When Kendrick Lamar was first approached to contribute to Marvel’s Black Panther, no one expected what would come next — not even director Ryan Coogler.
In a new interview with LeBron James for Interview Magazine, Coogler revealed that Kendrick was initially asked to record just one song for the film. But instead of delivering a single track, the Compton rapper went into full creative mode and returned with an entire album inspired by the Marvel blockbuster.
“Kendrick was supposed to do a song, so he and Dave Free came by and watched a bit of footage, and then bounced,” Coogler said.
“Then a few weeks later they hit me back like, ‘Hey man, come listen to the music,’ and they had a whole damn album.”
Coogler admitted he was stunned:
“Each song had a reference to the movie. I’m like, ‘Man, this n***a just wrote this.’”
A Surreal Creative Moment
At the time, Coogler was juggling intense shooting days with stars Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan, but said he couldn’t even fully process the magic happening in real time.
“Chadwick was doing incredible work every day, Mike was doing incredible work every day, but I couldn’t appreciate the moment,” he said, reflecting on how much talent was surrounding the project.
The Kendrick x Coogler Connection
This wasn’t just a random pairing. Coogler had been chasing a collaboration with Kendrick for years.
“I’ve been a massive Kendrick fan ever since I first heard him, since his mixtapes,” Coogler told NPR back in 2018.
“Eventually I caught up with him… and we said if the opportunity comes, we’d love to work with each other on something.”
When the chance finally came, Kendrick took it far beyond expectations. Coogler recalled Marvel initially supporting the idea of Kendrick doing a few songs. Then suddenly, a studio was booked, and Kendrick and Dave Free were in full creative mode.
The Soundtrack That Changed Everything
The result was the now-legendary Black Panther: The Album, a 14-track project curated by Kendrick himself. He provided vocals on nearly every track and worked closely with artists like:
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SZA on the Grammy-nominated anthem “All the Stars”
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Future, Jay Rock, and James Blake on “King’s Dead”
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The Weeknd and Kendrick himself on “Pray For Me”
The album became a cultural landmark — blending mainstream hip hop, Afrofuturism, and cinematic storytelling in ways that had never been done before.
Legacy Move
Kendrick’s decision to go all in was never about a paycheck or a headline. It was about art meeting purpose. Turning one feature into a full soundtrack was a power move — one that helped Black Panther become a phenomenon far beyond film.
For Kendrick Lamar, greatness doesn’t wait for permission — it just shows up and takes over.
