Miguel and Kendrick Lamar are two of, if not the two, most important, acclaimed and renowned artists of the current urban music landscape. Both, young men from Los Angeles, that are on top of their respective genres, and they have a collabo coming soon in the remix to Miguel’s “How Many Drinks.” So, its very fitting that Vibe recruited both Mig and K. Dot to grace the cover of their upcoming ‘Big List’ issue.
As we await the release of their first collab, check out their brief co-interview and more photos below:
What was your first impression of each other’s music?
KENDRICK: First time I heard Miguel, it was a video actually. What was the first video on BET?
MIGUEL: If it was the one with J. Cole, then that’s “All I Want Is You.”
KENDRICK: It was the joint before that, early in the game. Whatever it was, it was dope. Something new, something fresh. When I found out that he’s from the town, that made him even more official ’cause we don’t get too many vocalists getting light and love on the actual talent.
MIGUEL: I gotta say that Section.80 tape was it. What I liked most is the perspective. There’s a song where Kendrick is like—I’m gonna fuck up the lyrics—How do you talk about money, religion and street life all at the same time. I know I fucked it up, Kendrick. My bad, bro.
KENDRICK: Nah, you good. Exactly. That’s it.
MIGUEL: I just like that it’s an honest perspective. Sometimes you listen to MCs and you’re like, This shit sounds cool, the verse and the cadence or whatever, but when you look at the artist, it just doesn’t translate. I don’t get that from Kendrick. Younger artists, we’re all striving to be ourselves. He’s one of the best examples of that.
KENDRICK: Likewise. As far as Miguel, one thing I said these past couple of years, from an R&B perspective, I always felt like it’s been missing the depth of actually telling a story. Everything on the radio has been cliché. But when you get a body of work like Miguel’s, you hear actual intricate details and lines where it’s not just saying, Come here girl, blah blah blah.
MIGUEL: [Laughs]
KENDRICK: You’re hearing the steps to get there. And that’s the part of R&B that’s been missing for a long time. To actually hear somebody new doing it and taking pride in such intricate details that make the song that much better, it makes you wanna ride to it all day. I come from that world of oldies and gangster rap. My pops probably played more R&B and vocalists in the house than gangster rap, so I always listened for lyrics and the shit that make the women feel good. Once they like it, you know the dudes gon’ follow it right after, so you gotta be up on your shit.
Who’s the artist that keeps you on your toes? Pushes you to go harder?
KENDRICK: My partner J. Cole is always keeping it to the point where you have to show and prove. My partner Drake kills it.
MIGUEL: What’s fucked up about R&B is that that camaraderie doesn’t exist. I don’t really know why.
KENDRICK: It definitely don’t.
MIGUEL: I wish I could be like “my partner” or “my homie,” but it’s not really like that. You could have a 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar, Drake and A$AP Rocky record; they’re all different, but they’re new and dope. You can have that and everyone’s confident in their own uniqueness and appeal. I hope we can do that. In R&B, I have to pay attention to every male artist. Usher is a friend. Vocally there’s no one fucking with Usher right now in mainstream R&B. I’m always paying attention to his riffs, ’cause he’s always pushing himself. I’ve never heard Usher do one take of vocals the same. He’s insane. Obviously I’m paying attention to Frank or the Weeknd. Jesse Boykins, who is a friend as well, is another artist who’s doing something different, fresh and new.
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