Jack Antonoff, the famed producer and member of Bleachers, has shared the story about how he received a text from Sounwave, a longtime associate of Kendrick Lamar, which led to a massive creative collaboration that informed much of Lamar's recent music.
In an interview on "Armchair Expert" with Dax Shepard, Antonoff described the unlikely beginning of his work with Kendrick Lamar. "I have a band with a guy named Sounwave and a guy named Sam Dew. Wave grew up with Kendrick and has produced all his albums, and they were upstairs at Electric Lady one day, and I was downstairs working on something, and Wave texted me," Antonoff recalled.
"He's like, 'Come upstairs and mess around.' I go upstairs, start playing some chords. Didn't leave for three years," he added.
Sounwave has been a key figure in Kendrick Lamar's career since his early projects, and has not only been instrumental in producing Lamar's music, but also introducing other collaborators like Antonoff into the creative circle, a connection that was instrumental in the development of Lamar's album "GNX", with Antonoff contributing to about 11 of the 12 tracks, HotNewHipHop say.
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Antonoff also co-produced the track "6:16 In LA" alongside Sounwave, a song noted for its ominous tone and complexity. The collaboration between Antonoff and Kendrick has been characterized as both smooth and prolific.
There is speculation that this partnership may continue into future projects. DJ Akademiks recently suggested that Kendrick Lamar might release new music soon, hinting at more collaborations in the pipeline as summer approaches.
Meanwhile, Yahoo! Entertainment reported that Taylor Swift has shut down rumors of a fallout with longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, confirming that their friendship and professional partnership remain strong despite his absence from her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl.
In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, Swift emphasized their continued collaboration and highlighted their unique songwriting method, the "rant bridge," which channels intense emotion into a track, per People.
Swift and Antonoff have worked together since 2013 on major projects including 1989, Reputation, Lover, Folklore, Midnights, and her re-recorded albums, with both artists often publicly praising each other's talent. The clarification comes amid a busy period for Swift, who has also been in the spotlight for her reported wedding plans with Travis Kelce.
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