One of the most surprising but welcome elements of Kendrick Lamar’s new album GNX is the feature list, with stars SZA and Roddy Ricch catching people’s ears. However, there are also a lot of hard-hitting West Coast rappers on the tracklist, plus some gorgeous vocal contributions from one Deyra Barrera from Tucson, Arizona. The mariachi singer told Rolling Stone of how she linked up with the Compton lyricist. She explained that their collaborative origin was when she sang a tribute at Game 1 of the World Series to former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who passed away in October.
“My skin gets goosebumps because all of this happened so quickly for me,” Deyra Barrera recalled to the publication about this “blessing.” “I want to cry. This is taking me by surprise. I was in tears, singing for my friend who died, at a packed stadium. And, el señor [Kendrick Lamar] was there. He listened to me sing. I believe in angels. And [Valenzuela] is an angel for me. I had no idea what I would record. I make mariachi, not rap. They told me they wanted my style, my voice. I had no idea how it was going to end up on the record. He welcomed me and was so kind. He said, ‘You have such a powerful voice. Thanks for coming.’ I had no idea what to say. Lamar is a genius, a maestro. Everything he makes is magic.
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Deyra Barrera’s Performance That Captivated Kendrick Lamar
Here’s the performance that caught Kendrick Lamar’s attention at Dodger Stadium when Deyra Barrera paid tribute to Fernando Valenzuela before Game 1 of the World Series. @kendricklamar #GNX #kendricklamar
@Deyrita pic.twitter.com/XoWgcTc3fI
— Our Esquina (@OurEsquina) November 23, 2024
“Ever since I can remember, we’ve sung to pay for rent and to make enough money to eat,” Deyra Barrera remarked of the path that led her to this moment with Kendrick Lamar. “It’s been many years of highs and lows, but I haven’t thrown the towel in because this is what I love. I hope this helps me. This industry is really difficult. I need to take advantage of this God-given moment to grow as a singer. From now on, I need to work a lot to have more people listen to my music, and learn who I am. I know Kendrick is going to do the Super Bowl Halftime Show… Imagine if he invited me to sing with him? That would be incredible. I hope people know that it’s Deyra Barrera who is on these songs.”
Days after that World Series game, Deyra Barrera was in Kendrick Lamar’s studio hearing the beats from the album. She wrote down some lines evoking the emotions that Kendrick’s team told her he wanted to present. Eventually, K.Dot stopped by to greet Barrera and express his gratitude for her contributions, even though she says they didn’t get to spend much time together after discussing their ideas. She appears on GNX‘s intro, “wacced out murals,” the track “reincarnated,” and the album’s outro, “gloria.”
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