EXCLUSIVE -Ā 

Thundercat doesnā€™t seem like the type of artist who has ever had a dull moment in the studio, but one particular session will always stand out in his mind.

When HipHopDX caught up with the multi-hyphenate musician at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, it took him a few moments to think about which of the many studio sessions heā€™s participated in he could single out as his favorite.

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But he quickly landed on the session for Kendrick Lamarā€˜s ā€œThese Walls,ā€ from the 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly. Thundercat joins Bilal and singer Anna Wise to deliver the hook on the song, which won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance.

ā€œMy favorite studio session that I was in, gotta be honest: it was probably singing ā€˜These Walls,'ā€ Thundercat said. ā€œAnd a lot of my friends at the time didnā€™t realize that I sang. And so, my friends were just staring in my face like, ā€˜What is he doing right now?ā€™ And I was like, ā€˜Can you guys leave the room so I canā€¦ I donā€™t wanna be looking in my friendsā€™ eyes singing about these walls.ā€™

The songā€™s suggestive chorus includes lyrics like: ā€œIf these walls could talk/ I love it when Iā€™m in it, I love it when Iā€™m in it,ā€ between Kendrickā€™s verses, which are laced with metaphors for sex.

ā€œItā€™s just looking at Terrace [Martin] in the eyes, singing in my highest Michael McDonald voice,ā€ Thundercat recounted. ā€œTerrace is smiling like, ā€˜What about these walls, Steven?ā€™ And Iā€™m like, ā€˜Stop it!ā€™ I couldnā€™t pause because the track is gonna keep going, so I gotta keep singing. There is no pause, itā€™s just continually me singing these walls and harmonies.ā€

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He continued: ā€œAnd my friends looking down my throat. Donā€™t look at me like that,ā€ he added laughing. ā€œIā€™m a grown man, I pay taxes; Iā€™ve been to jail. Donā€™t do that!ā€

Last year, Kendrick Lamar also revisited the making ofĀ To Pimp A Butterfly and explained that much of the album came about through creative trial and error.

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During an episode of The Big Hit Show podcast, Kendrick explained how he and his co-creators were able to erase the line between Hip Hop and jazz using a group of Los Angeles-based musicians whoā€™d been playing together since high school. As Kendrick notes, there was really no method to the madness. They opted to experiment and essentially see what would stick.

ā€œYeah Iā€™m just trying stuff, throwing the paint on the wall and writing as these incredible musicians rock out,ā€ he said. ā€œI like that for eight bars. I like that. I like that. So . . . prior to the album actually coming out the shit actually sounded way more complex.ā€

Thundercat Makes Acting Debut In Disney+ Series 'Star Wars: The Book Of Boba Fett'
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Ahead of the former TDE starā€™s latest albumĀ Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, to which he contributed his skills as a bassist, Thundercat applauded Kendrickā€™s creativity and noted that many of his favorite moments recording music involved the ā€œHUMBLE.ā€ rapper.

ā€œI feel like Kendrick is and will be a beacon of what it means to be one of the more creative artists of our generation through the way the albums have twisted and turned,ā€ he told Japanese fashion brand Neet Tokyo. ā€œIt speaks beyond its years. Him as an artist, he inspired me a lot. A lot.ā€

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Thundercat continued: ā€œI wish I could spend more time around him creating just because he gives off such energy and he knows what he wants a lot of time. Some of my favorite moments of recording are with Kendrick.ā€