Family ties: How many songs do Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar have?

Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar have become the dynamic duo that rap fans didn't realize they needed. Their styles may seem like they would clash at first glance: Keem is best known for his elastic, aggressive raps and Kendrick is celebrated for his cerebral, conscious bars, but they've managed to fit a musical sweet spot.

"Family Ties" is the most famous collaboration between Keem and Kendrick, landing at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning a Grammy for Best Rap Performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

It's hard to deny the song's catchiness and infectious energy, but the real-life cousins have a lot more songs under their belt. Officially, they have 5 collaborations to date.

Let's give these other collabs their flowers, shall we?

'Range Brothers' (2021)

"Range Brothers" was issued on the same album as "Family Ties", which is to say, it was one of the many highlights on Baby Keem's studio debut, The Melodic Blue. The track didn't drum up the wild analysis and critical praise that "Family Ties" did, but it's hard to deny the appeal of it when you go back and listen.

The instrumental is less bombastic, and more menacing than its predecessor. The bass rattles throughout, and Keem and Kendrick take turns being way more aggressive than either of them need to be. It's fantastic.

'Savior (Interlude)' and 'Savior' (2022)

"Savior" is the lone Keem and Kendrick collaboration that's wound up on a Kendrick Lamar album. Granted, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is the only album K. Dot has put out since Keem rose to prominence, but the point stands.

Keem actually has the "Savior" (Interlude)", which precedes this track, all to himself, and he talks about gang life and mortality over gorgeous, orchestral instrumental. It segues into "Savior" proper, which is jagged both musically and lyrically. Not a banger, per say, but a thought provoker.

'The Hillbillies' (2023)

The unofficial sequel to "Family Ties", "The Hillbillies" is exactly the kind of song that fans want to hear Keem and Kendrick on. The instrumental is bouncy and repetitive, and the cousins sounds like they're having an absolute blast rapping about wealth and women.

If "Family Ties" is the party anthem, "Range Brothers" is the bars showcase, and "Savior" is the reflective track, than "The Hillbillies" is the uncomplicated chill out song that you can throw on any time of day and enjoy.

Unreleased/Unofficial tracks

"The Hillbillies" brings us to five official collaborations, but there are actually lots of unofficial instances in which Keem and Kendrick have joined forces. The internet has alleged that Kendrick ghostwrote a few songs for Keem's The Melodic Blue, as evidenced by the fact that demos for "16", "Bullies" and "So What" have leaked online in various forms.

Kendrick is also a co-writer and uncredited feature on the Melodic Blue song "Vent." His voice is actually the first one that's heard. If you want to dig into the various permutations and demos of songs that Keem and Kendrick workshopped but eventually tweak or abandoned, you can look at their shared Genius profile.

Given how well these two work together, and the fact that they spent most of 2023 on tour with each other, it's safe to assume that we will be getting plenty more Keem and Kendrick music down the line. We can't wait.