This song is part of our “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist. Check out the full list.
Beyoncé reunites with her #2 musical husband Kendrick Lamar for another surprise remix. For the pair’s third collaboration and third “RENAISSANCE” remix, Beyoncé takes another page from the 90s playbook by tacking a rap verse on the infectious “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM.” Lamar rides the beat immaculately, bringing us back to 2023 to dish out some strong words for A.I. and embrace his second-place ranking behind Beyoncé’s actual husband on Billboard’s Best Rappers list (“rightfully so,” he says). Though he knows his place in that relationship, he should reconsider crowning himself “an honorary Beyhive” given the Hive’s polarized reaction.
Stream “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” here, order Beyoncé’s “RENAISSANCE” vinyl, or get those RENAISSANCE World Tour tickets.
In celebration of summer, the staff at THE 97 has compiled a playlist containing some of our favorite summer songs, from then and now. Each day we will reveal one song, rotating daily between past and present with pairings from 1998 and 2023, for a total of 97 days/songs. Since we love nostalgia, we’re celebrating summer songs from 1998 as they turn 25, alongside new songs that we feel deserve some shine. Pairings could be thematic, sonic, or based connections between the artists.