Ryan Coogler Reveals Kendrick Lamar Was Originally Only Supposed to Make One Song for Black Panther

Kendrick Lamar was initially only expected to contribute a single song to the Black Panther soundtrack, according to director Ryan Coogler.

In a recent conversation with LeBron James for Interview magazine, Coogler shared that after being asked to create just one track, Kendrick took it upon himself to craft an entire album inspired by the Marvel film — much to Coogler’s surprise and excitement.

“There were a few moments where I thought, ‘Man, this is getting wild,’” Coogler recalled while reflecting on the 2018 blockbuster. “Kendrick and Dave Free came by, watched a bit of footage, and then left. A few weeks later, they hit me up like, ‘Hey man, come hear the music,’ and they had made an entire album.”

Coogler continued: “Every song had a tie-in to the movie. I was like, ‘Man, he really wrote all of this.’ And while Chadwick [Boseman] and Michael [B. Jordan] were putting in incredible work on set every day, I couldn’t even fully appreciate what was happening in the moment.”

While promoting his latest film Sinners, Coogler revisited how Kendrick got involved in the project. He told NPR back in 2018 that he had been a huge fan of Kendrick since his mixtape days and had long wanted to collaborate.

“I finally got in touch with him through Anthony ‘Top Dawg’ Tiffith, and eventually sat down with Kendrick himself,” Coogler said. “We talked about how much his music meant to me, and he shared how much he appreciated my films. We both agreed that if the right opportunity came, we’d love to work together.”

Coogler credited Marvel for supporting the idea of Kendrick contributing music to the film. “Initially, he was just going to do a few songs,” he said. “Then he watched a good chunk of the movie, and the next thing I knew, they were in the studio recording.”

Ultimately, Kendrick not only curated the Black Panther: The Album but also lent his vocals throughout the 14-track project. The Grammy-nominated soundtrack featured hits like “All the Stars,” “King’s Dead,” and “Pray For Me,” and included collaborations with major artists such as SZA, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Future, and 2 Chainz.

Source: Hiphopdx
Image: Kendrick Lamar performing at Grandoozy 2018 by Julio Enriquez is licensed under CC BY 2.0