South African gqom singer Babes Wodumo croons the first verse of this song recorded for the Black Panther soundtrack album. She is joined by Zacari and an uncredited Kendrick Lamar (who curated the soundtrack) on the tune. The latter pair previously teamed up on DAMN. for the hit tune, "LOVE."
Gqom is a rough-edged, minimal form of house music that emerged early in the 2010s from Wodumo's South African home city of Durban. She told Billboard that the collaboration came completely out of the blue. "I was so surprised," she said. "I'm a girl from Africa. My genre is gqom music. They call me gqom queen. I was too shocked. Kendrick Lamar and me? Hip-hop and gqom?! What? I'm so happy. It's such a privilege and an honor."
When Kendrick Lamar's people sent Wodumo the drum-laden beat she knew she had to do some research. "I didn't know about the movie or anything," the South African singer said. "I didn't know anything. They told me it was about Black Panther. Like, I didn't know. On Thursday, I'm gonna view it. I was like, 'Aye man. Why me?' I think it was favor from God. I think God chose me. Of all people in Africa, of all girls in Africa, he chose me. That makes me want to rejoice and want to say, 'Thank you God' and praise him every day."
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