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Christopher Polk / Contributor via Getty Images and Joseph Okpako / Contributor via Getty Images
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Kendrick Lamar and Playboi Carti
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I AM MUSIC has arrived. On Friday (March 14) morning, Playboi Carti unveiled his long-awaited third studio album, and buried within its 30 tracks are not one but three collaborations with Kendrick Lamar.
The standout of the features, “GOOD CREDIT,” saw the Compton emcee firing off a handful of name-drops. “Havin’ it my way like Usher, dog, red, blue diamond like gusher, dog/ Upscoring on you n**gas like Rucker, dog,” he spat in reference to 1997’s “My Way.” The moment is nearly overshadowed by DJ Swamp Izzo shouting in the middle of his verse, but the Compton emcee still manages to shine through.
“Eliantte go big, white gold link fall on the belly/ The emerald cuff for hers and his, that b**ch on point like ASAP Relli,” he continued a few bars later. Terell “ASAP Relli” Ephron, for those who are unfamiliar, accused ASAP Rocky of pulling a handgun on him and firing it. The case went to trial, but the Harlem rapper was ultimately found not guilty on both gun assault charges in February.
Elsewhere, Lamar dropped a line about Luka Dončić, who was traded to the LA Lakers that same month: “Say Kenny been heavy out West and I carry the weight, n**ga, I’m Luka Dončić.” Listen to the record below.
Other noteworthy offerings on I AM MUSIC include “PHILLY” featuring Travis Scott, the Lamar-assisted “BACKD00R” and “RATHER LIE,” which reunited Carti with The Weeknd — though it doesn’t quite live up to “Timeless” from the Canadian singer’s latest album. Another notable entry is “CHARGE DEM H**S A FEE,” the first time we’ve gotten the Opium Records founder, Future and Scott all on the same track since 2024’s “Type S**t.”
It goes without saying that any album with that many songs is bound to have a few hit-or-miss moments, and that really shows toward the latter end of the LP. Tracks like “OPM BABI” and “DIS 1 GOT IT” almost feel incomplete, thanks in part to the gunshot sound effects and random audio bites that don’t do much to push the project forward. There is, however, the previously released “HBA” — formerly titled “H00DBYAIR” — which finally made its way to streaming.
All things considered, the wait definitely paid off. I AM MUSIC is Carti’s longest LP to date, having packed in a good number of collaborations across its hour-plus runtime. Not to mention, the lineup is rounded out by an impressive roster of producers: Metro Boomin, Ye, BNYX, Mike Dean and Cardo Got Wings, to name a few.
