The Hillbillies

"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 
From July to December 2022, American rappers Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar were on the Kendrick's Big Steppers Tour. 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."

"The Hillbillies" was surprise-released on May 30, 2023, only on PGLang's YouTube channel. The song has hi-hats inspired by UK drill and bass-led Jersey club production. Lyrically, Keem and Lamar have and have flows with "their favorite subjects": women, fashion and fame. Throughout the song, they compare themselves to professional footballers Lionel Messi and Neymar, while Lamar brings up designers Martine Rose and Grace Wales Bonner. "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".

 Music video 
The official music video for "The Hillbillies", directed and edited by Neal Farmer, was released with the song on May 30, 2023. 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. Keem and Lamar are seen "being in a silly, goofy mood" through the "casual" lo-fi video, as they explore and dance around some cities and in their private jet. American rapper Tyler, the Creator makes a cameo appearance in the video.

 Reviews 
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." "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. 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.

 Charts 
+Chart performance for "The Hillbillies"Chart (2023)Peak
positionNew Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)14

 Release history 
+Release history for "The Hillbillies"RegionDateFormatLabelVariousMay 30, 2023United StatesJune 20, 2023Urban radio

 References 

Category:Baby Keem songs