Kendrick Lamar, the rap genius, could have had a major collaboration with Lil Wayne long before ‘Section.80’.
- Kendrick was initially set to feature on Jay Rock’s 2008 track ‘All My Life (In the Ghetto)’ before will.i.am took over the hook.
- Anthony ‘Top Dawg’ Tiffith made a crucial decision to rearrange Lil Wayne’s lengthy guest verse on the track.
- The song eventually became a major hit for Jay Rock, helping TDE establish its mark in the industry.
- Despite missing this early collaboration, Kendrick and Lil Wayne have worked together on other successful tracks.
Imagine Kendrick Lamar teaming up with Lil Wayne in 2008! It almost happened. Kendrick, back then known as K. Dot, was supposed to feature on Jay Rock’s track ‘All My Life (In the Ghetto)’.
DJ Hed revealed in ‘The Bigger Picture’ podcast that Kendrick had originally recorded the hook for the song. However, this version, unfortunately, never saw the light of day.
Anthony ‘Top Dawg’ Tiffith, founder of TDE, decided to rearrange Lil Wayne’s guest verse because it was too long. The final version featured will.i.am instead of Kendrick on the hook.
Despite the changes, ‘All My Life (In the Ghetto)’ became a crucial track for TDE, making waves in the industry and charting impressively.
Kendrick, still honing his craft then, went on to release ‘Overly Dedicated’ and ‘Section.80’, eventually cementing his place as a top artist.
Kendrick and Lil Wayne finally collaborated on tracks like ‘Buy the World’ and ‘Mona Lisa’. Lil Wayne recently mentioned that he finds it challenging to perform ‘Mona Lisa’ live due to its complexity.
This early near-miss with ‘All My Life (In the Ghetto)’ is a fascinating ‘what if’ in Kendrick’s illustrious career.
Kendrick Lamar’s early close call with a Lil Wayne collab shows how destiny had greater plans for both rap legends.
