Kendrick Lamar just gave Stephen Colbert quite a send-off. Appearing as a guest on one of the final Colbert Report episodes, the Compton MC used his Tuesday night slot to debut a brand new song from his upcoming, as-yet-unannounced sophomore studio album.
The song, currently untitled, was helmed by underground French producer Astronote. Part spoken word, part jazz, part funk, and with a touch of Yeezus for good measure, the track proves as genre-bending as it does socially conscious. “I shall enjoy the fruits of my labor if I get free today,” he surmises. For the performance, he was joined by bassist and Flying Lotus associate Thundercat and saxophonist Terrence Martin.
In a pre-performance interview, Colbert was quick to point out to Kendrick the pressures that come with being the show’s final musical guest. “Keep in mind, Paul McCartney, R.E.M., Jack White, and Nas were your opening acts.” He also put K. Dot’s skills to the test, asking him to rhyme “Colbert” — Kendrick responded with “No hair.”
Watch the replay below.
