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Khalid: What you need to know about the young artist featured on Kendrick Lamar's 'The Heart Part 4'

Meet the singer behind those gorgeous 'ooh's

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Friday 24 March 2017 06:27 EDT
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Khalid features on the new Kendrick Lamar track 'The Heart Part 4'
Khalid features on the new Kendrick Lamar track 'The Heart Part 4' (Press image/Facebook)

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Kendrick Lamar has dropped a brand new track called 'The Heart Part 4' - and it turns out you might have heard of the guy singing the 'ooh's in that stunning intro.

Khalid is a 19-year-old Texas artist who's essentially arrived fresh out of high school.

He has a gorgeous, mellifluous voice that works perfectly on 'The Heart Part 4'; an "old soul", vulnerable quality to his music that sets him apart from his contemporaries and has earned him a number of high-profile fans, from Kendrick to Elton John.

He says his mother is his biggest musical inspiration, and also cites the likes of Frank Ocean, Kendrick, A$AP Rocky, Grizzly Bear and James Blake among his influences.

What I love about this 'The Heart Part 4' feature is that Kendrick is so, so subtle when it comes to featuring a new artist.

In contrast to Drake - who'll shout from the rooftops about how in with the London grime scene he is - Kendrick spotted the talent, invited him over and let the fans work out the rest.

Khalid revealed he was on the track on Twitter, writing: "I'm so honoured to have been a part of this. I can't believe that my voice is on a Kendrick song. This is insane."

His recent single 'Location' was co-produced by Syk Sense (who has a credit on Drake's 'Know Yourself'), and racked up millions of Spotify streams.

Already doing well thanks to his brilliant debut album American Teen, this Kendrick feature should open his music up to a host of new fans.

He's also superb live - so make sure you check him out if he tours nearby.

The man himself says he wants people to make a connection with every piece of his music.

"I want people to realise these songs are my real experience and give them something they can relate to. It's not based on genre. It's based on mood. It's got every emotion."

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