On “LOYALTY.,” Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna muse on the value and necessity of complete loyalty and honesty in both platonic and romantic relationships. The song marks the first collaboration between the two artists.
The chorus interpolates Jay Z’s infamous Roc-A-Fella Records maxim from 2000’s “Get Your Mind Right Mami,” a line that Kendrick previously referenced on “The Heart Part 2”; while Rihanna alludes to ODB’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” in verse three.
In the outro, Rihanna references the struggle of staying humble within success, which may be a nod to the first single from this album, “HUMBLE.”
