As David Bowie worked on Blackstar, the final album of his career, his creative world was being shaped by an unexpected influence: Kendrick Lamar.
Bowie and longtime producer Tony Visconti were deeply immersed in Lamar’s 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly, a boundary-pushing release that fused jazz, funk, spoken word, and political commentary. Visconti later explained that what fascinated Bowie wasn’t hip-hop itself, but Lamar’s refusal to stay within any one genre.
Rather than emulate rap, Bowie wanted to adopt the same creative freedom — deliberately steering away from traditional rock structures and embracing experimentation. That mindset helped define Blackstar, which blended jazz textures, electronic elements, and haunting lyricism unlike anything else in Bowie’s catalog.
Released on January 8, 2016, Bowie’s 69th birthday, Blackstar arrived just two days before his death following an 18-month battle with liver cancer. Though he knew his health was failing, Bowie shared the reality with only a small circle and remained focused on his work until the end.
Visconti later recalled that even as Bowie acknowledged his physical limits, his humor and warmth never faded. Recording sessions continued with joy and intention, making the album both a creative breakthrough and a quiet farewell.
Lamar publicly honored Bowie after his passing, calling him a “Spirit of Gold,” and later reflected on the influence Bowie had across genres. The respect was mutual — Bowie had long praised rap as one of the most socially and artistically vital forces in modern music, noting decades earlier that innovation had shifted toward Black and Hispanic artists.
That admiration flowed both ways. Bowie’s work has been sampled extensively in hip-hop, underscoring a lasting dialogue between rock and rap — one that came full circle with Blackstar.
SOURCE: Ultimate Classic Rock