[imagesource: E! Entertainment]

Kendrick Lamar just dropped his new single ‘The Heart Part 5’, featuring a seriously cool technology twist.

In the music video, the rapper’s face morphs seamlessly into those of several other famous Black Americans, including OJ Simpson, Will Smith, Jussie Smollett, Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, and Nipsey Hussle.

Besides being a masterclass in rapping, it is also an incredible example of deepfake technology. “King Kendrick stays undefeated, league of his own,” said one fan.

You can witness the first round of deepfakes at the 1:40 mark:

Over to The Independent to explain some of what you’re seeing:

The lyrics of his song align with the person he’s resembling in the video at the time: discussing bipolar disorder when he’s depicted as West, and murder when he’s Hussle, who was shot and killed in 2019.

Smollett has recently been convicted of disorderly conduct for faking a hate crime, and we all know a fair amount about Will Smith’s situation.

The song also appears to include a sample from Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Want You’, which one fan noted: “There are artists who pay over six figures for a Marvin Gaye sample, so for Kendrick Lamar to use it as his comeback is everything.”

The new track has come in preparation for his latest album Mr Morale & The Big Steppers, which will drop on Friday (May 13).

Lamar’s last album was released in 2017, and to make up for a lost time, there is reason to believe he is releasing a double album this time.

[source:independent]