Disturbed Plots Groundbreaking Genre Fusion with Kendrick Lamar
If you thought the days of jaw-dropping genre crossovers were behind us, Disturbed frontman David Draiman might just prove otherwise. He’s not shy about it—the band is aiming big, setting their sights on superstar Kendrick Lamar for what could be a major new moment in modern music. And this isn’t just talk for publicity. In his chat with Chicago’s Q101, Draiman laid out his vision: he wants to cook up a fresh, unity-themed anthem together, standing on the shoulders of giants like Aerosmith and Run-DMC’s legendary ‘Walk This Way’ or Anthrax and Public Enemy’s ‘Bring the Noise’.
Recalling the pure electricity that happened when those artists broke the mold, Draiman is chasing more than just nostalgia. He sees the chance to send a shockwave through today’s music landscape by dragging old walls down—again. The idea kicked up a gear after Lamar’s electrifying Super Bowl halftime show. For Draiman, the performance wasn’t just great entertainment. It was proof that Lamar is on a creative level where rocking boundaries comes naturally.
The Meaning and Ambition Behind the Collab
Draiman doesn’t want to play it safe. Disturbed, even while prepping for their Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour, is keeping one eye squarely on the future. The band’s debut, ‘The Sickness,’ practically roared its way into early 2000s music history with heavy riffs that still get crowds moshing. But this time, Draiman wants to ditch any comfort zone and bring something bold to the table—namely, the energy created when powerful rap lyricism meets hard-hitting rock in 2024.
What makes Lamar such an ideal partner? It’s about more than just star power. Draiman singled out Lamar for his lyrical depth and his talent for connecting across generations and genres. Picture a new track where Disturbed’s intensity backs up Lamar’s storytelling—a formula meant to catch listeners off-guard and drive home a message about unity in fractured times. Draiman said it outright: “Kendrick is way at the top of the list.”
Of course, fans will notice the nod to classic pairings: Aerosmith with Run-DMC’s rap breaks and guitar riffs, or Anthrax’s speed-metal colliding with Public Enemy’s vocal drive. Those matches didn’t just make great radio—they lit up cultural conversations and brought together people who never thought they’d meet on a dance floor. Draiman is betting that teaming with Lamar could channel a similar spirit, using new sounds to stir up the same excitement for a whole new crowd.
The project is still in its early days, with a track in development that puts unity front and center. But the intent is clear—Disturbed wants their next chapter to do more than celebrate the past. They want to stretch the boundaries of both rock and rap, proving that the best music moments still come when artists dare to join forces and take a risk.
