical bond with).
Anchored by wobbly, heavy-bottomed production from DJ Dahi, “Babylon” is very much a snapshot of where the two artists were in 2014: an airy-sounding SZA still figuring out the true power of both her voice and songwriting talents; Kendrick rapping in the raspy, rapid-fire flow that you can immediately pinpoint to his post-good kid, m.A.A.d city, pre-To Pimp a Butterfly phase. It also offers a glimpse of what was to come from the dynamic duo.
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6. “Traffic Jam (Easy Bake Remix)”
Album: Jay Rock — 90059 (2015)
TDE is one of the best in the game when it comes to crafting cohesive, well-sequenced albums, but why “Traffic Jam” was buried as a hidden bonus track at the end of Jay Rock’s “Easy Bake” is anybody’s guess. Then again, the label does have a habit of teasing us with incredible-sounding song snippets.
Featuring funky, West Coast-flavored production, “Traffic Jam” deserves to be played at high volume, preferably through car speakers with the windows down. While the usually reliable Rock spits a solid verse, SZA and Kendrick steal the show — the former with a soulful, emphatic performance that showcases her MC-like ability to change flow mid-verse, and the latter with a gruff intensity that sounds like a rabid pitbull had just been let off its leash.
“Traffic Jam” was later released as a standalone song on YouTube, but it’s a crime this isn’t on streaming services.
5. “Gloria”
Album: Kendrick Lamar — GNX (2024)
The soulful curtain closer to GNX, “Gloria” features a twist reminiscent of Common‘s “I Used to Love H.E.R.” as Kendrick Trojan Horses an ode to the craft of writing rhymes inside what initially sounds like a tribute to his longtime partner Whitney Alford. Handling hook duties, SZA compliments Lamar’s delicate delivery with her tender and gorgeous voice.
However, she also injects some fiestiness into the track by personifying Kendrick’s “pen” and reminding him: “I gave you life! I breathe the muthafuckin’ charisma in this bitch! I bring the blessings! I gave you power!” — a nod to two classic metaphorical songs from Kendrick’s heroes: 2Pac‘s “Me and My Girlfriend” and Nas‘ “I Gave You Power.”
4. “All the Stars”
Album: Various Artists — Black Panther: The Album (2018)
Though it’s the kind of radio-friendly pop record that TDE otherwise resists the pressure to make, there’s no denying the success of “All the Stars.” One of multiple hits from the Kendrick Lamar-helmed Black Panther soundtrack, the soaring, celestial song cracked the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 (marking SZA’s highest-charting entry at the time), won numerous awards (including an MTV VMA) and has been certified double platinum.
It also spawned a wonderfully fed-up verse from Kendrick that signaled what was to come in the following years from the Compton kingpin: “I hate people that feel entitled / Look at me crazy ’cause I didn’t invite you / Oh, you important? You the moral to the story? You endorsin’? / Mothafucka, I don’t even like you.”
3. “30 For 30”
Album: SZA — SOS Deluxe: Lana (2024)
Released on the heels of their two collaborations on GNX, “30 For 30” strengthened Kendrick and SZA’s case as the best Hip Hop/R&B parnership in the game right now. Sampling Switch’s “I Call Your Name” (which rap fans of a certain age will recognize from Rich Boy‘s “Throw Some D’s”), the song features more sultry (and sneering) back-and-forth from the pair as well as some lush vocal stacking.
Seemingly inspired by her recent appearance on Kai Cenat’s Twitch stream, SZA’s “chat” rhyme scheme is weirdly irresistible, while Kendrick scoffs at his male counterparts with feminine traits. Even the title itself could be perceived as a subliminal dig at a certain Canadian rapper (Siri, play track 11 from What a Time to be Alive).
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2. “Doves in the Wind”
Album: SZA — Ctrl (2017)
The closest we’ve come to Kendrick Lamar on a J Dilla beat. Produced by Chicago’s Cam O’bi, “Doves in the Wind” slows down Busta Rhymes‘ hypnotic, Dilla-produced “Turn Me Up Some” and repurposes it over giant, crackling drums, with Redman‘s feral ad-libs intact.
It’s over this boom bap soundbed that SZA and Kendrick craft the smoothest ode to the female sex organ, giving Lil Wayne a run for his money for the number of times the word “pussy” is mentioned in a song. Between this and his raunchy verse on Travis Scott‘s “goosebumps,” Mr. Morale must have been rather horny at the time.
1. “Luther”
Album: Kendrick Lamar — GNX (2024)
The duo’s finest duet yet. Modernizing Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s “If This World Were Mine” (which was originally a Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell song), Kendrick and SZA sound like two kindred spirits completely in sync on this aptly-titled GNX standout.
The highlight is the second verse, where the soon-to-be-tourmates weave in and out of each other over the bouncy, bedroom-friendly production as they express the power of their love. Clocking in at just under three minutes, the only criticism of “Luther” is that it’s not long enough.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s best collaborations are available as a playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.
