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The Hillbillies

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"The Hillbillies"
Single by Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar
ReleasedMay 30, 2023 (2023-05-30)
Genre
Length3:24
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Evilgiane
Baby Keem singles chronology
"Issues"
(2021) 		"The Hillbillies"
(2023)
Kendrick Lamar singles chronology
"America Has a Problem"
(2023) 		"The Hillbillies"
(2023)
Music video
"The Hillbillies" on YouTube

"The Hillbillies" is a song by American rappers Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar. It was a surprise song, first released on May 30, 2023, only on Youtube. The song was later put on streaming platforms on June 5, 2023, by PGLang and Columbia Records. A drill song, Keem and Lamar wrote "The Hillbillies" with its producer Evilgiane. It includes a sample of "PDLIF" by Bon Iver, and an interpolation of "Sticky" by Drake.

The music video, directed and edited by Neal Farmer, was released alongside the song. The video was filmed on a VHS camcorder, and has outtakes of Keem and Kendrick from their time together on Kendrick's Big Steppers Tour, while also including a cameo from Tyler, the Creator. Music reviewers liked "The Hillbillies" for its Jersey club-inspired production and fun chemistry.

Background and composition

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From July to December 2022, American rappers Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar were on the Kendrick's Big Steppers Tour.[1] During the final stop of the tour's European visiting in Manchester, the cousins paused the show to film video for a potential music video they can "take back to L.A."[2]

"The Hillbillies" was surprise-released on May 30, 2023, only on PGLang's YouTube channel.[3][4] The song has hi-hats inspired by UK drill and bass-led Jersey club production.[5][6] Lyrically, Keem and Lamar have and have flows with "their favorite subjects": women, fashion and fame.[6] Throughout the song, they compare themselves to professional footballers Lionel Messi and Neymar, while Lamar brings up designers Martine Rose and Grace Wales Bonner.[7][8] "The Hillbillies" interpolates the flow of "Sticky" by Canadian rapper Drake on its refrain, and samples the charity single "PDLIF" by American indie folk band Bon Iver. "PDLIF" also samples English musician Alabaster DePlume's single "Visit Croatia".[9][10]

Music video

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The official music video for "The Hillbillies", directed and edited by Neal Farmer, was released with the song on May 30, 2023.[11] It was filmed only on a VHS camcorder during the end of the Big Steppers Tour's European visits, and follows Keem and Lamar as they travel around Europe and the United States. Landmarks put in the music video include the London Eye, Stephen's Green Shopping Centre in Dublin, and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.[12][13] Keem and Lamar are seen "being in a silly, goofy mood" through the "casual" lo-fi video,[9] as they explore and dance around some cities and in their private jet.[11] American rapper Tyler, the Creator makes a cameo appearance in the video.[14]

Reviews

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Stereogum's Chris Deville was excited about "The Hillbillies" sampling Bon Iver and Alabaster DePlume, and said the song was "awesome" after some listens. He described the track as being more like a "hype-building pre-album loosie", rather than the "proper single" feel of Keem and Lamar's other songs, and said the song was a "blog-era classic if we were still in the blog era."[15] "The Hillbillies" was named as Pitchfork's "Best New Track", with Dylan Green saying that the song is the "most relaxed and loose" Keem and Lamar have seemed in a while. He liked the track for keeping up with their usual "silly" actions, and said their "ridiculous" ad-libs were very funny.[16] Jayson Buford of Rolling Stone liked the track for giving a look of the vision for "whatever" Lamar and Dave Free's PGLang is going to do. He liked Lamar for being "irreverent (insulting) and fun in a way he usually is not," saying that some of his verses reminded him of his earlier works with Dom Kennedy and Fredo Santana.[17]

Charts

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Chart performance for "The Hillbillies"
Chart (2023) Peak

position

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] 80
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[19] 14
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 93
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 34
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[22] 27

Release history

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Release history for "The Hillbillies"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various May 30, 2023
[3]
United States June 20, 2023 Urban radio [23]

References

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  1. ↑ Aswad, Jem (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Unveils 'Big Steppers' Tour Dates". Variety. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  2. ↑ Cinnamond, Jack (November 18, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar, Baby Keem, Tanna Leone, AO Arena Manchester, 16/11/2022". Sounds From Nowhere. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Darville, Jordan (May 30, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem share new song 'The Hillbillies'". The Fader.
  4. ↑ Kearns, Sarah (May 30, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem Drop Surprise Single and Music Video 'The Hillbillies'". Hypebeast.
  5. ↑ Williams, Kyann-Sian (May 31, 2023). "Listen to Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem's track 'The Hillbillies'". NME. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Williams, Aaron (May 30, 2023). "Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar Return (and Sample Bon Iver) With The Cheeky 'The Hillbillies'". Uproxx.
  7. ↑ Farkas, Fremont (May 31, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar References PSG Stars Lionel Messi And Neymar In New Track". ClutchPoints. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  8. ↑ Shepard, Ryan (May 30, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar, Baby Keem Drop 'The Hillbillies'". Def Pen. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Paul, Larisha (May 30, 2023). "Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar Are in a Goofy Mood in 'The Hillbillies' Video". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  10. ↑ Deville, Chris (July 20, 2020). "Stream Alabaster dePlume's 'Visit Croatia' EP, As Heard On Bon Iver's "PDLIF"". Stereogum. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lamarre, Carl (May 30, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar & Baby Keem Deliver VHS-Style Video 'The Hillbillies': Watch". Billboard. Penske Media Corporation.
  12. ↑ Brew, Johnny (May 30, 2023). "Stephen's Green Shopping Centre makes appearance in Kendrick Lamar music video". Independent.ie. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ Kelly, Simon (May 30, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar drops music video shot in Stephen's Green shopping centre". JOE.ie. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ Turner Williams, Jaelani (May 30, 2023). "Tyler, the Creator Makes An Appearance In New Kendrick Lamar & Baby Keem Video 'The Hillbillies' - Okayplayer". OkayPlayer. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  15. ↑ DeVille, Chris (May 30, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar & Baby Keem Sample Bon Iver On New Song 'The Hillbillies'". Stereogum. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  16. ↑ Green, Dylan (May 30, 2023). "Baby Keem / Kendrick Lamar: "The Hillbillies"". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  17. ↑ Buford, Jayson (May 30, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem Are Having Too Much Fun on "The Hillbillies"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  19. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 12, 2023. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Urban/R&B Future Releases". AllAccess. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
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