This year, Kendrick Lamar has elevated from one of hip-hop's most critically acclaimed and innovative writers to one of the genre's most commercially successful acts, period. For some context, Kendrick currently sits at Spotify's 34th most streamed artist in the world, and five of his DAMN cuts were among the year's most streamed songs. With his North American DAMN tour in the books, Kung-Fu Kenny has decided to keep his streak alive, announcing a fresh string of tour dates for his myriad European fans. Between February and March of 2018, Kendrick will be heading overseas for fifteen dates in many major cities, including Dublin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm and more.
Over the course of the tour, Kendrick will be joined by James Blake, the English singer and producer of critically acclaimed albums The Colour In Anything, Overgrown, and James Blake. Blake has been active in the hip-hop community, collaborating with artists like RZA, Andre 3000, Travis Scott, Jay-Z, and of course, Kendrick Lamar.
The pair collaborated on DAMN, where Blake provided some subtle, yet essential contributions to the song "Element". Complex reported Sounwave's recollection of the session, stating "James Blake came in at the last second. He constantly sends Kendrick stuff, and he just happened to send this crazy piano loop right as we started to feel like the first version wasn't it. He dropped it into his text messages at that moment. We incorporated his keys with the original and it became what it is."
Ultimately, it's some good news for all you European fans, who might have missed out on seeing Kenny perform in the flesh. Plus, the addition of James Blake should be a welcome one, as James is an exciting and innovative artist in his own right. Stay tuned for more news from Kendrick, and be sure to check out DAMN. if you've been sleeping on it.