Kendrick Lamar's cinematic debut good kid, m.A.A.d city is best when digested as a complete body of work, but that doesn't mean that the long player is without stand-outs. good kid's second track "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" has quickly become a fan favorite but what many don't know is that K-Dot originally planned to have his pal Lady Gaga featured on it.
Kendrick and his Top Dawg Entertainment family came to New York City on September 18 to play select album tracks for media and fans. Though he didn't announce any of the song titles at the time, Lamar played "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe," but instead, introduced it simply as his "Lady Gaga record." But things didn't go according to plan.
"The fact is I had to realize the business end of this game. I come from the grind where we put out mixtapes. You ain't gotta worry about clearances or even deadlines and with that situation, that situation was a deadline situation," K-Dot explained to MTV News on Saturday morning during an interview in a Las Vegas studio. "We had to meet these pre-orders. I was frustrated about it. My team was frustrated about it, but at the same time, we had to move forward."
The bounce-driven "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" wasn't the only collaboration the two had going on; there was another record titled "Partynauseous" also.
In October, the Fame Monster took to her site LittleMonsters.com to tell why the second record has yet to see the light of day. "When I collaborate with an artist i work solely with them, not with their camps or management. Its purely organic and creative. I love Kendrick dearly as a friend, but was not willing to compromise musically to the changes his team was making to my music," she said.
"This is why I am not [on] his record. I have a very specific vision as a producer and songwriter, and I always have," she continued. "That song will be released at a different time, for a different project. I love you, and think you should check out his stuff because he is truly great. He's a good kid, its just sometimes a mad city."
Kendrick assures MTV News that there is no love lost between he and the larger-than-life pop star and hinted that their collaborations will one day be released. "The records are still in the can," he said. "That's two joints, so the music is there."
What's your favorite track from Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city? Let us know in the comments!