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Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar’s Decade-Long Friendship: Inside the Musicians’ Bond
Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar (you can call them TSwizzle and K.Dot – or Tay and K) have a friendship that built bridges through different genres in the music industry. Fans recently saw a glimpse of their bond at the 67th Grammys in February 2025 when Taylor eagerly danced to Kendrick’s legendary diss track “Not Like Us” as he accepted the awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year onstage.
However, their friendship spans back one decade and Life & Style lists the times they both subtly and proudly rooted for each other.
Taylor Swift Admits She’s a Kendrick Lamar Fan
The year is 2014, but Taylor is in her 1989 era. When she wasn’t belting out her own lyrics to the hits “Bad Blood” and “Blank Space,” she was rapping to Kendrick’s 2012 song “Backseat Freestyle.”
After the Pennsylvania native admitted that the tune was her hyperfixation song during a September 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Kendrick publicly shared his gratitude for Taylor’s support.
“I appreciate Taylor Swift for supporting not only my music but just the hip-hop culture,” he reportedly said later that month at the fifth annual ONE Musicfest in Atlanta. “There’s really no gap. It’s music and it feels good. Some people always try to lock it down and categorize it for one particular listener, but it moves all, even people from other genres.”
Kendrick Lamar Reveals His Favorite Taylor Swift Song
Not only did the “Money Trees” rapper admit that his No. 1 song of Taylor’s was her 2014 hit “Shake It Off,” but he even freestyled over the track during a radio appearance that November.
The moment seemingly made Taylor melt, leading to her verbal application submission to become Kendrick’s bestie.
“I really wish I was best friends with Kendrick Lamar, and I’m not, and it makes me sad daily,” she admitted to The Hollywood Reporter in December 2014.
The musicians continued to give each other their flowers while dominating the music industry, leading the pair to eventually collaborate on a project.
Kendrick Lamar Hops on the Remix of Taylor Swift’s Song ‘Bad Blood’
Taylor and Kendrick released the “Bad Blood” remix in 2015. What’s even more special is that the L.A.-based rapper rerecorded his verse when Taylor also had to rerecord the song after music manager Scooter Braun, who also previously acquired Big Machine Records, bought Taylor’s catalog.
The “Love Story” singer publicly thanked Kendrick for going the extra mile and keeping the “Bad Blood (Taylor’s Version” alive.
“Watching @kendricklamar create and record his verses on the Bad Blood remix was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. I still look back on this collaboration with so much pride and gratitude, for the ways Kendrick elevated the song and the way he treats everyone around him,” Taylor captioned an October 2023 Instagram post alongside a throwback picture with Kendrick. “Every time the crowds on The Eras Tour would chant his line ‘you forgive, you forget, but you never let it… go!’ I smiled. The reality that Kendrick would go back in and re-record Bad Blood so that I could reclaim and own this work I’m so proud of is surreal and bewildering to me. I’m overjoyed to say that the Bad Blood Remix (featuring Kendrick Lamar) is available everywhere on the 1989 Deluxe Edition.”
Taylor Swift Proudly Supports Kendrick Lamar at the 2025 Grammys
It’s not out of the ordinary for Taylor to dance her heart out at award shows, but she let all of her best moves loose at the 67th Grammys in February 2025.
Kendrick and his smash hit “Not Like Us” took home the Grammys for Song of the Year and Record of the Year, leading the crowd to chant the lyrics as he walked on the stage. The track also took home the accolades for Best Rap Song, Best Music Video and Best Rap Performance.
However, Taylor’s dancing instantly caught the attention of the cameramen at the event and the fans who watched the award show on their TV screens. With a champagne flute in one hand and Janelle Monáe’s jacket on her back, Taylor vibed to the song along with her A-list peers.
Fans are anticipating seeing Taylor and Kendrick at the 2025 Super Bowl. The “Fortnight” singer will be in her private suite cheering on boyfriend Travis Kelce as he and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Meanwhile, Kendrick is set to rock the field inside the New Orleans Caesars Superdome.
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