On “Holy Key,” Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean trade verses that focus on religion, politics, discrimination and police brutality, while soul legend Betty Wright handles the church-like chorus.
The song is the third single off DJ Khaled’s Major Key, following the Drake-assisted “For Free,” and Jay Z and Future collab “I Got The Keys”.
In the days leading up to the release of “Holy Key,” DJ Khaled teased that Kendrick would have the most talked about verse on his album:
https://twitter.com/Genius/status/755506266995294208
Khaled spoke about the collaboration process at a NYC listening party in July 2016:
I told Kendrick that I needed him to catch the Holy Ghost. No rules, no nothing. I told Big Sean the same thing. After I got the verses I got Ms. Wright, and I gave her some vibes, the tools for this hook. Basically, I told her to go to church.