I don’t really know much music by Kendrick Lamar. I know he’s considered one of the best rappers alive—hell, he even won a Pulitzer Prize for Music. There’s no real reason I haven’t listened to more of his music. There’s just a lot of music out there.
That said, I do love his song “HUMBLE.”—especially the Skrillex remix, which somehow makes it even catchier. But my actual favorite Kendrick Lamar song? “YOLO.” Except…it’s not even his song. It’s a track he’s featured on, courtesy of The Lonely Island, a group best known for creating absurd, over-the-top comedy rap.
For the uninitiated, The Lonely Island got their start making sketches on YouTube before writing for an MTV Movie Awards show. Not long after, they were hired by Saturday Night Live—Andy Samberg as a cast member, with Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer joining as writers. Their SNL Digital Shorts became some of the biggest hits in the show’s history, with many still holding up today. “I’m on a Boat,” “Dick in a Box,” and “Like a Boss” are some of the classics. During their time on SNL, they had many guests on their songs including Natalie Portman, Justin Timberlake, and Michael Bolton.
After SNL, they kept the momentum going, releasing multiple comedy rap albums featuring an insane lineup of guests such as P!nk, and, of course, Kendrick Lamar, who appears on the song “YOLO.”
Now, most people hear the phrase “YOLO” (You Only Live Once) and take it as an excuse to live dangerously—skydiving, partying, making impulsive life choices. But The Lonely Island, in their infinite wisdom, flipped the concept entirely. In their version, “YOLO” actually stands for “You Oughta Look Out,” turning it into a paranoid anthem about avoiding risks, staying inside, and most importantly never trusting furniture.
The song also features, Adam Levine and the chorus and Kendrick Lamar provides a really great bridge to the song. Lamar actually provides some great financial advice. Check out the song music video below.
Anyway, our county is pretty divided right now. Republicans and Democrats. Chiefs fans and Eagles fans. People who thought Beyonce deserved Best Country Album and those that didn’t. But I think there’s one thing we can all agree on: A surprise performance by The Lonely Island at the Super Bowl would be pretty great.