The most direct answer to your search is the title track from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Here, Kendrick addresses family members and friends he has had to leave behind.
The Ghost in the Machine: Kendrick Lamar’s History with “Somebody That I Used to Know”
In the early 2010s, Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” was inescapable. But while the world was humming that xylophone hook, Kendrick Lamar was busy transforming it into something entirely different. Whether through official remixes or unreleased leaks, the DNA of this track has haunted Kendrick’s discography for over a decade. 1. The Official Remix (2012)
Before good kid, m.A.A.d city changed everything, Kendrick jumped on an official remix with DJ Reflex . This version isn’t just a simple guest verse; Kendrick uses the haunting backdrop to paint a vivid picture of a relationship deteriorating through fame and changing priorities . The Vibe: Gritty and introspective.
Key Lyric: "Tried to make you mine / Tried to make some time / But I ain’t got the time or the patience to stop and wait in line". 2. The "Memories Back Then" Near-Miss
Perhaps the most famous "almost" in Kendrick's history is the track "Memories Back Then" with T.I. and B.o.B. Originally, the song featured a direct sample of Gotye’s hit, but clearance issues forced T.I. to remove it .
The Shift: The final version replaced the sample with a new melody to avoid legal trouble, though the "ghost" of the original arrangement remains in the song's structure. 3. The 2019 Leak: "Somebody"
Fans were sent into a frenzy when a Kendrick track titled simply "Somebody" leaked online in 2020. Recorded around 2019, the song features a vocal style Kendrick later refined for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
The Evolution: While it doesn't sample Gotye directly, its chorus was repurposed for the powerful "Mother I Sober" . It explores his deepest fears—being "just a puppet on stage" and the worry that his art won't live forever. 4. The Modern Successor: Doechii’s "Anxiety"
The legacy of this sound continues today through Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) labelmate Doechii. Her hit song "Anxiety" prominently samples the same instrumental from Gotye’s 2011 classic . This direct lineage shows how the "Gotye sound"—originally rooted in Luiz Bonfá's 1967 instrumental "Seville" —remains a staple in the TDE creative toolkit. Kendrick Lamar – Somebody That I Used to Know (Remix)
The connection between Kendrick Lamar and the 2011 hit "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra primarily revolves around a 2012 collaboration titled "Memories Back Then," which originally featured a prominent sample of the track. The "Memories Back Then" Connection Kendrick Lamar - Somebody That I Used To Know -...
In late 2012, T.I. recorded "Memories Back Then" featuring Kendrick Lamar, B.o.B, and Kris Stephens.
The Original Sample: The song was built around a direct sample of Gotye’s "Somebody That I Used to Know".
Sample Clearance Issues: Due to difficulties clearing the sample in time for T.I.'s album Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head, the production was reworked to remove the Gotye sample.
The Final Version: While the official release uses a different instrumental, the original version with the Gotye sample leaked online and remains a popular "what-if" among fans. Lyrics and Themes
Kendrick Lamar's verse in "Memories Back Then" (often titled as a "Somebody That I Used to Know Remix" on lyric sites) explores the theme of changing social dynamics after achieving fame.
Storyline: Kendrick describes encountering a woman from his past—specifically a high school peer—whose life has taken a difficult turn while his own has ascended.
Key Lyrics: He raps, "Hold up, is that you? / With them big ol' thighs after school?" and contrasts his success with her overdue car notes.
Thematic Alignment: Kendrick’s narrative of looking back at a transformed person mirrors the core sentiment of Gotye's original chorus: the painful realization that someone who was once central to your life is now just "somebody that you used to know". Modern Samples and Influence
The influence of "Somebody That I Used to Know" continues to appear in the hip-hop world:
Doechii: The song "Anxiety" by Doechii (a former label mate of Kendrick at TDE) prominently samples the Gotye track. The most direct answer to your search is
Mashups: Because of the popularity of Kendrick’s unreleased "Memories Back Then" verse, many fan-made mashups exist on platforms like YouTube that place his vocals directly over the original Gotye instrumental. Somebody That I Used to Know (Remix) Lyrics - Genius
Title: The Alchemist of Angst: Deconstructing Kendrick Lamar’s Performance of "Somebody That I Used To Know"
Abstract
This paper explores the artistic significance of Kendrick Lamar’s cover of Gotye’s "Somebody That I Used To Know," specifically focusing on his 2013 performance for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. While the original track by Gotye is defined by its minimalist detachment and indie-pop aesthetic, Lamar’s interpretation transforms the song into a vessel for aggressive introspection and technical lyrical deconstruction. By analyzing the shifting cadences, the insertion of original verses, and the tonal modulation of the chorus, this paper argues that Lamar reclaims the narrative of the song from one of passive resignation to active confrontation, marking a pivotal moment in his good kid, m.A.A.d city era where he solidified his status as a premier interpreter of the human condition.
While there is no official collaboration, the internet has created a strong association between Kendrick Lamar’s style and the Gotye song due to fan-made mashups.
Verdict: You have likely encountered a bootleg remix or a fan mashup, not an authentic Kendrick Lamar song.
To truly understand the misattributed title, we must look at the track most fans confuse it with: Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst.
That song features a hook sung from the perspective of a ghost—a friend of Kendrick's who was shot and killed. The lyrics float in a reverb-drenched ether:
"I wonder if I was a better person, would you be at my funeral? / I wonder if I was a better person, would you be at my funeral?"
Then, Kendrick adopts the voice of the deceased’s brother, who vows revenge, only to be killed himself. Finally, Kendrick raps about "Keisha’s Song"—a prostitute he knows. The Ghost in the Machine: Kendrick Lamar’s History
Each verse ends with the refrain: "I'll never forget your song." But the subtext is grief-stricken amnesia. He is trying to remember the people he used to know before the violence erased them. The melancholic guitar loop of that track is the hip-hop equivalent of Gotye’s xylophone—sparse, circular, entrapping.
If you squint your ears, Sing About Me is the B-side to Somebody That I Used To Know. One is about a pop break-up; the other is about a drive-by shooting. Same emotional architecture, different skin color.
The enduring search for "Kendrick Lamar - Somebody That I Used to Know" tells us something vital about how we consume music in the 2020s. We are no longer satisfied with a song simply being a song. We want a vibe. We want a theory. We want a mashup that bridges the gap between our indie-loving past and our hip-hop-analytical present.
The track doesn't exist because two record labels couldn't clear the sample. But emotionally? It exists every time Kendrick Lamar turns a mirror on his audience and asks, "Do you love me? Are you playing a role? Or are you just somebody that I used to know?"
If you’ve spent any time on the lyrical side of the internet—specifically the murky waters of YouTube comments, Reddit forums, or Spotify’s "Song Radio"—you have likely stumbled upon a phantom track. It sits in the uncanny valley of music discovery. The title is tantalizingly familiar: Kendrick Lamar - Somebody That I Used to Know.
For the uninitiated, a frantic search yields confusion. You find the Gotye track featuring Kimbra—the 2011 indie pop anthem about a bitter, dissolved relationship. You find the three-part rap epic Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst from Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city, which famously samples the phrase. But you do not find a studio recording of Kendrick Lamar rapping over the xylophone plucks of Gotye’s hit.
And yet, the search persists.
Why? Because in the collective imagination of hip-hop fans, this song should exist. The phantom "Kendrick Lamar - Somebody That I Used to Know" is not a real track; it is a Rorschach test for thematic obsession. It is the sound of two disparate artistic universes colliding to describe a uniquely modern condition: the haunting realization that the person you have become is a stranger to the person you were.
This article dissects why this mashup exists only in our heads, how Kendrick Lamar has actually addressed the theme of fractured identity, and why Gotye’s 2011 anthem is the perfect, albeit accidental, skeleton key to unlocking the Compton rapper’s darkest lyrical corridors.
If you want, I can:
Kendrick Lamar’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” is a reflective, emotionally raw track that explores themes of loss, identity, and the complex aftermath of broken relationships. Through layered storytelling, vivid imagery, and a restrained yet impactful delivery, Lamar navigates both personal accountability and the lingering haunt of someone once intimate who has become distant and almost unrecognizable.
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