Dr. Dre is featured on Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 single “The Recipe.” The song pairs Lamar’s detailed celebration of Los Angeles life with Dre’s guest verse and production, making it an important early link between the emerging rapper and the veteran West Coast icon.
Released in 2012, “The Recipe” became Lamar’s debut single for a major-label arrangement involving Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. It was later included on the deluxe edition of Lamar’s breakthrough album, good kid, m.A.A.d city.
Dr. Dre’s appearance is especially significant because he had already shaped West Coast hip-hop through N.W.A., his solo work, and the development of artists such as Snoop Dogg and Eminem. Lamar was not simply borrowing Dre’s name: the collaboration helped introduce Lamar to a wider audience while connecting two generations of Los Angeles rap. Some listeners confuse “The Recipe” with later Lamar songs featuring other major artists, but Dr. Dre is the featured performer on this track.