K-Dot is officially back.
Kendrick Lamar shared his new Beach House-produced song, “The Heart Part 5,” alongside a video to match on Sunday, less than a week before the release of his new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The long-awaited fifth studio album, set to be his final on Top Dawg Entertainment, arrives on Friday, May 13.
In the visual for the track, which samples Marvin Gaye’s classic 1976 song “I Want You,” Lamar stands in front of a dark red backdrop, as his face swaps with deep fakes of some of his peers, entertainers, and hip-hop icons like Kanye West and Nipsey Hussle.
The shape-shifting visual, directed by Dave Free and Kendrick himself, starts with the quote “I am. All of us,” which is attributed to oklama, a nickname that the Pulitzer-winning rapper has been using in recent months.
“As I get a little older, I realize life is perspective and my perspective may differ from yours,” Kendrick opens the song. “I want to say thank you to everyone that’s been down with me. All my fans, all my beautiful fans, anyone who’s ever gave me a lesson. All my people.”
Throughout the video, Lamar’s face takes the shape of other celebrities, and as Lamar’s face swaps to that of West, he spits the line “friends bipolar” at the 1:55 mark. His face also molds into those of O.J. Simpson, Jussie Smollett, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, and the aforementioned Hussle. The Nipsey portion of the video features Kendrick spit the line “and Sam I be watching over you,” as he raps from the perspective of the late rapper, and throws out an apparent ode to his brother Samiel Asghedom, a.k.a. Blacc Sam.
At the video’s 2:05 mark, K-Dot raps the words “I’m in Argentina wiping tears full of confusion,” an apparent reference to Nipsey’s death, given that the MC performed at Lollapalooza Argentina on March 31, 2019—the day Nipsey was killed.
“The Heart Part 5” marks the first time a solo K-Dot track has been listed as a pgLang release, in conjunction with TDE, on streaming services. Back in August of last year, Kendrick made the announcement that the new LP will be his last with TDE, telling fans through his oklama website that he feels “joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years.”
“The Struggles. The Success,” he wrote. “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.”
Check out the new video above.
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