Baby Keem has released the single ‘Family Ties’, a collaboration with his cousin Kendrick Lamar in addition to Normani.
The single is broken up into two parts, discernable by the change in tempo and whether Keem or Lamar is taking the lead.
The music video, directed by Lamar collaborator Dave Free, stitches and overlays various clips, including a scene where the three rappers are driving a limousine. While Normani doesn’t contribute any verses to the track, she does feature multiple times in the music video.
An in-video promo also bills Lamar as ‘Oklama’, an alias which he recently used to sign off an online letter to his fans. Multiple references are made to Lamar and Free’s production house pgLang.
Watch the clip for ‘Family Ties’ below:
Keem announced the track earlier this week, sharing to social media an old, grainy family photo with everyone’s faces censored except for a young Lamar and an even younger Keem, referencing Lamar’s 2012 ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’ artwork.
The song was previewed in March 2020 in a video teaser for pgLang, announcing that Keem had partnered with the company. Back in January, Keem appeared as part of a series of short films pgLang released in collaboration with Calvin Klein.
Last week, Lamar announced his final album for longtime label Top Dawg Entertainment in a letter to fans dated August 20.
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“I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts. Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers. The morning rides keep me on a hill of silence. I go months without a phone,” Lamar began the message.
“Love, loss, and grief have disturbed my comfort zone, but the glimmers of God speak through my music and family. While the world around me evolves, I reflect on what matters the most. The life in which my words will land next.
“As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators.
“As I continue to pursue my life’s calling. There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I’ve prayed for you all. See you soon enough.”
Baby Keem, meanwhile, has been busy readying his debut studio album ‘The Melodic Blue’, which is expected to arrive sometime this year. He has released a string of singles over the past 12 months, most recently Travis Scott collaboration ‘Durag Activity’ back in April.
Keem is also set to feature on Kanye West‘s forthcoming album ‘Donda’ on a track titled ‘Praise God’ that will also feature Scott.
The post Kendrick Lamar returns on collaboration with Baby Keem, ‘Family Ties’ appeared first on NME.
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